90 



KlSroitTS Ol' MKK'riNOS. 



oxprcssiiig the grciat rogrot wlMi wliicli tliu Sociol;)' liaxl 

 heard of the (loa,t,li of Dr. W. B. Carpontor, (M!., I'\H..K., 

 wlio had boon a,ii honora,ry incmbor for many yuarK. Mr. 

 H. B. Jtipp, M.A., then exhibited and deseribed two 

 electrical iiistriniicntH, recently invented by (Japt. (Jardew, 

 ii.E., viz. : a Toleplionc adapted for use by Keutries, and 

 a Voltmeter for mcaHuring tlu! motive force of powerful 

 electric currcntK. lie then addre.sHcul the m(;etirio- on the 

 subject of " Weather Foreca.sts." The various facts which 

 have as yet been ascertained in connexion with storms, 

 and the laws regulating the direction of tlu; winds, wei'c 

 clearly stated. About 9:5 per cent, of tins storms in this 

 part of the world move from S.W. to N.J']. : the centre of 

 these cyclonic systems usnally passing from the Athmtic, 

 across the north-west of lrc;land, and then over the middle 

 or north of Scotland. From combined ol)servations, taken 

 on the western shores of these islands, it is ()a,sy to warii 

 stations on the cast coast, and in Denmark, Norway, etc., 

 of coming storms ; but to foretell with certainty the advent 

 of distm'bances on the westoni coast, it would bo necessary 

 to have stations of observation further west, but not so 

 far away as Newfoundland and the mainland of America. 

 The lecturer, therefore, advocated the mooring of vessels 

 in mid- Atlantic, with telegraphic communication, or a plan 

 by which all vessels going westward should bo supplied 

 with trained carrier-pigeons to despatch at intervals with 

 meteorological reports. 



(3n Monday, January 11th, 188G, Professor W. Ramsay, 

 i'h.D., gave a most interesting demonstration of the experi- 

 ments of Mr. John Aitken, LMi. S., Edin., on The liigidity 

 of Chains while lievolving. An abstract of this lecture will 

 bo found on page GO. 



At the meeting on February 4tli, Mr. 0. Muuro Smith, 



