374 Miscellanies. 



The general committee consists of all members present who have 

 communicated any scientific paper to a philosopical society, which 

 paper has been presented in its transactions, or with its concurrence. 

 The members of philosophical institutions, who may be sent as dep- 

 uties from those institu lions to any meeting of the association, shall 

 be members of the committee for that meeting. 



Officers elect of the association. 



Rev. W. Buckland, D. D. F. R. S., &lc. President. 



David Brewster, LL. D. F. R. S 



Rev. W. Wheewell, F. R. S., &c. ^ ^^^^ Presidents. 



William Gray, Jun. 



John Phillips, F. G. S., he. 



Ch. Daubeny, M. D. F. R. S., &ic. , ^ 



Rev. B. Powell, F. R. S., he. > ^secretaries. 



John Robinson, F. R. S., &.c. 



Rev. J. Yates, F. L. S., &lc. 



Local committees were appointed for London, Edinburgh, Dublin 

 ^nd India. Professor Airy has undertaken to prepare a report on 

 the state and progress of Astronomy ; Dr. Brewster, a similar report 

 on Optics ; Prof. Whewell, on Mineralogy ; Mr. Johnston, on Chem- 

 istry ; and Mr. Forbes, on Meteorology. — Phil. Mag, JVov. 1831. 



17. Conducting Powers of Liquid Gases. — (H. T. Kemp.) — By 

 making liquefied sulphurous acid gas a part of the circuit of the gal- 

 vanic battery of 250 pairs of plates, shocks were received, water was 

 decomposed, and the galvanometer was acted on, as if a continuous 

 metallic communication had existed. Liquid sulphurous acid is 

 therefore an excellent conductor of electricity. Cyanogen, on the 

 contrary, was found to be a perfect non-conductor, even to a voltaic 

 •current of 300 pairs of plates. Liquefied chlorine was also found to 

 'be a perfect non-conductor of electricy from a battery of 250 pairs 

 of plates. The author then tried liquefied ammoniacal gas, but 

 ■could not ascertain whether it was a conductor or non-conductor of 

 electricity. It is in all probability a non-conductor. 



18. Power of Carbon to destroy the Bitterness of certain Bodies. — 

 M. Duburga observed that charcoal destroyed the bitterness of a 

 tincture of gentian root, whilst it had no action on that of the cen- 

 taury ; in consequence of which observation. Dr. Kopffmade many 

 experiments on different bitter substances, and found great varieties 

 of action. Each experiment was made with two ounces of distilled 



