ΧΧΧΥΪ REPORT—1850. 
the more remarkable of these nebula, as resolved by this noble instrument, 
were communicated by Dr. Robinson to the last Meeting of the Association, 
and it is with peculiar satisfaction that 1 am able to state that many import- 
ant discoveries have been made by Lord Rosse and his assistant, Mr. 
Stoney, during the last year. In many of the nebule, the peculiarities of - 
structure are very remarkable, and, as Lord Rosse observes, ‘‘ seem even to 
indicate the presence of dynamical Jaws almost within our grasp.” The 
spiral arrangement so strongly developed in some of the nebule, is trace- 
able more or less distinctly in many; but, “‘ more frequently,” to use Lord 
Rosse’s own words, “there is a nearer approach to a kind of irregular, in- 
terrupted, annular disposition of the luminous material, than to the regularity 
observed in others ;” but his Lordship is of opinion that these nebulz are 
systems of a very similar nature, seen more or less perfectly, and variously 
placed with reference to the line of sight. In re-examining the more re- 
markable of these objects, Lord Rosse intends τὸ view them with the full 
light of his six-feet speculum, undiminished by the second reflexion of the 
small mirror. By thus adopting what is called the front view, he will doubt- 
less, as he himself expects, discover many new features in these interesting 
objects. 
It is to the influence of Lord Rosse’s example that we are indebted for 
the fine reflecting telescope of Mr. Lassell, of which I have already spoken; 
and it is to it, also, that we owe another telescope, which, though yet un- 
known to science, I am bound in this place especially to notice. I allude to 
the reflector recently constructed by Mr. James Nasmyth, a native of Edin- 
burgh, already distinguished by his mechanical inventions and his observations 
on the moon’s surface, and one of a family well known to us all, and occu- 
pying a high place among the artists of Scotland. This instrument has its 
great speculum twenty feet in focal length, and twenty inches in diameter ; 
but it differs from all other telescopes in the remarkable facility with which 
it can be used. Its tube moves vertically upon hollow trunnions, through 
_which the astronomer, seated in a little observatory, with only a horizontal 
motion, can view at his ease every part of the heavens. Hitherto, the astro- 
nomer has been obliged to seat himself at the upper end of his Newtonian 
telescope; and if no other observer will acknowledge the awkwardness and 
insecurity of his position, I can myself vouch for its danger, having fallen 
from the very top of Mr Ramage’s twenty-feet telescope, when it was directed 
to a point not very far from the zenith. 
Though but slightly connected with astronomy, I cannot omit calling your 
attention to the great improvements—I may call them discoveries—which 
have been recently made in Photography. I need not inform this meeting 
that the art of taking photographic negative pictures upon paper was the 
invention of Mr. Fox Talbot, a distinguished member of this Association. 
The superiority of the Talbotype to the Daguerreotype is well known. 
In the latter, the pictures are reverted and incapable of being multiplied, 
while in the ‘Tailbotype there is no reversion, and a single negative will 
supply a thousand copies, so that books may now be illustrated with pictures 
drawn by the sun. The difficulty of procuring good paper for the negative 
isso great, that a better material has been eagerly sought for; and M. 
Niepce, an accomplished officer in the French service, has successfully sub- 
stituted for paper a film of albumen, or the white of an egg, spread upon 
glass. This new process has been brought to such perfectioa in this city by 
Messrs. Ross and Thomson, that Talbotypes taken by them, and lately 
exhibited by myself to the National Institute of France, and to M. Niepce, 
