TKANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 



Section A.— MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE. 

 President of the Section — R. T. Glazebeook, M.A., F.R.S. 



THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14. 



The Peesident delivered the following address : — 



Beeoee dealing with the subject which I hope to hring to your notice this 

 morning, I wish to express my deep regret for the circumstances which have 

 prevented Professor Clifton, who had accepted the nomination of the Council, from 

 heing your President this year. 



It was specially fitting that he who has done so much for this coUege, and 

 particularly for this laboratory in which we meet, should take the chair at 

 Nottingham. The occasions on which we see him are all too seldom; and we who 

 come frequently to these meetings were looking forward to help and encouragement 

 in our work, derived from his wide experience. You would desire, I feel sure, that 

 I should convey to him the expressions of your sympathy. For myself I must ask 

 that you will pass a lenient judgment on my efibrts to fill his place. 



Let me commence, then, with a brief retrospect of the past year and the events 

 which concern our Section. 



From the days of Galileo the four satellites of Jupiter have been objects of 

 interest to the astronomer. Their existence was one of the earliest of the dis- 

 coveries of the telescope ; they proved conclusively that all the bodies of the solar 

 system did not move round the earth. The year which has passed since our last 

 -leetmg is memorable for the discovery of a fifth satellite. It is a year to-day 

 Sept. 13-14, 1892) since Professor Barnard convinced himself that he had seen with 

 he great telescope of the Lick Observatory this new member of our system as a 

 tar of the thirteenth magnitude, revolving round the planet in 11 hours 57 minutes 

 .'3 seconds.' 



The conference on electrical standards held at our meeting last year has had 

 mportant results. The resolutions adopted at Edinburgh were communicated to 

 le Standards Committee of the Board of Trade. A supplementary report 

 .ccepting these resolutions was agreed to by that Committee (Nov. 29, 1892), and 

 resented to the President of the Board of Trade. The definitions contained in 

 nis report will be made the basis of legislation throughout the world. They 

 :ive been accepted by France, Germany, Austria, and Italy. Tlie congi-ess at 

 bicago which has just been held has ratified them, and thus we may claim that 



' ' In general,' he says, 'the satellite has been faint. ... On the 13th, however, 

 vhen the air was very clear, it was quite easy.' — Xatiire, Oct. 20, 1892. 



