(Much of the Astronomer Royal's evidence on
this occasion had reference to the opinions which he had expressed
concerning the wind-pressure which might be expected on the projected
Forth Bridge, in 1873.)--In May Airy was consulted by the
Postmaster-General in the matter of a dispute which had arisen between
the Post Office and the Telephone Companies, which latter were alleged
to have infringed the monopoly of the Post Office in commercial
telegraphs: Airy made a declaration on the subject.--In July Mr
Bakhuyzen came to England to determine the longitude of Leyden, on
which he was engaged till Sept. 9th, and carried on his observations
at the Observatory.--In July Airy was much engaged in perusing the
records of Mr Gill's work at the Cape of Good Hope.

Of private history: On Jan. 24th he returned from Playford.--From June
14th to July 4th he was again at Playford.--From September 21st to
October 20th he was staying at Portinscale near Keswick.--On Dec. 23rd
he went again to Playford for his winter holiday.

Respecting the agitation at Cambridge for granting University degrees
to women, the following extract from a letter addressed to a young
lady who had forwarded a Memorial on the subject for his
consideration, and dated Nov. 10th, 1880, contains Airy's views on
this matter.

"I have not signed the Memorial which you sent for my consideration:
and I will endeavour to tell you why. I entirely approve of education
of young women to a higher pitch than they do commonly reach. I think
that they can successfully advance so far as to be able clearly to
understand--with gratification to themselves and with advantage to
those whose education they will superintend--much of the results of
the highest class of science which have been obtained by men whose
lives are in great measure devoted to it. But I do not think that
their nature or their employments will permit of their mastering the
_severe_ steps of beginning (and indeed all through) and the
_complicated_ steps at the end. And I think it well that this their
success should be well known--as it is sure to be--among their
relatives, their friends, their visitors, and all in whom they are
likely to take interest. Their connection with such a place as Girton
College is I think sufficient to lead to this. But I desire above all
that all this be done in entire subservience to what I regard as
_infinitely_ more valuable than any amount of knowledge, namely the
delicacy of wo