1904.] General Meeting for February, 1904. 31 



Ham Ramsay's earlier researches were in the domain of organic 

 chemistry. Later on he published a series of papers on Molecular 

 Volumes, on the critical state and properties of liquids, and on 

 molecular energy and the expansion of rarified gases, which weie pub- 

 lished in the year 1893. But the researches which secured for Sir 

 William Ramsay world-wide reputation, are those which he carried on 

 in conjunction with Lord Rayleigh, relating to the properties of argon, 

 to be followed immediately after by tlie discovery of helium. The most 

 recent of his researches treats of radio-activity, and, the production of 

 helium from radium ; these were communicated to the Royal Society 

 in July last. 



Sir William Ramsay is already a Foreign or Honorary Member of 

 various Scientific Societies, among which may be mentioned, the French 

 Academic des Sciences, the Royal Irish Academy, the Academies of 

 Berlin and Turin, and the Philosophical Societies of Geneva and 

 Leyden. 



ASUTOSH MUKHOPADHYAT. 



It was announced that Sir John Eliot had expressed a wish to 

 withdraw from the Society. 



The General Secretary reported the deaths of Mr. M. N. Chatterji 

 and Mr. A. T. Pringle, Ordinary Members of the Society. 



Read the following circular letter from the Government of India, 

 Department of Revenue and Agriculture, No. 54-13-10, dated 28th 

 November 1903, to the Government of Bengal, General Department, re- 

 lative to the appointment of Dr. Denison Ross as the Honorary Epigra- 

 phist for Persian and Arabic Inscriptions. 



"With reference to Mr. Muir-Mackenzie's Circular No. 38—17 of 

 the 11th August 1892, and to paragraph 5 of the Government of India's 

 Despatch No. 31 of the 16th June 1898, a copy of which was for- 

 warded with this Department's Circular No. 1953 — 55, dated 18th June 

 1899, I am directed to state, for the information of His Honour the 

 Lieutenant-Governor, that the Government of India have appointed 

 Dr. Denison Ross, Principal of the Calcutta Madrassa, to be Honorary 

 Epigraphist for Persian and Arabic Inscriptions. 



2. I am to request that Archaeological Surveyors may be instruct- 

 ed to forward to Dr. Ross all Peisian and Arabic inscriptions and 

 epigraphical materials relating thereto, which may be collected by 

 themselves or sent to them by other Government officials. Arrange- 

 ments for the publication of the epigraphical matter thus collected in 

 the JEpigraphia Indica are at present under consideration, and any 



