1840.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



97 



Iirobability. A being tci cleave the air shoiikl not be seleeteil from tbe most 

 heavy and a\vk» avd of animals ; it is undoubtedly intended for a jeu ti'vspril' 

 and is quite in the spirit of the antique. The ancient frescoes are full of such 

 whimsical combinations, but always as in the present instance, occupying a 

 subordinate place. 



No. 7, is one of the most remarkab'e of the series. In this the artist has 

 ventured, and with the most perfect success, to discard every thing conven- 

 tional, and to represent a natural tree, balancing its irregularities of rami- 

 ficalu>n and foliage by the numerous birds which occupy the branches, when 

 they may be suppo.scd to have been collected l>y the call of the Iiird -catcher, 

 who is concealed in the underwood with his bird-call in his mouth. One 

 bird, fettered by a limed twig, is about to fall into his liuids. It is impossible 

 to admire too much the skill with which this simple motion is w'orkeil out. 



It may be observed in reference to Nos. 4 and U. that folds of drapery are 

 too broad and heavy to be successful in arabesque — its efl'ect is seldom pleas- 

 ing. I must also protest against the birds which crown this composition. 

 Nature has provided a variety wdiich makes it quite unnecessary to seek 

 novelty by combining the neck of one species and the tail of another with 

 imaginary wings. The first impression is, that these birds are meant for 

 swans ; the second, and abiding one, that the artist did not know how to 

 draw a swan ; he has not mended them by dressing them in trowsers. 



In No. 15. the artist has chosen the apparently incongruous subject of fish 

 to comljine with his foliage. In a painting by Hogarth, we see in the fash- 

 ionable furniture of one of his scenes, a composition of foliage inhabited by 

 fish instead of birds, although this absurdity be intended as a caricature of the 

 talk of the day, it is no great exaggeration of the fact. In this design, the 

 foliage and the fish are brought together without the slightest violation of 

 probability ; the fish have been hung to the branches — the variety of their 

 forms and cohuu's produces an admirable efiect, and above all, they are per- 

 fect in the condition, more especially indispensable in objects not intrinsically 

 graceful or pleasing, of being represented with the most absolute truth to 

 nature. 



INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. 



SESSION 1840. ANNUAL REPORT. 



TuF. Council of the Institution of Ciril Engineers, on resigning the trust 

 confided to them by the last annual general meeting, solicit the attention of 

 this meeting, and of all those who are interested in the welfare of the Insti- 

 tution, to the following report on the proceedings and on the state and pros- 

 pects of the Institution at the close of this the twenty-first year of its exis- 

 tence. At the last annual general meeting, the council of the preceding year 

 had the gratification of congratulating the Institution on its then assembling 

 in its new premises under circumstances which furnished so advantageous a 

 contrast with the condition of earlier years, and such convincing evidence of 

 the steady progress and success which had attended the labours of the Coun- 

 cil and the co-operation of the general body. And though the year which is 

 now closing upon you may not have been marked by events of so striking 

 a character as the preceding one, the council nevertheless experience the 

 highest degree of satisfaction in reviewing the proceedings of the session of 

 the year so auspiciously commenced. Aware of the more extensive duties 

 and increased responsibility entailed upon them, the council have cndeavotired 

 so to direct the alTairs of the Institution as to kcej) pace with its growing 

 importance ; and they can with confidence assert, that the jiroceediugs of the 

 last session have not been inferior in interest or importance to those of any 

 preceding session ; whilst the attendance at the meetings, and the anxiety 

 which is evinced by strangers to become acquainted with the proceedings 

 and objects of the Institution, show the estimation in which it is held both 

 at home and abroad, and fully warrant the most sanguine anticipations of its 

 future and continually increasing success. 



The attention of the last annual meetiug was directed to the expediency of 

 some alteration in the existing laws, particularly with reference to the elec- 

 tion of otficers and the number of the council. It was suggested that the 

 annual election of the council should be conducted in a somewhat different 

 manner from that hitherto pursued ; that a greater number than that consti- 

 tuting the council should be nominated, and that, consequently, eacli person 

 at the annual general meeting, instead of, according to the then existing 

 practice, erasing one name and substituting another, should erase as 

 many names as the number on the balloting list exceeded the constituted 

 number of the Council. It was also suggested, that it would be for the ad- 

 vantage of the Institution that the council shoidd be increased by the addition 

 of two members : that as some members of the council are frequently pre- 

 vented by professional engagements from regular attendance, the council 

 should be enlarged to as great an extent as might be consistent with the tnie 

 interests of the Institution. These and some other suggestions for the better 

 regulation and stability of the Institution, were subsequently submitted to a 

 general meeting of the members, and now constitute part of the bye-laws of 

 the Institution. 



The practice of other societies in publishing' their transactions in parts, 

 containing such communications as were ready at frequent and short intervals, 

 was briefly touched upon in the last report, and was discussed in considerable 

 detail at the last annual meeting. Such is the nature of some communica- 

 tions, that delay in their publication may be considered not only as a positive 

 injustice to the author, but as detrimental to the cause of practical science, 

 and the best interests of the Institution ; and if the publication of such papers 

 be delayed until a whole volume is ready, authors will inevitably avail them- 

 selves of other channels for bringing their labours before the world. Add to 

 which, when a wdiole volume containing many valuable plates is to be pub- 

 lished, the sources of delay are numerous, and such as cannot be avoided. 

 The council conceive that the experience of the past year has fully borne out 

 the precetUng views, and shown the great importance and value of prompt 

 publication. Early in the session the Institution received a most valuable 

 communication from your member, Mr. Parkes. It was considered desirable 

 that the publication of this comnumication, forming, as it did, a continuation 

 of his researches already published in the second volume of the transactions, 

 should not be delayed. No other coiunumications being then ready for pub- 

 lication, the council resolved to publish it at once as the first part of the 

 third volume. This has now been for some time in the hands of the public, 

 and the number of copies which have been disposed of shows the gre,at de- 

 sire e^^nced to obtain these jiapers as soon as published. The council have 

 also had still further proof of the importance of this plan. The Institution 

 received, during the last session, several communications well suited for pub- 

 lication in the Transactions, and among them, the continuation and con- 

 clusion of that already mentioned by Mr. Parkes. Preparations were made 

 for the iiumediate iniblication of these papers in a second part ; ditficulties 

 and delays wdiich could not have been foreseen or prevented, occurred in the 

 publication of some of them, and thus the second part contains but two 

 instead of the nine commimications originally destined for it. The greater 

 portion of the remaining seven papers are already printed and the plates en- 

 graved, so that the third part will be in the hands of the Institution in a very 

 short time. There are several other valuable communications in the posses- 

 sion of the Institution now in the course of preparation for pubhcation, and 

 which will appear as soon as circumstances will permit. 



The minutes of proceedings have been printed at such short intervals 

 during the session, as the abstracts of papers aud minutes of conversation 

 would furnish suflicient materials. The council conceive that great advan- 

 tages may, and indeed have, resulted from a publication of this nature. An 

 authentic account of the communications is thus immediately furnished, at- 

 tention is continually kept alive to the subjects which are brought before the 

 Institution, and the statements there recorded have elicited very valuable 

 cotumunications, which otherwise would probably never have been brought 

 forth. No one can turn over the minutes of the last session without remark- 

 ing the number and the diversity of the facts and opinions there recorded, 

 very many of which were elicited by the statements contained in some written 

 communication, or casually advanced in the course of discussion. 



The council cannot omit this opportunity of insisting on the impoi-tance 

 of these discussions in promoting the objects which the Instituion has in 

 view. The recording and subsequent publication of these discussions are 

 features jjeculiar to this Institution, and from wdiich the greatest benefits 

 have resulted and may he expected, so long as the communication of know- 

 ledge is solely and steadily kept in view. It would be easy to select many 

 instances during the last and preceding sessions, of some of the most valuable 

 communications to the Institution owing their origin entirely to this source. 

 The first communication from Mr. Parkes arose entirely out of the conver- 

 sations which took place on the superior evaporation of the Cornish boilers 

 being referred to as one cause of the great amount of the duty done by the 

 Cornish engines. The communication by Mr. Williams on peat and resin 

 fuel owes its origin to his being accidentally present at the discussion on the 

 uses of turf in the manufacture of iron ; whilst that by Mr. Apsley Pellatt, 

 on the relative heating jiowers of coke and coal in melting glass, arose en- 

 tirely from the discussion of the facts stated by Mr. Parkes respecting the 

 superior evaporation jji-oduced by the coke from a given quantity of coal than 

 by the coal itself. And lastly, the extremely interesting and highly valuable 

 discussions at the commenceiuent of last session on the uses and applications 

 of turf; and on the extraordinary coincidence between the results obtained 

 bv Mr. Lowe, Mr. Parkes, Mr. Apsley Pellatt, and Marcus Btdl, of Phila- 

 delphia, experimenting as they did with totally different riews, and under 

 totally different circumstances, must he fresh in the recollection of all 

 present. 



But, besides the positive advantages which have thus resulted, and may be 

 expected, from a steadv adherence to these practices so pecnhar to this In- 

 stitution, there are others of the greatest value to those engaged in practical 

 science. By this freedom of discussion statements and opinions are can- 

 vassed, and corrected or confirmed, as soon as promulgated, the labours of 

 authors and claims of individuals are made known and secured as matter of 

 history— and attention is continually kept alive to the state and progress of 

 knowledge in those departments of science which it is the especial object of 

 this Institution to promote. The council trust, therefore, that those indivi- 

 duals who have stored up knondedge and facts for many years past, and de- 

 voted themselves to some particular branch of science, will consider how 

 much they have in their power to contribute, and how great is the assistance 

 which the'v can render to the labourers in other branches, and, above all, to 

 those who' are ambitious of following in their steps, by freely communicating, 



