vi. Proceedings. [December nth, ipi 7 



70 to 80 per cent, of their available chlorine in fifteen months, while 

 those exposed to intermittent sunshine lost from 80 to 99 per cent. 

 in twelve weeks. It was found, as was anticipated, that the amount of 

 free lime present in the solutions had considerable influence on the 

 rate of decomposition, — the smaller the proportion of free lime* the 

 greater the decomposition. 



It was also found that the solutions which decomposed did not, 

 as might be expected, decompose entirely in the normal way (the 

 hypochlorite changing into chlorate and chloride), but in all cases 

 there was a considerable loss in the total oxidising power of the 

 solutions, due to the evolution of free oxygen. 



General Meeting, December nth, 191 7. 



The President, 

 Mr. William Thomson, F.R.S.E., F.C.S., F.I.C., in the Chair. 



Rev. J. C. Cooke, St. Bede's College, Manchester ; and Mr. J. 

 Wilfrid Jackson, F.G.S., The Manchester Museum, The University, 

 Manchester ; were elected Ordinary Members of the Society. 



Ordinary Meeting, December nth, 191 7. 



The President, 

 Mr. William Thomson, F.R.S.E., F.C.S., F.I.C., in the Chair. 



A vote of thanks was accorded the donors of the books upon the 

 table. 



Professor W. W. Haldane Gee gave a short description of the 

 Exhibits of Diagrams, Manuscripts, Apparatus, and Books, 

 which chiefly related to John Dalton and William Sturgeon. 



The Society possesses three of the portable electric kites designed 

 by Sturgeon for use in investigations relating to atmospheric electricity. 

 Two of these are made of calico and one measures 2 feet 8 inches by 

 2 feet 10 inches; and the other 3 feet 9 inches by 2 feet 10 inches; 

 each possesses an arrangement of braces so as to relieve the wooden 

 stretchers as much as possible from the strain produced by the wind. 



