380 Pi'oceecUvgs of the British Association. 



Dr. Hare read a communication relating to the prevailing theories 

 of electricity ; he endeavored to explain many interesting phenom- 

 ena attendant on the electric spark and the divergence of electrified 

 bodies. 



Dr. Carpenter described a system of teaching the blind to read, 

 similar to Mr. Lucas's. 



Mr. Hodgkinson read an account of some experiments, at the re- 

 quest of the Association, to determine the comparative strength and 

 other properties of iron, made with the hot and cold blast, at the 

 Carron, Devon, and BufFrey works, under similar circumstances. — 

 In the Carron and BufFrey works, the strength-was rather in favor 

 of the cold blast. In the Devon iron the advantage was much in 

 iavor of the hot blast ; but it is proper to remark, that the cold blast 

 iron was very white in the break, and that from the hot was grey. 



Section B. — Chemistry and Mineralogy. 



The following papers were read : Some improvements on the 

 Voltaic Battery. By Mr. Crosse. — Observations on Atmospheric 

 Electricity. By Mr. Crosse. — On a new compound found during 

 the destructive distillation of wood. By Mr. Scanlaw. — On a pecu- 

 liar compound of Carbon and Potassium. By Prof. E. Davey. — 

 On a new gaseous Bicarburet of Hydrogen. By Prof. E. Davey. — 

 On the conduqting power of Iodine. By Dr. Inglis. — On Fluorine. 

 By Mr. Knox. — On detecting the Strength of Spirits, by diluting 

 with water. By Mr. Black. — Communication on the Aurora Bore- 

 alis. By Dr. Traill. 



Section C. — Geology and Geography. 



Sea Jtivulets in the Island of Ceyhalonia, — Lord Nugent read 

 a communication respecting some sea rivulets in the island of Ce- 

 phalonia. The water, he said, entered the earth through fissures in 

 the rock, on the sea shore, and it was not discovered where it 

 emerged, but it was supposed to flow into the sea, on the side of the 

 island nearest Ithaca. Some observations were made by the Mar- 

 quis of Northampton, Mr. Murchison, Dr. Daubeny, and the Chair- 

 man, but no solution of the problem was given. 



Tertiary Deposits. — Mr. Charlesvvorth read an elaborate paper 

 on some fallacies in Mr. Lyell's test in determining the ages of ter- 

 tiary deposits by the per centage of existing species, which may be 

 considered as a continuation of his paper on crag formations. 



