11 



a magnet, gives rise to rapidly undulating pulses of electricity in a 

 coil of -wire wound around the magnet, has converted a simple toy 

 into a most valuable means of inter-communication. 



The Lecturer illustrated this part of the subject by a complete 

 set of Gower-Bell telepliones, by means of which conversation was 

 carried on between the Hall and a neighbouring house, through a 

 resistance equivalent to 100 miles of wire. Hughes's microphone 

 was also explained and illustrated, Avhile the lecture concluded with 

 the beautiful phonoscope, by means of which the impact of sound- 

 waves upon a diaphragm was caused to control the passage of 

 discharges from an induction coil to a rotating vacuum tube, thus 

 producing a surprising variety of luminous patterns, dependent 

 upon the pitch of the notes uttered. 



TUESDAY, FEBRUAKY 1st. 



Professor Armstrong, F. R.S., delivered an Address on the 

 past Work and possible Future of the Association. The Address 

 was published in the Report of the Association, 1886. 



TUESDAY, MARCH 1st. 



A Lecture on " Micro-Organisms " was delivered by Dr. Perct 

 Frankland, F. C.S. 



These Organisms are very widely spread, and constitute one 

 of the most important factors in life. They are both destroyers 

 and producers. They are found as parasites on higher organisms, 

 and are recognised as the causes of several diseases. They exist 

 in water, air, and soil. They appear in the character of both 

 friends and foes. 



Micro-Organisms are classed in three groups : — 1, Moulds ; 

 2, Bacilli, forming chains, some being possessed of powers of 

 locomotion, others not ; 3, Micrococci. They are the most widely 

 distributed of any living things on earth. Through the elaborate 

 researches of Pasteur, the idea that animate matter can be produced 



