338 General Monthly Meeting [April 4, 



describing the sensitive conditions of Stratification, and the Gas movements 

 under such conditions, the results of which are embodied in the following 

 Papers published by the Royal Society : — 



Sensitive State of Electrical Discharges through Rarefied Gases, 1879-1880 

 (Phil. Trans., Vol. 170). 



Sensitive State of Vacuum Discharges, 1880-81 (Phil. Trans., Vol. 171). 



Stratified Discharges, 1881 (Roy. Soc. Proc, Vol. 32). 



Movement of Gas in " Vacuum Discharges," 1882 (Rcy. Soc. Proc, 

 Vol. 33). 



This entrancing subject of enquiry was about this time attracting the 

 attention of other distinguished scientific Members of the Royal Institution, 

 notably Gassiott, de la Rue and Crookes, and their investigations may be said 

 to lead up to the epoch-marking experiments of Sir J. J. Thomson. 



After the year 1882, Lord Moulton abandoned original experimental 

 enquiry, and devoted his exceptional talents to the solution of forensic prob- 

 lems. Identifying himself with the Chancery Department connected with 

 Patent Litigation, his wide scientific knowledge soon became an endowment 

 of utility in his position at the Bar ; he rose rapidly, taking Silk in 1885. 

 Returned for Parliament in 1885 and in subsequent elections, he was for ten 

 years a Member of the House of Commons. In 1906 he was appointed a 

 Judge of the Court of Appeal, and six years later was created a Lord of Appeal 

 in Ordinary. 



Lord Moulton accepted the post of Director-General of Explosive Supplies 

 in the Ministry of Munitions when the war broke out, and in this office his 

 powers of organisation and knowledge of chemical and physical and engineering 

 problems were of the utmost value to the nation. The production of synthetic 

 colouring matters derived from Coal Tar products were essentially related to 

 the work of this department, and in this direction Lord Moulton used his best 

 efforts to establish a British Dyestuff Industry on a sound and secure basis. 



On behalf of the Members the Managers desire to express to the Moulton 

 family their deepest sympathy with them in their bereavement. 



Sir J. J. Thomson having resigned the Chair of Physics, the 

 Managers unanimously resolved to recommend to the Members that 

 Sir J. J. Thomson be nominated as Honorary Professor of Natural 

 Philosophy, for election at the next General Meeting on May 9. 



The Managers unanimously resolved to recommend to the Members 

 that Sir Ernest Rutherford, D.Sc. LL.D. F.R.S., be nominated as 

 Professor of Natural Philosophy, for election at the General Meeting 

 on May 9, at the same salary as his predecessors. 



The Presents received since the last Meeting were laid on the 

 table, and the thanks of the Members returned for the same, viz. : — 



FROM 



The Secretary of State for India — Department of Agriculture, Memoirs : 



Chemical Series, Vol. V. Nos. 7-8, 10. 8vo. 1920. 

 Agricultural Journal, Vol. XVI. Part 1. 8vo. 1921. 

 Agricultural Operations in India, 1919-20. 8vo. 

 Linguistic Survey of India, Vol. IX. Part 1. 4to. 1916. 

 Index of Language Names. By G. A. Grierson. 4to. 1920. 

 Survey of India : Professional Paper, No. 19, Aeroplane Photo Surveying. 



By C. G. Lewis. 8vo. 1920. 



