Minutes of Proceedings. 179 



The Secretary read a Report from Mr. B. C. "Windle " On the 

 Embryology of the Mammalian Muscular System." 



The President, in proceeding to confer on Mr. Howard Grubb the 

 Cunningham Gold Medal, said : — 



"It is now my duty, in compliance with the Eesolution of the 

 Council of the Academy, to confer on Mr. Howard Grubb a Cunning- 

 ham Medal in recognition of the services which he has rendered to 

 Astronomical Science by his improvements in the construction of 

 telescopes. 



" The Members of the Academy generally will be aware that there 

 has grown up in this city of late years an establishment eminently dis- 

 tinguished in the world of Physical and Astronomical Science for the 

 constniction of instruments of research of the highest order of merit, 

 and especially for the making of telescopes of great power and of the 

 most perfect workmanship. For the origin of this creditable result, 

 we are indebted to the scientific ability and practical skill of Mr. 

 Thomas Grubb, late a Member of this Academy, whose loss we have 

 had within the last few years to regret. Some of our senior Members 

 may still recollect the great improvements introduced by Mr. Grubb, 

 when Engineer to the Bank of Ireland, in the printing and numberings 

 of the notes. The extraordinary skill there shown attracted the atten- 

 tion of the Rev. Dr. Robinson, and led to the intimate association of 

 Mr. Grubb with our illustrious colleague, whom we are all proud to still 

 number among our Members. 



" I am happy to be able to furnish the Academy with some brief 

 notices of Mr. Grubb's early achievements in telescopic construction, 

 for which I am indebted to the kindness of Dr. Robinson, who himself 

 took so great a part in developing and directing Mr. Grubb's mechani- 

 cal genius. 



"The Armagh Observatory possessed at that time a 10-feet New- 

 tonian telescope, made by Sir "William Herschel, of which the great 

 speculum was much tarnished. Dr. Robinson wished to have it re- 

 poHshed, and consulted Mr. Grubb, who had been experimenting on 

 small specula. Mr. Grubb proposed, instead of re-polishing it, to 

 supply a new speculum, which was ventured on, and he produced a 

 speculum of such excellence that it at once established his character as 



