70 Prof. J. Thomson. Appearances of Beams of [June 16, 



June 16, 1892. 

 The LORD KELVIN, D.C.L., LL.D., President, in the Chair. 



Lieut.-Col. Robert Young Armstrong, Professor John Ambrose 

 Fleming, Dr. Robert Giffen, Professor William Abbott Herdman, 

 Mr. John Joly, Dr. Joseph Larmor, Professor Louis C. Miall, and 

 Dr. Augustus D. Waller were admitted into the Society. 



A List of the Presents received was laid on the table, and thanks 

 ordered for them. 



The following Papers were read : 



I. "On a Multiple Induction Machine for producing High- 

 Tension Electricity, and on some remarkable Results 

 obtained with it." By the LORD ARMSTRONG, C.B., F.R.S. 

 Received May 18, 1892. 



[Publication deferred.] 



II. "On certain Appearances of Beams of Light, seen as if 

 emanating from Candle or Lamp Flames." By the late 

 Professor JAMES THOMSON, F.R.S. Communicated by LORD 

 KELVIN, P.R.S., with an Introductory Notice. Received 

 June 10, 1892. 



About the end of last January, when my brother was fully occupied 

 in writing his paper on the Trade Winds for the Bakerian Lecture, he 

 called my attention to the well-known beams or ladders of light seen 

 below or above a lamp flame viewed with partially-closed eyelids, 

 and he gave me verbally an explanation of the phenomenon which 

 surprised me very much. By some simple and interesting trials 

 with my own eyes, which he explained to me how to make, I was 

 perfectly convinced that his explanation was correct ; and believing 

 it, as I still believe it, to be new, I urged him to write a short paper 

 on the subject for the Royal Society, but not to let it interfere with 

 his work for the Bakerian Lecture ; and he undertook to do so as soon 

 as might be after being freed from this work. We hoped, somewhat 

 confidently, that he might be able to give the thus promised paper 

 before the end of the present session of the Royal Society. That 



