NOVEMBEE 14, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



685 



Another early academy devoted to the pur- 

 suit of science was the Aeademia Seere- 

 torum Naturte of Naples, which dates from 

 1560. 



Of special interest to the modem inves- 

 tigator is the Aceademia del Cimento, which 

 possessed a large collection of physical in- 

 struments, many of which are now pre- 

 served in the Galileo Museum at Florence. 

 The "Saggi di Naturali Esperienze" made 

 in the laboratories of this institution is an 

 admirably illustrated account of early 

 academic activities. The experiments, 

 which are described in great detail, with 

 the aid of excellent woodcuts of instru- 

 ments, are in some cases attributed to 

 Galileo, Torricelli and other investigators, 

 and in other cases are said to have been 

 first performed in France. They include a 

 wide variety of subjects, such as the effects 

 of artificial freezing on various waters, 

 wines, acids and oils, the compression of 

 liquids, various phenomena in a vacuum, 

 the electrical properties of amber, and the 

 motion of projectiles. 



This important volume was published in 

 1666, ten years after the establishment of 

 the Academy, which lasted only during 

 this period. The one great Italian acad- 

 emy of science which still survives is the 

 Aceademia dei Lincei, founded by Federico 

 Cesi in 1603. His vast plans of organiza- 

 tion for the Academy, resembling those of 

 the religious and military orders of the day, 

 are described in an unpublished work en- 

 titled the "Linceografo." The Academy 

 was to comprise establishments in the four 

 quarters of the world, where the members 

 would lead a common life in the midst of 

 libraries, museums, observatories, labora- 

 tories and botanic gardens, provided with 

 every requisite means of research, and in 

 constant communication with the other con- 

 stituent bodies of the organization. The 

 name Lincei, or Lynx-eyed, was taken in 



recognition of the reputation of the lynx 

 for extreme penetration of vision, "vedendo 

 non solo quello die e di fuori, ma anche cid 

 die dentro si asconde."'^^ 



After a stormy period of youth, during 

 which Cesi and his three fellow organizers 

 underwent many vicissitudes, the Academy 

 was vigorously revived in 1609. Two years 

 later, to its lasting renown, it was joined 

 by Galileo, whose earliest telescopic dis- 

 coveries had just been made. Under this 

 stimulus, and aided by the widespread 

 interest in Galileo's work, the Academy 

 now advanced rapidly. While devoting 

 special attention to the mathematical andi 

 physical sciences, it did not neglect the 

 cultivation of literature, counting among- 

 its members historians, poets, antiquarians; 

 and philologists. Its cosmopolitan char-- 

 acter is indicated by the diverse nationality 

 of its membership, which was drawn from 

 many of the nations of Europe. An Eng- 

 lish member of this period was Francis 

 Bacon.^' 



In November, 1612, Galileo communi- 

 cated his discovery and observations of sun- 

 spots, which were published by the Acad- 

 emy under the title "Istoria e Dimostra- 

 zioni intorno alle Macchie Solari." The 

 manuscript of this epoch-making discovery 

 is still preserved by the Academy. This 

 was followed in 1622 by his " Saggiatore, " 

 published in great haste, to avoid interfer- 

 ence from the Church. Two years later 

 he demonstrated at Rome the use of the 

 microscope, so named by Fabri, a member 

 of the Lincei. In 1629 Galileo completed 

 his dialogue on "Due massimi sistemi del 

 Mondo," and proposed to go to Rome to see 

 it through the press. 



Limitations of space forbid mention of 



18 Carutti, ' ' Breve storia dell 'Aceademia dei 

 Lincei," p. 8. 



17 Carutti, op. cit., p. 26. 



18 Ibid., p. 28. 



