The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-17 00:00:00

SECTION C.-GEOLOGY.

Sir B. I. MURCHISON presiding.
Mr. J.'W. DAWSON, of Nova Scotia, gave a lecture on
the Fossils of the Coal Formation of Nova Scotia, illus-
trated by a large collection of specimens.
Mr. SLIMHOND presented specimens of new forms of
crustacea from the district of Lesmahagow.
Captain Sir E. BELCHER made some communications
relative to fossils found on the Northern Expedition.

Mr. EVAN HorNINC, F.E.S., made a communication
on the Meridional and Symmetrical Structure of the
Globe. Amongst other speculations, he raid that 9,000
years ago the site on which London now stands was in
the torrid zone, and, according to perpetual changes in
progress, the whole of England would be in the Arctic
circle. (Laughter.)
Mr. Hopkins's views were controverted by Professor
Ramsay, Mr. David Page, and Professor Nichol.

SECTION E. -GEOGII APHY AND ETHNOLOGY.

A paper " On the Decyphering of Inscriptions on two
seals found at Koyunjek," was read by the Rev. JOHN
GEMMEL, M.A.
lir. JULIUS OPPERT read a paper on "The Geogra
phical and Historical Results of the French Scientific
Expedition to Babylon."
Professor RITZIUS, of Stockholm, gave a verbal de-
scription of the Celtic, Sclavic, and Aztec crania. He
combatted the phrenological view that high skulls be-
tokened high intellect. He had gone into schools in
this country, and uniformly observed, on looking round,
that not more than one in a hundred could be found
without the elongated skull and prominent occiput. The
same thing was to be said of his native country Sweden.
In reply to a question, the learned professor excused
himself from pronouncing positively whether the long-
headed or round-headed skull represented the highest
intellect. There had been many eminent men among
the Poles and Bohemians who belonged to the round-
headed class ; but it might be admitted, on the whole,
that tho larger proportion of great men had the elon-
gated skull.
A brief paper by Lieut.-Col. BURTON, of the Bombay
army, gave an account of a visit to Medina from Suez,
by way of .1 ambo.
Colonel SYKES read a paper drawn up by Adolphi
Schlayintevat and his brother, two of the gentlemen
employed on the magnetic survey of India, and giving a
description of their exploration of the linnalayahs, in
May and. June, 1555.
Captain ALLEN, in the absence of Sir B. F. Outran,
read a paper calling the attention of the association to
the necessity of adopting Hartlepool pier and port as a
harbour of refuge, in order to accommodate the increase
of shipping on the east coast of England.
Mr. 0. JOSEPH BOULT then read his paper on the im-
portance of periodical engineering surveys of tidal har-
bours, illustrated by a comparison of the surveys of the
river Mersey. He pointed out the extent to which the
sea had encroached upon the land at the mouth of the
Mersey, the average yearly encroachment being about
six yards, and showed the consequent necessity of re-
peated and minute surveys, for the purpose of discover-
ing where the sea encroached, and where deposits were
laid down, with the view of preserving the harbours un-
deteriorated.
Alter a protracted conversation on this subject, it was
agreed to re-appoint the Mersey Inquiry Committee,
with the addition of Sir Philip Egerton, and to recom-
mend the Association's Committee of Recommendations
to make a grant of 1001. towards the expenses of the
committee.

SECTION F.—STATISTICS.
MONCKTON MILNEs, Esq., presided.
SECTION G.—MECHANICAL SECTION.
Mr. J. MACQUORN RANKINE read a paper on the ope-
ration of the Patent Laws, in which he pointed out seve-
ral defects.
Mr. FAIRBURN said at least the cost for a patent
should be no more than 51.
Mr. T. WEBSTER argued that it would be wrong to
make patents much cheaper than they are, as it would
throw a large temptation in the way of foolish persons
to protect all manner of absurdities. The question of
invention is one of brains against money. Manufac-
turers do not and cannot afford to encourage inventions,
from having almost always so much capital invested in
such machinery as they presently require, and conse-
quently aro unwilling to throw away what they have,
merely for the chance benefit which a new invention
might afford.
Sir D. BREWSTER argued that patents should not only
be given for nothing, but that Government should give
a bounty to any invention, however frivolous, and this
❑ot for the benefit of the patentees alone, but also on
account of the public.

Mr. BATEMAN took up the question in opposition to
Sir D. Brewster, in as far as giving patents for every in-
vention was concerned, but thought a bounty should be
given to useful inventions.
A gentleman in the audience asked the definition of a
useful invention.

Dr. ROBINSON, of Armagh, said that if there be any
such thing m property, it is clearly that which is the
offspring of a man's own intellect, and a great moral
wrong was perpetrated if the price of patents were one
farthing more than sufficient to cover all law expenses.
The Earl of HARROWBY disapproved of bounties, and
thought Government ought not to be entrusted with the
right of deciding on the utility or inutility of inventions.
Mr. WARD read a paper by W. Bridges Adams, C.E.,
iu which he gave a description of various kinds of pro-
jectiles. In giving his idea of the best form of a ball,
Mr. Adams thought that the conical form, with feathers,
was the best, which is exactly that Mr. Kennedy, of
Kilmarnock, has lately patented, and which has been ex-
perimented upon lately at Ardrossan and Troon. The
idea of an elongated ball, which should also be charged
like a bomb, has also been anticipated by Mr. Kennedy.
\Voided guns, united by hydrostatic pressure—the coat-
ing inside with another metal to prevent abrasion, and
several other improvements, which have in part been
adopted by inventors, were also recommended.
Dr. ROBINSON opened the discussion, and was of
opinion that feathers upon a ball was a mistaken idea,
because the ball carries with it a portion of air, and that
rotation could not be ilecured to the ball by feathers
alone, as they could not act but on the body of air which
they carried with them. Rifled guns are more liable to
burst, because the force necessary to explode a ball from
such a piece of ordnance is greater than that required
for a plain bored gun ; and also that a rifled gun is much
more liable to burst or be rendered useless from frequent
discharges, because of the force necessary to cause rota
tion having to be added to that which causes projection
Dr Robinson then alluded to the bronze guns of the
Deidarellto, which are cf three feet bore, coed ogiguit our

fleets not many years since, and which were made by Ma-
hornet 11., and asked whether bronze might not now be
used instead of cast iron. He then suggested the probe,
bility that on experiment railway iron might be found
better than cast iron for ordnance.
Mr. \Var. FAIRBAIRN said the material of which guns
are now made is inferior to that used 50 years ago, and
added that from a recent examination of welded guns,
which he said were torn asunder as though they ha' been
made of paper, he was doubtful whether guns so made
would ever serve any useful purpose. Guns made of
welded staves were always liable to tear by the action of
the discharges. . Solid cast guns cool irregularly, and
when the gun is bored the metal is more porous in
the centre than on the outside. The Americans,
to obviate this, cast their guns with a core through which
a stream of cold water is carried, which makes them
cool regularly ;. but he did not consider their mode any
improvement. He thought that the guns at present
used were too short, and that by being a foot or more
longer an economy of powder would result, while the
range and aim would be better. He thought the shape
of guns was at present faulty. They are thirk at the
breech, and the walls are cast of equal thicknes,*.hrough
their whole length ; and he was inclined to think an im-
provement would be found if the muzzle were thinned
and the breech thickened. One great evil at present
was the faulty character of the iron used for ordnance.
The Turkish guns which be had examined were cast of
gun metal, and did admirably. The Russian guns were
better than ours, and yet the most of them were cast in
this country ; therefore the subject should be carefully
examined.

Dr. ROBINSON asked whether it might not be possible
to make guns of bronze, with a lining of iron or steel ?
Mr. FAIIPBAIRIT thought all guns made of pieces, and
of any mixed metals, would prove failures, because of
the frequent heatings they would have to undergo in the
process of manufacture. He thought that steel guns,
examples of which are in the Exhibition of Paris, might
be found very useful, if not for guns of large size, at least
for field pieces and others of small calibre.
In reniy to Mr. G. W. MUIR,
A GENTLEMAN stated that the Messrs. Downie, of
Woodside Foundry, had lately made a casting for hydros-
tatic purposes, which was made of malleable iron, with a
coating of cast iron, which was capable of bearing a
great pressure. He said that a gun had been made on
the same principle, but it had not yet been tried.
Dr. ROBINSON and Mr. FAIRBAIRN were much inte-
rested with this fact, and on inquiring what pressure the
casting had been tried with, were informed that it had
stood a pressure of 5,000 pounds. They concurred in
the idea that the gun should be tested as soon as pos-
sible, for valuable information on the subject might be
elicited.