Proceedings of the British Association. 389 



Bart. This Section, considering it to be the first and most essen- 

 tial rule of its conduct to confine its attention rigorously to facts, 

 and, as far as it may be found possible, to facts which can be stated 

 numerically, and arranged in tables, did not feel justified in enter- 

 ing upon the consideration of the contents of this paper. 



EVENING — OEORGE S STREET ASSEMBLY ROOMS. 



In the evening, at 8 o'clock, the general meeting of all the 

 Sections, with a brilliant display of the fair sex, took place in 

 the Assembly Rooms. 



Sir Thomas Brisbane having taken the Chair, said, that, be- 

 fore commencing the regular business of the evening, Mr Tay- 

 lor, the treasurer, would report on the progressive increase of 

 the Association, from the commencement to the present period. 



The Treasurer then stated, that the number of tickets issued 

 to new members on the present occasion, amounted to upwards 

 of 800, and that probably 150 would be added to-morrow. 

 The Association, at the commencement at York, numbered 

 350 members ; at Oxford they increased to 700 ; and at Cam- 

 bridge, last year, to about 1400.* 



Sir Thomas Brisbane then requested the Association to at- 

 tend to the reports of the Presidents of the different sections as 

 to the proceedings of the day. 



Professor Whewell read the report of the Physical Section ; 

 Dr Dalton, in absence of Dr Hope, the report of the Chemical 

 and Mineralogical Section ; Professor Jameson the report of the 

 Geological and Geographical Section ; Dr Graham the report 

 of the Natural History and Botanical Section ; Dr Abercrom- 

 bie the report of the Medical Section ; and Sir Charles Lemon 

 reported the proceedings of the Statistical Section. 



After the Presidents of the Sections had thus reported pro- 

 ceedings, Dr Robinson read a letter from Mr Rumker of Ham- 

 burgh, which was accompanied by an ephemeris of the track of 

 the comet of 1682 and 1759, whose return is expected at the end 

 of this year. The Vice-President of the Association, Professor 

 Robinson of Armagh, then gave an interesting account of our 



• We have been informed, that on the last day the number enrolled in 

 Edinburgh is 1298. 



