298 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



in the departments touched in a comprehensive way. The lecturer spoke of the 

 saturization of iron by magnetism, the resistance offered by the coil to the passage 

 of electricity, the beautiful and mysterious phenomena attending the discharge of 

 electricity in nearly vacuous spaces, the mechanical theory of heat, the dissipa- 

 tion of energy, the mechanics of viscous fluids, the friction of oiled surfaces, the 

 nature of gaseous viscosity, the investigation of the spectrum, the visible and 

 ultra-violet spectrum, the velocity of light, the telephone and phonograph, the 

 scientific work of MaxVell, and the prospects of experimental science. Lord 

 Rayleigh favored the modern tendency to give less Greek and Latin, and more 

 German and French in our college courses. The address was loudly applauded, 

 and I believe there is more applause in the British Association than in the Amer- 

 ican Association. 



"Hon. Dr. Chauneau addressed the meeting in French, and spoke of the 

 work which the Royal Society is doing in Canada. There were several other 

 speakers during the evening. 



" I see other visitors here from the West. Among them I notice Marcus 

 Baker, of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, in charge of the Mag- 

 netic Observatory at Los Angeles, Cal, Prof. W. I. Stringham, Professor of 

 Pure Mathematics in the California University, is also here. 



" A general survey of the British Association of Science impresses one with 

 the magnitude of the work which they are accomplishing. Fifty-two years since 

 the society was organized has seen almost an entire revolution of science. Old 

 theories have passed away and old beliefs have vanished. Sir William Thomson 

 referred to the meeting of the Association where a physicist demonstrated that it 

 would be impossible for a steamship to cross the Atlantic. But in spite of this 

 demonstration the Association now finds itself on the other side of the Atlantic. 

 These EngHsh savants are thoroughly in earnest in their scientific studies and 

 researches. No expense, and no amount of time and study are spared to attain 

 the results aimed at. The English scientist is a speciaHst in his chosen branch 

 and knows all about it, although he may be a child in other things. One of the 

 scientists asked another about the location of a certain room in the steamer, when 

 the other scientist pulled out an elaborate plan of the ship, and pointed out the 

 room to him. 



" The work in the various sections is first-class. It is refreshing to hear 

 papers read by the masters in science, whose books one has studied from his 

 youth. Prof. Asa Gray is here, and is honored by the English scientists as the 

 leading botanist, perhaps, in the world. They say there are a great many clever 

 gentlemen in America, and seem to take pleasure in mentioning such names as 

 Gray, Dana, Newcomb, Newberry, Bell and others. The old prejudice against 

 American institutions has almost disappeared, and I believe this meeting of 

 the leading scientists of Europe, in Canada, will result in much good to both 

 countries. 



" I have just returned from an excursion to Quebec, where 400 members of 

 the Association enjoyed the hospitalities of the city to the fullest extent. The 



