254 A HISTORY OF 



In 1836, premiums were offered for plans and 

 estimates for farmhouses and cottages, when fifteen 

 guineas were awarded to W. D. Butler, architect, 73 

 St. Stephen's Green, and ten guineas to Ninian Niven, 

 curator, Botanic Garden. 



A committee was appointed to invite the British 

 Association to meet in 1835 in Dublin. The invita- 

 tion was accepted, and the Association met here on the 

 loth of August in that year, under the presidency of 

 Dr. Bartholomew Lloyd, provost of Trinity College, 

 the retiring president being Sir Thomas Brisbane. 

 Trinity College was the meeting place of the Associa- 

 tion, and Captain Sir John Ross and Sir John Franklin, 

 Arctic explorers, attended this meeting. During its 

 session the geological and geographical sections occupied 

 the theatre and secretaries* office, in Leinster House, 

 while those of zoology and botany were accommodated 

 in the board and conversation rooms. The Royal 

 Dublin Society gave a dejeuner at the Botanic Garden, 

 which was attended by 1300 guests. Sir Thomas 

 Brisbane expressed the opinion that the Association's 

 meeting in Dublin was by far the most brilliant of 

 any as yet held, and the city was highly complimented 

 on all the arrangements made for its reception. 



From about this period, the principal scientific 

 work of the Society began to take its present form. 

 Evening meetings for the advancement of science and 

 diffusion of useful knowledge by discussion began to 

 be held monthly, in which members of the Royal 

 Irish Academy, the Zoological, Geological, Arbori- 

 cultural and Horticultural Societies were invited to 

 take part. The first meeting was held on the 26th of 

 January 1836, Baron Foster occupying the chair; Pro- 

 fessor Davy lectured, and Dr. Coulter exhibited the 

 cone of the Pinus Coulteri and Pinus Lambertii. Mr. 



