380 Proceedings of the British Association. 
Dr. Hare read a communication relating to the prevailing theories 
of electricity ; he endeavored to explain many interesting phenom- 
ena attendant on the electric spark and the divergence of electrified 
bodies. 
Dr. Carpenter described a system of teaching the blind to read, 
similar to Mr. Lucas’s. 
Mr. Hodgkinson read an account of some experiments, at the re- 
quest of the Association, to determine the comparative strength aud 
other properties of iron, made with the hot and cold blast, at the 
Carron, Devon, and Buffrey works, under similar circumstances.— 
In the Carron and Buffrey works, the strength was rather in favor 
of the cold blast. In the Devon iron the advantage was much in 
favor of the hot blast ; but it is proper to remark, that the cold blast 
iron was very white in the break, and that from the hot was grey. 
Section B.—Cuemistry anp Mineravoey. 
The following papers were read: Some improvements on the 
Voltaic Battery. By Mr. Crosse.—Observations on Atmospheric 
Electricity. By Mr. Crosse—On a new compound found during 
the destructive distillation of wood. By Mr. Scanlaw.—On a pecu- 
liar compound of Carbon and Potassium. By Prof. E. Davey.— 
On a new gaseous Bicarburet of Hydrogen. By Prof. E. Davey.— 
On the conducting power of Iodine. By Dr. Inglis ——On Fluorine. 
By Mr. Knox.—On detecting the Strength of Spirits, by diluting 
with water. By Mr. Black.—Communication on the Aurora Bore- 
alis. By Dr. Traill. 
Section ©.—Geroiocy anp Grocrapuy. 
Sea Rivulets in the Island of Cephalonia.—Lord Nugent read 
a communication respecting some sea rivulets in the island of Ce- 
_ phalonia. The water, he said, entered the earth through fissures in 
the rock, on the sea shore, pie it was not discovered where it 
emerged, but i it was supposed to flow into the sea, on the side of the 
island nearest Ithaca. Some observations were made by the Mar- 
quis of Northampton, Mr. Murchison, Dr. Daubeny, and the Chair- 
man, but no solution of the problem was given. 
Tertiary Deposits.—Mr. Charlesworth read an elaborate papet 
on some fallacies in Mr. Lyell’s test in determining the ages of ter- 
tiary deposits by the per centage of existing species, which may be 
considered as a continuation of his paper on crag formations. 
