28 
pirection contrary to the earth’s rotation and appear to be 
left behind, or go with it and rotate faster. The atmosphere 
appears to press on the surface of the globe with a force that 
causes the air to move with the surface in its rotation, unless 
its own uniformity of pressure is disturbed, w hen gravitation 
comes into action to restore the equilibrium. 
PHYSICAL AND MATHEMATICAL SECTION. 
November 13 th, 1862. 
Robert Worthington, Esq., F.R.A.S., President of the 
Section, in the Chair. 
A Paper by Mr. Thomas Heelis, F.R.A.S., entitled 
“ Notes of Observations on r) Argus,” was read. 
In this the Author states that from a series of comparisons 
of this interesting star with others near it, carefully made 
with the naked 
eye and with a 
first-rate opera glass, during 
a voyage in the South 
Atlantic 
and Indian oceans, he con- 
structed the following table : — 
DATE. 
ship’s place. 
MAG. COMPARISON. 
1861. 
Deer. 7, 4 a.m 
. 2°45'N 
15°10'W. 
3 Equal to 8 Crucis. 
Deer. 9, 4 a.m 
. 0°44'N 
19°58'W. 
3-5 
Deer. 24, 9.30 p.m... 
,.35°54'S 
4°27'W. 
3.5 
1862. 
Mar. 21, 9.30 p.m.. 
,.19°15'N 112°15'E . 
than y Crucis. 
June 18, 7 p.m 
.. 7° l'S 
79°20'E . 
Less than 3... Less than 8 Crucis. 
June 22 
,.14°48'S 
70° 5'E . 
3 
June 29, 7.30 p.m... 
, . 24°47'S 
53°56'E . 
.... Greater than 3.. 
July 11, 9 p.m 
.35° 3'S 
25°14'E . 
Loss than 3 ...Less than 8 Crucis. 
July 20, 6.37 p.m... 
. 28°48'S 
9°64'E . 
3 
July 21. 7 p.m 
,.27°14'S 
8°26'E . 
Less than 3 ...Less than 8 Crucis. 
July 24, 8 p.m 
,22°21'S 
3°17'E . 
2-5 
July 27, 8 p.m 
. 19°44'S 
0°18'W. 
3 
A Paper by Mr. Thomas Heelis, “ On Hydrometric 
Observations of the Water of the Mediterranean,” was read. 
