136 British Association for the Advattcement of Science. 



eludes returns from the Savings Bank, Assay Office, Workhouse, 

 &c. Daring the past year, 25,000 gold wedding rings had been 

 assayed and marked. The number of steam engines is 240, of 

 which 65 are high pressure, and the remainder condensing en- 

 gines. — Prof Powell read a paper on Academic Statistics, show- 

 ing the proportion of students in the University of Oxford, who 

 proceed on to degrees. Among other results it is stated that the 

 ratio of the number matriculated to those who pass final exam- 

 ination, is 1 : 2.67. — Mr. Fripp read the report of the committee 

 appointed to inq^uire into the condition of the working classes in 

 Bristol. This document goes into minute details and exhibits 

 immense labor. — Mr. Clark presented contributions to the medical 

 statistics of Birmingham by a local committee, comprising elabo- 

 rate returns from the town Infirmary, General Hospital, &c. 



Section G. Mechanical Science, 



Mr. J. I. Hawkins made a communication onpaving roads ivith 

 blocks of wood, placed with the grain in a vertical position. He , 

 considered that roads formed of sound wood, with the grain ver- 

 tical, might be made so even as to constitute a sort of universal 

 railway, on which carriages might be drawn by a small proportion 

 of horse-power, and on which steam carriages might run as safely 

 and almost as fast as on railways. — Mr. Scott Russell read a paper 

 on the most eco?iomical proportion of power to tonnage in steam 

 vessels. It is a subject of anxious inquiry when about to construct 

 a new steam vessel, what is the best amount of power to place in 

 the ship, so as to secure in the highest degree, economy, rapidity 

 and regularity. The general principle at which after much study 

 of the subject, Mr. R. had arrived, was this : that in a voyage by 

 a steam vessel in the open sea, exposed of course, to adverse winds, 

 there is a certain high velocity and high portion of power which 

 may be accomplished with less expenditure of fuel and of room, 

 than at a lower speed with less power. 



Dr. Lardner read a very extensive paper detaihng a series of 

 experiments by himself and Messrs. Woods and Earle on the re- 

 sistance of the air to railway trains. The following are his gen- 

 eral conclusions. 1. The resistance to a railway train, other 

 things being the same, depends on the speed. 2. At the same 

 speed the resistance will be in the ratio of the load, if the car- 

 riages remain unaltered. 3. If the number of carriages be in- 



