PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. V 
1890, when Venus began her season as evening star with the superior 
conjunction of February 13th, and ended with the inferior conjunction 
of December 4th (a period of 290 days), Mr. Cameron saw her with 
the naked eye as early as March 16th, and Mr. Bruguiere as late as 
November 29th, so that she was visible to the naked eye that season on 
259 days out of the total 290. In his second paper (Trans. Inst., ser. 
2, vol. 1, pp, 345-358), our author dealt with the visibility of the planet 
in daylight to the naked eye and with aid of the opera-glass, and effec- 
tually dispelled the common notion that Venus could be seen with the 
naked eye in daylight on very rare occasions only. From the long course 
of patient, I might say persistent, observations made, Mr. Cameron was 
enabled to determine that on the average, out of every 100 days there 
are 84 on which any star-gazer with a fairly good eye can see Venus in 
daylight, if the weather permits and if he knows where to look for her. 
The paper of the past session brings the bright planet before us in 
another role, its object being to detail observations of her performance 
of the two characters of evening and morning star “at the same time,” 
and to explain the conditions which bring about this phenomenon. The 
paper will be found in extenso in the forthcoming part of the Transactions 
now passing through the press. One feature of these papers ought not 
to be omitted ; they consist not of mere observations and_ results 
(although it will be seen that these are of great interest), but give 
details explaining clearly the facts necessary to be known by those who, 
without having the advantage of previous training in systematic obser- 
vation, may wish to observe for themselves the phenomena so well 
described ; these papers will thus serve as a guide to young observers, 
and may help to correct the fault which their author finds with the 
general public, who, nowadays, he thinks, are not much given to looking 
heavenward either by night or by day. We wait with expectancy for 
the next secret which Mr. Cameron is going to wrest from the fair star 
of his affection. 
At the same meeting, Mr. F. J. A. McKittrick, B. Se., communi- 
cated a paper on the measurement of the resistance of electrolytes ; it 
consisted chiefly of a report of research work done in the Physical 
Laboratory of Dalhousie College under Prof. MacGregor, and may be 
regarded as an earnest of still more important work that is expected 
from Mr. McKittrick in the future, for he was this year nominated by 
the University Senate, and accepted by Her Majesty’s Commissioners of 
