PREFACE 



A S the title of this volume indicates, the book 

 *T\ consists of "accounts rendered" of work done 

 at different times, in different places and on different 

 subjects. 



In republishing papers, many of which are of 

 almost ancient date, it was thought advisable to accom- 

 pany them by explanatory notes and comments. As 

 it was inconvenient to introduce these in the text, they 

 have been embodied in the Contents, which form in 

 fact a summary of the work. 



CO 



*| The Contributions to Newspapers concerning 



^ matters of public interest at the time have been 

 g reprinted because they are of public interest still. 



S) 



Of the scientific communications the most important 

 are those concerning the Natural History of Steam 



5? 



Q and Ice, and these have been reprinted in their original 



g form, although this has involved some reduplication of 



matter. This has been accepted on account of the 



importance of the experiments and of the consequences 



g- which follow from them and of the apparent unwilling- 



2 ness of the scientific public to make use of them. 



B 



" 445229 



