1876.] 



Presidenfs Address. 



345 



the Museums of Berlin, Tlorence, and Haarlem. We contributed twenty- 

 seven articles, all of the best construction of their day, and which may be 

 regarded as monuments of the skill of famous makers. They include : — 

 Bo3de's air-pump with double barrel, presented by himself in 1662; 

 Newton's original reflecting telescope, constructed by himself in 1671 ; 

 Huyghens's aerial telescope, with three object-glasses, of 122, 170, and 

 240 feet focal length, presented respectiyely by himself in 1691, by 

 Newton, and by the Eev. G. Burnet ; a large levelling-instrument used 

 in the Ordnance Survey ; two chronometers by Arnold, which were taken 

 round the world by Capt. Cook ; Capt. Kater's hygrometer ; Priestley's 

 electrical machine ; and Sir H. Da^vy's experimental Safety Lamp. 



The interest excited by the Exhibition is best shown on the one hand 

 by the number of visitors, which at the end of September amounted to a 

 quarter of a million, and on the other by the efforts made by a large body 

 of scientific men, who desire to see effect given to the views of the Lord 

 President in founding a permanent Museum of this nature. A memorial 

 to this effect, signed by more than one hundred scientific men, has been 

 addressed to the Duke of Eichmond, representing the advantages of a 

 Museum of Scientific Apparatus, Appliances, and Objects, and of Chemical 

 Products — illustrating both the history and the development of Science — 

 wdth which the objects now contained in the " Patent Museum " should 

 be incorporated. Among the advantages enumerated which would 

 accrue from such an institution, are the saving of time and labour to 

 investigators, assisting teachers, informing constructors of philosophical 

 instruments as to the directions in which reproductions are wanted, or in 

 which improvements may be effected, and possibly the lending instruments 

 to investigators under suitable restrictions. 



With regard to the advantage of combining the objects of the Patent 

 Museum with the general collection, it is pointed out that the value of 

 these objects as mere subjects of a patent is very imperfectly represented 

 by their separate exhibition, whereas it would be greatly enhanced were 

 they placed in juxtaposition with instruments of the same nature, which, 

 though unpatented, may be both better adapted to their purpose and of 

 greater instructive value. 



The Meteorological Office. — Lii my last year's Address I stated that the 

 Lords Commissioners of the Treasury had appointed a Committee to 

 inquire into the working of the Meteorological Office, and the value 

 of the results hitherto obtained by it, and that the result of this 

 might afford to Her Majesty's Ministers the opportunity of adopting 

 measures that would greatly increase the scientific efficiency and public 

 interest of that Office. 



The labours of the Treasury Committee are now concluded. It 

 sat frequently during the whole of last session of Parliament, examined 

 many witnesses, scientific and practical, including the most eminent 



