most general interest being, perhaps, gun-cotton, the use of disinfectant fluids, and the metals aluminium and thallium. A paper on aluminium, by Mr. J. L. Bell, Mayor of Newcastle, described the progress made in producing this valuable metal, and the extensive use now made of it in the arts. "A large amount of the increased activity of the manufacture referred to is due to the exceeding beauty of its compound with copper, which is so like gold as to be scarcely distinguishable from that metal, with the additional valuable property of being nearly as hard as iron." A visit to Mr. Bell's aluminium works was one of the local treats of the assembled savants. Mr. Crookes, the English discoverer of the new metal thallium, gave a most interesting account of the mode of obtaining it in large quantities from the flue-dust of pyrites burners, in arriving at which great difficulties had to be overcome. A little reduction in the price of this substance would enable it to be employed advantageously for ships' signals, the combustion of its salts producing a green flame of extraordinary intensity.

In Section C, the President, Professor Warrington Smyth, delivered an admirable address, of which the coal-fields of the district, and the coal-strata generally, naturally formed the principal theme. On the popular subject of geology a long series of important papers was read. Those on the gravel-beds of St. Acheul, by Professor Phillips, and on the alluvial accumulations in the valleys of the Somme and of the Ouse, by Mr. Godwin-Austen, were the subjects of animated discussion, as connected with the now much-debated question of the antiquity of man.

In Section D, Professor Balfour in his opening address adverted to the connexion of the subjects of the Section Zoology and Botany with geology, and remarked upon the important place natural history is now assuming in general education. The possession of University honours is now connected in a certain degree with a knowledge of nature; and a master of arts, as well as a doctor of medicine, is supposed to know something of the objects in the material world with which he is surrounded.

In Subsection D, devoted to Physiology, Professor Rolleston commented amongst other things upon the question of vivisection, and defended the practice, when undertaken for the ends of science, as ultimately productive of more benefit than pain.

The topics treated under this section and its subsection included such miscellaneous matters as dredging explorations on the coast of Scotland, the colour of salmon, the eggs of birds, the ventilation of barracks in India, instinct, the cultivation of cinchona, the lacustrine fauna of North Africa, the anatomy of the chimpanzee, the hand of the gorilla, the geographical distribution of animal life, a whiting with three eyes, the means of passing unharmed through noxious gases and vapours, the appearance in England of the Chinese sand-grouse, the effects of bromide of ammonium, the physical geography of the Malay Archipelago, and the existence of germs of life in the atmosphere.

Section E included the extensive subjects of geography and ethnology. The President, Sir Roderick Murchison, adverted to the yet unfinished state of the Government maps of the British Isles, and reviewed the recent important geographical discoveries, particularly those of which the merit is due to Englishmen. The discovery of the source of the Nile by Captains Speke and Grant formed a prominent feature amongst these.

Papers were read on the commixture of races of men as affecting the progress of civilization, on anthropological classification, on an international transit route through Central America, on the mental character of the negro (this paper

excited warm discussion, and an exhibition of feeling not purely philosophical, shown in hisses and counter-cheers), on the cranioscopy of South American nations, on the extinction of races, on lacustrine habitations in Wigtonshire, on varieties of man in the Malay Archipelago, on the origin of gypsies, and on a kist of the stone age on the coast of Elgin.

Under Section F, the vital statistics of an European army in India, the decrease of the agricultural population of England, Durham University, mortality in Lancashire in 1863, transportation in connexion with colonization, the effects of recent gold-discoveries, the military budgets of France and England, the Irish and English poor-laws, and the volunteer force, were the chief subjects treated of.

In Section G, many new mechanical contrivances and improvements were brought forward. A report upon the application of gun-cotton was received with great interest, and was thought likely to lead to some practical and useful results.

The meetings of the British Association have long assumed an important place in scientific annals. Derided at first as idle gatherings of sciolism, they are now seen to be productive of solid results, and it is admitted that philosophers need not cease to be profound, if they sometimes assume holiday costume.

The solar spectrum continues to be the object of investigation by chemical explorers, and new discoveries are ever presenting themselves. Professor J. P. Cooke states that his instrument shows at least ten times as many lines as are given by Kirchhoff in his chart, and an infinitude of nebulous bands just on the point of being resolved. Thus the line marked D shows nine lines and a nebulous band. Even with these magnificent means, which go far to prove that the lines in the solar spectrum are as innumerable as the stars of heaven, the coincidence between the bright lines of the metallic spectra and the dark lines is perfect. Thus while the two members of the sodium line were spread so far apart that th part of the intermediate space can readily be distinguished, the coincidence between the sodium band and the two dark Fraunhofer lines is absolute. Many of the bands of the metallic spectra are broad coloured spaces, crossed by bright lines. This is the case with the orange band of the strontium spectrum, and with the whole of the calcium and barium spectra.

M. J. P. Jouvin, chief medical officer of the French navy, and professor of chemistry to the Naval School of Medicine at Rochefort, propounds a new method of preserving iron-plated and other vessels and metallic articles from oxidation, and for preventing ships' bottoms from fouling. The invention consists in lining the inner surface of ships' sides and bottoms perfectly scoured with sheets of zinc applied directly against the sheet iron, or with zinc paint when the metal itself cannot be used. The exterior is protected from the deposit of marine shells and plants by a coating of poisonous paint, or rather one which, when brought in contact with the sea-water, produces by chemical reaction the poisonous cyanide of mercury, in the shape of chloro-cyanide of mercury and sodium. The smallest particle of this is sufficient to destroy all animal and vegetable life that is brought into contact with it.

A new method of healing epilepsy and some other kindred diseases is proposed by Dr. John Chapman. The means suggested are extremely simple, mere cold and heat applied in various ways and during different lengths of time, separately, alternately, or combined. M. Brown-Séquard's theory of epilepsy is, that the fit is preceded by irritation of those branches of the sympathetic

nerve which supply the head, giving rise to pallor and contraction of the central blood-vessels and temporary deprivation of arterial blood to the brain, which it is assumed deprives that organ of its functions. Hence it becomes necessary to exert a curative influence over the sympathetic nervous system, to the extent of the distribution of its vaso-motor nerves through the paralyzed limb. In exciting these vaso-motor nerves the arteries are made to contract, while by diminishing their influence the arteries dilate, and it is upon an application of this principle that Dr. Chapman's treatment depends.

The discovery of several new metals from spectrum analysis has been announced. One of these has been named Indium, another, discovered by M. Bahr, was named by him Wasium. A French chemist, M. Nicklès, however, contests the fact of this being an independent metal, and contends that it is but yttrium containing a little didymium or terbium.

A new vegetable reagent of great delicacy has been discovered by M. Goppelsroeder of Bâle, who states that paper tinted with the extract of the petals of the mallow may be used in the same manner as litmus or carcuma. The alkaline bases render this paper violet when the solutions are diluted, and green when they are concentrated. The presence of one ten-millionth part of caustic soda suffices to colour the reagent violet, and the alkaline nitrates furnish the same result.

During the summer a captured sturgeon was safely housed in a tank in the Zoological Gardens, where his life and habits became a favourite subject of observation with naturalists. Several attempts were made to induce freshly caught porpoises to share the sturgeon's tank, but the unfortunate porpoises soon died, apparently from the effects of the journey which they necessarily had to perform over land from their native element.

Scientific balloon ascents have been numerous. Messrs. Glaisher and Coxwell have repeatedly ascended, and many curious results have been obtained by these intrepid observers. On one occasion a railway train was heard at the height of three miles, and another even at four miles. These are the greatest heights at which sounds have been heard.

Among the valuable horticultural acquisitions made by Mr. Fortune in Japan is the male plant of the Aucuba Japonica, of which the female has long been known in England. Some specimens of the male are announced by him in his recent work to be now flourishing in the London nursery gardens, and we may shortly expect, after many years of sterility, to see the numerous female plants covered with clusters of red berries, an ornament for which they are greatly prized in Japan, but which has hitherto been unknown on British soil.

PART II.

CHRONICLE

OF REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES

IN 1863.

JANUARY.

1. ACCIDENT TO THE PRINCESS ALICE.-As Her Royal Highness the Princess Alice, accompanied by the Hon. Mrs. Bruce, was passing in a phaeton through Broadlands, a suburb of Newport, Isle of Wight, the phaeton came in contact with a cart and was completely overturned. Princess Alice escaped with slight bruises on her left arm, and Mrs. Bruce with scratches on the hands. They returned to Osborne in the course of an hour, and were both quite well next day.

3. DESTRUCTION OF THE SUNNYSIDE WORKS, SALFORD.-At midnight, a fire broke out in the bleaching and finishing works of Mr. Henry Statham, late Messrs. Thorpe and Statham, Sunnyside Works, Ordsal-lane, Salford. These works are very extensive; they comprise a four-story mill, measuring in length about 180 feet, and two-story finishing, pressing, and packing rooms. The mill runs down to the bank of the Irwell, and is hugged on both sides by large mills. No work had been in operation during the day, which, being New Year's Day, is customarily a holiday. On the appearance of the fire a messenger was despatched to the Salford Town-hall for the fire-engine, and before its arrival a large number of men voluntarily entered the burning building, and the houses in the neighbourhood were stored with the goods that were saved. The mill was an old one, and was filled with a very valuable stock, business having been exceedingly good, and all the hands being in constant employment. The fire made rapid progress, and before the arrival of the fire-brigade had obtained a complete mastery of the building. The floors burnt through in rapid succession, a loud report marking the moment that each story gave way. The roof seemed to be burnt through in sections, and as each portion fell, pillars of fire and smoke shot up into the heavens to great heights, illuminating the district by

Α

the fierceness of their glow, and people in streets a considerable distance off shrank before the intensity of the hot breezes that were borne on the wind. The Salford Fire Brigade, under Mr. Superintendent Atherton, worked heroically. The men scrambled up the roofs of the adjacent building, and, standing upright on the stone window-sills of rooms in an adjoining mill which had caught fire, directed jets of water upon the flames. Masses of burning ruins fell into the midst of groups of firemen who from the ground were directing streams of water upon the interior of the building, and great apprehensions were at one time excited for the safety of some men who had penetrated into the engine-room, and who, with flames on every hand, stood with the utmost coolness, stand-pipe in hand, playing on the burning mass. A large quantity of burning ruins. fell while the men stood in the position described, and completely obscured them for a moment from sight, but when the smoke cleared away they were seen to be standing in the same position, and apparently unhurt. The mill, which was burnt up to the wall of Mr. Statham's, was occupied by Mr. Billington, and was used for the manufacture of small wares. One end caught fire, but the damage will be, comparatively speaking, slight. There was a large police-force on the ground to keep the crowd in order, and as there were many drunken men, the police had plenty of work. The total damage was upwards of 20,0007.

5. FEARFUL DEATH OF A MILLOWNER.-An inquest was held at the Shepherd and Flock, Farnham, before Mr. C. J. Woods, coroner for Surrey, on the body of Mr. Thomas Simmonds, aged forty-five years. Deceased was the owner of Bourne Mill, and went into the mill to examine the state of the wall, which had been injured by a quantity of water that came from the top. Having lighted his lamp, he was making his way to that part where the water-power works were, and for that purpose had to cross over a lathe which connects both the water and steam power. It appears that rather more than twelve months ago, two pieces of iron were put on to strengthen a portion of the works; these were secured by screws, the ends of which projected, and in one of them the bottom part of the jacket which deceased wore, caught, and in an instant he was thrown into the machinery and whirled round at the fearful rate of sixty times a minute. The miller heard a jumping in the machinery, and, feeling satisfied that something had happened, he ran upstairs and stopped the mill, after which he went into the house of the deceased for his son, who was immediately on the spot. Further assistance having been obtained, the unfortunate man was got out, but not before the whole of his clothes were obliged to be cut off. Mr. Clarke, surgeon, of Farnham, and his assistant, were promptly on the spot, and every assistance rendered, but Mr. Simmonds expired at a quarter past eleven o'clock, the accident happening a little before eight. The head was found to have no less than twelve cuts at the back, which was fractured in four places, and a portion of the