xli 
Among the observations made in the course of proceedings, 
were the following : 
-Mr. PENDARVES VIvIAN, M.P., on moving the adoption of 
the Council’s Report (in which he was seconded by Mr. H. Spry 
LEVERTON), said it was a matter of great satisfaction to him to 
have heard so good ‘an account of the condition and operations of 
the Institution ; because he looked on the existence of such asso- 
ciations throughout the country as of immense service in dissemi- 
nating that theoretical scientific knowledge which might hereafter, 
in many minds, bear practical fruit. It was not necessary that he 
should remind his hearers what vast strides in science were being 
made in present times—strides so immense that if they could 
imagine a chemist who had ceased to advance twenty years ago, 
coming face to face with their present knowledge, he would be 
seen to be utterly out of the race. And in every branch of science 
similar advances had been made. To himself few things were 
more surprising than the progress which had been made in 
Hydraulics, which had lately done more for the country than any 
other science, because it had been extensively applied practically : 
the lifting of tons’ weight by means of a few drops of oil was now 
an every-day practice. Then again there was the extension of 
Telegraphy. It must be matter of pride to every member of a 
scientific institution to think of what had been accomplished by 
the telegraph within the last few days. It had bridged over time 
and space, and brought England into close communication with 
the antipodes and with one of her most important colonies. This 
was but the extension of a system already existing throughout the 
civilized world ; but its occurrence had brought into prominent 
notice the immense value of science in first bringing out an in- 
vention which had induced such a result. He hoped that the 
extension of the telegraph to Australia might be held to typify 
the close connection between that colony and the mother country— 
a connection which he fervently desired might never be interfered 
with.—As an instance of the beneficial results of chemical science 
practically applied, Mr. Vivian mentioned that the Firm to which 
he belonged had introduced a process, invented by a German, which 
enabled them, in dealing with yellow ores, to prevent the escape 
of sulphurous vapours and to collect the sulphuric acid in leaden 
chambers, whence it was conveyed into tanks, and made available 
in the manufacture of artificial manure. Previously the escape of 
the gases had made barren the surface of the earth, but as treated 
now they were made to increase its productiveness. 
On the hint given in the Council’s Report as to the present 
condition of the Ornithological Department of the Museum, Mr. 
D . 
