276 A HISTORY OF 



1, Husbandry and Agriculture; 2, Chemistry; 3, 

 Natural Philosophy and Mechanics ; 4, Botany and 

 Horticulture; 5, Natural History (Zoology, Geology, 

 and Mineralogy); 6, Fine Arts; 7, Manufactures, 

 &c. ; election of associate members of sections, without 

 ballot, as associate members were then admitted, with 

 certain regulations as to the sections ; and a General 

 Council consisting of thirty-three members, namely — 

 the president, seven vice-presidents, the two secretaries, 

 nine members elected from the Society, and fourteen 

 deputed from the sections. On the 26th of May 1842, 

 amended by-laws as to associate members of sections 

 were passed. 



The Rev. Thomas Romney Robinson, d.d., pro- 

 fessor of astronomy at Armagh, was elected an 

 honorary member. This great astronomer and mathe- 

 matical physicist was born in Dublin in 1792, the son 

 of Thomas Robinson, portrait painter. He became 

 a fellow of Trinity College in 18 14, and in 1823 was 

 appointed to the College living of Enniskillen. From 

 the time of his election to the post of astronomer at 

 Armagh Observatory, Robinson resided there, when he 

 published his Armagh Observations and his great work, 

 Places of 5345 Stars observed at Armagh , which ap- 

 peared between 1828 and 1854. The medal of the 

 Royal Society was awarded to Dr. Robinson, and he 

 was well known as inventor of the cup-anemometer, 

 which he first described at the British Association 

 Meeting of 1846. Robinson contributed many papers 

 and articles to the Transactions and Proceedings of the 

 Royal Irish Academy. He died in 1882, and there 

 is a portrait of him in the Academy House. 



At the end of vol. lxxviii. Proceedings, appeared, 

 for the first time, minutes of the Council, com- 

 mencing on the 19th of August 1841, which continued 



