376 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [dEC. 6, 



The following new members were then proposed by Mr. Walter 

 H. Mead : 



Frederick W. Devoe, 101 Fulton street ; Charles S. Shultz, 

 Hoboken, New Jersey ; Michel M. LeBrun,8 Mountain Avenue, 

 Montclair, New Jersey ; T. L. H. Ward, 67 Wall street. 



The Section of Astronomy and Physics then organized. Presi- 

 dent Stevenson remaining in the Chair. 



The first paper of the evening was W. Hallock, under the title 

 " Calculated Curves for the Position of a Vibrating String," He 

 showed, by means of diagrams, the mode of representing and 

 calculating the positions of the string when executing its funda- 

 mental and its overtones at the same time. The construction of 

 the diagram is a matter requiring a great deal of time and pa- 

 tience; and the amount of preliminary calculation involved for 

 even one overtone is very large. 



H. S. Davis being absent, Professor Hallock read the paper 

 he had intended to present upon '' The Confirmation of Young's 

 Reversion Layer in the Sun," in which the theorj- of the Fraun- 

 hofer lines was briefly explained and a description given of 

 Shackleton's success in photographing these lines reversed dur- 

 ing the solar eclipse of 1896. Shackleton's observations were 

 made at Nova Zembla. A lantern slide from Shackleton's nega- 

 tive was exhibited. 



The last paper of the evening was by Romeyn Hitchcock, on 

 " A New Process for the Commercial Production of Pure Ox}-- 

 gen Gas," The author described briefl}^ the principal processes 

 in use up to the present time for obtaining oxygen in large 

 quantities, and then in detail explained the process invented by 

 Professor E. B. Stewart, of Chicago. The paper was largely 

 technical and, at its conclusion, President Stevenson made a few 

 remarks upon the nature of the paper. 



The meeting adjourned at 9:20 p. m. 



J. F. Kemp, R. Gordon, 



Secretary. Secretary of Section. 



