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"17. That the committee, in the alterations which they have suggested, do not mean to convey a charge against the trustees, or against the officers of the museum, whose talents, good conduct, and general and scientific acquirements are universally admitted; and they are aware, that where imperfections exist in the collections, those imperfections are mainly attributable to the very inadequate space hitherto available for their exhibition, and to the limited pecuniary means at the disposal of the trustees; and they are of opinion that the present state of the British Museum, compared with the increasing interest taken in it by all classes of the people, justifies them in the recommendations contained in the above resolutions.

"18. That the committee having taken into consideration the Petition presented to The House by Mr. Charles Tilt, and referred to the Comittee, which Petition prayed for public assistance in the preparation of a work from the medals in the British Museum, and having taken evidence on the said subject, consider that in no way can they more satisfactorily discharge the duty confided to them by the reference in question, than by simply laying before the House the minutes of evidence so taken, and ordering the Petition of Mr. Charles Tilt to be placed as an appendix to that evidence, and to these resolutions."

The trustees proceeded to consider these resolutions, and having adverted to each of them in order, resolved as follows:-

"1. With respect to such matters in the first five resolutions as appear to call for the intervention of the trustees, this committee recommends the several points to the serious consideration of the general board of trustees, whenever the occasions arrive for giving practical effect to these resolutions.

2. With respect to the 6th resolution, this committee advises the immediate appointment of a sub-committee of trustees to make a personal survey of the Museum, and in conjunction with the heads of the existing departments and with such other gentlemen employed in the Museum as it may be thought expedient to consult, to take into consideration and report to the general board the best mode of giving effect to the said resolution.

"3. With respect to the 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 13th, and 14th resolutions, the subjects matter of which appear to be connected together, and have reference to new internal arrangements which may be immediately necessary, this committee is of opinion that the consideration of these resolutions, and of the best practical mode of giving effect to the recommendations which they involve, should be referred to the same sub-committee to which the 6th resolution is referred.

"4. That a special memorandum be made of the recommendations contained in the 8th resolution with a view of ensuring the attention of the trustees to them on the first opportunity of vacancies.

"5. With respect to the 12th resolution, this committee understands that measures have been already taken for giving effect to the recommendation contained therein.

"6. This committee is further of opinion that a general meeting of the trustees should be convened at the earliest practicable period, for the purpose of deliberating upon the recommendations contained in the 15th resolu

tion, and of entering into such communication with the Chancellor of the Exchequer as may appear advisable, with reference to the financial considerations connected with the report of the select committee, and particularly with the 16th resolution of that report.

"Extracted from the minutes.

"J. FORSHALL, Secretary."

Such are the various improvements recommended by the committee, and, if these suggestions are properly followed out, and acted upon by the trustees, much public good may be expected from the recent inquiry. We regret to find, however, that neither the committee, nor the trustees of the Museum allude to the necessity of a classed catalogue of the literary treasures contained in the British Museum, consisting of about 220,000 printed books, 24,000 volumes of the most rare and curious manuscripts, and of more than 19,000 charters, which, without such aid, may be considered as little better than sealed books to the public. The British nation ought not to be satisfied with a comparatively worthless alphabetical catalogue, whilst the libraries of minor institutions are accurately classed; more particularly since that public-spirited bookseller, Mr. Murray, of Albemarle-street, has offered to print and publish a classed catalogue at his own risk, without any expense to the government.

The annual grant, amounting to £21,974., about £4000. more than that for 1835, passed the House on the 8th of August; and we lament to add that, notwithstanding several petitions had been presented to Parliament, signed by the most distinguished scholars and scientific persons of the day, praying for classed catalogues of the books and MSS., no notice whatever was taken of them in the debate on the grant, it being merely stated that a more perfect catalogue (alphabetical) would be ready by the end of the year. And this catalogue, it is understood, will be printed to the exclusion of a Catalogue Raisonné, the only useful aid to the literary treasures of the British Museum.

A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE CLIMATES OF GREAT MALVERN AND LONDON,

WITH MISCELLANEOUS METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.

We have taken considerable pains to insure to our readers regular meteorological reports for Malvern; a locality in every way interesting, both to the admirer of rural and picturesque scenery, and to the invalid. But the details of such registers are, we know, of minor value, unless accompanied with the results for the different seasons, and for the year. In our former volumes, these have been given for the seasons of 1834 and part of 35, in two papers entitled A Comparison between the Climates of Great Malvern and London ; and we are now enabled to furnish the following mean results for the remaining seasons of 1835 and 36. The tabular form in which they have been condensed and brought together in one view, will, we trust, render this communication valuable in a scientific point of view; while the various observations with which it abounds cannot be otherwise than interesting to all classes of our readers.

The leading facts of Meteorological Science are based upon certain branches of physics, which require great leisure and devotion for their investigation. Thus, Astronomy takes cognizance of the causes of the seasons, and of day and night, and gives data for estimating the influence of the heavenly bodies upon the ocean and the air. Geology teaches us that the earth is probably cooling slowly, from a state of intense heat; makes us acquainted with the nature of the several strata exposed to the influences of light, heat, and air; and affords some insight into the causes which were in operation at their formation. Chemistry teaches us the nature of the atmosphere, and the modifications impressed upon it by heat and vapour. Pneumatics and Electricity have each their share in establishing data for meteorological inquiries. From these and other sources the ground-work of the science is established; but the superstructure depends upon the co-operation of its cultivators, who are required to furnish materials requisite for a general comparison of facts.

With this impression, and in order to establish the mean temperature, atmospheric pressure, and dew point at Malvern, we avail ourselves of the following observations upon the seasons of 1835 and 1836, placing the results of the previous year beside them; and it will be seen, notwithstanding the various daily vicissitudes of temperature, wind, rain, &c., how little is the variation when the

means of a whole season are taken, and how nearly they all become neutralized in the general average for the year.

The first column for Malvern, in the following Table, contains the summer and autumn of the year 1834, the winter of 1834 and 1835 (viz., December, 1834, January and February, 1835), and the spring of 1835 (viz., March, April, and May). The second column contains the summer and autumn of 1835, the winter of 1835 and 1836, and the spring of 1836. These remarks will also apply to the other Tables.

TABLE I.-Mean temperature of the Seasons in Malvern and London, in 1834, 1835, and 1836.

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In the above Table, the cold winter and spring of 1835-6, are indicated by the lower mean temperature of these two seasons ; and had it not been for some hot sunny days in May, the mean for the spring of that year would have been still lower. The general opinion, we believe, is, that the winter in Malvern is colder than in other situations; but the result of two years' careful observation has shewn that this season is as mild in Malvern as in London.

A thermometer in the shade ought to be considered as indicating a resultant temperature, not only from the action of the sun's rays upon a variety of surfaces, all radiating heat of greater or less intensity-such as buildings, walls, the surface of the ground, &c.; but also from condensations of moisture, such as clouds, fogs, &c. The evaporation and exhalation from green and growing surfaces, and the absence of walls, buildings, pavements, &c., in the country, materially circumscribe the reflection and accumulation of heat, and tend greatly to render the maximum of the thermometer lower on a sunny day than where an arid or barren surface is exposed, as in sandy plains-or where houses are congregated, as in towns. In summer, during clear weather, the temperature of the air in

the shade rapidly increases in the day time-passing above the mean of the season; whereas, in winter, during clear weather, the heat of the sun hardly counteracts the influence of terrestrial radiation : hence, in the clear sunny days of winter, the temperature of the air advances but little-the mean of this period being governed by vapour; so that it is not at all uncommon for the thermometer to rise between sun-set and sun-rise from 10° to 15°. This has been noticed in a minor degree, as early as the month of October.

The period of the maximum of the thermometer will depend upon several circumstances: during summer, if the morning is bright and fair, followed by clouds and wind in the afternoon, it will occur before noon-so it will if the sun shines in the morning and it rains in the afternoon: but if the morning is wet and the afternoon fine, the maximum is observed later. In winter, the maximum of the twenty-four hours will occur in the middle of the day or the middle of the night; or at any other period, being governed by the movements of the great body of ærial vapour and its condensations. Clouds and rain do not always accompany the high temperature due to warm vapour, though they are not long in following it: thus, in the Journal from which these remarks are taken, is the following:-"December 29, 1833, 11 p. m. Here is, tonight, a high temperature, (51°) and a high dew-point, (50°), yet it is very fine, the wind is high, and some heavy clouds are present,— but the intervals of blue sky are large, and the moon and stars brilliant;" but the next remark, the following morning at 9 a.m., is,"heavy clouds and rain, and rain during the night."

Meteorological registers, in general, are not much to be relied on the observations are recorded without any attention either to the accuracy of the instruments employed, or to the circumstances in which they are placed. In the Philosophical Magazine, the only periodical exclusively devoted to science now published in London, are the details of a register kept at the gardens of the Horticultural Society; and we should have expected that here some confidence might have been placed, had we not remarked the very great difference between these details and those of the Journal of the Royal Society, at Somerset House. Sir G. S. Mackensie has noticed this "I conceive," he says, "no dependence can be placed on the thermometric observations made in the garden of the Horticultural Society. It is some time since I pointed out to Professor Lindley the defects of the apparatus. Instead of the thermometer being placed in the shade of a wall, it is exposed near the ground under a wooden roof, which absorbs the direct rays of the sun and radiates heat to the instrument. Thus the indications of

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