736 Meeting of the British Association. [Oct., 



the diffusion of vapour in the atmosphere, the density of clouds, their 

 extent and currents in the atmosphere, and all connected with the 

 higher regions of the atmosphere in winter, we are in almost entire 

 ignorance ; on this account winter is the most important season for 

 experiments. The winds prevailing in the higher regions in January 

 and February were W. and S.W. This was unfortunate in regard to 

 the ascents, as it necessarily shortened their duration. 



Mr. Glaisher's disappointment at finding his time for observation 

 always cut short by the inevitable tendency of the balloon towards 

 the sea, was compensated for when he considered the high importance 

 of the continuance of the south-west winds in winter. Constant 

 observation last winter, from October to March, had found the wind 

 always in the same direction, whenever it was possible to determine 

 the motion of the upper air, no matter from what quarter the earth- 

 wind came. The high temperature we experienced in winter seemed 

 due greatly to this current, which met with no obstruction in its 

 course towards us, but blew directly hither and to Norway over the 

 Atlantic. These winds only reached France when they had passed 

 over the whole of Spain and the Pyrenees, and they had then become 

 so much cooled that France derived comparatively little benefit from 

 them. This apparently caused the more severe winters in that country. 

 It was probable that our milder winters were due to these winds. 



At every opportunity during these ascents, Mr. Glaisher had 

 directed the spectroscope to the sun, and always saw a very fine 

 spectrum with many lines, more numerous than on earth, and better 

 defined. The spectrum usually extended from A to far beyond H. 

 The spectrum was perfect with a much narrower opening of the slit 

 than on the ground, and lines could therefore be clearly resolved 

 which could not be been from the earth. A blackened bulb thermo- 

 meter, placed near another carefully screened, for determining the 

 temperature of the air, generally read the same as the latter. No 

 tinge of ozone was shown on the test papers in any of the journeys. 



W. C. 



Chemical Science. (Section B.) 



In reviewing the proceedings of the Chemical Section, it should at 

 once be stated that the interest attaching to the week's transactions 

 lay not so much in the contributions formally presented to the 

 meeting, as in the supplementary observations which were frequently 

 offered by way of discussion upon the points raised in the authors' 

 papers. The members of the Chemical Society seemed to have 

 adjourned in a body to one of the spacious class-rooms of King 

 Edward's School ; and Dr. W. A. Miller, when delivering his inau- 

 gural address, was ably supported by Professors Frankland, Hofmann, 

 and Williamson, and surrounded by many of those who commonly 

 attend the seances at Burlington House. The place of meeting this 

 year held out many inducements to the technologist ; and the facilities 

 afforded for the study of the leading industries of the great Midland 

 Metropolis were fully taken advantage of ; amongst those manufactories 



