August 29, 1884. 



SCIENCE 



187 



lished a valuable contribution to terrestrial mag- 

 netism. Section F (economic science and statistics) 

 will be presided over by Sir Richard Temple, who was 

 superintendent of relief operations for the Bengal 

 famine in 1874, and governor of the Bombay presi- 

 dency from 1877 to 1880. The president of section G 

 (engineering) will be Sir Frederick Bramwell, brother 

 of Baron Bramwell, the distinguished judge. He is a 

 member of the heavy ordnance committee, and is con- 

 stantly consulted by the government on engineering 

 questions. At this meeting, the science of anthro- 

 pology, instead of being, as heretofore, a sub-section 

 of D (biology), will be raised to the dignity of a sec- 

 tion by itself ; and over section H, Dr. E. B. Tylor, the 

 famous anthropologist, will preside. Born in 1832, 

 he has devoted his life to the study of the races of 

 mankind, their history, languages, and civilization. 

 He is president of the Anthropological society, and 

 keeper of the Oxford university museum, succeed- 

 ing there Prof. H. J. Smith, whose chair of mathe- 

 matics has just been filled by Professor Sylvester. 



Two evening lectures to the whole association will 

 be given on Friday, Aug. 29, and Monday, Sept. 1, by 

 Prof. O. J. Lodge and Rev. W. H. Dallinger. Dr. 

 Lodge is professor of physics at University college, 

 Liverpool, and is one of the most rising physicists of 

 the day. The subject of his discourse is ' Dust,' to 

 which he has devoted much attention of late. Rev. 

 W. H. Dallinger is principal of the Wesley college, 

 Sheffield, and one of the lecturers for the Gilchrist 

 educational trust. His subject, on this occasion, is 

 " The modern microscope in relation to the least and 

 lowest forms of life," his researches on which, in con- 

 nection with Dr. Drysdale of Liverpool, required 

 enormous patience and perseverance to carry to a suc- 

 cessful issue. 



Within the limits of space allotted for this purpose, 

 a few more names of those who are expected to be 

 present, and to take part in the meeting, may be men- 

 tioned in alphabetical order : Prof. J. C. Adams, the 

 Lowndean professor of astronomy in the University 

 of Cambridge, widely known as the discoverer of the 

 planet Neptune, from calculations of disturbances in 

 the orbits of the other planets ; Professor James De- 

 war, Jacksonian professor of natural and experiment- 

 al philosophy at Cambridge, and Fullerian professor 

 of chemistry at the Royal institution, London (the ap- 

 pointment held by Faraday), whose collaborateurs are 

 Professors Liveing and McKendrick; Sir F. Evans, 

 who succeeded Admiral Richards as the hydrographer 

 to the British admiralty; Mr. James Glaisher, the 

 veteran aeronaut and meteorologist, who in 1865 suc- 

 ceeded Admiral Fitzroy in the meteorological depart- 

 ment of the board of trade; Professor Leone Levi, 

 born in Italy, naturalized in England in 1847, who 

 was the main promoter of the first (Liverpool) cham- 

 ber of commerce in Britain, founded in 1849 — he is a 

 great authority on international and commercial law; 

 Dr. W. H. Perkin, president of the Chemical society 

 of London, and also of the Society of chemical indus- 

 try, who was the founder of the aniline-dye industry, 

 and is now engaged in magneto-optical researches; 

 Rev. S. J. Perry, director of Stonyhurst observatory 



since 1860, chief of the Kerguelen Island transit of 

 Venus expedition of 1874, and of the Madagascar 

 similar expedition of 1882; Prof. W. Chandler Rob- 

 erts, chemist to the mint, and professor of metallurgy, 

 etc., at the normal school of science, succeeding Dr. 

 Percy — his researches on the physical properties of 

 alloys are well known; Dr. P. L. Sclater, one of the 

 secretaries of this association from 1877 to 1SS2, who 

 since 1859 has been secretary of the Zoological society 

 of London — he is specially known as an ornitholo- 

 gist; and Mr. Walter Weldon, who occupies a distin- 

 guished place among those who have striven to apply 

 pure science to manufacturing problems, chiefly con- 

 nected with the soda industry, with which, probably, 

 no man is better acquainted — he preceded Dr. Per- 

 kin as president of the Society of chemical industry. 



— A number of papers and abstracts have already 

 been received for the mechanical section (D) of the 

 American association; and a sufficient number, in 

 addition, are expected from prominent gentlemen, to 

 make sure that the sessions will be of unusual in- 

 terest. In addition to the address of President R. H. 

 Thurston, two papers have been promised by Prof. 

 William A. Rodgers of Cambridge, in connection 

 with his already celebrated labors on standard bars, 

 perfect screws, etc. In the same connection, a paper 

 will be read by J. A. Brashear of Pittsburgh, Penn., 

 on the manipulation of optical surfaces. Other pa- 

 pers on connected subjects are expected; and it is 

 suggested that at least one session be devoted to these 

 papers, and discussions upon them. From Mr. Allan 

 Stirling of New- York City, is promised ' The econ- 

 omy of the electric light;' and the engineer, Mr. 

 W. A. Traill, of Portrush, Ireland, will explain the 

 Giant's Causeway and Portrush electric tramway, 

 and exhibit a working model of the same. A session 

 may therefore be occupied with modern applica- 

 tions of electricity. Another session will be occu- 

 pied with papers upon civil-engineering subjects, 

 among which may be mentioned, " Three problems 

 in river physics : 1°. The transportation of sediment, 

 and the formation and removal of sand-bars ; 2°. The 

 flow of water in natural channels; 3°. The relation 

 of levees to the low-water navigation of rivers;" by 

 Professor Johnson of Washington university, St. 

 Louis, Mo. Other papers announced are, ' The 

 strength of cast-iron,' by J. A. Millar, secretary of 

 the Institute of engineers and ship-builders, in Scot- 

 land; 'Driven wells,' by J. C. Hoadley of Boston; 

 'Belting,' by Professor Lanza of the Massachusetts 

 institute of technology; ' Steam-cylinder condensa- 

 tion,' by Assistant-Professor Fisher; and 'Methods 

 of teaching in mechanical engineering,' by Professor 

 Alden of the Worcester free institute. It is hoped 

 that there will be sufficient papers upon the last sub- 

 ject to devote a session thereto, and gentlemen inter- 

 ested are requested to come prepared to take active 

 part in the discussions. 



Professor Webb, the secretary of the section, may 

 in future be addressed at the association headquarters 

 in Philadelphia; and he requests that abstracts, and 

 especially titles of papers, should be sent as soon as 



