April 23, 1866. 
The Presipent (H. W. Cookson, D.D., Master of S¢ Peter's 
College) in the Chair. 
The following new Fellows were elected : 
R. Morton, B.A., Sé Peter's. 
J. Stuart, B.A., Trinity. 
On Capillary Attraction. By Ricuarp Porrsr, M.A. 
Tus being a mathematical paper, it admits of only a very 
imperfect abstract. For the history of the subject up to 1834, 
reference was made to the very complete report drawn up by 
Professor Challis at the request of the British Association, and 
published amongst their reports. 
After noticing some points in the history of the subject, such 
as M. Clairaut’s proposition of the relation of the attraction of 
the solid for the particles of the liquid in contact with it, com- 
pared with the attraction of the liquid for the same particles, in 
order that there may be capillary elevation or depression of the 
liquid; the views of Segner, Monge, and Dr Young, that the 
phenomena were due to the tension in a flexible sheet forming 
the capillary surface; and the mathematical discussions of La- 
place and Poisson; the author stated his agreement with those who 
considered these latter as only having obtained their results in 
accordance with Dr Young’s hypothesis of a constant tension 
in the sheet of inappreciable thickness forming the capillary 
surface. 
