12 PRESIDENT'S ADDKESS. 



may merely mean that the air there was in an exceptionally 

 dry state last September, when Mars was very near the Earth 

 and convenient for study. From complicated calculations of 

 observations on Neptune's satellite it has been shown 

 that the equator of that far-distant planet is inclined at an 

 angle of about 27 degrees to the plane of its orbit. A meeting 

 of the International Astrographic Congress for making charts 

 of the stars and for other astronomical purposes, was held 

 at Paris in April, 1909, and considerable progress was reported 

 in various directions. By methods connected with the colour 

 of the stars it has been shown that there is probably a small 

 absorption of light in space, but very much smaller than some 

 astronomers had assumed. It has been suspected, and has 

 now been proved, that the moon causes a small tide in the 

 solid earth as well as in the water. The height of this tide is 

 probably about 13 inches. A tide has also been detected 

 in the solid earth caused by the sun's attraction, and also 

 a slight tilting owing to the heating of the tropics by the sun 

 during the day, but these movements are of exceedingly 

 minute dimensions. It also seems to be the case that in 

 land near the sea the weight of the high tide depresses the 

 land underneath and near it, and consequently tilts up the 

 adjacent land, though to a very minute extent, so that at 

 high tide it slopes a little more towards the sea than at low 

 tide, and, for instance, the wall of a house facing the sea, 

 which is vertical at low tide, will lean a little towards the sea 

 at high tide. 



METEOROLOGY. 



Although there was an excess of rain over all England 

 in 1909, except in the south-west, yet the duration of bright 

 sunshine was also in excess, except in the north-east. The 

 temperature was, however, below the average over the whole 

 kingdom, and the general impression was that of a cold, 

 summerless year. In the week ending October 30th, the 

 rainfall at Broadstairs amounted to 5'79in, in three days, 



