33 



A lecture on this subject was given on 14th 



thefr Historv J anuar y> ^i 1 * b y E- w - Barlow, Esq., f.r.a.s., the 

 and y chair being taken by Geo. Brownen, Esq. As a 



„ , scientific instrument the telescope is one of the 



Construction. , , , , . , F , r- ^^ ^ 



oldest, and in general use as opera glass, held glass, 



terrestrial or astronomical telescope. Two types of telescope were 

 described, viz., refracting and reflecting. The origin of the former 

 is ascribed to Lippershey, a Dutch spectacle maker in the 17th 

 century, but there is evidence to show that the theory of the 

 telescope was known to our own countryman Roger Bacon in the 

 13th century. The fame of Galileo, besides his constructive genius, 

 rests on his application of the invention to astronomy, though neither 

 his form of instrument nor that of Lippershey are now used except 

 for opera glasses. An achromatic lens is a combination of a con- 

 cave lens made of crown glass and a convex lens of flint glass, and 

 the discovery of how to make larger lenses led to the giant 

 refractors of the present day, the two largest being the Yerkes, the 

 lens of which is 40 inches in diameter, and the Lick of 36 inches. 

 A large number of slides were shown of English, American and 

 foreign observatories and instruments. 



This was the title of a lecture given on 28th 



R . J illustrated by lantern slides from his own photo- 



* graphs, Dr Crallan presiding. Mr. Hankinson 



followed the course of his own tour through cities, towns, and 

 villages of Belgium, and showed view r s of interesting architectural 

 and ecclesiastical buildings, interiors of old houses, doorways, and 

 country scenes, and groups of factory girls and children, to 

 illustrate the well being of the people. 



On 18th February, Mr. J. B. Stevenson, f.r.h.s., 

 theh^Culture g ave a lecture on Roses and their culture, Sir 



Daniel Morris being in the chair. Mr. Stevenson 

 first described the method of preparing the ground, and selection of 

 a sheltered situation, advising deep culture. He mentioned the 

 three best stocks for roses as the Dog-rose stock, the Manetti, and 

 La GrifTerne, a French stock, and explained methods of planting, 

 pruning, watering and mulching. Insect pests were then dealt 

 with and the means for their destruction. The lecture concluded 

 with a number of beautiful slides of rose pillars, pergolas, and rose 

 gardens at noted houses and at Kew. 



This was the title of a very interesting lecture 

 given on 25th February, by Dr. Sandwith, f.r.c.p., 

 on recent discoveries in tropical medicine in 

 connection with malaria, Malta or Mediterranean 

 fever and sleeping sickness. Dr. Roberts Thomson 

 presided at this meeting. Though known to the ancients, malaria 



Recent 



Discoveries in 

 Tropical 

 Diseases. 



0 



