296 Proceedings of the British Association for 1850. 



be, the very indeterminate character of the problem is a warn- 

 ing to the rulers of nations to prepare for the contingency by 

 a system of national instruction, which shall either reconcile 

 or disregard those hostile influences under which the people 

 are now perishing for lack of knowledge." 



Thursday, 1st August. 

 Morning — in the University. 



The different sections having been organized, business 

 commenced in each of them at 11 a.m. The following abstract 

 will convey to our readers a short, but pretty correct general 

 account of their proceedings. 



Section A. — Mathematical and Physical Science. 



President, — Professor James D. Foebes, Sec. R.S.E. 



Vice-Presidents. — Sir T. M. Brisbane, Bart. ; Bishop Tekrot ; Professor W. 

 Thomson ; Lord Wrottesley. 



Secretaries. — Professor Stevelly ; Professor G. G. Stokes; Mr W. J. 

 Macquorn Rankine ; Professor Smyth. 



Committee. — Mr J. C. Adams ; Sir David Brewster ; Mr J. A. Broun ; Profes- 

 sor Gray ; Mr J. P. Gassiot ; Rev. Dr Hincks ; Rev. Professor Kelland ; 

 Dr Lee; M. Otto Struve; FoUet Osier; Professor Phillips; Rev. Dr 

 Scoresby ; Professor Wilson ; .J. Scott Russell; the Rev. J. B. Reade ; Mr 

 F. Ronalds ; Col. Sykes ; Lieut. R. Strachey, R.E. 



At this meeting, Mr Ronalds' Report on the Kew Obser- 

 vatory was read ; also a Report by the Rev. B. Powell, on 

 Luminous Meteors ; Mr W. J. M. Rankine communicated a 

 paper on the Laws of the Elasticity of Solids. 



The Rev. Dr Scoresby communicated an interesting me- 

 moir " On Atlantic Waves, their Magnitude, Velocity, and 

 Phenomena," nearly in the following terms : — " During two 

 passages across the Atlantic in 1847-8, I had opportu- 

 nities for investigating certain elements respecting deep- 

 sea waves more favourable than had ever before occurred 

 within my experience in navigation. These observations, 

 it should be noted in the outset, and the results deduced 



