xl REPORT 1859. 



ment of Science, the warm interest which is taken in the United States of 

 America in the success of the measures proposed for the continuation of 

 Magnetic Observatories. Subjoined is the official communication which has 

 since been received : — 



" To His Royal Highness The Prince Consort, President, and to the other 

 Officers of the British Association for the Promotion of Science. 



"In accordance with the request of the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science, its officers beg leave to communicate the following 

 resolutions : — 



Resolved, — That the American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science regards with great interest the efforts making by the British 

 Association for the Advancement of Science, to induce the re-esta- 

 blishment of the Colonial Magnetic Observatories, for a new series 

 of simultaneous Magnetic and Meteorological observations. 



Resolved, — That the Officers of the Association be requested to com- 

 municate this resolution to the Officers of the British Association. 



" Stephen Alexander, President. 

 " Edward Hitchcock, Vice-President. 

 " W. Chauvenet, General Secretary. 

 " Joseph Lovering, Permanent Secretary." 

 " Springfield, Mass., August 10, 1859." 



3. The Council has been informed that a deputation has been appointed, 

 and will attend at Aberdeen, to invite the British Association -to hold its 

 meeting for 1860 at Oxford, and that invitations will also be presented, for 

 1861 and following years, from Manchester, Cambridge, and Newcastle-upon- 

 Tyne. 



6. The following Report was received from the Kew Committee, and was 

 ordered to be entered on the Minutes. 



Rejiort of the Keiv Committee of the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science for 1858-1859. 



It is with deep regret that the Committee have to report the decease of the 

 late Superintendent of the Observatory, Mr. John Welsh, who died at Fal- 

 mouth on the 12th of May, where he had removed for a short time for the 

 recovery of his health. 



Mr. Welsh's position as a man of science was too well known to require 

 any reference from the Committee, yet they may be permitted to refer to 

 those aspects of it which have come more prominently under their view 

 during the long and pleasant intercourse which has so unhappily come to an 

 untimely termination. 



Mr. Welsh entered the Observatory on the 27th of August, 1850, as an 

 assistant to Francis Ronalds, Esq., F.R.S., who for some years had superin- 

 tended the management as the Honorary Director. Mr. Ronalds retired in 

 1852 to reside on the Continent, since which time, with the exception of a 

 short interval, Mr. Welsh has been the Superintendent; and the present 

 efficiency and recognized scientific standing of the Observatory may be 

 assumed to be in a great measure due to the zeal and remarkable ability with 

 which he discharged his duties : ingenious in devising new arrangements, 

 laborious and persevering in their execution, he was eminently qualified 



