SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.—G. 351 
present it is much easier to find fifty thousand pounds for the commercial 
working of an invention which has been developed to the commercial stage 
than it is to find five thousand for its development. 
Development of inventions is definitely outside the purview of the 
research associations and requires propaganda to educate a new generation 
of capitalists to act as promoters, and to bring them in touch with inventors. 
Some steps have already been taken in this direction, but many more are 
wanted. It may be thought that the development of inventions is one of the 
functions of industry, but the history of invention and the experience of 
many inventors proves the contrary, with perhaps the one exception of 
inventions which will reduce the costs of production. All of these tend to 
increase unemployment, at least temporarily. 
Mr. H. Hatyam and Prof. R. V. SouTHWELL, F.R.S.—Researches in impact 
testing (11.0). 
Investigations relating to the testing of materials by impact were described 
(informally) at the York meeting (1932). A new type of machine was 
employed, and a new method for applying the impulsive loading. The 
results were satisfactory both as regards consistency and as showing that 
the energy absorbed in fracture satisfies fairly simple dimensional laws. 
The present paper describes a later model of the same machine, designed 
to test specimens of half the size used previously, and embodying several 
modifications which experience has shown to be desirable. ‘The results 
of recent work relate to— 
(1) the detection of ‘ notch-brittleness ’ ; 
(2) the ‘ age embrittlement’ of mild steel at room temperatures ; 
(3) dimensional aspects of the test, as revealed by tests on two sizes of 
specimen, loaded both slowly and fast. 
Some tentative conclusions from dimensional theory are advanced, and 
the paper ends with an account of recent experiments which show that 
notch-brittleness can be detected by static tests in bending, although in 
a tensile test the faulty material behaves like sound material, whether the 
specimen be of the ordinary type or notched. ‘The practical implications 
of this last result are discussed. 
RePorT OF INLAND WATER SURVEY COMMITTEE (11.45). 
Capt. W. N. McCiean.—The flow of the river Dee (12.0). 
The author describes how the gauging of the river Dee has been in- 
augurated with the object of giving a practical example at this meeting of 
how river survey may be carried out. 
Central and local co-operation has resulted in the projected installation 
of four water level recorders at sites about 20 miles apart along the river 
and in facilities for flow gauging at Cairnton. The apparatus and the 
surveyors are on the site, and an actual illustration of the flow gauging will 
be given on the site at Cairnton during the afternoon of September 11. 
Low flow measurements were made by the Corporation of Aberdeen last 
autumn, and some surface velocities were measured by floats during the 
April floods of this year. During the coming autumn and winter it is 
hoped to complete the flow gaugings for all stages of the river at Cairnton 
and, should opportunity be presented, at other sites where water level 
recorders have been established. 
The amenities, use and control of the river, with special reference to 
