The Express.
London, England, 1862-10-03 00:00:00

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE

ADVANCEMENT OF 'Kuser.

CAMBRIDGE, THIYINDAY.
This morning the different sections met at 11 o'clock, nod
proceeded to business.
SzerioN A.—MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL

SCIENCE.

This section met in one of the lecture-rooms in Trinity
Collect under the presidency of Mr. 0. G. &rosin, LA.,
P.R. Luemian Professor of Mathematics.
Mr. . TOitinloott made a communication on the motion
of camphor, fie., towards the light. Referring to the ex-
periments of Cleptal and Dr. Draper he said he doubted
the correctness of the conclusions at which they had ar-
rived. Experiments which he had himself instituted dur-
ing the present year convinced him that neither light nor
electricity had anything to do with the phenomenon, but
that it was mused solely by the action of heat.
Mr. Sruwairr bad also made experiments on the subject,
while Waded to confirm Mr. Tomlinson's conclusion.
Mr. Isaac Asia next communicated " Suggestions on 1,
Balloon Navigation." The recent ascent of Mears. Cox-
well and °Lieber at Wolverhampton proved the extreme
danger of rising above a certain &hits& The attainment
of an altitude of 1,500 feet would be quite sufficient for all
scientific purposes. Saving described an instrument which
would cause the valve of a balloon to open on reaching a
certain height, Mr. Ash, suggested that the principle of the
screw might be applied for Meeting sad propelling halloos..
Dv. lam remarked that Mr. IftireNe would arrive in
Cambridge is the course of the day, and that on Saturday
or Linday his balloon report would be produced.
Mr. Banos was of opinion that the difficulty of breathing
experieueed by aeronauts might be obviated by their taking
up with them a bottle of pure oxygen, a amok at which
would afford mush more relief than the brandy bath".
(laughter.)
The Sucarrxer next read an extract from an account of
a visit to the Kew Observatory, presented to the Portu-
guese government by Profesecor J. A. de Scam, of the
University of Coimbra; communicated by Mr. J. P.
Gaesiot.

Mr. J. NAinerra made a communication on some pessliar
features ia the structure of the sun's surface, which he
illustrated with diagrams.
?Meow CMALLII next reed a paper on the extent of the
sixth's atmosphere. He argued that, at all events, those
was a limit to the height of the atmosphere in one respect,
viz., it did not extend to the moon. Astronomers held that
the roisters of the earth upon its axis was the most me-
'tent thing is nature, and if that were so, we had priest
Jack seldom', that the earths atmosphere did not extend
to the moon.

Professor thikLLIS next read a paper "Oa the augmenta-
tion of the appareut diameter of a body by its atmospheric
refraction.'. . . .

Triereinaioing papers read were :—Mr. W. Spottiewoode,
" On the Hindu method of calculating eclipsed ;" Mr. J. Y.
Menzies, "Description of an optical instrument which in-
dicates the relative change of position of two objecta which
are maintaining independent courses ,'' Mr. G. J. Symons,
"On British rainfall during 1860 and 1861," and "On the
performance under trying circumstances of a very small
aneroid barometer ;" Mr. Norman Poison, "Observations
on three of the minor planets in 1860" (read by Dr. Lee);
sod Dr. J. Croll, "On the mechanical power of eleetre-
magnetinn, with special references to Dr. Jet& and Dr.
Scoresby's theory" (read by one of the secretaries).
The room was crowded throughout the day, many ladies
being present.