evening there was a
full-dress promenade and _soiree_. On Wednesday, the general committee
assembled to sanction the grants that had passed the Committee of
Recommendations: and in the afternoon of the same day the concluding
general meeting of the Association, for the accustomed ceremonial
proceedings, was held. The next annual meeting is to take place at
Ipswich, and Mr. Airy, the Astronomer Royal, will preside. The meeting,
altogether, was one of unusual interest; among the persons present were
the chief lights of science, in the empire and from the continent, and
our own country was represented by Prof. Hitchcock and several other
scholars. The papers read in the various sections were numerous, and some
of them are described as of very remarkable freshness and value. They
will soon be accessible in the published Transactions, which will this
year be more voluminous than ever.

The retiring President, Dr. Robinson, at the opening meeting,
congratulated himself on being able to surrender his dominion to his
successor in a more prosperous condition than he had received it, and
spoke in glowing terms of the character and scientific achievements of
that successor, of whose labors he gave a brief but glowing history. Sir
David Brewster, who was one of the founders of the Association, is a
native of Jedburgh, in Roxburgshire; where he was born December 11, 1781.
He was educated for the Church of Scotland, of which he became a
licentiate; and in 1800 he received the honorary degree of M. A. from the
University of Edinburgh. While studying here he enjoyed the friendship
of Robison, who then filled the Chair of Natural Philosophy; Playfair, of
Mathematics; and Dugald Stewart that of Moral Philosophy. In 1808, he
undertook the editorship of the "Edinburgh Encyclopaedia," which was only
finished in 1830. In 1807 he received the honorary degree of LL. D. from
the University of Aberdeen; and in 1808 was elected a Fellow of the Royal
Society of Edinburgh. Between 1801 and 1812 he devoted his attention
greatly to the study of Optics; and the results were published in a
"Treatise on New Philosophical Instruments," in 1813. In 1815 he received
the Copley Medal of the Royal Society for one of his discoveries in
optical science; and soon after was admitted a Fellow of that body. In
1816, the Institute of France adjudged to him half of the physical prize
of 3000 francs, awarded for two of the most important discoveries made in
Europe, i