PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS, B.A., 1871. 155 



his side to reduce these observations and prepare 

 for the great work. At this moment, while we 

 are here assembled, I believe that, in their quiet 

 summer retirement in Wales, Sir Edward and 

 Lady Sabine are at work on the magnetic Chart 

 of the world. If two years of life and health are 

 granted to them, science will be provided with a 

 key which must powerfully conduce to the ulti- 

 mate opening up of one of the most refractory 

 enigmas of cosmical physics, the cause of terres- 

 trial magnetism. 



To give any sketch, however slight, of scientific 

 investigation performed during the past year 

 would, even if I were competent for the task, far 

 exceed the limits within which I am confined on 

 the present occasion. A detailed account of work 

 done and knowledge gained in science Britain 

 ought to have every year. The Journal of the 

 Chemical Society and the Zoological Record do 

 excellent service by giving abstracts of all papers 

 published in their departments. The admirable 

 example afforded by the German Fortsckntte 

 and JakresbericJit is before us ; but hitherto, so 



