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est and least technical that has been made. 

 He reviewed the work done by Lockyer and 

 others in spectrum analysis, and, without 

 committing himself to the conclusions drawn 

 from them by the several workers, point- 

 ed out that the advance in our knowledge 

 of molecular action is in the direction of 

 effacing the distinction between chemistry 

 and physics. It seemed to him even that 

 all the sciences were becoming more and 

 more branches of physics that they " are 

 yielding results of vast importance when the 

 methods and established principles of phys- 

 ics are applied to them." Professor Adams 

 closed his address with a consideration of the 

 influence of the sun in producing magnetic 

 diurnal variations. A number of reports 

 were submitted in this section, the most im- 

 portant of which was that on the present 

 state of spectrum analysis. It gave an ac- 

 count of recent progress both in the meth- 

 ods and results, together with an extended 

 list of everything that had been published 

 on the subject in the past few years. Pa- 

 pers were contributed by Mr. Preece, on the 

 proper form of lightning-conductors, and 

 by Mr. Richard Anderson, on the necessity 

 of inspection of them. Dr. Tempest Ander- 

 son described an improved heliograph and 

 an apparatus for estimating astigmatism. 

 A powerful magnet for magneto-machines 

 was described by Mr. Ladd, and a new form 

 of electro-motor by Mr. Weisendanger. In 

 the Chemical Section Dr. J. H. Gilbert gave 

 an able summary of the state of agricultural 

 chemistry, with an account of his own re- 

 searches during a number of years, and criti- 

 cism of various methods of applying chemis- 

 try to agriculture that have found advocates. 

 The report upon the best means of obtain- 

 ing light from coal-gas was the one in this 

 section of the greatest interest to the pub- 

 lic. It concludes that improved light must 

 be sought in the use of more perfect burners, 

 and that the best, fitted with governers, now 

 made by Sugg, Peebles, and others, answer 

 all practical purposes. In the Biological sec- 

 tion, the principal feature was the address of 

 the Vice-President, F. W. Balfour, before 

 the Department of Anatomy and Physiology. 

 He sketched briefly the progress recently 

 made in embryology by applying the laws 

 of variation and heredity. He contends 

 that the evidence now in favor of the devel- 



opment theory is overwhelming, and there 

 are very few naturalists who do not ac- 

 cept it in its main features. Dr. Sorby's 

 address before the Geological Section was an 

 important discussion of the structure of vol- 

 canic rocks and artificial slags, showing that 

 a study of the process of formation of the 

 latter throws much light upon that of the 

 former. Professor Prestwich here took ex- 

 ception to the conclusions of Professor Ram- 

 say's address regarding unvarying uniform- 

 ity, contending that the superficial deposit 

 termed " trail," " warp," and " head," in the 

 southwest of Europe showed that this part 

 had been submerged in recent geological 

 times. Other papers of interest and value 

 were those by G. M. Dawson on the " Geology 

 of British Columbia," by Dr. Phene ; on the 

 geology of the Balearic Islands ; and by Mr. 

 W. T. Blanford on the age and relations of 

 the Pikermi and Sewalik faunas in India. 

 Sir J. H. Lef roy, in the Geographical Section, 

 devoted his address to the advances made 

 in geographical research in North America, 

 showing that the great increase of our knowl- 

 edge of this region is due to railways and 

 the various State surveys. Among the in- 

 teresting facts mentioned are the rise in 

 the level of some American lakes, and the 

 depths to which the ground is permanently 

 frozen in the northern part of British North 

 America. Though, before 1866, the surface 

 of Salt Lake had been falling, since that 

 time it has risen eleven feet. Pyramid Lake 

 has risen nine feet, and Lnke Winnemucca 

 twenty-two feet. No theory of the cause 

 was advanced. The ground at Fort Norman, 

 on the Mackenzie River, is frozen to a depth 

 of forty-five feet, and at York Factory, on 

 Hudson Bay, but twenty-three feet, while 

 at Yakutsk, Siberia, it is frozen to a depth 

 of three hundred and eighty feet ! Quite a 

 number of papers were read in this section, 

 showing a large and rapid increase of geo- 

 graphical knowledge. The most important 

 of the public lectures was that by Mr. Fran- 

 cis Galton, on " Mental Imagery," which 

 is published in the present number of the 

 " Monthly." Professor Boyd Dawkins deliv- 

 ered an address on " Primeval Man," which 

 was mainly a summary of the matter of his 

 recent work. An account of " Professor Nor- 

 densjold's Expedition" was given by Mr. F. 

 Seebohm to an audience of workingraen. 



