May 1 8, 1876] 



NATURE 



53 



ment by Dr. Werner Siemens, being particularly observed. 

 The Astronomer Royal, Sir George Airy, showed the 

 telescopes of Sir W. Herschel and Lord Rosse, and a 

 little telescope of Newton's. 



Prof. Eccher exhibited some interesting memorials of 

 Galileo, his bust, telescope with broken lens, and other 

 objects, invaluable relics, which the Queen expressed her 

 gratification to sec generously confided to the care of this 

 Department of her Government by Signor Peruzzi, the 

 Syndic, and the City of Florence. Mr. John Evans, in 

 the Geological Department, exhibited results of the Sub- 

 Wealden boring ; and in the spacious gallery and con- 

 ference room devoted on Saturday to Geography, Sir 

 Henry Rawlinson showed the Queen Livingstone's maps, 

 and illustrated the route of Lieut. Cameron ; Lieut. 

 Cameron himself exhibited his charts of the interior of 

 Africa. Capt. Evans, the Hydrographer of the Navy, 

 showed the original logs of Captain Cook and the log of 

 the Bounty, and Admiral Ommanney a log of Sir John 

 Franklin. A collection of German maps, explained by 

 Major von Vistinghoff, and the interesting collection of 

 fossil leaves shown by Baron von Ettinghausen, of Graetz. 

 were also inspected. In the Biological Department Prof. 

 Burden Sanderson and Dr. Lauder Brunion showed 

 Marey's and other apparatus for recording and regis- 

 tering vital motion, and the instrument of Prof. Donders, 

 of Utrecht, for measuring the velocity of thought. The 

 musical instruments explained by Mr. J, Baillie Hamilton 

 naturally attracted much attention. The other objects 

 which attracted the attention of and were explained to the 

 Queen and her party were Dalton's apparatus by Prof. 

 Roscoe, Cavendish's and Black's balances by Dr. Frank- 

 land, early photographs by Capt. Abney, Russian helio- 

 graphic plates and engravings by Baron von Wrangell, 

 spectroscopes and radiometers by Prof. Guthrie, Otto 

 von Guericke's air-pump and the Magdeburg hemispheres 

 by Prof. Clerk Maxwell. 



Before leaving the galleries, a telegram was despatched 

 through one of the Morse instruments exhibited by our 

 Post Office by the Empress Augusta of Germany, in the 

 name of the Queen and herself, to the German Emperor 

 in the following words : — " The Queen and the Empress 

 have passed through the collection at the Exhibition of 

 Scientific Apparatus and have been very much inter- 

 ested." Her Majesty the Queen desired that the same 

 intelligence should be comm.unicated to her eldest 

 daughter the Crown Princess. 



To quote the Daily News : — 



" Throughout the course of the long promenade from 

 the south-eastern entrance of the building in Exhibition- 

 road to the exit in the Prince Albert's-road, neither the 

 Queen nor the Empress of Germany exhibited the 

 slightest sign of physical or mental fatigue. On the 

 contrary, their majesties seemed rather inclined to remain 

 for a space in converse with the learned expositors than 

 to treat the inspection as a matter of ceremony." 



During the visit, Sir Francis Sandford, Major Don- 

 nelly, Mr. Cunliffe Owen, and Mr. Norman Lockyer, 

 were specially introduced to the Queen and Empress. 



The Collection was opened to the public on Monday, 

 and the number of visitors has been much greater than most 

 people expected. They belong to all classes, and inspect 

 the apparatus with evident interest and intelligence. The 

 galleries, indeed, bear quite a lively aspect, and there is 

 little danger of the Collection being a failure for lack of a 

 public. We have no doubt, as its value and nature be- 

 come known, the number of visitors will largely increase. 



The first of the Conferences in connection with the 

 Collection was opened on Tuesday, Lord Sandon making 

 a short address of welcome. 



" I have come down," he said, " to express my gratitude, 

 and that of Her Majesty's Government, to the different 

 men of science who are the real authors of what I may 

 call the present success. I have had means of knowing 



personally the extraordinary sacrifices of time and labour 

 of those men of science in this country who have produced 

 the success. It is gratifying, if only for one reason — it has 

 shown what a feeling of intellectual brotherhood exists. 

 We have had the highest men of science of this kingdom 

 working together to produce this very remarkable exhibi- 

 tion. When we think of their zeal and self-sacrifice and 

 determination, the country cannot be too grateful. And 

 these qualities have not been confined to this country, 

 but far beyond this island. It has been a matterof universal 

 remark, the zeal, the determination, and friendly feeling 

 which have been shown by men of science all over the world. 

 We have — the Lord President and myself — done all that 

 we could do to make this not a gazing place merely, but 

 to give as much instruction as possible to those who desire 

 to receive it. These Conferences will be a source of the 

 greatest possible gratification, old friendships will be re- 

 newed, new friendships will be created between men of 

 science of other parts of the world. These Conferences 

 will, we trust, be much appreciated. The examination of 

 the collections will be much assisted by the admirable 

 handbooks which have been prepared by men of the 

 highest capacity. Allow me also to express my sense of 

 the very high service which the officers of the Science 

 Department have rendered ; their zeal, their highly culti- 

 vated intelligence, devotion of time and almost of health 

 — we have reason to be proud of serving the Queen in 

 concert with such officers. To the different men of science 

 I express my hearty good wishes for exertions towards the 

 continued success of the Exhibition. When those Con- 

 ferences come to a close we shall feel that a great work 

 has been done on behalf, not of this country only, but for 

 the whole of the world." 



Mr. Spottiswoode, the President of the Section of 

 Physics, to which Tuesday was devoted, then delivered 

 his inaugural address, which we are glad to be able to 

 give below, as also that of Dr. C. W. Siemens, the Presi- 

 dent of the Section of Mechanics, which met on Wed- 

 nesday. The other addresses on Monday were by Mr. 

 W. Huggins, D.C.L., F.R.S., on the present state of 

 Spectroscopic research relating to the Stars and Nebulas ; 

 Mr, Norman Lockyer, F.R.S., and Capt. W. de W. 

 Abney, R.E., on Spectroscopic Research in Solar and. 

 Molecular Physics ; M. le Professeur Soret, on a Spec- 

 troscope with a fluorescent eye-piece ; Prof. R. Bellamy 

 Clifton, M.A., F.R.S., on Interference, and Instruments 

 for the measurement of Optical Wave Lengths ; Mr. H. 

 C. Sorby, F.R.S., on the original form of the Spectrum- 

 microscope, and the various subsequent improvements, 

 and additional apparatus ; the Earl of Rosse, D.C.L., 

 F.R.S, on ZoUner's Photometer ; Prof. Sir W. Thomson, 

 LL.D., F.R.S., on the principles of Compass Correction 

 in Iron Ships ; M. Sarasin-Diodati, on De la Rive's 

 Researches in Statical Electricity ; and the President, on 

 some recent forms of Polariscopic Apparatus. 



In the Section of Mechanics, which met yesterday, 

 besides the address of the President, Dr. Siemens, the fol- 

 lowing papers were read : — 



Sir Joseph Whitworth, Bart., F.R.S., on Linear Mea- 

 sure; Mr. C.W. Merrifield, F.R.S. , on Sohd Measurement ; 

 followed by a communication from Prof. Tilser (Bohe- 

 mian Institute, Prague); Prof. Sir W. Thomson, LL.D., 

 F.R.S., on Electrical Measurements ; M. Tresca (Sous- 

 Directeur du Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers, Paris), 

 on Flow of Solids ; Prof. Kennedy, on Kinematics, &c. 



The Chemical Section meets to-day, when, after the 

 address of the President, Prof. Frankland, the following 

 papers will be read : — 



Dr. J. H. Gilbert, F.R.S, on some points in connection 

 with Vegetation ; Mr. W. F. Donkin, M.A., of Keble 

 College, Oxford, on the Ozone Apparatus of Sir B. 

 Brodie, Bart., fF.R.S. ; Mr. A. Fletcher, H. M. Inspector 

 of Alkali Works, on the Gases discharged from Alkali 

 Works ; Professor Andrews, F.R.S., Experiments on Gases. 



