512 Proceedings of the British Association. [O€tober, 
of seeing the photographic method, as applied to sun-observations, joined to 
the work of Greenwich Observatory, and alluded to the importance of the 
subje& now before the Royal Commission, presided over by the Duke of 
Devonshire. 
Colonel Strange proposed the vote of thanks to the President, and the pro- 
position was seconded by Sir William Thomson. 
The Eclipse Committee.—The Report of this Committee, by Mr. J. Norman 
Lockyer and Dr. J. Thomson, was read by the Secretary, and detailed the re- 
sults of the Melbourne and Indian Expeditions. The Indian Expedition made 
known to us that the luminous hydrogen exists at the enormous distance of 
seven or eight minutes from the sun’s limb, instead of only about ten seconds, 
as previously calculated; and that there was strong radial polarisation of the 
corona. 
Luminous Meteors.—The Report of the Committee, read by Mr. James 
Glaisher, F.R.S., included the notice of the August and November meteors. 
The work done in determining the radiant points of the meteors occupied 
much of the Report. Mr. Birt, F.R.A.S., then read a paper on “ Lunar 
Objects Suspected of Change.” 
The Spectrum of Hydrogen.—Prof. A. Herschel read Mr. Schuster’s paper 
on the “ Spectrum of Hydrogen,” stating that the author thought the second 
spectrum to be due to some hydrocarbon taken up from the india-rubber tubing, 
from grease, or from impurities on the surface of the glass; and describing 
experiments, with chemically-clean vacuum-tubes, in which an alteration of 
the spectrum occurred. 
Spectral Rays.—Prof. Clifford read the Report of the Committee on “ Spec- 
tral Rays,’ arranged upon a scale of wave-numbers. 
Astronomical Refraction.—Mr. Forbes, in a paper on ‘ Astronomical Re- 
fraction,’ pointed out the sources of error, in the observation of stars, due to 
the moisture of the atmosphere, and variation of barometric pressure in two 
separate places of observation. As an instance of the latter cause of error, 
he cited measurements taken during one month at Greenwich and Chislehurst, 
only five miles apart, giving arange of barometric difference of ,38,ths of an 
inch. Thus differences of atmospheric refraction would, perhaps, explain 
discrepancies in observations of the polar distances of the stars. 
A series of mathematical papers also were read, of which obviously we 
cannot here give extracts. 
On a subsequent day Sir Wm. Thomson, F.R.S., gave a summary of the 
Report of the Tidal Committee, as well as a Report on the Gaussian Constants 
of Terrestrial Magnetism; and later strongly supported the views of Dr. 
Carpenter on Oceanic Circulation. 
SECTION B.—CHEMICAL SCIENCE. 
President.—Dr. J. Hall Gladstone, F.R.S., F.C.S. 
Vice-Presidents.—Prof. F. A. Abel, F.R.S., F.C.S.; Prof. Williamson, 
F.R.S.; J. H. Gilbert, Ph.D., F.R.S.; Sir Benjamin Brodie, Bart., F.R.S. ; 
Prof. G. C. Foster, F.R.S. 
Secretaries.—Dr. Mills; W. Chandler Roberts, F.C.S.; Dr. W. J. Russell, 
DARE Ses) le vVood. bh D: 
The Inaugural Address of the President opened with an admirable estimate 
of the position of Chemical Science as a science and as a means of education. 
He thought that chemistry was rapidly approaching the status of an exact 
science,—that the chemist stood hourly more in need of the mathematical 
training necessary to the physical inquirer. The relation of many branches 
of physics to chemistry was very close, as instanced by spectroscopy and 
eleGtro-chemistry. The President then stated that he considered chemistry 
to be an essential branch of the education of every lady and gentleman. Yet 
he thought the so-called educated classes in England were supremely ignorant 
of science, and had not arrived even at the first stage of improvement—the 
knowledge of their own ignorance. The cry of cui bono was unluckily too 
