350 



NATURE 



\ March 2, 1876 



in Germany, where the Crown Princess seems to have 

 evinced in this case her great interest in the country from 

 which she came, and I believe it is mainly owing to her 

 exertions and those of the Royal Family in that country 

 that so far as Germany is concerned we are to be so ably 

 assisted. It may not be uninteresting to the meeting that 

 I should describe in a very few words what has been 

 done in the present state of matters with regard to the 

 exhibition. At meetings of the various sub-committees 

 (appointed at the General Committee meeting in June 

 last) during the months of February and November, 

 reports were made of the results of visits to foreign 

 countries by officers of the department. The sub-com- 

 mittees made various suggestions to the department as to 

 objects to be procured. These have been acted upon, 

 and many most interesting objects obtained. The com- 

 mittee also advised that gentlemen should be employed 

 to visit various towns and leading manufacturers. This 

 has been carried out with the best results by Prof. Shelley, 

 Mr. Akroyd, Dr. Martin, Prof. Morris, Mr. Judd, and 

 Mr. Norman Lockyer. The Foreign Secretary having 

 through her Majesty's Ministers abroad urged the im- 

 portance of co-operation on the part of foreign Govern- 

 ments, our appeal has been most cordially responded to. 

 The Governments of Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, 

 Italy, and Switzerland, have appointed committees to act 

 in union with the general committee ; and the Government 

 of the United States has placed itself in communication 

 with the various institutions and Government departments. 

 Russia intends to contribute an interesting collection from 

 the Pcedagogical Museum ; and the Russian Academy 

 have formed a committee under Prof. Struve. The 

 Austrian Minister of Instruction has taken the matter in 

 hand for that country, and one of his officers, Mr. Fidler, 

 is in correspondence with the Science and Art Depart- 

 ment. I mention this to show you the intense interest 

 that foreign countries have taken in the matter, and that 

 to their assistance and co-operation we feel very much in- 

 debted. The appeals made to Government departments, 

 scientific institutions, and men of science at home have 

 been very well received. The Admiralty contributes a 

 complete scientific outfit of a surveying ship, dredging 

 apparatus, &c. The Post Office contributes as complete 

 a historical collection of telegraphic apparatus as exists ; 

 much, however, unfortunately, has been broken up for 

 want of a physical museum in which to deposit it. They 

 also propose to communicate Greenwich time, and fire a 

 time gun, to illustrate their method of communicating 

 time throughout the country. The Trinity House, 

 Ordnance Survey, Royal Observatory, and Geological 

 Survey have also promised to contribute. From the 

 War Office and India Office no replies have been 

 received, but we understand they are taking steps to 

 contribute several objects of interest, especially from 

 the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. The Royal Society 

 contributes a most important collection, including some 

 of Newton's apparatus. The Royal Institution contri- 

 butes historical apparatus used by Faraday and others, 

 and some of Dr. Tyndall's instruments. The Astronomi- 

 cal Society contributes Baily's apparatus for the Cavendish 

 experiments, and Sir W. Herschel's telescope. The 

 Geographical Society contributes maps and instruments. 

 The Microscopical Society has promised to organise a 

 collection of microscopes, which Mr. Sorby has especially 

 in charge ; the Horological Institute a collection of clock 

 escapements, &c., and the Royal College of Surgeons has 

 promised an interesting collection. King's, College has pro- 

 mised to contribute the collection of the late Sir C. Wheat- 

 stone. At Owens College, Manchester, Professors Roscoe, 

 Stewart, Schorlemmer, and Reynolds have promised to 

 contribute valuable apparatus, as have also Professors Tait 

 and Crum Brown at Edinburgh, and Sir W. Thomson at 

 Glasgow. Trinity College, Dublin, has also promised 

 to contribute. Contributions have been promised by 



the following noblemen and gentlemen, viz. : — Dr. Joule, 

 Prof. Andrews, Mr. Gore, Lord Rosse, Mr. De la Rue, 

 Lord Cork, Dr. Frankland, Prof. Guthrie, Mr. Norman 

 Lockyer, Dr. Ball, Prof. O'Reilly, Prof. Barrett, and Prof. 

 Stokes. Among instrument makers who will contribute 

 specimens of their apparatus may be mentioned Messrs. 

 Elliott, Apps, Browning, Adie, Grubb, Cooke, and Tisley. 

 The following map makers will contribute : — Messrs. 

 Stanford, Murby, and Keith Johnston. Numerous collec- 

 tions for teaching have been promised. Among these may 

 be mentioned an exceedingly interesting collection pre- 

 pared by Prof. Guthrie. All this apparatus is made out 

 of simple materials by the students themselves. A com- 

 mittee, consisting of Dr. Stone, Dr. Pole, Mr. W. Chappell, 

 and Mr. Baillie-Hamilton, are forming a most interest- 

 ing collection illustrative of the scientific principles on 

 which the construction of musical instruments is based. 

 Mr. Markham is forming a collection of Arctic maps, Mr. 

 F. Galton a collection of exploratory apparatus, Mr. Scott 

 a collection of meteorological apparatus, and Dr. Mann a 

 collection of instruments connected with atmospheric elec- 

 tricity. Various local committees have been formed to for- 

 ward the objects of the Exhibition. Amongst them may be 

 mentioned one at Leeds for Yorkshire, arising from the 

 exertions of Prof. Thorpe. Among other interesting objects 

 from Germany, we may look for some of Tycho Brahe's 

 instruments, and the original air-pump of Otto von Gue- 

 ricke. From France we have as yet no very definite 

 information, but we expect a very interesting collection, 

 as the French Commission, consisting of members of the 

 Academy of Sciences, have devoted considerable attention 

 to the Exhibition, and the Conservatoire des Arts et Me- 

 tiers have promised some of their finest things. From 

 Italy it is hoped that some of the instruments used by 

 Galileo, Torricelli, Volta, and Galvani may be obtained. 

 In consequence of want of room in the South Kensington 

 Museum, it is intended to hold the Exhibition in the 

 western galleries of the buildings lately used for the 

 Annual International Exhibitions, her Majesty's Com- 

 missioners having most obligingly placed them at our 

 disposal for the purpose. I cannot overrate the advan- 

 tages we have derived from the services of Mr. Norman 

 Lockyer, who has been transferred temporarily to this 

 department. Professors Guthrie and Goodeve have also 

 assisted us most remarkably, and various learned societies 

 have been invited to organise conferences and conver- 

 sazioni." His Grace concluded |by suggesting the desira- 

 bleness of forming one or two sub-committees for the 

 purpose of making the necessary arrangements for the 

 reading of papers, conferences, and receptions, and ex- 

 pressing his confidence that a cordial welcome will be 

 accorded to distinguished scientific visitors from other 

 countries. 



Dr. Hooker moved " that a sub-committee be formed, 

 consisting of the presidents and one vice-president of each 

 of the learned societies, to consider the reading of papers^ 

 conferences, and demonstrations ; and, secondly, the ar- 

 rangements for the receptions." Mr. Warren De la Rue 

 seconded the motion, which was carried. 



PROF. FLOWER'S HUNTERIAN LECTURES 

 ON THE REL^ATION OF EXTLNCT TO EXIST- 

 ING MAMMALIA ^ 



in. 



ORDER Proboscidea.—T\as name has been appro- 

 priated to a well-marked group of animals, present- 

 ing some very anomalous characters, allied in many 

 respects to the Ungulata, but belonging neither to the 



1 Abstract of a course of lectures delivered at the Royal College of Sur- 

 geons "On the Relation of Extinct to Existing Mammalia, with Special 

 Reference to the Derivative Hypothesis," in conclusion of the course of 1873. 

 (See Reports in Nature for that year.) Continued from p. 308. 



