♦^ proceedings of the Society of Arts. 



The following communications were laid before the Societ)' : — 



1. Supplementary Description and Drawing of certain Additions 

 to the Turning- Lathe for facilitating slow turning. By Mr James 

 Whitelaw, 18 Russell Street) Glasgow. 



2. Letter from J. Stewart Hepburn, Esq. of Colquhalzie, as to 

 simpler modes of working the Valves in his Air Extractor for Sy- 

 phons, than that formerly proposed by him. 



3. A Model of a New Escapement, by Mr Duncan Macgregor, 

 Comrie, was delayed till a full description be sent. 



4. Supplement to his Communications of 12th November 1833, 

 on an Instrument for Cutting Coats, with a Drawing, by Mr Wil- 

 liam Smith, Cupar-Fife. 



In reference to this subject, Mr Macdonald, West Register 

 Street, laid before the meeting the result of a great number of 

 measurements taken by means of his Andrometer, which clearly in- 

 dicated the necessity for measurements more numerous than those 

 proposed by Mr Smith. 



5. A Report to the Lighthouse Commissioners, by Mr Alan Ste- 

 venson, presented by him to the Society, was then read. 



In this paper Mr Stevenson contrasted the advantages and dis- 

 advantages of the new mode of lighting adopted at Inchkeith. 

 Taking the increased brilliancy and the additional expense into ac- 

 count, he found the balance in favour of the new method. The 

 Society seemed highly pleased with the paper, and some of the 

 members took notice of the great merit which Mr Stevenson had 

 in overcoming his previous opinion on the subject of dioptric lights. 

 John Robison, Esq. incidentally noticed the progress which is being 

 made in the manufacture of the large lenses for the May Light. 

 It did not appear in the report, whether Mr Stevenson had taken 

 into account the additional number of rays of light. The old ap- 

 paratus gave light in four directions at once — the new gives light 

 in seven, and thus a greater number of vessels have the use of it at 

 once ; if this has not been allowed for, the advantage of the new 

 light will have to be augmented in the ratio of 7 ; 4. 



The following candidates were admitted ordinary members :— 



1. Thomas Stewart Traill, Esq. Esq. M. D. F. R. S. E., Professor of 

 Medical Jurisprudence in the Unirersity of Edinburgh, 10 Albjn 

 "Place; 2. George Lees, Esq. A.M., Lecturer on Natural Philo- 

 sophy, 8 Regent Terrace ; 3. Mr James Slight, Engineer, Pan- 

 mure Place, residing in Eeid's Court, Canongate ; The Rev. J. P. 

 Nichol, 17 Archibald Place ; Mr Peter AVilson Roy, Music Seller, 

 7 Clermont Street "NVcst. 



