LENDING LIBRARY.

As the Royal Statutes by which the General Library is regulated forbid the removal of any book from its precincts, except for binding or other special cause, the Provost and Senior Fellows, many years since, established a Lending Library, consisting of books on the general subjects of collegiate study, which it was desirable that Students should be able to read in their own chambers, but which might prove too costly for ordinary purchase. The Lending Library receives constant augmentations of books, either from special donations, or from the proceeds of a grant made from time to time, out of the College funds.

The Lending Library contains an extensive collection of mathematical, classical, and theological books, as well as works connected with civil engineering. Medical Students are privileged to borrow books from the Medical Library of the College of Physicians.

The Lending Library is usually open for the lending and receipt of books, on three days in each week from 1.30 to 2.30 o'clock, P.M., during Term. A large room in the Museum Building is fitted up to receive the books of the Lending Library. Students can be furnished with Catalogues on application to the Clerk in charge of the Library.

THE LECKY LIBRARY.

IN 1912, shortly before her death, Mrs. Lecky presented to Trinity College the Library of her husband, William Edward Hartpole Lecky, a collection of about 6000 volumes.

The Library is placed in the Council Room, and books may be borrowed from it by Fellows, Professors, Lecturers, Assistants to Professors, and by Students specially recommended by the Professor or Lecturer whose class they are attending.

Application is to be made to the Clerk of the Lending Library.

Astronomical Observatory of Trinity College.

THE Observatory is at Dunsink, five miles from the College. It is the official residence of the Royal Astronomer for Ireland. The principal instruments are a Meridian Circle by Pistor and Martins; a Chronograph by Grubb; a 12-inch refractor by Canchoix, presented by Sir James South, and a 15-inch silvered glass reflector by With, presented by Isaac Roberts, Esq., both of which are mounted equatorially. The Observatory is open on the first Saturday of each month from 7 to 9 P.M. during the winter half of the year, from October to March inclusive, and from 8 to 11 P.M. during the other months. Special arrangements are made in Hilary Term to enable Students to see the instruments, and have their use explained, and in Michaelmas Term Weekly Demonstrations are held to which Students are invited.

Time-Service. The clock in the Museum Building and two clocks in the office of the Dublin Port and Docks Board are under the direct electrical control of the Mean-time Clock at the Observatory, and by a relay the control is extended to other clocks in Dublin. For the convenience of mariners a time-ball is dropped on week-days on the roof of the Port and Docks Office at one o'clock Greenwich mean time, by electrical arrangement.

Publications." Astronomical Observations and Researches made at Dunsink, the Observatory of Trinity College, Dublin" (printed by order of the Board of Trinity College):

PART.

I. Results of Observations made with the South Refractor. 1870. 11. Further Researches on the Parallax of Stars, 1873. III. Results of Observations made with the South Refractor. IV. Mean Places of 321 Red Stars. 1882.

1879.

V. Observations in search of Stars with an Annual l'arallax. 1884. VI. Mean Places of 1012 Southern Stars. 1887.

VII. Mean Places of 717 Stars with large Proper Motions. 1896. VIII. Mean Places of 1101 Stars with large Proper Motions. 1899. IX. Mean Places of 321 Stars of reference for Clusters and of

Zodiacal Stars. 1900.

Normal Climatological Station.

IN January, 1904, the Provost and Senior Fellows established a Normal Climatological Station within the precints of Trinity College. The station occupies an open space in the Fellows' Garden, and is fully equipped.

A "Normal Climatological Station"—or "Second Order Station" of the International Classification-is one at which readings are taken each day at 9 A.M. and at 9 P.м., local time, and which is provided with the following instruments properly verified and exposed :-barometer, dry-bulb, wet-bulb, maximum and minimum thermometers, and rain-gauge. In addition to these instruments, the equipment of the Trinity College Meteorological Observatory includes a Campbell-Stokes sunshine-recorder and two-earth thermometers, of which the bulbs are placed underground at a depth of one foot and of four feet respectively.

The Meteorological Observatory is under the superintendence of Erasmus Smith's Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy, W. E. Thrift, M.A., F.T.C.D. Practical demonstrations of the use of the instruments are given by the Professor or his Assistants to Students of the School of Physic in Ireland, Engineering, and other Students from time to time during Term.

The observations are taken by an Undergraduate or Graduate in Arts, appointed each year by the Provost and Senior Fellows, on the nomination of Erasmus Smith's Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy.

Buildings of Trinity College.*

Or the buildings of the original College of Queen Elizabeth no portion now remains.

A grant was made by the Corporation of Dublin, July 20, 1592, in which the bounds of Trinity College are recited as follows (Thomas Smith, Mayor, George Kennedy and John Myles, Sheriffs):

"Sicut se extendunt in longitudinem a campo vocato Anglice Hoggin Greene ex parte occidentali usque ad terram nuper Monasterii Beatæ Mariæ Virginis juxta Dublin nunc in tennure Johannis Dongan generosi ; ex parte orientali et sicut jacet in latitudine a venella quæ ducit ad fontem St. Patricii ex parte australi usque ad terram prædictam nuper Monasterii Beatæ Mariæ Virginis et flumen Anliffey ex boreali parte."

In 1695-6 there were 144 hearths in Trinity College.

LIBRARY.

The foundation of the Library was laid May 12, 1712, the Provost and Fellows having obtained a grant of £5000 from Queen Anne, on the address of the Irish House of Commons, for the purpose of building a Library. The building itself was finished in 1724, but some years elapsed before it was prepared for the reception of books. The total cost was about £17,000, of which £15,000 in all was provided by the Parliament. The architect was Thomas Burgh.

The Long Room is 209 feet in length and 40 feet in breadth. 8 feet 4 inches being occupied on either side by the Stalls.

In 1743 Dr. Gilbert bequeathed a sum of £500 to purchase busts for the Long Room. Among the busts first placed in the Library, which were executed by Roubillac, is one of Dean Swift, which was presented to the College, in 1745, by the Senior Sophister Class. The busts of Lord Plunket and M' Cullagh are by Christopher Moore; that of Sir William Hamilton by the late J. H. Foley; that of Provost Humphrey Lloyd is by A. Bruce Joy.

In 1890 it was decided to enlarge the Library by enclosing the colonnades.

PRINTING HOUSE.

The Printing House was built between 1726 and 1734, by Dr. Stearne, Bishop of Clogher and Vice-Chancellor of the University.

For most of the statements contained under this head. the Editor is indebted to the kindness of the late Dr. Stubbs.

DINING HALL.

It

The Dining Hall was erected between 1740 and 1745. contains a number of portraits, chiefly of Chancellors of the University.

The portrait of Frederick Prince of Wales, over the entrance, was painted by Hudson, master of Sir Joshua Reynolds, and was presented to Trinity College by George III. Its frame was carved by G. Gibbons, and was originally in Windsor Castle.

FRONT OF TRINITY COLLEGE.

The West Front of Trinity College was erected in 1759, the architect being Sir William Chambers, who constructed Somerset House in London. The College received £40,000 from George II. upon the address of the Irish House of Commons, for the purpose of building this Front and the adjoining Parliament Square.

The statues of Goldsmith and of Burke, standing in front of the College, executed by J. H. Foley, were erected by public subscription in 1864 and 1868.

PROVOST'S HOUSE.

The Provost's House was erected in 1760, at a cost of £13,000, by Provost Andrews. It is a fac-simile of a house designed by the Earl of Burlington, and erected for General Wade, in Piccadilly, London.

The Provost's House contains original portraits of Queen Elizabeth and Archbishop Ussher, painted by Zuccheri, and a fine portrait of the Duke of Bedford, by Gainsborough.

PUBLIC THEATRE.

The Public Theatre, usually called the Examination Hall, was opened in 1787. It contains a Monument to Provost Baldwin (who died in 1758), and a number of portraits. Those of Queen Elizabeth and Archbishop Ussher are copies of the original portraits in the Provost's House. That of Bishop Berkeley is copied from a picture in Lambeth Palace. The portrait of Edmund Burke was painted by Hopner.

In the gallery is the case belonging to the organ of the old chapel. This organ was built in Holland for a church in Spain, but was taken from the Spaniards in Vigo Bay, 1702, and repaired and enlarged in 1705. It was presented to the College by the Second Duke of Ormonde.

CHAPEL OF TRINITY COLLEGE.

The present Chapel is the third which has existed in Trinity College. It was opened in 1798, and cost £22,000. It contains three painted glass windows:

One, representing the Recapitulation of the Law by Moses and