15 



EIGHTH ORDINARY MEETING. 



Royal Institution. — 5th February, 1855. 



ROBERT McANDREW, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



The foUowing Gentlemen were balloted for, and duly elected 

 members : — John Wybergh, Jun. Esq., and F. Potts, Esq., Chester. 



Mr. Marhat exhibited several rare mosses, one of them being new, 

 from tlois neighbourhood. 



A communication was made to the Society by J. T. Towson, Esq., 



ON THE SOLAR RAY. 

 After explaining the two theories of propulsion and undulation, he 

 assumed, without adopting, the former. The solar ray had been divided 

 into seven colours, but it was now believed there were only three primary 

 ones — red, yellow, and blue. He explained the respective properties of 

 the several colours, and their possession of light, heat, and actinism, 

 which could be taken separately or collectively. He noticed the ex- 

 periments which had been made to shew the varying effects of the 

 several rays with reference to their means of imparting heat, as 

 also with regard to their chemical properties. The latter he dis- 

 tinguished as positive, neutral, and negative ; comparing their relative 

 effects on each other to acid, water, and alkali ; the middle ray being 

 capable of diluting, but not of neutralising, either of the extremes, 

 which, however, would neutralise each other. He applied these 

 observations to photography, and explained the difference in photo- 

 graphic effects to arise from differences in the atmosphere, according 

 to the time of day, the time of year, or the climate; the solar ray 

 differing in its proportions of blue and red. He proceeded to show 

 the influence of these several rays on the processes of vegetation, the 

 blossoming of flowers, the ripening of fruits, &c., and concluded by 

 remarking that such investigations tended to prove the infinite wisdom 

 and goodness of the Almighty. 



