his station, to cultivate successfully the researches connected 

 with the antiquities of Ireland, and had earned for himself a 

 hiffh place among those who labour to illustrate her ancient 

 records, or to save from destruction the perishing reUcs of 

 her former civilization. 



Samuel Ferguson, Esq., was elected to the vacant place 

 in the Council; and the Rev. J, H. Todd, D.D., was ap- 

 pointed by the President, under his hand and seal, to suc- 

 ceed the Dean of St. Patrick's in the office of Vice-Presi- 

 dent. 



The Rev. T.R. Robinson, D.D., M.R.I.A., gave the Aca- 

 demy an account of a large reflecting telescope, lately con- 

 structed by Lord Oxniantown, and of the processes em- 

 ployed in forming its specula. 



After explaining the relative importance of magnifying 

 and illuminating power. Dr. R. proceeded to give a brief 

 sketch of the history of the reflecting telescope, which 

 seemed to have been forgotten for many years after its in- 

 vention, till it was revived by Hadley. The labours of 

 Short soon gave it celebrity ; yet even this artist limited 

 himself in almost every instance to sizes which were not 

 more powerful than the achromatics of his day, and his 

 large instruments appear to have been failures.* It was 

 not till a full century after the publication of Newton's 

 paper, that Sir William Herschel gave this telescope the 

 gigantic development which has crowned him with imperish- 

 able fame; and by the construction of telescopes of nineteen 



* A Newtonian of six feet focus, and 94 inches aperture, is said by Maskelyne 

 to have shewn the first satellite of Jupiter 13" longer than a tri/ile achromatic of 

 3-6 inches aperture. The telescope of twelve feet focus, and eighteen inches aper- 

 ture, now at Oxlord, shewed multiple rings of Saturn. 



