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BETWEEN 30TH Nov. 1862 AND 30TH Nov. 1863.

ARTHUR CONNELL was the eldest son of Sir John Connell, Judge of the Admiralty Court of Scotland and author of a well-known work on the law of Scotland respecting tithes. He was born in Edinburgh on the 30th of November 1794. Having received his early education at the High School of that city, he (in 1808) entered the University, where he studied under Playfair, Leslie, Dugald Stewart, and Hope. Mr. Connell then became for a time a student in the University of Glasgow, and having there obtained a Snell Exhibition, he went to Balliol College, Oxford, in 1812. In 1817 he passed Advocate at the Scotch Bar, but never practised; following a decided turn for science which had early shown itself, he devoted himself to the pursuit of chemistry, which became his main occupation, and in 1840 he was appointed to the professorship of that science in the University of St. Andrews. In St. Andrews Mr. Connell continued to study and teach his favourite science till 1856, when the fracture of a limb, and its effects upon a constitution already long enfeebled, completely incapacitated him for active duty.

Mr. Connell was chosen a Fellow of this Society at the annual election in 1855; from 1829 he had been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, in whose 'Transactions' or in the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal' his various scientific memoirs and communications have appeared. Most of his published researches belong to the province of mineral analysis, in which he justly attained a high reputation for skill and accuracy. To him is due the merit of establishing several new mineral species, and of showing that in certain minerals baryta exists in combination with silicic acid; and as an example of his nicety as an analyst, we may refer to his determination of the constitution of Greenockite from a single grain of that mineral. But Mr. Connell's labours as a chemist were not confined to a single field of inquiry; he was the author of valuable researches on voltaic decompositions, published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh; and he contrived an instrument for ascertaining the dew-point, which is superior in some respects to that generally used.

Mr. Connell died on the 31st of October 1863. He was of a modest, retiring nature and gentle disposition. To those who enjoyed his private friendship, it was well known that the merit he evinced as an earnest and faithful worker in science was but the manifestation, in that special direction, of the excellent qualities which belonged to his natural character.

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EDWARD JOSHUA COOPER, one of our most distinguished amateur astronomers, received the first impulses which made him pursue that science from his mother's early teaching, and from his visits to the Armagh Observatory while at the endowed school of that city. Thence he passed o Eton, and from it to Christ Church, Oxford, where it may be feared hat in those days he mot little encouragement in his favourite pursuit.

After leaving Oxford he travelled extensively, with a sextant, chronometer, and telescope as his inseparable companions. While at Naples in 1820 he met Sir William Drummond, some of whose wild inferences from the Dendera Zodiac he showed to be inconsistent with sound astronomy. Sir William replied that these objections were based on the inaccuracy of the existing drawings; and Mr. Cooper met that by going to Egypt, securing the services of an accomplished Italian artist, and bringing home correct plans of the Dendera ceiling, which, with many other drawings, he printed for private distribution under the title Egyptian Scenery.' He thence visited Persia, Turkey, Germany, and Scandinavia as far as the North Cape, accumulating a great mass of observations of latitude and longitude, which unfortunately remain unpublished. Shortly after his return to Ireland the death of his uncle placed him in possession of a large estate, and enabled him to carry out on a great scale the plan which he had formed of determining some portion of the small stars which were in general neglected by the great observatories. In the year 1831 he purchased, from Cauchoix of Paris, an object-glass of 13.3 inches aperture and 25 feet focus, the largest then existing, which in 1834 was mounted with perfect success at his magnificent mansion of Markree, on an equatorial constructed by Mr. Grubb of Dublin. It is of cast iron (the first application of that material to astronomical instruments), and stands in the open air, encircled by the buildings of a first-rate observatory, which contain, among other chefs-d'œuvres, a fine meridian-circle by Ertel, with eight microscopes, and an 8-inch object-glass. These instruments were at once applied to active work, in which he had a most able cooperator, his first assistant, Mr. A. Graham; and the Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society and of the Royal Irish Academy (of both which he was a member) bear ample testimony of their diligence. One result of their labours was the discovery of the planet Metis; but his greatest work is his 'Catalogue of Ecliptic Stars.' This (which was published by aid from the Government grant placed at the disposal of the Royal Society, and which the Royal Irish Academy honoured with their Cunningham Medal) contains upwards of 60,000 stars down to the 12th magnitude, of which very few had been previously observed. The places are reduced to 1850, and though only approximate, possess a sufficient degree of precision for the use to which they were destined. Their probable error is +2"-6, both in right asc sion and in declination. The value of this Catalogue to future astron can scarcely be overrated, for many facts tend to show that much learned by studying these minute stars. As an instance, it m that fifty stars of his own Catalogue and twenty-seven found to have disappeared during the progress of the obs of these, no doubt, are variable; many probably a some perhaps have great proper motion. But whe survey of the whole sky as that of this comparat

He promised a fifth volume, the materials fe

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as is also the case with a set of star-charts, in which, besides all the stars actually observed, as many are inserted as could be interpolated by the eye. It is much to be desired that these should not be lost to astronomy; and all who love that science will express a hope that his representatives will complete a work which has done such honour to their name.

Mr. Cooper continued to observe almost up to his death, which occurred on April 23, 1863, shortly after that of his wife, to whom he was deeply attached. The date of his election into the Royal Society is June 2, 1853. He represented the county of Sligo in Parliament for many years, and was a kind and good landlord, making great exertions to educate and improve his numerous tenantry. His personal qualities were of a high order, blameless and fascinating in private life, a sincere Christian, no mean poet, an accomplished painter and linguist, an exquisite musician, and possessing a wide and varied range of general information.

JOSHUA FIELD was a member of a well-known firm of Civil Engineers at Lambeth. The chief occupation of his life was mechanical engineering, and he had an important share in the improvements which have been made during his time in the construction of marine steam-engines. Mr. Field was one of the founders of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and one of its earliest Vice-Presidents. In 1848 he was elected President, on which occasion he, in his inaugural address, gave a sketch of the progress of improvement in steam navigation. He became a Member of the Royal Society in 1836. His death took place on the 11th of August 1863, at the age of 76.

RICHARD FOWLER, M.D., the oldest Fellow of the Royal Society, died at his residence, Milford, near Salisbury, April 13, 1863, in his 98th year. He was born in London, November 28, 1765, and at an early age was so feeble in health, that it was thought necessary to send him to reside with a relation in Staffordshire. He was thence sent to Edinburgh for his education. While yet a youth he was entered for the medical profession, and while pursuing his studies he eagerly embraced the opportunity of attending the lectures on Moral and Political Philosophy of Dugald Stewart, to whose influence he ever afterwards referred with gratitude. From Edinburgh he proceeded to Paris, at a time when Louis XVI., Marie Antoinette, and the Dauphin were yet to be seen in their regal state; and Dr. Fowler was fond of telling how he saw them thus, and also of having exchanged greetings with Talleyrand while yet the young and courtly Bishop of Autun. He remained long enough in Paris to witness much of the strife of the first French Revolution. He was personally acquainted with Mirabeau, and often listened to his eloquence in the National Assembly. On his return to Edinburgh he was admitted, in Nov. 1790, a Member of the Speculative Society of that city, which had been founded in 1764, and has numbered among its members some of the most eminent

men of Great Britain. Dr. Fowler was an active member, and brought forward questions on politics and social economy for discussion. He early adopted the Liberal side in politics, and that of complete toleration in religion, and throughout his long career he was a steady supporter of Liberal principles. In 1793 he published a work entitled 'Experiments and Observations relative to the influence lately discovered by M. Galvani, and commonly called Animal Electricity.' The work consists of 176 pages, and contains an account of numerous experiments with different metals on frogs, the earthworm, the hearts of cats and rabbits, &c. The work also contains a letter from Professor Robison giving an account of some experiments with dissimilar metals. Dr. Fowler took his medical degree at the University of Edinburgh, Sept. 12, 1793; he was admitted Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of London in March 1796, about which time he settled at Salisbury, and was elected Physician to the Infirmary of that city, an office which he filled during forty years; after which he continued to be one of its consulting physicians to the time of his death. In 1802 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. In 1805 he married the daughter of William Bowles, Esq., of Heale House. He had an extensive medical practice during many years, and a still more extensive acquaintance with the leading men of the day, for which he was partly indebted to his early friendship with the Marquis of Lansdowne and Lord Holland, and also to his own social qualities and conversational powers, the latter being enlivened by anecdote, apt quotation, and varied knowledge, which enabled him to say something agreeably and well on almost every subject; at the same time his kindly nature mellowed and improved everything he said and did. In 1831 he became a Member of the British Association, and during a number of years made frequent communications to it on subjects in mental philosophy and their relation to physiology. The last communication was in 1859, when Dr. Fowler, then in his 94th year, made the journey to Aberdeen for the purpose of being present at the Congress. He took great interest in the mental condition of the deaf, dumb, and blind, and was fond of inquiring how it was that persons so afflicted displayed a higher intelligence than that of the most sagacious of the lower animals, and how by touch alone the meaning of others can be communicated to the blind and deaf, and instantly interpreted. During the later years of his life, Dr. Fowler was himself afflicted with loss of sight. Indeed, in his work published in 1793, he complains (page 76) that the weak state of his eyes did not permit him to look intently at minute objects. Nevertheless his mental activity was so great, that when he could no longer see to read he kept employed two men and two boys in reading to him, and writing down from his dictation memoranda for future papers. One of his latest acts, in conjunction with Mrs. Fowler, was to purchase and endow a suitable home for the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum, in which he took a great interest, and bestowed on it a large portion of his books and collections. Dr. Fowler was also a

and of the Edinburgh Medical and Speculative Societies.

PETER HARDY (born Dec. 17, 1813, died April 23, 1863) was the son of an officer in the artillery, and the brother of Mr. T. Duffus Hardy of the Record Office and Mr. William Hardy of the Duchy of Lancaster. He was educated for an actuary, was placed in the Equitable Office in 1829, was appointed actuary of the Mutual Assurance Office in 1837, and of the London Assurance Office in 1850. The details of his professional life, active and well employed as it was, offer nothing to record. He distinguished himself in 1839 by the publication of a sound mathematical work on interest, containing tables subdivided into quarter rates per cent. In 1840 he published a system of notation for life contingencies, which, besides its ingenuity, was of a practicable character. In 1848 he was one of the founders of the Institute of Actuaries. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1839, immediately after the publication of his first work. Mr. Peter Hardy possessed that talent for research which has contributed to render both his brothers eminent in their several walks of life. His walk, indeed, did not offer any opportunities; but the taste found vent in the collection of old books and the study of early printing. In this he would have been eminent, had it been anything but an employment of leisure. His library, very large for that of an actuary, contained rare specimens, of which he knew the history and the literary value.

JOHN TAYLOR was born at Norwich, on the 22nd of August 1779, and died in London on the 5th of April 1863. He was the eldest of five brothers belonging to a well-known and respected family in his native city. In early youth Mr. Taylor showed a natural turn for mechanical contrivance, and a decided bent towards the profession of an engineer; but as his native district afforded but little scope for engineering work, he was brought up to land-surveying, as the employment within reach which seemed to fall in most nearly with his natural taste. From this occupation, however, he was called off at the early age of nineteen, to take the management of the Wheal Friendship Mine in Cornwall. Inexperienced as he then was in all that specially concerned mining work, he was, nevertheless, appointed to that charge, in reliance on his ability to master the task he was to undertake, and on his diligence and integrity in the performance of it.

Soon after he became thus engaged, Mr. Taylor published, in the Philosophical Magazine' (for 1800), an article "On the History of Mining in Devon and Cornwall;" and in succeeding years he communicated to the world, in that and other journals, the results of his experience concerning the operations and processes followed in mining, and the means of improving them, and on the general economy of mines.

But whilst his daily occupation was in directing practical work, it was Mr. Taylor's constant aim to elevate the art of mining and place it on a

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