> V 



Pj'oceedings of the British Association^ S^^c. 261 



of soldering preferable to every other, and peculiarly suited for the 

 process of autogenous soldering. 6. The nuisances resulting from the 

 presence of large coal gas works in populous districts are entirely 

 avoided by this mode, which is as free from objection as a steam engine. 

 7. The arrangements are so simple and inexpensive that every estab- 

 lishment where it is desired to employ light and heat, may erect its 

 own apparatus even in the most isolated situation, all the materials em- 

 ployed being every where accessible. 



It is understood that M. Gillard has secured his patent in the United 



States, and it is presumed that his method will soon be practically tested 

 there. 



We merely add that the result of M. Gillard's invention in one par- 

 ticular differs from the anticipation of chemists: that is, we should ex- 

 pect from the decomposition of water in this mode the production of 

 carbonic oxyd CO, carbonic acid CO2, and light carburetted hydrogen 

 C2 H, with a limited amount of free hydrogen. The result of his ex- 

 perience, however, seems to establish the statements already made, as 

 may be seen in a report of the Commissioner of the Society for the 

 Encouragement of Industry, &c., to whom the subject was referred. 



Art. XXX. — Extracts from the Proceedings of the Twentyfrst 

 Meeting of the British Association^ held at Ipswich^ July 2 * 



of Prof 



if the Meet 



* * * Commencing, then, with the subject which stands first in 

 the Reports of the Association, and on which the funds of the Associa- 

 tion have been most generously expended and its influence very ener- 

 getically employed, I remark that the progress of Astronomy in the 

 last year has been very great. The Earl of Rosse has been much 

 engaged in experiments"^ on the best methods of supporting and using 

 I "*s \^avge mirrors. The construction adopted some time since is still 



retained ; — namely, a system of levers distributing their pressures uni- 

 formly over eighty-one points, each pressure being transmitted through 

 ^ small ball which permits to the mirror perfect freedom of slipping in 

 fts own plane, so as to take proper bearing in the chain or hoop which 

 * supports it edgeways. To Lord Rosse's critical eye the effect even of 

 this mounting, though greatly superior to that of any preceding, is not 

 quite perfect. In the progress of the experiments, some singular results 

 have been obtained as to the set which a metal so hard as Lord Rosse's 

 composition may receive from an equal pressure of very short duration. 

 A surface of silver, I believe, has now been successfully used for the 

 small reflector. 



.With regard to the character of the discoveries in nebulae made 

 ^'^h this instrument I cannot briefly give any very correct idea- The 

 «iost remarkable is, the discovery of new instances of spirally-arranged 



From the Atheufieum of July 1 and 12, Nos. 1236, 1237 



