September 6. 1894] 



NATURE 



459 



star are of approximately equal brilliancy, they are of the same 

 colour, and if of unequal brilliancy the colour of the fainter 

 companion lies nearer to the violet end of the spectrum than 

 does the colour of the brighter one. The spectra of the stars 

 furnish a partial explanation of their difference in colour by 

 showing, in at least some cases, that the stars possess spectra of 

 ilifferent types, the fainter companion having a Sirian, and the 

 brighter one a solar spectrum. 



Few researches upon double stars exceed in theoretical interest 

 the mathematical investigations of Mr. See with regard to the 

 mode of development of these bodies. As early as 1878, 

 Doberck had shown, from a statistical comparison of double 

 star obits, that, in general, the longer the period of revolution of 

 the compounds the larger and more eccentric are their orbits. 

 That the orbits would be larger might be expected as a con- 

 sequence of the law of gravitation, but it required a special 

 investigation based upon the theory of tidal friction, as 

 developed by Prof. G. H. Darwin, to show that the increasing 

 eccentricities are also a necessary consequence of the same law. 

 The conclusions of Mr. See may be briefly summarised as fol 

 lows : — If we suppose the components of a double star to be 

 composed of a plastic material, they will produce in each other 

 bodily tides whose effect will be to push the stars asunder, and i 

 at the same time to increase the eccentricity of their orbits. 

 This increase of eccentricity will not continue indefinitely, but 

 in the later stages of developments will give way to a diminu- I 

 tion of the eccentricities, which will ultimately produc, circular 

 orbits. But since the energy of the star is being constantly 

 wasted by radiation, it will, in the later stages of its career, be 

 reduced to invisibility, and during the period of its existence as 

 a luminous body its history will present a continuous increase in 

 the size and eccentricity of its orbit. It is of interest to note in 

 this connection that the two orbits of spectroscopic binaries 

 which have been computed, pre-ent eccentricities very much less 

 than that of the average double star orbit, while the dimen- 

 sions of their orbits are so small as to suggest an early stage in 

 the development of the systems. 



Prof. \Vm. .\. Rogers year by year brings to the Association 

 either new and more refined apparatus, or the result of delicate 

 experiments with the perfected apparatus already at his 

 command. This year he presided over the Section of Physics, 

 and read an elaborate address on obscure heat as an agent in 

 producing the expansion of metals under air contact. 



Vice-President Thomas H. Norton addressed the Chemirai 

 Section, on the battle with fire ; Mansfield Merriman, the 

 Engineering Section, on paradoxes in the resistance of materials ; 

 Samuel Calvin, the Geol gicil Section, on some points in geo- 

 logical history illustrated in North-eastern lona, exhibiting 

 and using American chalk obtained from the Niobrora beds ; 

 Lucien M. Underwood, the Botanical Section, on the evolution 

 of the Hepaticae, a suhject to which he has devoted especial 

 attention, and on which he is probably the foremost authority ; 

 Franz Boas, the Anthropological Section, on human faculty 

 as determined by race ; and Henry Farqrhar, the Economic 

 Section, on a stable monetary standard. 



One hundred and seventy-eight papers were read before the 

 Sections, the largest number being before the Section of Anthro- 

 pology. 



It was decided to visit San Francisco next year if suitable 

 rail rales can be secured, and the date of meeting recom- 

 mended is June or early in July. . Definite action, however, 

 was deferred, owing to the expense of crossing the con- 

 tinent, so that lime may be taken to apply for special rates of 

 fare. 



The following officers for the ensuing year were recommended 

 by the nominating committee, approved by the council, and 

 elected by the Association : — 



President, E. \V. Morley, Cleveland. Vice-presidents: Mathe- 

 matics and Astronomy — E. S. Holden, Lick Observatory. 

 Physics — \V. Le C. Stevens, Troy, N.Y. Chemistry— William 

 .McMurttie, Brooklyn, N Y. Mechanical Science and Engineer- 

 ing — William Kent, Passaic, N.J. Geology and Geography — 

 Jed. Hotchkiss, St.aunton, Va. Zoology — D. S. Jordan, Palo 

 Alto, Cal. Botany — J. C. Arthur, Lafayette, Ind. Anthro- 

 pology — F. H. Cushing, Washington, D.C. Economic Science 

 and Statistics — B. E. Kernow, Washington, D.C. ; permanent 

 secretary, !•". W. Putnam, Cambridge, Mass. ; general secretary, 

 James Lewis Howe, Louisville, Ky. ; secretary of the council, 

 Charles R. Barnes, Morrison, Wis. Secretaries of the Sections: 

 Mathematics and Astronomy — E. H. Moore, Chicago, III. ; 



NO. I 297, VOL. 50J 



Physics— E. Merritt, Ithaca, N.Y. ; Chemistry — William P. 



Mason, Troy, N.Y. ; Mechanical Science and Engineering — 

 H. S. Jacoby, Ithaca, N.Y. Geology and Geography^. 

 Perrin Smith, Palo Alto, Cal. Zoology — S. A. Forbes, Cham- 

 paign, 111. Botany — B. T. (iailoway, Washington, D.C, 

 Anihropology — Mrs. Anita Newcombe McGee, Washington, 

 D.C. Economic Science and Statistics — E. A. Ross, Palo 

 Alto, Cal. Treasurer, R. S. Woodward, New York. 



Wm. H. Hale. 



THE IRON AND STEEL INSTITUTE. 



T^HE summer meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute has 

 ■'■ been held this year, for the second time in the history of 

 th e Insiilule, in Belgium, the former meeting in that country 

 h aving taken place at Lii-ge just twenty-one years ago. 



This year's meeting commenced on Slonday. August 20, and 

 continued until the following Friday. The President of the 

 Institute, Mr. E. Windsor Richards, presided throughout. The 

 proceedings commenced on the evening of the first day by a 

 reception of members at the beautiful and historic Hotel de 

 Ville at Brussels, the civic authorities being the hosts. The 

 proceedings were of an exceptionally successful character. On 

 the following morning, Tuesday the 21st ult., the first sitting 

 for the reading of papers was held. The following is a list of 

 the contributions submitted : — 



(1) "On the Use of Caustic Lime in the Blast-Furnace," by 

 Sir Lowthian Bell. 



(2) "On the History of Crucible Steel," by R. A. Hadfield. 



(3) " On the Coalmining Industry of Belgium," by A. Briart, 

 President of the Society of Engineers, Hainaut. 



(4) "On the Iron and Steel Industries of Belgium," by A. 

 Giilon, President of the Society of Engineers, Liege. 



(5) " On the Influence of Aluminium upon the Carbon in 

 Ferro-Carbon Alloys," by T. W. Hogg, of the Newburn Steel 

 Works. 



(6) " On the Manufacture of Open Hearth Steel," by J. A. 

 Lencauchez, Paris. 



(7) " On Colour Gauges for Carbon Determination," by W. 

 G. McMillan. 



(8) " On Electrical Power in Belgian Iron Works," by D. 

 Selby Bigge. 



(9) "On the Manufacture of Coke," by the late R. de 

 Soldenhofi". 



(10) "On the Iron Ores of the Mediterranean Seaboard," 

 by Arthur P. Wilson. 



The papers of Mr. Hadfield and the late M. de Soldenhoff 

 were taken as read. 



I The members were received in the Burse des Metaux, where 

 the sittings were held, by M. Giilon and M. Briart, on behalf of 

 the reception committee, and the usual complimentary speeches 



i having been made, business was commenced by the reading of 

 M. Gillon's paper. The title sufiiciently indicates the scope of 

 this contribution, and it is evident that an abstract such as, in 

 any case, we could give here would be quite inadequate to so 

 large a subject. The same remark applies to M. Briart's paper, 

 whTch followed. Both contributions are of considerable interest 

 from an industrial point of view : the first because the Belgians 

 are such keen and successful competitors of our own iron and 

 steel manufacturers in some branches of the industry, and the 

 second from the fact th.at the coal-mining practice of the 

 Belgians is of a very advanced character. Coal is won in 

 Belgium often under conditions of extreme difficulty, such in- 

 deed as would cause despair to mining engineers in our own 

 more favoured land, though doubtless we should rise to the 

 occasion were the necessity put upon us. The natural obstacles 

 which the Belgian engineers are forced to meet have necessitated 

 the highest skill in mining practice, and we cannot but look 

 with admiration at the |)atience, ingenuity, and skill displayed in 

 the working of many collieries of the country. Sir l.owthian 

 Bell's paper followed. The controversy regarding the respective 

 merits of using caustic lime or raw limestone in the blast furnace 

 is one of much antiquity, and though Sir Lowthian's paper did 

 not perhaps do very much in itself to determine the dispute, it 

 may be said that the paper and the discussion together served 

 to determine the lines upon which the controversy should be 

 carried on. The author said that in the older type of blast 

 furnace it was a desirable thing to calcine the limestone 

 separately, but with the higher furnaces now in vogue there 



