53 



shown upon the screen illustrating some of the more important of 

 his experiments. Dr. Mahomed had attempted to find the nature 

 of the connection between the electrical state of the atmosphere on 

 the one hand and the varying conditions of temperature, barometric 

 pressure, sunshine, storm, wind, etc., on the other. Thus far the 

 positive results had been few, but the lecturer announced his 

 intention of continuing his observations. An audience of about 50 

 listened with much interest to a story of personal work systematically 

 carried out in a field of scientific research of which so much still 

 remains unexplored. 



Practical ^ n ^ GC ' Edgar L. Ingram, Esq., m.inst.e.e., 



. gave a lecture on Electricity as a source of Heat, 



Efectricit 0nS Ught and Power ' The lecturer > who is the Chief 

 ^' Engineer of the Bournemouth and Poole Electric 



Supply Company, gave an able exposition of so much of the subject 



as could be compressed into the limits of a single discourse. Starting 



with the chemical potential energy of coal, an account was given of 



the various transformations of this energy, and of the means taken 



and machinery employed to bring about these transformations. 



Particularly good was Mr. Ingram's treatment of the interesting 



subject of the incandescent electric lamp. A sketch of its history 



and gradual development was given and the process of constructing 



lamps was fully explained. The interest of the lecture was greatly 



enhanced by the liberal display of electrical appliances for which 



Mr. Ingram had arranged and by the experiments performed in 



illustration of the principles and processes described. After the 



lecture, E. W. Barlow, Esq. f.r.a.s., read a short note announcing 



that he had already seen Halley's Comet. About seventy members 



of the section were present. 



The third meeting of the section was held on Feb. 

 Meteorology. 5th< The lecturer was C Dales> Esq ^ F . R . MET . SO c., 



the Borough Meteorologist, who gave his discourse the title, " The 

 Weather, and Instruments for indicating the same." The lecture 

 was illustrated by diagrams, and there was a considerable display of 

 meteorological instruments on the table and about the room. The 

 lecturer described various types of barometers, beginning with the 

 simplest form of the instrument and ending with the standard pattern 

 of Fortin. The methods of taking observations were described and 

 an account given of the various corrections that are applied. 

 Amongst the instruments exhibited was a recording aneroid baro- 

 meter which still gives reliable indications after being in the 

 lecturer's possession for 25 years. Charts showing isobars were 

 displayed and the use of barometric readings in compiling weather 

 forecasts was explained. Hygrometry was next dealt with and 

 various forms of hygroscopes and hygrometers described and 

 exhibited. 



In treating of the direction and force of the wind an anemometer 

 of the lecturer's own invention was shown to the audience. 

 Temperature received a due share of attention and numerous 

 thermometers were shown and the special purpose of each was 



