Popular Science Lectures. 205 



1828, and to the artificial production of acetic acid in 

 1845 by KOLBE and MELSENS, and to the formation of 

 marsh gas by MELSENS in the following year. Marsh 

 gas was shown to be the first of the paraffins, a class of 

 bodies of which endless derivatives are known, and with 

 which the sugars, including sucrose, are intimately con- 

 nected. The important discovery in organic synthesis, 

 made in 1859 by the famous French chemist BERTHELOT, 

 was referred to, in which the direct union of hydrogen and 

 carbon was caused to form acetylene, which itself was 

 easily converted into benzene, from which a large number 

 of the compounds of the aromatic series of bodies can be 

 obtained The importance of these syntheses was shown 

 by the fact that nearly all organic compounds can be 

 grouped either as paraffin or benzene derivatives. It 

 was pointed out that the artificial preparation of the 

 albuminous substances had not been accomplished, and 

 that their constitution was hut little understood. It was 

 to be expected, however, that their preparation would 

 soon be accomplished, when it was probable that the 

 production of the living principle would also be brought 

 about. 



The leclure was illustrated by a large series of 

 experiments. 



12. — "ORNAMENT IN ART." 



Delivered on Wednesday, April 24th, by the Re?d. Ignatius Scoles, V.G. 



The lecturer began by defining the nature of orna- 

 ment — distinguishing it from colour — and shewing that 

 it is the result of the natural instinct or innate desire of 

 man to find for himself forms of beauty in imitation of 



