88 REPORT— 1894.. 



photographic process for measuring the amount of sunliglit, as he spoke of 

 the actinic rays. He (Mr. Symons) would point out that the burning 

 sunshine recorders showed exactly tlie same result for the other end of 

 the spectrum. 



The Chairman thought the matter one of the greatest importance ta 

 all dwellers in large towns, and Sir Rawson Rawson remarked on its 

 special intei'est to medical men. 



Mr. Holgate inquired whether they were to understand that the pro- 

 portion of sulphur in the air of a town was an indication of the amount of 

 its deatli-rate. 



Dr. Bailey said that he had been driven to the conclusion, that the 

 amount of the death-rate of a district was closely connected with the 

 amount of pollution in its air. While they had in Manchester, in ordi- 

 nary weather, a death-rate from respiratory diseases of four or five per 

 thousand, in foggy weather, when the air was most polluted, there was a 

 mortality of twenty or more per thousand from diseases of that class. 

 Plants suffered even more than human beings from air pollution. That part 

 of the work had been undertaken by Prof. Oliver, of University College, 

 London, who had already published a long account of the work he had 

 done in connection with the Royal Horticultural Society. Dr. Bailey 

 added that the method he had used for recording sunlight was not photo- 

 gi-aphic, but was that originally suggested by Mr. Angus Smith. It gave 

 a relative not an absolute record, .and recorded the amount not only of 

 sunlight but of daylight. Delegates would lind a full account of the 

 methods employed in the 'Journal of the Manchester Field Naturalists'" 

 for 189:3. 



Section C. 



Mr. Whitaker (representing Section C) said that the first subject to 

 which he would refer was ' Coast Erosion.' The tinal report on this sub- 

 ject was to have been made this year, but it would, he hoped, be made 

 next year. After the publication of the Report the subject would be 

 lianded over to the Corresponding Societies, and those which have coast 

 borders could continue the work by recording changes on 6-inch maps, 

 or, still better, on 2.5-inch maps. The other subject was the ' Circulation 

 of Underground Waters.' The committee dealing with this matter should 

 have ceased to exist this year, but the final report would not appear till 

 next year. In this case also the local societies would be able to continue the 

 investigation. He took the opportunity of telling the representatives of 

 the Corresponding Societies that they wanted records of wells and borings, 

 the nature of the beds passed through, and the exact site ; also the water- 

 levels and the effects of pumping on them, the temperature, an analysis of 

 the water, and any other useful information. It was suggested that the 

 twenty reports of the Committee should be published, but in that case the 

 information about any particular district would be scattered through several 

 of these reports. But the Committee thought that if these reports were 

 arranged topographically, and possibly condensed, many local societies, 

 would be glad to possess the volume. He hoped the local societies would 

 be able to encourage the Committee in the publication of the work by 

 subscribing for a copy of it. It would probably foi-m a book of 250 to 30O 

 pages, and the cost would not exceed 10s. 



Mr. Slater said that water had been obtained from a deep well at 

 Malton but the Local Government Board had objected to its quality. 



