proving Natural Knowledge, approach Your Majesty to offer our humble and heartfelt congratulations on the birth of the Heir to the Throne of the British Empire. The Almighty Disposer of events has vouchsafed to Your Majesty His protection in a season of much pain and peril ; and we pray that a life so dear to Your Majesty's subjects may long be preserved, through the same Divine Grace.
" We ardently hope that Your Majesty's Son may be endowed with health and strength ; that he may be adorned with every virtue which can dignify his station ; and we pray that Your Majesty may continue to be blest with all prosperity."
The Vice-President in the Chair also stated to the Meeting that the Council had adopted the following Address to His Royal High- ness Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha : —
" To His Royal Highness Prince Albert of Saxe-Cohurg and Gotha, K.G. F.R.S.
" The humble Address of the President, Council, and Fellows of the Royal Society of London for improving Natural Knowledge.
" May it please Your Royal Highness, " We, the President, Council, and Fellows of the Royal Society of London for improving Natural Knowledge, beg leave to approach Your Royal Highness with our most sincere congratulations on the safety of Your Royal Highness's Consort, our beloved Sovereign, and on the birth of His Royal Highness the Duke of Cornwall. It is our most earnest wish that Your Royal Highness may enjoy every domestic blessing, and may witness the maturity of Your Son in every manly virtue."
The Secretary then read the following
Report of the Council to the Society.
The Council have the satisfaction of being able to report to the Society, that the system of Magnetical and Meteorological Obser- vations proposed by the Royal Society, and carried on at various stations on the globe, at the fixed observatories established by the governments of this and of other countries, is at present in full and active operation ; and that an immense mass of documents, relating to terrestrial magnetism and meteorology, is in progress of col- lection, from which it may reasonably be expected that, after they shall have been properly arranged and digested, the most valuable results, advantageous both to physical science and to practical navi- gation, will be derived. It may also be noticed, in connexion with this subject, that the series of instructions to the officers of the ex- pedition lately sent out to Africa, for conducting magnetic observa- tions, prepared by Lieut.-Colonel Sabine, has been adopted by the Council, and communicated to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.
The Council have received with gratitude the intimation, com-
