December 4, 1902] 



NA TURE 



107 



This bald outline of Roberts-Austen's scientific work 

 gives, however, a very inadequate idea of his diligence 

 as a man of science or of the influence which he exerted 

 on the progress of science. Such work as he engaged 

 in was, from its very nature, time-consuming, and results 

 were only obtained slowly and laboriously. From his 

 official position, too, and by reason of his attainments, 

 he was constantly pressed to serve upon committees, 

 councils and commissions, into the work of which he 

 never failed to throw himself with characteristic ardour 

 and self-sacrifice. In 1885, he was a member of the 

 executive council of the Inventions Exhibition. In 

 1889, he served on the British executive council of the 

 Paris Exhibition, and in 1893 on that of the Chicago 

 Exhibition. In the former year, he received the Cross 

 of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. 



He sat with the writer on the Treasury Committee 

 which preceded the establishment of the National 

 Physical Laboratory, and he was also a member of the 

 Hoard of Trade Committee appointed to inquire into the 

 deterioration of steel rails during use in railway traction. 



Since 1899, he had been a member of the Explosives 

 Committee appointed to investigate explosives for use in 

 the Army and Navy and material for the construction of 

 guns. 



Concurrently with the services he rendered to the State 

 as a public servant, he did his fair share of labour in 

 ihe organisation of scientific work as an executive officer 

 j of various scientific societies. He joined the Chemical 

 Society in 1866 and served on its council in 1879-81, and 

 became a vice-president in 1895-8. 



In 1875 he was elected into the Royal Society, and 

 served as a member of council in 1890-2, and at the 

 time of his death was a member and chairman of some 

 1 of its committees. He was one of the founders of the 

 Physical Society, of which he was also a vice-president, 

 and was an active member of the Society of Arts, of 

 1 which he was a member of council and vice-president. 

 Hewas.alsoan honorary member of the Institution of 

 Civil Engineers, of the Institution of Mechanical 

 Engineers and of the Institution of Mining and 

 Metallurgy. 



He was elected president of the Iron and Steel Institute 

 in 1899, and held office until 1901. 



In 18S8 he was made a C.B., and received his knight- 

 hood in the order in 1899. 



The University of Durham made him a D.C.L. in 

 1897, and a year or two later he received the honorary 

 degree of D.Sc. from the Victoria University. 



He was a frequent attendant of the meetings of the 

 British Association, and served as one of the general 

 secretaries of the council from 1897 to the vear of his 

 death. 



His last public lecture was the James Forrest 

 lecture on " Metallurgy in Relation to Engineering," 

 given to the Institution of Civil Engineers on April 23. 

 In special lectures of this kind, Roberts-Austen excelled. 

 They cost him considerable effort, for he spared no 

 trouble to make the occasion worthy of himself and of 

 his subject, and he had his reward in the grateful appre- 

 ciation of his auditory. 



Indeed, no man discharged more faithfully, more 

 honourably or more religiously the obligations he had 

 incurred, or which, by virtue of his position, were thtust 

 upon him. It may be truthfully said of him that whatso- 

 ever his hand found to do he did it with all his might. 



No sketch of Roberts-Austen would be complete with- 

 out some allusion to his remarkable social qualities. 

 VVhen at his best he was an admirable talker, bright, 

 witty and amusing ; he had a keen sense of humour and 

 was a capital story-teller. He had a dangerous gift, 

 however, which in his later years he was slow to make 

 use of — he was an excellent mimic. In the old days — 



NO, 1727, VOL. 67] 



the days of Rankine, Lord Houghton, Clifford, Aitchisora 

 — when the " Red Lions" were wont to hold high carnival, 

 Roberts-Austen occasionally would "let himself go" and 

 exercise his gift to the uproarious merriment of jackals, 

 cubs, lions and lion-kings alike. Indeed, it seemed at 

 times that he was not quite conscious of the faculty he 

 possessed. I have heard him, to my terror, in the course 

 of a conversation gradually copy the tones and inflexions 

 of a man's voice, and seen him reproduce his manner 

 to his very face. There was absolutely no intention to 

 be discourteous in this, and it was done so gradually and 

 with such subtlety that the man was just as insensible of 

 the fact as Roberts himself. I firmly believe that on such 

 occasions the unconscious mimicry had its origin in 

 sympathy. 



Some years ago, Roberts-Austen acquired a small 

 place at Chilworth, near Guildford, to which he would 

 repair with Lady Roberts-Austen on all possible occa- 

 sions. It never meant idleness to him, but there is 

 no doubt that the occasional change from the atmosphere 

 of Tower Hill to the breezy, invigorating air of a Surrey 

 common had some effect in preserving him from the 

 constant inroad he made upon his physical and mental 

 energy. His social instincts made him a good neighbour, 

 and he spent time and no inconsiderable amount of 

 money in improving the lot of those around him. There 

 was one side of his character of which only those who 

 knew him well were made fully aware. It is reflected, 

 however, in the beautifully decorated little chapel which 

 he erected near his house for the benefit of the district, 

 and in which he was wont to minister nearly every Sunday. 



T. E. Thorpe. 



ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF THE ROYAL 

 SOCIETY. 



'"THE anniversary meeting of the Royal Society was 

 *■ held on Monday, December I, when the report of 

 the Council was presented, and the members of the 

 Council for the ensuing year, whose names have already 

 been given (p. 35), were elected. 



The first paragraph of the report refers to the for- 

 mation of the " British Academy for the Promotion of 

 Historical, Philosophical and Philological Studies" and 

 its incorporation by Royal Charter. The President and 

 Council of the Society were requested by the Privy 

 Council to give their opinion upon a petition which had 

 been presented to the Privy Council praying that the 

 incorporation of the studies above referred to should be 

 "provided for in some relation to the Royal Society." 

 The report states that in the reply the Council of the 

 Royal Society most strongly deprecated any change in 

 organisation being imposed upon the Society from with- 

 out in order that it might include within itself the studies 

 for which the incorporation of the British Academy is 

 asked, being convinced that such a change would destroy 

 the independent position which the Society now enjoys 

 as the head, in this country, of the mathematical, ex- 

 perimental and natural sciences. The Privy Council 

 subsequently invited the opinion of the Royal Society 

 upon a memorial suggesting that it would be desirable to 

 attempt to organise officially in one institution the 

 several branches of knowledge. The President and 

 Council replied that they could not consent to the Royal 

 Society forming one department of any institution or 

 academy such as that suggested. 



The statutes governing the election of Fellows under 

 privileged conditions, under which members of the 

 Privy Council have hitherto been admitted, have been 

 amended. The principal amendment provides that the 

 Council may, once in every two years, recommend to the 



