Proceedings of the British Association. 219 



expensive in its application, and may by use get deranged or incapa- 

 ble of action, perhaps at a moment when most required, he proposes 

 to substitute this purely mechanical mode of exciting electricity, 

 so as to effect a distant magnetic needle, and thus transmit signals. 

 It is accomplished by simply removing a detent from a piece of 

 clockwork, when a disk of bismuth rubbing against one of antimony 

 excites the distant needle. He has tested the method for tolerably 

 long distances. 



A Report was read from the Committee appointed at York, 

 consisting of the Rev. Dr. Robinson, Prof. Challis, and Lieut. 

 W. S. Stratford, R.N. for the purpose of continuing the publication 

 of the British Association Catalogue of Stars, with the sum of 615/. 

 at their disposal : — 



1. That the Catalogue is completed, and ready for publication. 



2. That the MSS. &c. have been deposited at the Kew Observatory. 



3. That the whole of the expenses incurred in the production of the 

 Catalogue (500 copies) have been paid, and that no further grant 

 will be needed. 4. That of the grant of 615/. there has been 

 expended, agreeably to the accounts sent herewith — For press-work, 

 40/. ; printing and paper, 511/. 15s. ; binding MSS. 11/. 14s. 6d. ; 

 total, 563/. 9s. 6d. ; leaving a balance of 51/. 10s. 6d. 5. That the 

 entire cost of the Catalogue has been — For books, 4/. ; skeleton 

 forms, 64/.; calculations, 537/. 16s. 6d.; printing and paper, 511/. 

 15s. ; press-work, 75/. ; binding MSS. 11/. 14s. 6d; total, 1,204/. 

 6s., which is equivalent to nearly 21. 8s. for each copy. 



W. S. Stratford. 



The Dean of Ely bore testimony to the importance of the printing 

 of this Catalogue to the interests of science, and commented on 

 the very small cost at which it had been achieved. 



The Committee appointed at York, consisting of Sir J. Herschel, 

 the Astronomer Royal, and Lieut. W. S. Stratford, R.N., to continue 

 the reduction of the Stars in the Histoire Celeste of Lalande, and 

 the Ccelum Australe Stelliferum of Lacaille, made the following 

 Report : — 



Hist. Cel. 1 . That the whole of the Stars in the Histoire Celeste 

 have been reduced. 2. That the press-work has proceeded as far 



