510 EEPOET— 1889. 



not all) primary areas of depression have regular periods of return. He gave the 

 periods of many of the great storms that have affected the British Islands during 

 the last few years, and traced the intensity and position of the disturbances at each 

 date of recurrence, hack to the year 1880. 



19. On the Periodicity of Mild Winters. By R. B. W. Goodridge, 



The author said that ohservations in INIanitoha confirmed Dr. Schuster's 

 conclusions ('British Association Report/ 1884) of an eleven -year peiiod in the 

 occurrence of mild winters. 



TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17. 



The following Papers and Reports were read : — 



1. Some Experiments on Eadiation with Professor Sert'/v Mirrors. 



By F. T. Teouton. 



2. Report of the Committee for constructing and issuing Practical Standards 

 for use in Electrical Measurements. — See Reports, p. 41. 



3. Fourth Report of the Committee on Electrolysis. — See Reports, p. 223. 



4. Report on the present State of our Knmoledge in Electrolysis and Electro- 

 chemistry. By W. N. Shaw, M.A.^ 



5. The Passage of Electricity through Gases. 

 By Professor Arthur Schuster, F.R.8. 



The author has, during the last two years, investigated the distribution of 

 potential in the neighbourhood of the negative pole of discharge of electricity 

 through rarified gases. Knowing the rate of fall of potential it can be determined 

 whether there is any bodily electrification in any part of the negative glow. It 

 was found that the kathode is surrounded by an atmosphere of positively electrified 

 gaseous particles extending to the outer edge of the so-called dark space. 



According to the author's views this atmosphere corresponds to the polarised 

 layer adjoining the negative electrode in an electrolyte. Tlie cause of the sudden 

 difference in luminosity between the dark space and the negative glow has also been 

 investigated and it has been found that the negative particles projected from the 

 kathode pass unhindered through the dark space while their velocity is quickly 

 reduced in the glow proper, the translatory energy being thus changed into energy 

 ■ of vibration. 



6. On the Discharge of Electrification hy Flames. 

 By A. M. WoRTHiNGTON. — See Reports, p. 225. 



7. On the Failure of Metal Sheets to screen off the Electrostatic Action of a 

 Moving or Varying Charge. By Professor Oliver J, Lodge, F.R.S. 



Experiments have been made on the screening effect of a very thin film of 

 silver chemically deposited, the thickness of the deposit being different in the diflferent 



> At the author's request, this report is held over until nest year. 



