28 [Proc. B. N. F. C, 



original project being carried out in its entirety. Much, how- 

 ever, was done in the advancement of science by the delivery of 

 public lectures. As instances of this it may be stated that a 

 course of such lectures was delivered by Dr. Ure, of Anderson's 

 University, of Glasgow, during the Summer Sessions of 1814 

 and 181 5, and that Dr. Knight gave a similar course in 1821, 

 his lectures being delivered tri-weekly, at 8 p.m. In 1822 and 

 1823 Dr. James L. Drummond, who had been appointed 

 Professor of Anatomy and Physiology in 18 18, volunteered to 

 deliver series of lectures upon Natural History subjects. A 

 pamphlet issued in 18 18, entitled "An Account of the System 

 of Education in the Belfast Academical Institution," gives 

 some interesting particulars regarding the public lectures, and 

 it states that they are equally accessible and intelligible to both 

 sexes, thus showing that our admission of lady members had a 

 precedent many years before. In referring to the classes, a 

 statement is made that it was intended to commence a Botanical 

 Class, during the next year, and that in it, each student would 

 investigate plants for himself, under the eye of the Professor, 

 and that special attention would be directed to the indigenous 

 botany of this part of Ireland, to practical results, and to the 

 structure and physiology of vegetables in . general. These 

 public lectures were delivered regularly for many years, and it 

 appears from a Parliamentary return issued in 1827, that 

 the proprietors of the White Linen Hall had paid to the 

 Institution a sum of ^"100 per annum for several years on 

 condition that public lectures on Chemistry should be delivered 

 to artisan students ; and that the Mechanics' Institute, which 

 some of you may remember being located in Queen Street, paid 

 an annual sum to entitle its members to attend the courses of 

 lectures on various subjects. The return referred to states that 

 400 members of the Institute had attended the introductory 

 lectures, but that as the membership of the Institute itself had 

 fallen off, the attendance at the lectures had correspondingly 

 decreased. 



The records of the Institution show that in 1832 an applica- 

 tion was made to the Managers by a number of pupils for per- 



