August 8, 1878] 



NATURE 



19? 



rapidly manifested themselves. He died last month, at 

 the early age of forty-seven years. By his death there 

 has passed from amongst us a true, most unselfish, and 

 large-hearted man, a true friend, and a most agreeable 

 companion. He was an accomphshed geologist, a close 

 and accurate zoological observer, a thoroughly practical 

 .chemist, and a photographer of no mean order. It will 

 be long ere the vacancy in Australian science will be 

 filled. 



THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION 



TWENTY-ONE years have passed since the British 

 Association met in Dublin. It was then under the 

 presidency of Dr. Lloyd, the venerable, but still hale, 

 Provost of Trinity College. On Wednesday next, as our 

 readers are aware, the forty-eighth annual gathering of 

 this congress of science once more meets in the metro- 

 polis of Ireland, the President-Elect again being an 

 eminent mathematical physicist, Dr. Spottiswoode. 



Notwithstanding the fact that Dublin is now as easy of 

 access from London as Edinburgh, and as near in point 

 of time, yet the average Englishman knows far more of 

 Paris or Switzerland than he does of the sister-isle. We 

 trust the forthcoming meeting in Dublin will help to 

 remove much of the prejudice with which Ireland is 

 regarded, prejudice which proceeds from ignorance. 

 For instance, not long ago an eminent scientific English- 

 man having been asked to lecture in Dublin, seriously 

 inquired whether it would be advisable to be armed 

 with a revolver, exhibiting a fear less reasonable than 

 that of the man who, on a visit to Christiania, took 

 precautions against being attacked by bears. Dublin 

 no longer deserves the second adjective in the epithet 

 of " dear dirty Dublin," in fact, its well kept streets, its 

 splendid buildings and squares, the activity of its com- 

 mercial and intellectual life, delight and surprise the 

 stranger. In point of situation it is, perhaps (at least 

 next to Edinburgh, our Scotch friends will think), the most 

 beautiful capital in the world, backed by the Dublin 

 and Wicklow Mountains, flanked on one side by the Hill of 

 Howth, and on the other by Bray Head, the Bay of Dublin, 

 with its clear blue water, is even comparable in beauty to 

 that of Naples, if corresponding atmospheric conditions be 

 granted. 



Unusual facilities have been offered by the railway 

 and steam-boat companies for the conveyance of visitors 

 to Dublin. To some of our readers it may be con- 

 venient if we summarise the ways of reaching Dublin 

 from London. The quickest route is of course by the 

 Irish day or night mail from Euston Square : for example, 

 leaving London at 8.25 P.M., one is landed in Dublin 

 before seven the next morning. The splendid and per- 

 fect arrangements of the mail steamers from Holyhead 

 to Kingstown are too well known for us to describe them. 

 Recently the London and North Western Company have 

 built two magnificent steamers, which run during the 

 day from Holyhead to Dublin, and vice versa. The fare 

 is less than by the mail, and the boats are quite as large 

 and sumptuous as the mail-boats, though not quite so fast. 

 To those who intend travelling second class (there is no 

 third by the mail) we should recommend their selecting 

 the North Western boats from Holyhead to North Wall, 

 Dublin ; second class passengers being allowed to use the 

 first class saloon without extra charge. The night boat, 

 which meets the 5 p.m. train from Euston, is not quite so fine 

 as the day boat, but the visitor has the advantage of enter- 

 ing the Bay of Dublin by daylight, reaching North Wall 

 about 7 A.M. At the present season of the year no alarm 

 need be felt on the score of sea-sickness by those who 

 travel in the mail-boats from Holyhead to Kingstown. 

 The boats are so large and steady that even with a con- 

 siderable wind little motion is felt ; and the passage is 

 very short, about four and a half hours being the average. 



Another route is via Liverpool to Dublin, these are good 

 boats. Lastly, to those who prefer a long sea-trip and 

 can spare the time, nothing is more pleasant than going 

 from London to Dublin direct by steamer. So much for 

 transit. As regards accommodation in Dublin, the Ex- 

 ecutive Committee have provided a very complete list of 

 lodgings ; and the hotels, we understand, have not raised 

 their usual tariffs. 



The arrangements of the meeting we have already 

 announced. The sections will meet in Trinity College, 

 the addresses will be delivered in the Exhibition Palace, 

 and lectures will be given by Mr. Romanes and Prof. 

 Dewar an August 16 and 19. On August 15 a soiree will 

 be given by the Royal Dublin Society to the Association. 

 This promises to be a very brilliant affair. The Depart- 

 ment of Science and Art has allowed a liberal selection 

 of objects from the South Kensington Museum and the 

 Science Collection to be lent for the occasion. Electro- 

 type reproductions of many of the most interesting relics 

 exhibited in the Loan Collection of Scientific Apparatus 

 will be shown at this soiree, together with other curiosities 

 from South Kensington. Dr. Spottiswoode has also 

 kindly lent one of his new leviathan condensers which, 

 used in conjunction with an enormous induction coil lent 

 by Mr. Horatio Yeates, will be sure to attract much 

 attention during the evening, and further, the Stereo- 

 scopic Company have promised to exhibit the phono- 

 graph at this soiree. A conversazione will also be given 

 by the Royal Irish Academy, when its unrivalled museum 

 of Irish archaeology and antiquities will be seen to 

 advantage and with interest by the members of the 

 Association. 



No neighbourhood lends itself so easily to beautiful 

 excursions as that around Dublin, and the excursion pro- 

 gramme this year is most varied and complete. Here is 

 the list for Saturday, August 17 : — 



High Park and Artane Reformatories, to be entertained 

 at the Artane Reformatory ; St. Doulough's Church, 

 Malahide Castle, and antiquities of Swords, to be enter- 

 tained by the Right Hon. Lord Talbot de Malahide; 

 Bray Head, Kilruddery Demesne, HoUybrook, Charle- 

 ville, the Dargle and the Scalp, to be entertained by the 

 Right Hon the Earl of Meath ; Maynooth R. C. College, 

 Carton, Lord Annaly's and Phoenix Park, to be enter- 

 tained by his Grace the Duke of Leinster; Howth and 

 Ireland's Eye (walking excursion), to be entertained to 

 afternoon tea by residents of Howth ; Lucan and Leixlip, 

 Valley of the Liffey, Woodlands and Phoenix Park, 

 dejeuner will be provided by committee at Lucan ; Irish 

 Lights Board, Dublin Bay — steamer Alexandra, to be 

 entertained on board the steamer by Irish Lights Board ; 

 London and North Western Railway — steamer Rose, to be 

 entertained on board the steamer by Committee ; Glencree 

 Reformatory, Killakee Demesne, Waterfall, Dargle and 

 Enniskerry, to be entertained at Glencree Reformatory 

 by the Managers. 



For Thursday, August 22 this is the list : — 



Glendalough and Seven Churches, to be entertained at 

 Newrath Bridge; Vartry Waterworks, ddjeuner at Vartry 

 Lodge; Vale of Avoca, ddjeuner at Glenart Castle, given by 

 the Earl of Carysfort, and at Skelton Abbey, by the Earl of 

 Wicklow ; Boyne, dejeuner at Drogheda ; Cashel, dd- 

 ieuner at Limerick Junction ; Parsonstown, dejeuner at 

 Birr Castle, given by the Right Hon. the Earl of Rosse ; 

 Powerscourt, ddjeuner at Powerscourt Castle given by 

 Viscount Powerscourt ; Curragh Camp, dejeuner at Stand 

 House, Curragh ; Kilkenny, ddjeuner at Kilkenny Castle, 

 by the Most Noble the Marquis of Ormonde; and on 

 Friday, August 23, an excursion is arranged to Belfast, 

 luncheon being provided at Glanmore, Lisburne, by 

 Messrs. Richardson and Sons, Avith dinner at Belfast. 



Dublin is famous for its hospitalities, and, amid other 

 festivities, the following have been arranged : — On the 

 morning of Monday, the 19th, members will be enter- 



