1876.] at South Kensington. 371 
splendid discoveries of the men who used them, and the 
part they played in the advance of civilisation, then, indeed, 
were this the only good result of the Exhibition, it would 
have served a great and important end. Had no adventi- 
tious means been adopted to arouse the interest of the 
public in the various instruments, the practical value of the 
Exhibition — excepting to scientific men — would, perhaps, 
have been an open question ; but it is only necessary to 
attend the evening lectures which have been so kindly under- 
taken by eminent scientific men, and notice the eagerness 
with which the large audiences listen to the lectures, to be 
convinced that the objeCt in visiting the Exhibition is the 
desire for knowledge, and not mere idle curiosity. The 
demonstrations, too, were attended by considerable num- 
bers of people, and whatever instrument happened to be 
under demonstration — whether Radiometers, or Dr. Siemens’s 
Bathometer and Attraction Meter, or M. PiCtet’s machine 
for the production of Artificial Ice — questions were freely 
asked, until the construction and mode of adtion of the instru- 
ment were understood. In the present number we have only 
sufficient space to refer briefly to the more important of the 
historical instruments used in chemical and physical re- 
searches. 
Chemistry. 
In the Chemistry Section there is exhibited the apparatus 
employed by John Dalton in his Researches. The following 
description of this Series has been contributed by Prof. 
Roscoe, F.R.S. : — 
The apparatus employed by John Dalton in his classical 
researches, whether physical or chemical, was of the sim- 
plest, . and even of the rudest, character. Most of it 
was made with his own hands, and that which is to be 
exhibited has been chosen as illustrating this fadt, and as 
indicating the genius which with so insignificant and incom- 
plete an experimental equipment was able to produce such 
great results. The Society has in its possession a large 
quantity of apparatus used by Dalton, most of which, how- 
ever, consists of eleCtrical apparatus, models of mechanical 
powers, models of steam-engines, air-pumps, a Gregorian 
telescope, and other apparatus of a similar kind, which was 
either bought or presented to him. It has not been thought 
necessary to exhibit these, but rather to show the home- 
made apparatus with which Dalton obtained his most 
remarkable results. 
2 L 2 
