iii 



In 1869 he drew up for the British Association a report on the 

 stability, propulsion, and sea-going qualities of ships ; and although 

 he retired from the post of Honorary Secretary of the Institute in 

 1875, when his services were recognised by a handsome testimonial, 

 he continued regularly to attend the meetings. 



He served on several important Royal Commissions, including one 

 on the unseaworthiness of ships, of which the Duke of Edinburgh 

 was President ; and during the last few years of his life he frequently 

 sat as scientific assessor to Mr. Rothery in the Wreck Commissioner's 

 Court, 



He was at one time President of the London Mathematical Society, 

 of which he was for a long time a member. 



The Catalogue of Scientific Papers contains twenty-eight titles 

 under which Mr. Merrifield had published papers between the years 

 1858 and 1873. He edited many of the text-books of science pub- 

 lished by Messrs. Longman, and himself wrote a successful treatise on 

 arithmetic and mensuration in that series. For many years, until 

 prevented by ill health, he conducted unofficially the mathematical 

 part of the May Examinations of the Science and Art Department. 

 He was also, from its foundation, a very active and leading member 

 of the Association for Improvement of Geometrical Teaching. 



Mr. Merrifield possessed great literary attainments, being thoroughly 

 well versed in Latin, Greek, French, and Italian. Appended to a 

 translation of his article on Deep Sea Waves, published in the 

 " Rivista Maritima," is a foot-note, which, after bearing testimony 

 to the author's extensive knowledge and excellence of style, expresses 

 the satisfaction of the editor at his adding to those qualifications that 

 of " writing correctly our language." 



In April, 1882, when in the midst of his work, he was struck by 

 apoplexy. From this he partially recovered ; but he suffered another 

 attack on the 18th October, 1883, which resulted in his death. 



