Library Notes and News. 179 LIVERPOOL. The proprietors of the Liverpool Library held their annual general meeting on May 17, at the library, Mr. R. Wilson Ker, president, in the chair. There was a very small attendance, those present including Colonel Goffey, Colonel Whitney, Councillor Burgess (vice-president), Dr. E. Brown, Messrs. R. Roberts, P. Macmuldrow, W. Goffey, T. C. Nicholas, W. A. Hill, B. Howorth, and John Hughes. The chairman moved the adoption of the report and statement of ac- counts, which have been published. Mr. B. Howorth (hon. treasurer), in seconding, remarked that, taking into consideration all the circum- stances, the proprietors of the library had every reason to be satisfied, for the expenditure had been very great. They were reaping corres- ponding advantages in the way of comfort and cleanliness. The chair- man said that three years of the new regime had terminated, so that the gentlemen elected on the committee three years ago now went out of office. During that period much good had been done. They were now unencumbered by debt, the electric light had been installed, a number of rare and valuable books had been rebound and put in cases for their preservation, and the whole place had been thoroughly re- paired and decorated. LONDON : BETHNAL GREEN FREE LIBRARY. Lord Brassey, who was accompanied by Lady Brassey and supported by the Hon. and Rev. A. G. Lawley, Mr. G. Howell, M.P., Mr. E. H. Pickers- gill, M.P., Mr. C. Harrison, L.C.C., Mr. F. A. Bevan, and others, pre- sided on the loth of May at the eighteenth annual meeting of the above institution, of which his lordship is one of the vice-presidents. The report stated that 45,693 readers had registered during the year, 30,390 had attended the lectures and evening classes, whilst the total number benefited was not far short of 80,000. The Library is supported entirely by voluntary contributions, and it is hoped that funds will be forthcoming to enable the committee to erect a larger and more convenient build- ing. Special reference was made to the successful course of Gilchrist Science Lectures which were delivered for the first time in that part of the metropolis in connection with the Library, and were attended by 27,000 persons. The financial statement showed an adverse balance of j5i 8s. yd. Lord Brassey, in the course of a short address, said he knew of no part of London where the need for an institution of that description was greater than there in the midst of that dense and strug- gling population. LONDON : SOUTH KENSINGTON SCIENCE LIBRARY. We extract the following from a recent issue of the Pall Mall Gazette : "The mere newspaper-man at a dinner party recently was drawn into a dis- cussion about the winds. Some one asserted that the wind no longer bloweth where it. listeth, but in the direction of the steepest barometric gradients, or some such nonsense, and this was flatly contradicted. Said the scientific talker : "You can see all about it in Ferrel's book. It is the book on the subject in English;" and the newspaper person being happily caught by a shower in the Brompton Road next day, determined to drop into the palatial Science Library of the Museum and read this Ferrel, and see what changes had recently been made in the order of nature. Entering, he accosted one of the dozen or so attendants who were watching a little man sleeping over an atlas, and asked for " Ferrel's Winds." Assistant had never heard of such a book. " Not heard of ' Ferrel's Winds' !" said the newspaper man, repeating
