540 REPOET— 1889. 



Above 11 per cent, the alloy becomes brittle, and at 20 per cent, can be pow- 

 dered readily in a mortar. 



The addition of small quantities of aluminium lowers the fusing point of iron, 

 and this is utilised in the ' Mitis ' castings. It ensures freedom from blow-holes, 

 increased tensile strength, and high elastic limit. Mr. Keep found that 0"1 

 per cent, aluminium raised the transverse breaking strength of a i-inch bar, 12 

 inches long, from .379 lbs. to 545 lbs., or 44 per cent., and the resistance to impact 

 from 239 lbs. to 254 lbs., or 6 per cent. 



The tensile strength of mitis castings may be as high as 27 tons per square inch, 

 •with an elongation of 20 per cent. 



Another alloy made in the electric furnace is silicon bronze, which, owing to its 

 great strength and tenacity, its resistance to corrosion, combined with high elec- 

 trical conductivity, is, perhaps, the best metal extant for electric light, telephone, 

 and telegraph wires. 



SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14. 



The Section did not meet. 



MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16. 



The following Eeports and Papers were read : — 



1, Third Beport of the Committee o« the BihliograpJiy of Solution. 



See Reports, p. 53. 



2. Third Rejport of the Comviittee for investigating the Properties of 

 ^Solutions. — See Reports, p. 53. 



3. Beport of the Covimittee on the Absorption Spectra of Pure Compounds, 



See Reports, p. 227. 



4. Second Beport of the Committee for the investigation of the action of 

 Light on the Hydracids of the Halogens in presence of Oxygen. — See 

 Reports, p. 59. 



6, Beport (^Provisional) of the Committee on the Influence of the Silent Dis- 

 charge of Electricity on Oxygen and other Oases. — See Reports, p. 54. 



6. Beport of the Committee on the Bibliography of Spectroscopy. 

 See Reports, p. 344. 



7. A new Form of Self-registering Actinometer. 

 By Arthur Richardson, Ph.D. 



"When chlorine gas is exposed to the influence of sunlight, or other light con- 

 taining rays of high refrangibility, the volume of the gas increases with the intensity 

 of the light, the change being independent of the direct heating eifects due to the 

 light. 



