502 
NATURE 
system of reports from ships’ logs which has been carried 
on since Christmas by the Meteorological Offices of 
France and this country, and to endeavour to improve it. 
At the same time a proposal made by M. L. Teisserenc 
de Bort for the telegraphic transmission of a daily véseemeé 
of the weather in the New England States was considered. 
General Hazen expressed perfect readiness to furnish such 
reports, and it was resolved to procure such telegrams 
provided the cost of the service could be guaranteed by 
the European offices which would participate in it. 
It was decided to recommend that barometrical obser- 
vations should be corrected for the force of gravity at 
lat. 45°. 
A letter from General Hazen respecting the reduction 
of barometer readings to sea-level, which has been lately 
circulated, was considered, and two memoranda on the 
subject from Hamburg and St. Petersburg respectively 
were handed in and will be printed. 
It was considered destvab/e, as absolute synchronism in 
weather observations appears to be unattainable in 
Europe, that the same hours of local time should be 
adopted in each country (which would mean a change 
from 8 a.m. to 7 a.m. in this country). 
It was decided that each of the International Reduction 
Tables (proposed by the Committee at its meeting at 
Berne in 1880) as did not involve any question which is 
still in an undecided state (such as, ¢.g., hygrometrical 
tables, or tables of sea-level reduction) should be published. 
It was decided to recommend that the next Congress 
should not take place till 1889, and Prof. Mascart stated 
that probably the French Government would propose 
that it should be held in Paris. 
UDGED by the quantity of work which the sections 
J have put through their hands the Aberdeen meeting 
has been successful almost beyond precedent. Moreover 
much of this work has been of the best quality. The 
addresses come up to a very high standard, and in the 
first four sections, at least, not a few of the papers were 
really important original contributions to science, while 
the discussions in Sections A and B on certain great 
questions in physics and chemistry were a marked and 
commendable feature—a feature which, it is hoped, will 
in time become common to all the sections. Mr. Murray’s 
lecture on deep-sea research has been justly considered 
one of the leading events of the meeting; a full report 
will appear in our columns. 
At the concluding general meeting a deservedly hearty 
vote of thanks was accorded to the Aberdonians for their 
abundant hospitality. Birmingham seems determined to 
make next year’s meeting a memorable one; and we 
may remind our readers that Sir William Dawson, of 
McGill College, Montreal, will be the President. 
The total number of persons who attended the Aberdeen 
meeting was 2203. 
The following is a synopsis of grants of money appro- 
priated to scientific purposes by the General Committee 
at the Aberdeen meeting. The names of the members 
who would be entitled to call on the General Treasurer 
for the respective grants are prefixed :-— 
A—Mathematics and Physics 
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION 
*Foster, Prof. G. Carey—Electrical Standards ... £40 
*Stewart, Prof. Balfour—Solar Radiation ee ae 20 
*Stewart, Prof. Balfour—Meteorological Observations at 
Chepstow =e ne ot 98 08 a0 25 
Darwin, Prof. G. H.—Instructions for Tidal Observa- 
tions ee ae =n a es Ce xe 50 
*Stewart, Prof. Balfour--Comparing and Reducing Mag- 
netic Observations Ke Be sa és 40 
*Forbes, Prof. G.—Standards of Light 20 
*Brown, Prof. Crum—Ben Nevis Observatory too: 
*Armstrong, Prof.—Physical and Chemical Bearings of 
Electrolysis : 20 
B—Chemistr-y 
M‘Leod, Prof.—Silent Discharge of Electricity into 
Atmosphere a eG bh 29 
*Williamson, Prof. A. W.—Chemical Nomenclature 
C—Geology 
*Blanford, Mr. W. T.—Fossil Plants of the Tertia 
and Secondary Bed... eas 500 0 
Hughes, Prof. ‘T. McK.—Caves of North Wales 
“Etheridge, Mr. R.—Volcano Phenomena in Japan 
*Grantham, Mr. R. B.—Erosion of Sea Coasts ... He 
*Bannerman, Mr. H.—Volcanic Phenomena of Vesuvius 
*Evans, Dr. J.—Geological Record 659 
*Etheridge, Mr. R.—Fossil Phyllopoda ... 
D—Biology 
*Stanton, Mr. H. ‘T.—Zoological Record EO bes 
*Murray, Mr. J.—Marine Biological Station at Granton.. 
*Lankester—Prof. Ray—Zoological Station at Naples ... 
Cleland, Prof.—Researches in Food Fishes at St. 
Andrew’s He ts ee 
*Cordeaux, Mr. J.—Migration of Birds ey 
Cleland, Prof.—Mechanism of Secretion of Urine 
tee 
E—Geozraphy 
Walker, General J. T.—New Guinea Exploration ... 150 
Walker, General J. T.—Investigation into Depth of , 
Permanently Frozen Soil in Polar Regions ... ms it 
F—Lconomic Science and Statistics ; 
Sidgwick, Prof.—Regulation of Wages under Sliding 
Scales eS é 
G—WMechanics 
Barlow, Mr. W. H.—Effect of Varying Stresses on 
Metals aan io aS 5 fe) 
H—Anthropology 
Garson, Dr.—Investigation into a Prehistoric Race in 
the Greek Islands nae =e nee isa 
*Tylor, Dr. E. B.—Investigation into North-Western 
Tribes of Canada oh eae Say des ne 
*Galton, Mr. F.—Racial Characteristics in British Isles.. 
* Reappointed. 
REPORTS 
Report of the Committee, consisting of Mr. Robert H. Scott 
(Secretary), Mr. F. Norman Lockyer, Prof. G. G. Stokes, Prof. 
Balfour Stewart, and Mr. G. F. Symons, appointed for the 
purpose of co-operating with the Meteorological Society of the 
Mauritius in their proposed publication of Daily Synoptic 
Charts of the Indian Ocean from the year 1861. Drawn up by 
Mr. R. 7H. Scott.—The Committee forward, for the inspection 
of the members of the Association, a copy of the charts for the 
month of March, 1861, with some specimens for January of the 
same year, and the complete number for February which 
appeared some years ago. These documents have recentl 
arrived from the Mauritius. As the work has now made 
decided progress the Committee have applied for and obtained 
the grant of 50/. placed at their disposal by the General Com- 
mittee. As soon as the requisite documents are received from 
Dr. Meldrum the Committee will submit a formal account of — 
their expenditure with the necessary vouchers. } 
Second Report of the Committee, consisting of Prof. Schuster 
(Secretary), Prof. Balfour Stewart, Prof. Stokes, Mr. G. John- 
stone Stoney, Prof. Sir H. E. Roscoe, Capt. Abney, and Mr, G. 
F. Symons, appointed for the purpose of considering the best 
methods of recording the direct Intensity of Solar Radiation. 
The Committee have come to the following conclusions :—(: 
It seems desirable to construct an instrument which would be | 
modification of Prof. Stewart’s actinometer adapted for self- 
registration—the quantity to be observed being, not the rise of 
temperature of the enclosed thermometer after exposure for a 
given time, but the excess of its temperature when continuously 
exposed over the temperature of the envelope. (2) As the 
grant to the Committee will not admit of the purchase of a 
heliostat, it will no doubt be possible to procure the loan of such 
n instrument, and, by making by its means sufficiently numerous 
