PKEFACE. 



IN again submitting to our numerous friends and patrons a greatly enlarged 

 and revised edition of our Encyclopaedic Catalogue, we do so with some decree 

 of pride, firstly, that all previous editions have been such as to command the 

 extensive patronage bestowed upon them ; and, secondly, from the award made 

 known at the " Great International Exhibition at Paris," that the superiority 

 and excellence of our instruments, which gained for us the only Prize Medal in 

 1851, is still maintained, and manifested by the fact that at Paris in 1873 we had 

 awarded to us the ONLY GOLD MEDAL given for our class of instruments 

 in the British Section. 



This is further confirmed by the award of THREE GOLD MEDJLL>, SILVER, 

 and BRONZE MEDALS at the International Exhibitions, London, 1883-1884, 

 and other awards specified on page iii. 



In this edition, as in all that have preceded it, our endeavour has been to 

 make the the work, not merely a list of prices, but in reality a guide for those 

 who are purchasing Scientific Instruments and Apparatus generally. All 

 instruments are well described, some more fully than others, depending upon 

 the importance of the apparatus or article under consideration. 



Our Meteorological Instruments we particularly recommend to those who 

 are about to commence making observations in the science of Meteorologv as 

 being the most recently improved and reliable that can possibly be produced. 

 In confirmation of this we have only to state that for nearly forty years our 

 firm have had the honour of supplying Standard Instruments to all the most 

 important Meteorological Observatories, Scientific Institutions, and Govern- 

 ments of the World ; most of the Geographical and Deep Sea Exploring 

 Expeditions of the last thirty years have been supplied with our Instruments. 



To enumerate our various inventions and improvements here would be, 

 with few exceptions, to repeat all that has been said in previous editions ; as 

 it would be tedious, we specify these Inventions and Improvements on pao-e iv., 

 and indicate the section or page in the Catalogue where they will be found 

 fully described. Our doing so must not be taken as an act of egotism ; but for 

 the special purpose of placing on record that we are the Inventors and 

 Improvers of such instruments, as many of our inventions have been 

 appropriated by manufacturers, and sold without the slightest acknowledgment 

 of their origin. 



Our extensive business knowledge and experience in each of the various 

 sections of our Trade enables us to obtain full and correct information respecting 

 any new Instruments or Inventions : hence we are in a position to supply to 

 our Correspondents any Specialities made and sold by other firms at their 

 advertised or Catalogue prices. 



