468 REPORT—1904. 
almost be said, mysterious radiation. But as to the photography of the action of 
N-rays on asmall spark it would appear from Mr. Burke’s results that the effects 
obtained by M. Blondlot are due to the influence of the screens employed in 
increasing the capacity of the apparatus and thereby diminishing the brightness of 
the spark. Mr. Burke had already pointed this out in the course of his correspondence 
on the subject in ‘ Nature’ during the last few months. He next summarised the 
evidence of direct observation of luminous sources, and stated that in the course 
of his experiments he had tried the vision of numerous persons, but that in no 
case was there satisfactory evidence of any external action upon the sight. Mr, 
Burke then entered into the particulars given in M. Blondlot’s paper on the wave-* 
lengths, and emphasised the fact that the arrangements were such that unless the 
energy of the N-rays isenormously greater than that of the luminosity from the 
same source, it would be absolutely impossible to observe the diffraction fringes, 
the energy being reduced to about s,4;5th of the original in the arrangements em- 
ployed. He then pointed out that the determinations of the velocity of Rontgen 
rays and their polarisation would have to be reconsidered unless it can be shown 
that Rontgen rays produce the increased brightness of the spark which the N-rays 
were supposed todo, 
7. Standards of Wave Length.' By Professor Kayser. 
8. Report of the Committee on Electrical Standards. 
See Reports, p. 30. 
9, Exhibition of a Magnetic Alloy containing no Tron. 
By R. A. HapFIELD. 
SuB-SECTION OF ASTRONOMY ‘AND CosmicAL Puysics. 
The following Papers and Reports were read :— 
1. Report of the Seismological Committee.—See Reports, p. 41. 
2, Report on the Investigation of the Upper Atmosphere by means of 
Kites.—See Reports, p. 17. 
3. The Temperature of the Air in Cyclones and Anticyclones, as shown by 
Kite-flights at Blue Hill Observatory, U.S.A. By A. LAWRENCE 
Rorcu, B.S., A. 
This paper gave an account of an investigation of which the preliminary results 
were presented to the sub-section last year. The data for fourteen kite-flights, made 
at different seasons and in areas of high and low barometric pressure, were combined 
with the data previously obtained, and the mean changes of temperature, by stages 
of 500 metres (1,600 feet), have been determined up to an altitude of about 
12,000 feet. The decrease of temperature with the increase of height is nearly 
uniform and is practically the same for both low and high pressures, amounting 
to 0°86 Fahr. per 100 metres in the former condition, and 0°88 Fahr. per 100 
metres in the latter, or 1° Fahr. per 381 feet and 370 feet respectively. This 
1 Published in the Phil. Mag., viii. p. 568 (1904). 
