on the late Admiral Smyth's Cycle of Celestial Objects, Vol. II." by Mr Herbert Sadler. In this article Mr Sadler had criticized the work of Admiral Smyth in a manner which Airy regarded as imputing bad faith to Admiral Smyth. He at once took up the defence of his old friend very warmly, and proposed certain Drafts of Resolutions to the Council of the Society. These Resolutions were moved, but were amended or negatived, and Airy immediately resigned his office of Vice-President. There was considerable negociation on the subject, and discussion with Lord Lindsay, and on May 9th Airy's Resolutions were accepted by the Council.--In October Airy inspected the "Faraday" telegraph ship, then lying in the river near Messrs Siemens' works, and broke his finger by a fall on board the vessel.--In this year Airy wrote and circulated a letter to the Members of the Senate of the University of Cambridge, on the subject of the Papers set in the Smith's Prizes Examination. In this letter, as on former occasions, he objected much to the large number of questions in "purely idle algebra, arbitrary combinations of symbols, applicable to no further purpose." And in particular he singled out for comment the following question, which was one of those set, "Using the term circle as extending to the case where the radius is a pure imaginary, it is required to construct the common chord of two given circles." This drew forth as usual a rejoinder from Prof. Cayley, who wrote enclosing a solution of his problem, but not at all to Airy's satisfaction, who replied as follows: "I am not so deeply plunged in the mists of impossibles as to appreciate fully your explanation in this instance, or to think that it is a good criterion for University candidates." Of private history: On Jan. 21st he returned from Playford.--On March 22nd he attended the funeral of his sister at Little Welnetham near Bury St Edmunds: Miss Elizabeth Airy had lived with him at the Observatory from shortly after his appointment.--For about a week at the end of April he was visiting Matlock, Edensor, and Buxton.--From June 14th to July 18th he was staying at Portinscale near Keswick.--He was at Playford for two or three days in October, and went there again on Dec. 23rd for his usual winter holiday. The following letter, relating to the life of Thomas Clarkson, was written to Dr Merivale, Dean of Ely, after reading the account in the "Times" of October 10th of the unveiling of a statue of Clarkson near Ware: ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH, LONDON, S.E. _1879, October 11_. DEAR SIR,