PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. V 



1890, when Venus began her season as evening star with the superior 

 conjunction of February 13th, and ended with the inferior conjunction 

 of December 4th (a period of 290 days), Mr. Cameron saw her with 

 the naked eye as early as March 16th, and Mr. Bruguiere as late as 

 November 29th, so that she was visible to the naked eye that season on 

 259 days out of the total 290. In his second paper (Trans. Inst., ser. 

 2, vol. i, pp, 345-358), our author dealt with the visibility of the planet 

 in daylight to the naked eye and with aid of the opera-glass, and effec- 

 tually dispelled the common notion that Venus could be seen with the 

 naked eye in daylight on very rare occasions only. From the long course 

 of patient, I might say persistent, observations made, Mr. Cameron was 

 enabled to determine that on the average, out of every 100 days there 

 are 84 on which any star-gazer with a fairly good eye can see Venus in 

 daylight, if the weather permits and if he knows where to look for her. 

 The paper of the past session brings the bright planet before us in 

 another role, its object being to detail observations of her performance 

 of the two characters of evening and morning star " at the same time," 

 and to explain the conditions which bring about this phenomenon. The 

 paper will be found in extenso in the forthcoming part of the Transactions 

 now passing through the press. One feature of these papers ought not 

 to be omitted ; they consist not of mere observations and results 

 (although it will be seen that these are of great interest), but give 

 details explaining clearly the facts necessary to be known by those who, 

 without having the advantage of previous training in systematic obser- 

 vation, may wish to observe for themselves the phenomena so well 

 described ; these papers will thus serve as a guide to young observers, 

 and may help to correct the fault which their author finds with the 

 general public, who, nowadays, he thinks, are not much given to looking 

 heavenward either by night or by day. We wait with expectancy for 

 the next secret which Mr. Cameron is going to wrest from the fair star 

 of his affection. 



At the same meeting, Mr. F. J. A. McKittrick, B. So., communi- 

 cated a paper on the measurement of the resistance of electrolytes ; it 

 consisted chiefly of a report of research work done in the Physical 

 Laboratory of Dalhousie College under Prof. MacGregor, and may be 

 regarded as an earnest of still more important work that is expected 

 from Mr. McKittrick in the future, for he was this year nominated by 

 the University Senate, and accepted by Her Majesty's Commissioners of 



