Meetings of the Scientific Association of Great Britain. 83 
es in physical, chemical, geological, zoological, botanical and medical 
science, and he mentioned the individuals and particular subjects. 
Dr. Buckland moved that the thanks of the association should be 
presented to the University, for the liberal use of thew apartments. 
He warmly expressed his sense of the great hospitality of Edinburgh. 
“They had been welcomed to the houses and to the tables of the in- 
habitants—nay, ihe very rocks of the country had welcomed them 
by opening before them their valuable treasures ; they had seen that 
spices had formerly waved on the tops of the Grampians, while croco- 
diles swam at their bases; and a thousand fishes had started from 
their rocky sepulchres, to bid welcome to the members of the British 
association, for the advancement of science.”’ Various votes of thanks 
were passed and in seconding that proposed by Prof. Whewell to the 
President of the association, Prof. Hamilton of Dublin alluded to Sir 
David Brewster, as having done more than any living man for the 
science of optics; “that wonderful science, which, illustrating each 
by each, the more beautiful phenomena of light and the subtlest 
properties of matter, enables us almost to feel the minute vibrations, 
the ceaseless heavings and tremblings of that mighty ocean of ether, 
which bathes the farthest stars, yet winds its way through every 
labyrinth and pore of every body on this earth of ours. 
He bestowed also a merited commendation upon Sir Thomas M. 
Brisbane for the erection of that Oriental observatory, without which 
the comet of Encke, at one of its late returns, would have eluded 
human scrutiny ; since, although it was then visible in the southern, 
it was invisible in the northern hemisphere. ‘The Paramatta obser- 
vations had afforded important aid in determining the amount of as- 
tronomical refraction, that property of our atmosphere which here, 
bends the rays of Sirius towards our pole, but bends them there, tow- 
ards the other. 
Professor Sedgwick, in proposing the thanks of the association to 
M. Arago and the other distinguished strangers who had visited 
them, threw out some eloquent thoughts upon the advantages of 
Science in smoothing the prejudices of different nations, and linking 
together the learned men of all countries, and paid a high compli- 
ment to the merits of M. Arago. 
Lord Chancellor Brougham who had arrived only at this conclu- 
ding meeting, made some pertinent remarks upon the influence of 
scientific intercourse in preventing war, and seconded the motion of 
Prof. Sedgwick. M. Arago returned thanks in a very energetic 
speech. 
