ADDRESS. Xlv 



your Committee of Magnetism, consisting; of Sir John Herschel, Colonel Sabine, 

 the Astronomer Royal, Dr. Lloyd, the Master of Trinity College, and myself; 

 and it will be for the General Committee, before we separate, to decide upon 

 the answer which must be given. I think I may venture to say that there 

 would be but one feeling of pride and satisfaction at seeing amongst us the 

 ■whole or any considerable number of these celebrated men ; and there can be 

 little doubt but that whatever be the place at which you may agree to hold 

 your next Meeting, they will experience a reception befitting the dignity of 

 these great representatives of the scientific world. 



It is quite true that the preparations for such a meeting would impose upon 

 your Committee of Magnetism, and more especially upon Colonel Sabine, no 

 small degree of labour. Reports must be received from all die stations, up 

 to the latest period, of the state of the observations ; their most prominent 

 results must be analysed and compared, and communicated as extensively as 

 possible amongst the different members of the Congress, so as to put them in 

 possession of the facts upon which their decision should be founded. Great 

 as is our reliance upon the activity and zeal of Colonel Sabine and of his ad- 

 mirable coadjutor, Lieut. Riddell, perfect as is his acquaintance with every 

 step of an inquiry with the organization and conduct of which he and Prof. 

 Lloyd have had the principal share, I fear that he would require greater 

 means than his present establishment could furnish, to meet the pressure of 

 such overwhelming duties. 



But if it should be the opinion of such a congress, that it was expedient to 

 continue the observations for another triennial period, and if such an opinion 

 was accompanied by an exposition of the grounds upon which it was founded, 

 there can be little doubt that there is not a government in the civilized world 

 which would not readily acquiesce in a recommendation which was supported 

 by such authority. 



The last volume of our Transactions is rich in reports on natural science, 

 and more especially in those departments of it which have an important bear- 

 ing on geology ; such is Prof. E. Forbes's Report " On the Distribution of the 

 Mollusca and Radiata of the vEgean Sea," with particular reference to the 

 successive zones of depth which are characterized by distinctive forms of ani- 

 mal life, and the relation existing between living and extinct species. You 

 will, I am sure, be rejoiced to hear that Her Majesty's Government have not 

 only secured the services of its author in connection with the Geological Sur- 

 vey, but have most liberally undertaken, upon the application of the Council, 

 to defray the expense of printing the very interesting work upon which this 

 Report is founded. The Report of Mr. Thompson, of Belfast, on an ana- 

 logous branch of the Fauna of Ireland, is remarkable for the minuteness and 

 fullness of the information which it conveys. Prof. Owen has continued his 

 Report " On the British Fossil Mammalia," which was begun in the preceding 

 volume, and towards procuring materials for which a contribution was made 

 from the funds of the Association. I regret to find that a class of reports on 

 the recent progress and existing state of different branches of science, which 

 occupied so large a portion of our earlier volumes, and which conferred upon 

 them so great a value, have been almost entirely discontinued. If the authors 

 of these Reports could find leisure to add to them an appendix, containing the 

 history of the advances made in those branches of science during the last 

 decad of years, they would confer an important benefit on all persons engaged 

 in scientific inquiries. 



The history of the sciences must ever require these periodical revisions of 

 their state and progress, if men continue to press forward in the true spirit 



