170 



Mr. Leigh suggested that the evolution of nitrogen in 

 volcanic eruptions might be due to a reaction similar to that 

 described in Dr. Pauli's Paper. 



Mr. Spence and Dr. Calvert explained the processes 

 employed in manufacturing caustic soda for commercial 

 purposes. Mr. Spence also described the beds of nitrate of 

 soda in Southern Peru and Northern Chili, from which 

 nearly all the commercial nitrate of soda is obtained. 



Mr. Baxendell believed that the preservation of the 

 nitrate of soda in these beds had been due to the dryness of 

 the climate, as rain rarely falls in the region in vrhich they 

 are found. Had the climate been a rainy one, he believes 

 the deposits of nitrate of soda would long since have been 

 washed away. 



Mr. Baxendell communicated an observation of Saturn 

 which he had lately made. Owing to the relative positions 

 of the sun and earth, with respect to the plane of the ring 

 of Saturn, the ring ought now to be quite invisible in 

 telescopes of moderate power; but on the night of the 18th 

 instant he had seen very distinctly a portion of the ring on 

 the following or east side of the planet. The telescope 

 used was Mr. Worthington's achromatic of five inches 

 aperture. He also stated that from observations made by 

 himself and Mr. Williamson, in 1848, he had been led to 

 believe that the plane of the ring was not exactly parallel 

 to the dark belts on the body of the planet. As several 

 members of the Society now possess good telescopes, it is 

 to be hoped they will direct their attention to this interest- 

 ing point, and favour the Society with the results of their 

 observations. 



A Paper, ^^ On the Convective Equilibrium of Tempera- 

 ture in the Atmosphere," by Professor Wm. Thomson, LL.D., 

 P.K.S., &c., was read by Dr. Joule. 



