590 



The main object of the Table is to exhibit the amounts of disturb- 

 ance and the ratios at the several hours, derived from the photo- 

 graphic records of the four years ; but, in order to facilitate the 

 examination of the correspondence in these respects of the results 

 severally deducible from the two and from the four years, the ratios 

 of westerly and of easterly disturbance at the different hours which 

 were derived from the photographic records in 1858 and 1859 are 

 added, being reproduced from the table in vol. x. 



In discussions published elsewhere the preponderance of westerly 

 over easterly deflection, or the converse, has been inferred to be a 

 geographical characteristic rather than an accidental feature. All 

 the stations in North America, at which investigations have hitherto 

 been made, concur in showing a considerable predominance of easterly 

 deflections, whilst at Pekin in Northern Asia the converse is ob- 

 servable. Regarding Kew as the only representative station in the 

 British Islands (the only one in which this investigation has been 

 made), it is deserving of notice, that we find in this locality no con- 

 stant or decided predominance of either class of disturbance over the 

 other. There is indeed a slight preponderance of easterly values on 

 the average of the four years, but not of such amount or regularity 

 as to give it the character of a decided feature. 



II. " On the Action of Chloride of Iodine on Iodide of Ethylene 

 and Propylene Gas." By MAXWELL SIMPSON, M.B. Com- 

 municated by Dr. FRANKLAND. Received February 18, 

 1862. 



I have already shown* that the cyanides of the diatomic radicals 

 can be prepared by submitting their bromides to the action of cyanide 

 of potassium. In the hope of forming the cyanides of the triatomic 

 radicals in a similar manner, I subjected the bromides of several of 

 these latter radicals to the action of the same reagent. Finding, how 

 ever, the reaction not quite satisfactory, it occurred to me that the 

 iodides of these radicals might possibly yield better results. With 

 this view I endeavoured to prepare the teriodide of aldehydene 

 (C 4 H 3 I 3 ), by exposing iodide of ethylene to the action of chloride 



* Philosophical Transactions, 1861, p. 61. 



