I. ROYAL SOCIETY or distinguish ed institution had its origin in 1645; but it was not till 1662 that it was established by royal charter. The Society held its first meeting at Gresham college in 1667. The following are the volumes of the Philo sophical Transactions which it has published:— This valuable work, clown to 1809, has been abridg ed by Drs. Hutton, Pearson, and Shaw, and published in 18 thick 4to volumes, with another volume con taining a learned and interesting history of the So ciety by Dr. Thomas Thomson, in which the reader will lind the most ample information respecting this institution.
The Royal Society of London adjudges three prizes, viz. the Copley medal, the Rumford medals, and the Royal medals.
1. The Copley Gold Medal, presented by Sir God frey Copley, Bart. who was a member of the Society from 1691 till his death in 1710. This medal used to be adjudged annually for the most important paper published in the transactions; but it has lately been adjudged to foreigners for discoveries not communi cated to the Royal Society. The value of the medal is not above £5, 5s. It has been adjudged to many of the most distinguished ornaments of English sci ence.
2. The Rumford gold and silver medals. These medals were presented by Benjamin Thomson, Count in 1796, who presented L.1000 of 3 per cent. stock, the interest of which, or L.60, was to
form a biennial prize " or the most important dis covery or useful improvement in any way made known to the public during the two preceding years, on heat or on light." 'file form of the prize is a large gold and also a silver medal struck in the same die. As the medal h'as not been adjudged during eight of the biennial periods, the principal of L.1000 has been considerably increased, and as the interest of the ad ditional sum is given along with the two medals, the prize is a very valuable one.
The following is a list of the philosophers w ho have received the Rumford medals:— 3. The Royal Medals. At the anniversary dinner of the Royal Society, on the 30th Nov. 1825, Mr. Peel announced his Majesty's intention of granting the sum of one hundred guineas annually, to establish two scientific prizes, to be awarded every year for the most important discovery or invention.
These medals were adjudged in 1826 to Mr. John Dalton, and James Ivory, Esq., and in 1827 to Sir Humphry Davy.
The Royal Society of London have a valuable libra ry. The admission fee, and the composition for the annual contribution of L.5, 5s. amounts to about L.50. The members receive the Transactions gratis. and au thors of papers are allowed separate copies of them, but at their own expense.