vi Proceedings. [Novcmbct'jrd, igo8. 



Ordinary Meeting, November 3rd, 1908. 



Professor H. B. Dixon, M.A , F.R.S., Tresident, 

 in the Chair. 



The thanks of the members were voted to the donors of the 

 boolcs upon the tables. 



Professor E. Rutherford, F.R.S., read a paper entitled, 

 "The Nature of the a Particle," written in conjunction 

 with Mr. T, RovDS, J\I,Sc. The paper is printed in the 

 Memoirs. 



Mr. T. RoYDS, M.Sc, read a paper written by Professor 

 E. Rutherford, F.R.S., and himself, entitled "The Action 

 of the Radium Emanation on Water." The paper was 

 communicated by Professor Rutherford, and the following 

 is an abstract. 



Experiments were made to repeat the experiments of 

 Mr. Cameron and Sir William Ramsay, showing that neon is 

 formed by the action of the radium emanation on water. 

 Preliminary experiments showed that the neon present in J^ cc. 

 of atmospheric air could be detected spectroscopically while 

 •I cc. of air gave a bright neon spectrum. 



The general methods adopted were similar to those employed 

 by Cameron and Ramsay. Pure emanation was condensed in 

 a small glass flask containing water which had been initially 

 completely freed from gases. After several days the mixed 

 gases formed by the action of the emanation on the water were 

 pumped out and examined for neon by the charcoal method. A 

 number of experiments were made but, provided care was taken 

 to prevent a leakage of air into the ap[)aratus, no trace of neon 

 was detected although the spectrum of helium was always 

 clearly seen. 



A number of experiments were also made to see if neon 

 were present in the gases formed by the radium solution con- 

 taining over 200 mgs. of radium, but none was observed, 

 although a (juantity of less than loVo c.cm. could have Ix.'cn 



