494 
NATORE 
[SEPTEMBER 18, 1902 
seen nearly as clearly as under ordinary conditions, the 
system of mirrors merely translating the line of sight 
along the rifle, parallel to itself, to the distance of about 
eight or nine inches below the axis of the barrel of the rifle. 
In another form of hyposcope, used to sight a Maxim gun, | 
Fig. 2, tvo mirrors only are employed to translate the | 
line of sight downwards, and but little light is lost. The | 
tube which carries the mirrors is graduated, and the | 
correct elevation is obtained by means of two easily made | 
movements of the apparatus. | 
The National Rifle Association, recognising the im- 
portance of shooting while protected by cover, awarded 
prizes at the Bisley meeting this year for shooting with 
the hyposcope sighting. The range was 200 yards, the 
bullseye seven inches; each man of the thirteen who 
shot had seven shots. The highest possible score was 
35 per man, and the average score per man was 32'15. 
The apparatus and the method of holding the rifle were 
new to nearly everyone who shot. In actual warfare, an 
enemy may approach a trench or cover from any direc- 
Fic. 2. 
tion, and his approach must be seen, before the rifle 
is brought to bear on him. Probably the observation of | 
the movements of the enemy might be found approxi- | 
mately by using a separate hyposcope, not attached to a | 
NO. 1716, VOL. 66] 
_the opportunity of taking part 
rifle in the usual way, so as to bring into view each por- 
tion of the foreground in succession. Such an instru- 
ment would only require two mirrors, and would enable 
an outlook to be kept with a minimum of danger to the 
observer. The instruments 
are strongly made, and with 
reasonable care they should 
efficiently anstver their pur- 
pose. 
THE BRITISH ASSOCIA- 
TION AT BELFAST. 
ite point of numbers, the 
meeting of the British 
AsSociation at Belfast has not 
been a very large one, but it 
has certainly been a decided 
success and has been full of 
interest. About sixteen hun- 
dred members and associates . 
have attended, and in addi- 
| tion many people have been present at the meetings who 
have not registered their names. The local committee 
has facilitated the work of the secretaries in every possi- 
ble way, and the excursions have been a means of 
pleasure and profit to all who have been able to take 
advantage of them. No meetings were held on Saturday, 
so that members should be free to avail themselves of 
in the interesting 
excursions arranged for that day. 
At the first meeting of the General Committee, the report 
of the Council was read. Reference to the severe loss 
the Association has sustained by the death of Mr. Griffith, 
the late assistant general secretary, was made in the first 
paragraph of the report, and it was announced that Dr. 
J. G. Garson had been nominated to succeed him in this 
important office. Sir William Roberts-Austen, K.C.B., 
having informed the Council that he did not intend to 
offer himself for re-election as general secretary, Major 
P. A. MacMahon, F.R.S., was appointed as his successor, 
| and Prof. D. J. Cunningham, F.R.S., was elected to fill 
| the vacancy thus caused among the members of the 
Council. In addition to Prof. Cunningham, the following 
members have been elected on the Council, the new 
names in the list being in italics :—Sz7 W. Aédney, 
KG.B., F.R.S.; Prof. Ho E. Armstrong, FR-ons reals 
Bonar; Prof. F. O. Bower, F.R.S. ; Prof. H. L. Callendar, 
F.R S.; Captain E. W. Creak, R.N., F.R.S.; Major L. 
Darwin ; the Hon. Sir C. W. Fremantle, K.C.B. ; Prof. 
F. Gotch, F.R.S.; Prof. A. C. Haddon, F.R.S.; Prof. 
W. D. Halliburton, F.R.S.; Jy. C. Hawksley; Prof. 
G. B. Howes, F.R.S. ; Dr. J. Scott Keltie ; Sir Oliver 
Lodge, F.R.S.: Prof. A. Macalister ; Prof. W. H. Perkin, 
EeRuS:; Prof. John Penny, PiRS5;) Mir sly agerice:: 
Mr. A. C. Seward, F.R.S.; Prof. W. J. Sollas, F-R.S. ; 
Prof. W. A. Tilden, F.R.S.; Prof W. W. Watts; Sir 
Jobn Wolfe-Barry, K.C.B., F.R.S. Profs. H. Elster and 
J. Geitel have been elected corresponding members of 
| the Association. 
At the second meeting of the General Committee, Sir 
| Norman Lockyer, K.C.B., F.R.S., was elected president 
_ of the Association next year. 
/ at Southport, and will commence on September 9, 1903. 
The meeting will be held 
It was resolved to hold the meeting of 1904 at Cam- 
bridge, and in all probability the meeting of the following 
year will be held at Cape Town. The invitation to visit 
South Africa has been backed up by the promise of 
substantial pecuniary support, so that a large and repre- 
sentative number of members of the Association may be 
enabled to accept it. 
The following grants of money for scientific purposes 
were recommended by the General ;Committee at the 
meeting on Monday :— 
———— 
— 
