396 Geological Society : — 



results. Its sensibility is such that it gives a deflection of 100 

 scale-divisions (^ of an inch each) on either side of zero, as the 

 effect of a single cell of Daniell's ; the focusing, by small concave 

 mirrors supplied to me by Mr. Becker, being so good that a deflec- 

 tion can easily be read with accuracy to a quarter of a scale-division. 

 By adopting Peltier's method of a small magnetic needle attached 

 to the electric moveable body (or "needle"), and by using fixed 

 steel magnets outside the instrument to give directing force (in- 

 stead of the glass-fibre suspension of the divided-ring electro- 

 meters described in the articles referred to), and by giving a mea- 

 surable motion by means of a micrometer screw to one of the 

 quadrants, I have a few weeks ago succeeded in making this in- 

 strument into an independent electrometer, instead of a mere elec- 

 troscope, or an electrometer in virtue of a separate gauge electro- 

 meter, as in the Kew recording atmospheric electrometer, described 

 in the Royal Institution lecture. 



Reverting to the arrangement described above of a copper vessel 

 of water discharging water in drops from a nozzle through an in- 

 ductor of zinc in metallic connexion with the copper, let the re- 

 ceiver be connected with a second inductor, this inductor insulated ; 

 and let a second nozzle, from an uninsulated stream of water, dis- 

 charge drops through it to a second receiver. Let this second re- 

 ceiver be connected with a third inductor used to electrify a third 

 stream of water to be caught in a third receiver, and so on. We 

 thus have an ascending scale of electrophorus action analogous 

 to the beautiful mechanical electric multiplier of Mr. C. F. Varley, 

 with which, by purely electrostatic induction, he obtained a rapid 

 succession of sparks from an ordinary single voltaic element. This 

 result is easily obtained by the self-acting arrangement now de- 

 scribed, with the important modification in the voltaic element 

 according to which no chemical action is called into play, and work 

 done by gravity is substituted for work done by the combination 

 of chemical elements. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 [Continued from p. 322.] 



June 5, 1867.— Warington W. Smyth, Esq., M.A., F.R.S., 



President, in the Chair. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. "The Alps and the Himalayas: a Geological Comparison." 

 By Henry B. Medlicott, Esq., A.B., F.G.S. 



Current opinions on Alpine geology were first fully discussed by 

 the author, especially as regards the abnormal nature of the actual 

 boundary of the Molasse witli the rocks of the higher Alps, including 

 the explanation usually given of this phenomenon and of the con- 

 tortion of the inner zone of Molasse — namely, the direct upheaval of 

 the main mountain-mass. Mr. Medlicott then described some of 



