MR. DE LA RUE'S BATTERY. g9 



walk into one's laboratory and to find the battery always ready for 

 work, and I am only sorry that the effects of 8,040 cells cannot be 

 shown to you. 



Lord ROSSE : I am sure you will all return thanks to Mr. De La Rue 

 for his very interesting communication. The subject of batteries is one 

 of very great importance, not only in experimental physics, in which 

 a battery is a constant piece of apparatus, but in the telegraphic service 

 and other applications to the arts. A constant battery which will not 

 lose power by polarisation, or by working, or when it is not in work, 

 which many batteries do, is a most invaluable thing. 



Professor ANDREWS : I have one single observation to make. I 

 must express my great admiration and delight at the fact that Mr. 

 DeLaRue is continuing thoseresearches which Mr. Gassiot commenced, 

 and I wish merely to correct one historical fact of which I happen to 

 have an intimate personal knowledge. It was not Mr. Gassiot in this 

 country but Sir Wm. Grove who observed these stratifications first. I 

 should have been unwilling to make the statement but that the correc- 

 tion I think is better to be made at the time, and I should add that 

 these stratifications were discovered about the same time in France. 

 It has been a matter of some little doubt whether a Frenchman, whose 

 name I forget, or Sir Wm. Grove was the first discoverer, but I believe 

 Sir Wm. Grove was actually the first. I am quite sure if Mr. Gassiot 

 were here, he would confirm what I say, that he does not claim the 

 discovery. 



Mr. DE LA RUE : I am much obliged to Professor Andrews for the 

 correction, but as Mr. Justice Grove and Mr. Gassiot so frequently 

 interchanged their thoughts the confusion was natural, and I qualified 

 the statement by the saying I believed that was the fact. 



Mr. DE LA. RUE again took the chair, and called upon Cavalierc 

 Professore de Eccher to read a communication on the instruments from 

 Italy, especially those of Gallileo. 



