ON THE FORMATION OF HALOIDS. 263 



small proportion of hydrogen chloride, but is almost free from other 

 impurities, can be purified to some extent by fractional evaporation. 



Messrs. Shenstone and Beck have been occupied with the purifi- 

 cation of phosphoi'ic oxide, and have succeeded in preparing several 

 samples of that substance in a crystalline state, and free from the lower 

 oxides, by a process of oxidation with subsequent fractional sublimation of 

 the oxidised product. 



Some experiments have also been made with, hydrogen chloride and 

 oxygen, the results of which decidedly suggest that the interaction of 

 these bodies in the dry state is dependent npon either the relative masses 

 in which they are present or on the pressure at which they act. Mr. 

 Shenstone proposes to repeat and to extend what has been done in this 

 directioQ. 



The Committee desire to be reappointed, and ask that a grant of 201. 

 may be made to them. 



Report (provisional) of a Committee, consisting of Professor H. 

 McLeod, Professor W. Eamsay, Mr. W. A. Shenstone (Secretary), 

 and Mr. J. Tudor Cundall, appointed to investigate the Influence 

 of the Silent Discharge of Electricity on Oxygen and other 

 Gases. 



The Committee are glad to be able to report that the work undertaken is 

 proceeding in a satisfactory manner. After a year of continuous work, 

 in which they have had the assistance of Mr. Martin Priest, the funda- 

 mental difficulties of the research have apparently been overcome, and 

 several interesting observations have been made. 



As, however, only a small part of the work has yet been done, they 

 desire to defer presenting a detailed report till the next meeting of the 

 Association. 



The Committee, therefore, ask to be reappointed. 



Report {provisional) of the Committee, consisting of Professor 

 T. E. Thorpe, Professor J. J. Hummel (Secretary), Dr. W. H. 

 Perkin, Professor W. J. Russell, Captain W. de W. Abney, 

 and Professor W. Stroud, on the Action of Light upon Dyed 

 Colours. (Drawn up by Professor J. J. Hummel.) 



As mentioned in the last report, it was decided to compare first the 

 fastness to light of the various red colouring matters. During the 

 past year wool and silk patterns have been dyed with the technical 

 prodncts, and are now being exposed to light. The results, however, 

 will not be ready till the next meeting of the Association, when both 

 dyed and exposed patterns will be exhibited. 



The grant of lOZ. voted at the last Meeting has been more than 

 expended in the erection of an additional exposing case, and in the 

 purchase of a colorimeter, and also for books in which to mount the 

 dyed and faded patterns. 



