128 Royal Society. 



telescope of that description under the superintendence of Mr. 

 Barlow*. 



The Council have also to announce that they have placed the 

 papers containing the magnetical observations made by the late la- 

 mented Capt. Foster in his recent voyage of discovery (and whicli 

 have been transmitted to the Royal Society by the Lords Commis. 

 sioners of the Admiralty), in the hands of Mr. Christie, who has 

 obligingly offered to examine them, and hasuiT.lertakento condense 

 them with a view to publication by the Society. 



The Council being desirous of obtaining authentic documents 

 respecting the tides, applied to the Admiralty for accounts of the 

 rise and fall of the sea, and the exact periods of high and low water 

 at the different sea-ports. Orders have in consequence been given 

 to the proper officers of the Dock-yards at Woolwich, Sheerness, 

 Portsmouth, and Plymouth, to make these observations, and re- 

 turns have already been received from those places. The Chair- 

 man and Directors of the London Dock Company have presented 

 to the Society the books containing a complete series of original 

 observations on the tides, referred to in a paper read to the Society 

 on that subject by Mr. Lubbock ; for which favour the Council have 

 returned suitable acknowledgements. 



Considerable uncertainty having prevailed with regard to many 

 points relating to the powers entrusted to the Society of conferring 

 certain honorary rewards, and also as to the principles which should 

 guide them in making the several awards of those honours, the 

 Council appointed a Committee for considering the whole of this 

 subject. The Committee, in the execution of this task, have made 

 a diligent search for all the documents relating to these subjects, 

 including the extracts from wills and other authorities, and the re- 

 solutions which have from time to time been made by the Council 

 relating to the medals; and have directed that separate lists should 

 be made out of all the persons who have received the honorary re- 

 wards bestowed by the Society, specifying the respective dates 

 and subjects for which they were awarded. Their exertions have 

 been ably and diligently seconded by the Assistant Secretary ; and 

 the Council have directed that the account which Mr. Hudson has 

 drawn up shall be printed for the use of the Fellows. 



The Council, on the recommendation of the Committee, have 

 adopted the following regulations as to the mode of making the 

 several awards entrusted to them. 



1. The Copley Medal shall be awarded to the living author of 

 such philosophical research, either published or communicated to 

 the Society, as may appear to the Council to be deserving of that 

 honour. The particular object or subject of research, on account 

 of which the medal is awarded, shall be specified in making the 

 award. No limitation shall exist either as to the period of time 

 within which that research was made, or to the particular country 

 to which its author may belong. It shall not be awarded to any 

 person who is a member of the Council at the time when the award 

 is made. The medal may, as was formerly done, be given more than 



* See Phil. Mag. and Annals, N.S. vol. ix. p. 44. — Edit. 



once 



