438 London, Edinburgh, § Dublin Philosophical Magazine. 



The award of its medals to Sir John Herschel, Professor Wheat- 

 stone, and MM. Biot, Sturm, and Liebig, likewise afford proof of 

 the noble disinterestedness with which merit is acknowledged and 

 appreciated, from whatever country or clime it may emanate. The 

 task of drawing up summary accounts of deceased Members and 

 Fellows, was delegated to Dr. Roget, by whom it has been executed 

 with his accustomed taste and elegance. 



The list is rather a long one, and unfortunately comprises some of 

 the most distinguished ornaments of the present age. We regret much 

 that our limited space will only permit us to transcribe the notices of Mr. 

 James Prinsep, Mr. Vigors, and the venerable Professor Blumenbach. 

 It cannot fail to be a source of the greatest gratification to the nu- 

 merous relations, friends, and admirers of the late distinguished Se- 

 cretary to the Asiatic Society, to find his merits thus prominently 

 recorded by the Royal Society. The sketches of the German Pro- 

 fessor and Mr. Vigors, we give to our readers, from their well-known 

 connection with the science of Natural History. 



" Mr. James Prinsep, whose brilliant career of research and disco- 

 very has been closed by a premature death in the flower of his age, 

 was Principal Assay Master, first of the Mint at Benares, and se- 

 condly of that of Calcutta, where he succeeded Professor Wilson in 

 1833 ; he was a young man of great energy of character, of the most 

 indefatigable industry, and of very extraordinary accomplishments ; 

 he was an excellent assayist and analytical chemist, and well ac- 

 quainted with almost every department of physical science; a draughts- 

 man, an engraver, an architect, and an engineer; a good Oriental 

 scholar, and one of the most profound and learned Oriental medal- 

 lists of his age. 



In 1828 he communicated to our Society a paper " On the Mea- 

 surement of High Temperatures," in which he, described, amongst 

 other ingenious contrivances for ascertaining the order, though not 

 the degree, of high temperatures, an air-thermometer applicable for 

 this 1 purpose, and determined by means of it, probably much more 

 accurately than heretofore, the temperature at which silver enters 

 into fusion.* 



His activity whilst resident at Benares has more the air of romance 

 than reality. He designed and built a mint and other edifices ; he 



* See Phil, Mag. and Annals, N. S. vol. iii. p. 129, and vol. x. p. 356, note.— Edit. 



