January 8th, i.gi.8\ Proceedings. vih 



The third kite, which is not complete, is made of " sarsenet." These 

 were used in conjunction with a Leyden jar which could be charged 

 by the atmospheric electricity. Descriptions of some of the experi-' 

 ments are given in a manuscript in the Society's possession. 



The following is an example of one. of the records : — 



"Friday, May 22nd, 1829. Barrack Field, 2 p.m. Gentle North- 

 East Wind — some clouds to windward — Thermometer — in the 

 sun, 78°, in the shade, 69 . — Barometer, 29'3. — Light Kite — 

 300 yards strings — floated high — Electricity positive. Steel 

 needle feebly magnetised by the discharge of the Leyden 

 Jar." 



At the time these experiments were made Sturgeon was in the 

 Royal Artillery at Woolwich ; he subsequently lectured at the Royal 

 Victoria Gallery of Practical Science in Manchester, and lectures given 

 there on Galvanism and Electricity were published in 1842 and 1843. 

 He also gave popular lectures in the district and some of his lecture 

 syllabuses are exhibited in the Society's house. He edited the 

 "Annals of Electricity," and issued in a large volume an account of 

 his researches ; these publications, which are in the Society's Library, 

 were exhibited. 



The Memorials of Dalton included his lecture diagrams, optical 

 apparatus used at his popular lectures, his herbarium, laboratory note 

 books, a complete set of account books, letters, and published works. 



There was also an exhibition of early types of microscopes, which 

 included the microscope designed by Culpeper and Scarlet in 1750 — 

 a very primitive instrument — made of wood with cardboard tubes ; 

 a microscope made by Adams in 1776 with a cog wheel to incline the 

 instrument at a convenient angle ; a reflecting microscope of Goring— 

 described by Goring and Pritchard in 1837 in " Micrographia " ; and 

 a microscope used by John Dalton, recently presented to the Society. 



Ordinary Meeting, January 8th, 19 18. 



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 tapon the 

 table. These included "Britain's Heritage of Science," by A. Schuster 

 and A. E. Shipley, and " Overvoltage Tables," Parts i, ii, iii, and iv, by 

 E. Newbery. 



