Biographical Notices 31 



more especially to researches in light and magnetism, and the over- 

 sight of the Magnetic Observatory, when founded. He became 

 Provost in 1867, but continued his scientific researches and took 

 an active part in reorganizing the disestablished Irish Church till 

 his death on Jan. lyth, 1881. 



DR. LYON PLAYFAIR, son of the Chief Inspector of Hospitals in 

 Bengal, was born at Chunar in that province on May 2ist, 1818. 

 He studied chemistry and medicine, first at St. Andrews, then at 

 Glasgow. After a short return to India, owing to a breakdown in 

 health, he worked at University College, London, where his former 

 teacher Graham had become Professor, and then at Giessen, where 

 he became Ph.D. Liebig was then engaged on applying organic 

 chemistry to agriculture and vegetable physiology. His views 

 strongly attracted Playfair, who, after returning to England, drew 

 attention to them, and was employed more and more by the Govern- 

 ment. He was appointed in 1845 Professor of Chemistry in the 

 Royal School of Mines, was of much service to the Great Exhibition 

 of 1851, won the esteem of the Prince Consort, became Secretary 

 of Science for the Department of Science and Art, and took an 

 active part in organizing the Royal College of Science. He became 

 in 1858 Professor of Chemistry at Edinburgh, but resigned the chair 

 in 1869, having been elected member of Parliament for that Univer- 

 sity and St. Andrews. From 1880 to 1883 he was Chairman and 

 Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, and was created K.C.B, 

 on resigning that position. From 1885 to 1892 he sat for South 

 Leeds, and was then raised to the peerage as Baron Playfair, three 

 years later becoming G.C.B. Elected F.R.S. in 1848, he was President 

 of the British Association in 1885, and died in Onslow Gardens, 

 London, on May 29th, 1898. 



THE THIRD EARL OF ROSSE was born at York on June i7th, 

 1800, and graduated from Magdalen College, Oxford, after obtaining 

 a first-class in Mathematics, and sat for King's County, Ireland, 

 from 1823 to 1834, when he resigned to secure more leisure for study. 

 At his home, Birr Castle, he began a series of experiments to perfect 

 reflecting telescopes, constructing everything needed on the spot 

 and taking workmen from the neighbourhood. In 1828 he invented 

 an alloy of copper and tin for the mirrors and a machine to grind and 

 polish them. His first great success was in 1839, when he made 

 a speculum 3 feet in diameter, but in 1842-3 he constructed another 

 of twice that diameter, mounted in a tube 58 feet long and 7 feet 

 in diameter. Both were set up, side by side, in front of Birr Castle r 

 and he employed them especially in observing nebulae. Elected 

 into the Royal Society in 1831, he received a Royal Medal in 1851, 

 and was its President from 1849 to 1854. He received several 

 distinctions, both English and foreign, among them the K.P. la 

 the famine of 1846-7, he worked hard for the poor and against 



