428 



Mr. H. H. Turner. Observations of the [Mar. 15, 



The testing-machine employed is of the form devised by Professor 

 Gollner, and used by him at Prague. It is a double lever vertical 

 machine working up to a stress of 20 tons. 



The author points out that these results lead to the conclusion that 

 the tenacity of gold is affected by the elements in the order of their 

 atomic volumes, and he discusses the evidence in favour of this view 

 at some length, pointing especially to the fact that while those ele- 

 ments, the atomic volumes of which are higher than that of gold, 

 greatly diminish its tenacity, silver, which has nearly the same atomic 

 volume as gold, hardly affects either its tenacity or its extensibility. 

 He shows that, so far as the experiments have been conducted, not a 

 single metal or metalloid which occupies a position at the base of 

 either of the loops of Lothar Meyer's curve (which is a graphical 

 representation of the periodic law of Newlands and Mendeleef) 

 diminishes the tenacity of gold, while, on the other hand, metals 

 which render gold fragile all occupy higher positions on Meyer's 

 curve than gold does, and he urges that the relations between these 

 small quantities of the elements and the masses of metal in which 

 they are hidden are under the control of the law of periodicity, 

 which states that " The properties of the elements are a periodic 

 function of their atomic weights." Carnelley has given strong evi- 

 dence in favour of supplementing the law as follows : — " The proper- 

 ties of compounds of the elements are a periodic function of the 

 atomic weights of their constituent elements," and the question 

 arises, May the law be so extended as to govern the relations 

 between the constituent metals of alloys in which, as is well known, 

 the atomic proportions are often far from simple ? 



The effect on gold of small but varying quantities of metals singly 

 and in presence of other metals, demands examination, and their 

 influence on the specific gravity of gold must be ascertained. Until 

 this has been done no explanation as to the mode of action of ele- 

 ments with large atomic volumes will be attempted. 



II. "Report of the Observations of the Total Solar Eclipse of 

 August 29, 1886, made at Grenville, in the Island of 

 Grenada." By H. H, Turner, M.A., B.Sc., Fellow of 

 Trinity College, Cambridge. Communicated by the Astro- 

 nomer Royal. Received February 23, 1888. 



(Abstract.) 



The first part of the paper gives details of the general arrange- 

 ments made for observation — the selection of a site, the erection of 

 the instruments and a hut to cover them ; and refers to the unfavour- 



