O. MISCELLANEOUS. 599 



per roller, over which passes an endless band of flannel. The 

 roller is heated by means of gas-lights within it, which, being 

 constantly burning, cause every part of the flannel to become 

 hot. The vapor which arises from the heated flannel is car- 

 ried off by the current of air which supplies the burners in- 

 side the roller. The flannel, when thus dried and cooled, 

 passes into the open air of the room, where it again absorbs 

 moisture, and thus the air of the room becomes so dry that 

 the electrical instruments are preserved in a highly insulat- 

 ing condition. The electricity passes from the electrical ma- 

 chine to the tabic in the lecture-room by insulated wires 

 connected with the prime conductor of the machine. The 

 highest room in the building occupies the upper portion of 

 the tower, its floor being more than fifty feet above the 

 ground. In this room will be placed a Bunsen's water-pump, 

 the water from which will thus have a vertical fall of con- 

 siderably more than fifty feet. This pump will be used to 

 exhaust a large receiver, from which pipes will communicate 

 with the different rooms ; so that, if it be desired to exhaust 

 the air from any vessel, it will only be necessary to connect 

 it with one of these pipes, and turn on a vacuum. For a 

 more perfect exhaustion the Spengel or other air-pump can 

 be employed. On the top of the tower will be fixed a wood- 

 en mast, carrying a pointed metal rod, for the purpose of col- 

 lecting atmospheric electricity. Among the apparatus kept 

 in the laboratory may be mentioned the original British As- 

 sociation units of electrical resistance. 12.4, X., 140. 



TEMPORARY MUSEUM AT THE LATE MEETING OF THE 



BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 



A specially interesting feature of the late meeting of the 

 British Association at Belfast consisted in the establishment 

 of a temporary museum for the exhibition of specimens and 

 apparatus brought before the association at its various ses- 

 sions. In these were to be found several microscopes for the 

 display of histological preparations and other objects. These 

 articles were all suitably arranged in the anatomical museum 

 of Queen's College, the whole being under the direction of 

 Mr. E. Kay Lankester. A similar plan might be adopted, 

 with great advantage, by the American Association at its fut- 



ure meetings. 



