300 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



be discovered so members could be put to sleep and packed up for the ocean 

 voyage, to awake at a certain day and hour in their various sections. 



" Monday was a hurrying day in the British Association. Many important 

 papers had been laid over for want of time, and other papers of equal interest 

 were pressed upon the committees to be read and discussed. The closing days 

 of the Association are always filled to overflowing, and this is especially true at 

 this meeting. Eight sections and subsections are in full blast, and all the rooms 

 are crowded. 



" In the section of physical science, Prof. Schuster read a paper on the con- 

 nection of sun-spots with terrestrial phenomena. He said that this connection 

 was not established beyond a doubt. Observations have been made on this sub- 

 ject for fifty years. On the Rhine the good wine years are coincident with the 

 least number of sun-spots. The greatest number of cyclones occur coincidently 

 with maximum sun-spots. Small comets are more numerous also at the same 

 time. Prof. Rowland showed that the variations in the sun's heat is due more to 

 errors in observations than true change. Mr. W. Lant Carpenter said that the 

 coincidence of maxima and minima of magnetic disturbances, auroral displays, 

 average rainfall, etc., with sun-spots, in a period of eleven and one-tenth years, 

 had long been observed. 



"Professor Darwin, son of Charles Darwin, read a report on the harmonic 

 analysis of tidal observations. He regretted that the admiralty is satisfied with 

 the old methods of tidal reduction and has no intention of making any contribu- 

 tion to our tidal knowledge of instituting harmonic analysis of tidal records. 

 The tides of the North German Ocean are now being reduced according to the 

 harmonic methods by the imperial admiralty. Mr. Breson, in charge of the 

 Natal Observatory, and Mr. Gill, Astronomer Royal at the Cape of Good Hope, 

 are reducing the tides according to harmonic methods. Similar work is being 

 carried on at several points, and the result will be of much interest for the pur- 

 pose of valuing the degree of elastic yield of the earth's figure. Prof. Lawrence 

 said that a large number of wrecks in past years was due to our want of knowl- 

 edge of tides and tidal currents in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 



" Professor Schuster read a report of a committee appointed for the purpose 

 of considering the best methods of recording the direct intensity of solar radiation. 



"Professor Douglas Archibald spoke of the sun-glows and halo in connec- 

 tion with the eruption of Krakatoa. He believed these sun-glows were due to 

 the widely diffused dust from the eruption of Krakatoa. He also spoke of the 

 remarkable halo to be seen near the Sun. On looking up into the sky and shad- 

 ing the eyes, a cloud would be seen before the Sun, edged with a halo of a pink 

 or salmon color. This halo does not seem to be reduced in the slightest degree 

 and evidently has no connection with the vivid sunsets. The dates of the com- 

 mencements of the sunsets form a ring of dates, beginning at the Isle of Java, 

 and the further the distance from Java the later the dates of rings. 



" Mr. Henshaw read a paper on frasil ice, or anchor ice. The paper traveled 

 over the common theories without adding much to our knowledge. Probably 



