PREFACE V 



somewhat anticipated the University teaching. It has afforded 

 a home and opportunity for many stray Professors and 

 students, and been the scene of not a little excellent original 

 research. 



The first function it fulfilled when Yule and Lawson 

 arranged their courses of lectures on Biology in conjunction 

 with those of Ray Lankester. 



As to the second it is sufficient to mention among the 

 names of men of mark who have worked within its precincts 

 those of H. G. Madan, Wyndham, Yule, Pike, Jeffrey Bell, 

 Burdon-Sanderson, Gotch, Lazarus Fletcher, Harold Dixon, 

 and Veley. Popular lectures to artisans have also been given 

 within its walls ; and it has frequently been of much assistance 

 to the College School. 



But its normal employment has been to act as a College 

 Laboratory. Such was its main work under the long and 

 happy rule of Mr. Edward Chapman 1 , such it is still under his 

 pupil, Mr. R. T. Giinther, the author of this volume, with 

 his Assistant Lecturer, Mr. Nevil Sidgwick, Fellow of Lincoln 

 College, and the present Daubeny Curator, successor to old 

 'John Harris/ Mr. J. J. Manley, on whom the University 

 only the other day conferred the well-deserved distinction 

 of an honorary M.A. 



If evidence is required of its further usefulness it will be 

 found in the Meteorological Records and list of Researches 

 contained in the Appendices A and B to this volume. 



The College Praelectorship of Natural Science, instituted 

 by Waynflete as part of his original foundation, one of the 

 earliest endowments of the kind for Natural Science in the 

 University, and indeed in the country, for it was older than 

 any of the Oxford Professorships, had been held by useful and 

 distinguished men before Daubeny. But it may fairly be 

 said that Daubeny notably extended its usefulness. It is 

 now merged in the Waynflete Professorship of Chemistry. 



The College, which in 1847 made a substantial contribution 

 to the sum to be laid out by Daubeny, has just enlarged 

 and reconstructed the building then erected. It is to be 



1 Fellow and Tutor, now M.P. for the Hyde Division of Cheshire. 



