57 
Ordinary Meeting, February 24th, 1863. 
E. W. Binney, F.R.S., F.G.S., President, in the Chair. 
Among other donations for which the thanks of the Society 
were voted were an extensive collection of Dr. Dalton’s 
manuscript correspondence, presented by Dr. W. C. Henry ; 
and a framed photograph of Professors Bunsen and Kirchhoff, 
presented by Mr. H. Petschler. 
Professor Roscoe stated that he had been for some little 
time, and is still, engaged in an interesting examination of 
the spectrum produced by the flame evolved in the manu- 
facture of cast steel by the Bessemer process, on the works of 
Messrs. John Brown and Co., of Sheffield. 
The spectrum of this highly luminous and peculiar flame 
exhibits during a certain phase of its existence, a complicated 
but most characteristic series of bright lines and dark absorp- 
tion bands. Amongst the former the sodium, lithium, and 
potassium lines are most conspicuous ; but these are 
accompanied by a number of other, and as yet undetermined 
bright lines ; whilst among the absorption bands those formed 
by sodium vapour and carbonic oxide can be readily 
distinguished. Professor Roscoe expressed his belief that 
this first practical application of the Spectrum Analysis will 
prove of the highest importance in the manufacture of cast steel 
by the Bessemer process, and he hoped on a future occasion 
to be in a position to bring the subject before the Society in a 
more extended form than he was at present able to do. 
A communication was likewise made by Professor Roscoe, 
concerning “ The Existence of a Crystallizable Carbon 
Compound and Free Sulphur in the Alais Meteorite.” 
Through the kindness of R. P. Greg, Esq., of Manchester, 
I was placed in possession of about a gramme and a half of 
this peculiar meteorite, which fell near Alais, in France, on 
the 15th March, 1806, and was examined by Berzelius in 
Proceedings— Lit, and Phil. Society— No. 9 .— Session 1802 - 3 , 
