1867.] Mechanical Science. 591 



the principal points in the history of the work done by the Section 

 since the year 1850, when he joined the British Association, 

 believing that work to be the most important which consists in 

 receiving reports of scientific researches made during the previous 

 year, and in planning those to be made during the ensuing year, 

 whether by observation and experiment, or by collecting and 

 arranging existing information. 



He classified the subjects of the reports in a masterly manner, 

 and in several instances paid deserving compliments to the persons 

 who had instituted experiments and compiled the reports named. 

 The following is the classification of the contents of the Keports : — 



I. Strength of Materials. 

 II. Motive Power. 



III. Hydraulic Engineering. 



IV. Shipbuilding and Steam Navigation. 

 Y. Conveyance. 



VI. Metallurgy and Agricultural Machinery. 

 VII. "Weights and Measures. 1864-5-6. 

 VIII. Patent Laws. 1858-9, 1861. 

 IX. Scientific Evidence in Courts of Law. 1866. 



The first paper read was an abstract of a Report on the " Con- 

 densation and Analysis of Tables of Steamship Performance," as 

 published in the years 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, and 1862. 

 The Committee (appointed at Nottingham in 1866) being J. Scott 

 Russell, William Fairbairn, Thomas Hawksley, James R. Napier, 

 and W. J. M. Rankine. The large collection of the records of 

 steamship performance has now been rendered useful for practical 

 and scientific purposes by this Committee. The data contained in 

 those records have been condensed and re-arranged according to a 

 method, the leading principles of which may thus be summed up : — 

 All results belonging to any special theory, and all quantities 

 calculated by inference, or ascertained otherwise than by direct 

 measurement, are excluded from the condensed tables ; vessels for 

 which certain essential data are wanting are excluded (the essential 

 data being such as the principal dimensions, displacement, kind of 

 propeller, speed, indicated horse-power, &c.) ; the vessels inserted 

 in the condensed tables are divided into groups, according to their 

 full speed, and very numerous groups are subdivided according to 

 the displacement ; a uniform arrangement of the data is adhered to 

 as far as practicable ; and the tables are drawn up in such a form 

 as to be printed in octavo pages. 



Mr. J. V. N. Bazalgette drew the attention of the Section to 

 the desirability of placing permanent topographical indicators on 

 those mountain summits which are visited by tourists, so that they 

 may be supplied with reliable information regarding the direction, 



