87 



Pursuant to the agreement entered into with the Trustees of the 

 British Museum respecting the exchange of the Arundel manu- 

 scripts for books suited to the objects of the Society, the sum 

 of £956 05. 3d. was in July last received from the Trustees of the 

 Museum, with the condition annexed, that the money was to be 

 expended exclusively in the purchase of books, and that a list of 

 the books so purchased should be sent to the Trustees. Nearly 

 the whole of this sum has since been applied in the manner stipu- 

 lated for, and the Library of the Royal Society has in consequence 

 been enriched by a very large addition of works on scientific sub- 

 jects, which had long been wanting for the supply of its deficiencies 

 in those branches of knowledge, the promotion of which is more 

 particularly the object of the Royal Society. 



A communication has lately been received from the Trustees of 

 the British Museum, stating that they expect to realize at least the 

 greater part of the remaining sum due to the Royal Society, on 

 account of the Arundel MSS. by the sale of duplicate books, in 

 the course of the ensuing spring ; and that the money so realized 

 will be paid over without delay into the hands of the Treasurer of 

 the Royal Society. 



The Council have in the course of the last summer ordered a 

 thorough inspection of the Library, and the accurate completion 

 of its Catalogue, a task for the proper execution of which consider- 

 able time and labour have been required, and which is now nearly 

 completed. With the kind assistance of Mr. Dollond, a list has 

 also been made of the philosophical instruments belonging to the 

 Society, and ordered to be printed for the use of the Fellows. 



The increase of the Library and the probability of its future ex- 

 tension have rendered it extremely necessary that a more enlarged 

 space should be obtained than that afforded by the apartments at 

 present occupied by the Society. On this account the Council have 

 reason to congratulate the Society on the acquisition they have 

 lately made, by the favour of the Lords Commissioners of His Ma- 

 jesty's Treasury, on the application of His Royal Highness the 

 President, of the rooms lately occupied as the Privy Seal Office. 



On a representation made to the Council of the advantages to be 

 expected from the application of the optical principle developed 

 by Mr. Barlow, to the construction of a telescope of large dimen- 

 sions, the Council appointed a Committee of inquiry into this sub- 

 ject 3 and having received from them a report favourable to the suc- 

 cess of the measure, have given orders to Mr. Dollond to execute 

 a telescope of that description under the superintendence of Mr. 

 Barlow. 



The Council have also to announce that they have placed the 

 papers containing the magnetical observations made by the late la- 

 mented Capt. Foster in his recent voyage of discovery (and which 

 have been transmitted to the Royal Society by the Lords Commis- 

 sioners of the Admiralty), in the hands of Mr. Christie, who has 

 obligingly offered to examine them, and has undertaken to condense 

 them with a view to publication by the Society, 



