88 



Anniversary Meeting. 



[Nov. 30, 



Science Schools, the Artizans' Institute, the Birkbeck Institute, the 

 Lancashire and Cheshire Union, and the Horological Institute. 



The Artizans' Institute gives practical instruction in several of the 

 humbler crafts in which artizans are engaged, such as carpentry, 

 zinc work, and plumbers' work ; and corresponds, therefore, to some 

 slight extent, with the apprenticeship schools of the Continent, from 

 which, however, it differs in many important particulars. A similar 

 experiment is being tried at the Horological Institute, where, at the 

 expense of the Guilds, classes have been organised in which appren- 

 tices are practically instructed in the various branches of the watch- 

 making trade. 



It is found that the demand for technical instruction in London 

 and throughout the provinces is very great, and the efforts that have 

 been so far made by the City and Guilds of London Institute, have 

 afforded considerable satisfaction to artizans and others engaged in 

 industrial pursuits, and promise, when further extended, to be of the 

 utmost service in the development of technical education in this 

 country. 



Turning now more particularly to the progress and the applications 

 of science, I venture to make mention of a few topics which have 

 come under my own observation : — 



The aspect of spectrum • analysis has become much complicated by 

 two sets of facts. First, the increased dispersion, the improved de- 

 finition, the enlarged electrical power at our command, and, above all, 

 the substitution of photography for eye observations, have revealed 

 to us an almost overwhelming array of lines belonging to each sub- 

 stance. And, secondly, the same means have shown that many sub- 

 stances present different spectra when in different molecular states. 

 These complications have led spectroscopists to seek some relief in 

 theories of simplification. Lecoq de Boisbaudran, Stoney, Soret, and 

 others, have suggested that many of the lines, or groups of lines, may 

 be regarded as the harmonics of a fundamental vibration ; and they 

 have shown that in certain cases this view will account for the phe- 

 nomena observed. Professors Liveing and Dewar have contributed 

 largely to our knowledge of the subject, by their observations on the 

 reversed lines. Looking in another direction, Mr. Lockyer considers that 

 in increased temperature we have the means not only of resolving com- 

 pound bodies into their elements, but even of dissociating bodies 

 hitherto regarded as elementary into still more simple substances. 

 There still remain serious difficulties connected with Mr. Lockyer's 

 views ; but it is to be hoped that his indefatigable energy will in some 

 way or other ultimately overcome them. 



The outlying parts of the spectrum, beyond the visible range, must 

 always be a subject of interest ; and while MM. Cornu and Mascart, 

 and others, have extended our knowledge of the ultra-violet end, 



