Annual Report of the Council. 213 



In addition to the above, he wrote the three well- 

 known text books : — 



" The Frog " (which includes an excellent description of the 

 development as well as the anatomy of the animal), 1882. 



" Practical Zoology." Written with Dr. Hurst. t886. 



" Vertebrate Embryology." 1893. R, A. 



JOHN TYNDALL was born in 1820, at Leighlin Bridge, 

 Carlow, Ireland. In early manhood he came to this 

 country, and was for some time engaged in land surveying. 

 His scientific career may be dated from his appointment in 

 1847 on the teaching staff of Queenwood College, Hants, 

 where another of our Honorary Members, Dr. Frankland 

 occupied the position of chemist. After a year's stay he 

 proceeded to Germany, to the University of Marburg, 

 Hesse Cassel. Here he studied under Bunsen. Among 

 other physicists whose acquaintance he made were Magnus 

 and Knoblauch, with whom he was associated in some 

 important work on the magnetic condition of matter. 

 During his working career a variety of subjects in experi- 

 mental philosophy engaged his attention. Among these may 

 be mentioned his researches on the transmission of dark heat 

 rays through media, which absorb all the accompanying light 

 rays ; also the absorption of heat by gases with an important 

 deduction as to the part played by aqueous vapour in the 

 atmosphere in maintaining the earth at a temperature suit- 

 able for habitation ; also on the transmission of sound, and 

 on thermal conductivity. He was well known as a mountain 

 climber, and this led to an investigation into the causes of 

 glacier motion. In 1853 he commenced his Friday Evening 

 Lectures at the Royal Institution, London, and afterwards 

 became Professor of Physics there ; this post he retained 

 until 1887. Well-selected experiments, and language 

 appropriate to the kind of work he was undertaking, added 



