Clifton College Scientific Society. 45 



After quoting the words of Sir Humphrey Davy on the import- 

 ance of the study of the occasional and abnormal ingredients, he 

 concluded an able and interesting paper by saying, — 



' The consideration of the facts I have laid before you this 

 evening leads us to regard the atmosphere as a huge recipient 

 into which there is a constant flow of volatilized and gaseous 

 bodies, now combined, now separated, now lashed into a mighty 

 tempest, now suffered to lapse into a gentle, languid breeze, or 

 perfect calm ; by these transformations each body is jiurified, 

 renewed, and renovated, and by such modification again fitted to 

 play its part in the great and wondrous processes continually taking 

 place on our every side. In this mighty chaos, then, in this vast 

 laboratory of our universe, there exists an indeterminate mix- 

 ture of mineral vapours, of vegetable and animal products, of 

 seeds and germs, in fact, a portion of everything, as Lucretius 

 says {De Rer. Nat), 



' " Quodcumque fluit de rebus, id omue 

 Aeris in magnum feretur mare." 



Numberless chemical pi'ocesses are carried on in the air, and 

 each constituent of it having played its part and run its course, and 

 having been thereby unfitted for further use, is, by the continual 

 passage of tlie luminous, the calorific, the actinic, and electric 

 fluids, regenerated, and again emerges as before, ready to take 

 I)art in the economy of Nature. Surely this must vividly impress 

 us with the majesty and power of the Author of all, and the truth 

 of the saying, " The firmament showeth His handiwork." ' 



On Mr Ogle's paper Messrs Barrington-Ward and Greene 

 made some observations. 



A long discussion respecting the conversazione concluded the 

 business of the meeting. 



CONVERSAZIONE, June 17. 



The Society held its first ' Conversazione ' this evening, on the 

 occasion of the opening of the new Museum and Botanic Garden. 

 The success of the meeting having been far beyond exf)ecta- 

 tion, it has been considered desirable to give a full account of the 

 evening's proceedings in our Transactions, and many who were 

 present will no doubt be glad to have a more permanent record 

 than that afforded in the columns of the newspapers. We are 

 much indebted to the local press /or the excellent reports with 



