12 PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



delicate experiments have tended to show that when a large 

 mass attracts a small one, the gravitative force between them 

 increases slightly as the temperature of the large mass rises, 

 to the extent of about twelve millionths of itself for each 

 degree centigrade. Also that there is a slight alteration 

 in the force of gravity when the bodies are in rapid motion. 

 These alterations, though slight, would make a considerable 

 difference where astronomical bodies are concerned, if con- 

 firmed. A further suggestion is as to the slight bending of a 

 ray of light by gravity, but this seems at present to rest on 

 an insecure foundation. Several meteors have been recorded. 

 On May 20th, 1916, a fine green meteor moving from over 

 the S.E. coast of Ireland to the English Channel, S. of Devon- 

 shire ; one of the size of Venus on July 8th, seen at Bristol ; 

 a meteor shower, in which a hundred were counted between 

 11 and 12 p.m. on June 28th, seen at Birmingham, and else- 

 where, being the richest shower recorded since 1903, a very 

 brilliant one on October 3rd, seen in Devon and Cornwall, 

 and also as far north as Huddersfield. Two were seen on 

 October 20th, in Surrey and Hertfordshire ; one on December 

 19th, in Montgomeryshire ; one on January 4th, seen from 

 London and Liverpool, and several on March 14th, 15th, 

 19th, and 27th. A meteorite, the half of which, weighing 

 3 Jib., fell in Egypt in August, 1916, making a loud whizzing 

 noise, is an amorphous silicate, grey in colour, and contains 

 microscopic particles of iron, which affect a magnet. 

 A catalogue has lately been published of the Chicago collection 

 of meteorites, which is now the finest in the world, containing 

 representatives of 657 falls, and a total weight of 7J tons of 

 meteoric matter, the largest mass being the Quinn Canon 

 (Nevada) iron of rather more than 1J ton. A very fine 

 telescope is in course of construction at Victoria, British 

 Columbia, with a mirror of 73 inches in diameter, and most 

 elaborate and easily working moving machinery in spite of 

 its great weight, which amounts to about 45 tons. It is 

 hoped that the telescope will be in working order by the 

 ensuing summer. 



