296 M. Quelelet's Memoir of Prof. Moll. 



fresh inquiries made upon this interesting subject, Moll re- 

 plied to this appeal, by quoting some of his experiments 

 which we had not had it in our power to become acquainted 

 with on account of the state of \\ar which existed between the 

 two countries, and by producing new results obtained by 

 means of very small elements*. 



We owe to M. Moll several other labours in the depart- 

 ment of physical science, and amongst others a memoir on 

 reflecting telescopes f, a subject which engaged much at- 

 tention at that time in Holland, as we have mentioned in 

 our memoir on the Baron Van Utenhoven % ; researches on 

 the degree of temperature at which water reaches its maximum 

 of density § ; comparative observations between the kilogram 

 and Dutch, English, and other weights ||. 



At the time when there appeared in England a work % 

 which made a great noise because several of the first scientific 

 men were attacked in it without reserve, Moll undertook the de- 

 fence of the injured party, and declared himself its champion. 

 His publication on this subject was entitled " On the alleged 

 Decline of Science i?i England, hy a Foreigner **." If we con- 

 sider the eminent services rendei'ed to science in general, and 

 to the applied sciences in particular, by the English nation, 



Annales dc Pht/sique of MM. Arago and Gay-Lussac, and against the Cor- 

 resjwndance, (or not having mentioned, relative to the subject of M. Moll's 

 labours, the inquiries of Professor Dal jSegro, which, it is said, were pre- 

 sented to the Academy of Padua the 21rf of June and the \Wi of July 

 of the year 1831. Now, a single word must put an end to these charges, 

 founded, as we would fain believe, upon an accidental error of date. The 

 experiments of Moll were communicated to the Institute of Amsterdam 

 the 30th of January 1830, and published immediately after by this learned 

 body under the title of Electro magnetische j^roeven, in 8vo, by Muller, 

 Amsterdam, 1830. The results of them were recorded not only in the 

 Correspondance Mathem. of 1830, and in the Annales of MM. Arago and 

 Gay-Lussao, but also in the Bibliotheque Universelle, v. xxxxv. p. 19 ; in 

 the Edinb. Journal of Science, No. vi. v. iii. p. 289 j in the Journal of the 

 Royal Institution, 1831, p. 379, &c. Should we not be right in replying 

 to the Italian author in his own words, leaving him to be responsible 

 for whatever they contain that is bitter and disdainful? Prima di fare 

 altri experimenti, dovrd studiare le cose gid pubblicate in Olanda, in Francia, 

 in Inghilterra, in Geneva, etc. 



* Brief betrekkelijk eene aanmerJdng van den keer Quetelet, Letterbode, 

 1833, i. 82. et BibL Univ. June 1833. 



i Mem.de I'/nstitut des Pays-Bas, 1st class, i. 29. 



J Anmiaire de P Academic de Bni.relles for 1838. p. 64. 



§ Bijdragen tot dc Nat. Wetens., i. 241. || Ibid., vi. 119. 



\ On the Decline of Science in England. By Ch. Babbage, 8vo, 1830. 



** London, 1831. [As our national honourand gratitude are concerned 

 in the diffusion and preservation of this able and interesting Tract, which 

 had but a very limited circulation, we take this opportunity to apprise our 

 readers that copies are to be had of Mr. Wacey, successor to Boosey, 

 Broad-street, and at the ofBce of the Philosophical Magazine.— Eijit.] 



