66 



Anniversary Meeting, 



[Nov. 30, 



been one of the most distinguished leaders of the progress of chemistry, 

 and is now the most eminent of active French chemists. The younger 

 generation of French chemists were, for the most part, his pnpils. 

 His writings have been the medium by which most of the knowledge 

 of the more modern theories of chemistry has been disseminated in 

 France. His discoveries have been fruitful of the greatest results, 

 not merely in the way of enriching the science with a knowledge of 

 many previously unknown compounds and classes of compounds, but 

 more especially in extending and improving our knowledge of the 

 laws of chemical combination. 



It was he who first discovered compound ammonias containing 

 alcohol-radicals in the place of hydrogen — a family of compounds 

 which has since acquired enormous development. It was he who 

 first made those remarkable alcohols called glycols, and thus gave the 

 key to the explanation of glycerine, erythrite, mannite, and the sugars. 

 Many other discoveries of his might be quoted ; but those who know 

 the influence which these two have exercised on the progress of 

 chemistry can feel no doubt that the author of them is deserving of 

 the highest scientific honour. 



A Royal Medal has been awarded to Mr. Francis Maitland 

 Balfour, F.R.S. Mr. F. M. Balfour's investigations in embryology 

 and comparative anatomy have placed him, thus early in life, in the 

 front rank of original workers in these branches of science. His 

 " Monograph upon the Development of Elasmobranch Fishes," 

 published in 1878, embodies the results of several years' labour, by 

 which quite a new light has been thrown upon the development of 

 several important organs in the Yertebrata, and notably of the genito- 

 urinary and nervous systems. More recently Mr. Balfour has pub- 

 lished a most important work on " Comparative Embryology " in two 

 large and fully illustrated volumes, which stands alone in biological 

 literature, not only as an admirable and exhaustive summary of the 

 present state of knowledge respecting the development of animals in 

 general, but by reason of the vast amount and the varied character of 

 the original researches which are incorporated in its pages. 



A Royal Medal has been awarded to the Rev. John Hewitt Jellett, 

 F.R.S., Provost of Trinity College, Dublin. Dr. Jellett is the 

 author of various papers on pure and applied mathematics ; but the 

 award is more directly connected with his invention of the analyser, 

 known by his name, and for the elaborate optico-chemical researches 

 which he has made with it. 



This analyser was introduced by its inventor into the instrument by 

 which he has carried on his researches on the state of combination of 

 mixed solutions, as evidenced by the changes in their power of rotating 



