REPORT

OF THE

FORTY-SIXTH MEETING

OF THE

BRITISH ASSOCIATION

FOR THE

ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE;

HELD AT

GLASGOW IN SEPTEMBER 1876.

LONDON:

JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.

1877.

[Office of the Association: 22 ALBEMARLE STREET, LONDON, W.]

PRINTED BY

TAYLOR AND FRANCIS, RED LION COURT FLEET STREET.

CONTENTS.

OBJECTS and Rules of the Association

Places of Meeting and Officers from commencement

Presidents and Secretaries of the Sections of the Association from

commencement

Page

xvii

xxiv

XXX

Recommendations of the General Committee for Additional Reports

and Researches in Science....

li

Synopsis of Money Grants.

lvii

Place of Meeting in 1878....

lviii

General Statement of Sums paid on account of Grants for Scientific

Purposes...

lix

Arrangement of the General Meetings

lxvii

Address by the President, Professor Thomas Andrews, M.D., LL.D.,

F.R.S., Hon. F.R.S.E., &c.

lxviii

REPORTS OF RESEARCHES IN SCIENCE,

Twelfth Report of the Committee for Exploring Kent's Cavern, Devon-

shire, the Committee consisting of JOHN EVANS, F.R.S., Sir JOHN

LUBBOCK, Bart., F.R.S., EDWARD VIVIAN, M.A., GEORGE BUSK, F.R.S.,

WILLIAM BOYD DAWKINS, F.R.S., WILLIAM AYSHFORD SANFORD, F.G..S,

JOHN EDWARD LEE, F.G.S., and WILLIAM PENGELLY, F.R.S. (Reporter)

1

Report of the Committee, consisting of Prof. SYLVESTER, Prof. CAYLEY,

Prof. HIRST, Rev. Prof. BARTHOLOMEW PRICE, Prof. H. J. S. SMITH,

Dr. SPOTTISWOODE, Mr. R. B. HAYWARD, Dr. SALMON, Rev. Prof. R.

TOWNSEND, Prof. FULLER, Prof. KELLAND, Mr. J. M. WILSON, Prof.

HENRICI, Mr. J. W. L. GLAISHER, and Prof. CLIFFORD, appointed for

the purpose of considering the possibility of Improving the Methods

of Instruction in Elementary Geometry, and reappointed to consider

the Syllabus drawn up by the Association for the Improvement of

Geometrical Teaching, and to report thereon. Drawn up by Mr.

HAYWARD

Results of a Comparison of the British-Association Units of Electrical

Resistance. By G. CHRYSTAL and S. A. SAUNDER.

Third Report of a Committee, consisting of Prof. A. S. HERSCHEL, B.A.,

F.R.A.S., and G. A. LEBOUR, F.G.S., on Experiments to determine the

Thermal Conductivities of certain Rocks, showing especially the Geo-

logical Aspects of the Investigation...

Report of a Committee, consisting of the Right Hon. J. G. HUBBARD,

M.P., Mr. CHADWICK, M.P., Mr. MORLEY, M.P., Dr. FARR, Mr. HAL-

LETT, Professor JEVONS, Mr. NEWMARCH, Professor LEONE LEVI, Mr.

HEYWOOD, and Mr. SHAEN (with power to add to their number),

appointed for the purpose of considering and reporting on the practi-

cability of adopting a Common Measure of Value in the Assessment

of Direct Taxation, local and imperial. By Mr. HALLETT, Secretary

Report of the Committee, consisting of Professor CLERK MAXWELL, Pro-

fessor J. D. EVERETT, and Dr. A. SCHUSTER, for testing experimentally

Ohm's Law

Report of the Committee, consisting of the Rev. H. F. BARNES, H. E.

DRESSER (Secretary), T. HARLAND, J. E. HARTING, T. J. MONK, Pro-

fessor NEWTON, and the Rev. CANON TRISTRAM, appointed for the pur-

pose of inquiring into the possibility of establishing a " Close Time"

for the protection of indigenous animals, and for watching Bills intro-

duced into Parliament affecting this subject

Report of the Committee, consisting of JAMES R. NAPIER, F.R.S., Sir W.

THOMSON, F.R.S., W. FROUDE, F.R.S., and OSBORNE REYNOLDS (Secre-

tary), appointed to investigate the effect of Propellers on the Steering

of Vessels. (Plate I.)....

Page

8

13

19

27

36

63

66

On the Investigation of the Steering Qualities of Ships. By Professor

OSBORNE REYNOLDS

70

Seventh Report on Earthquakes in Scotland, drawn up by Dr. BRYCE,

F.G.S., F.R.S.E. The Committee consists of Dr. BRYCE, F.G.S., Sir

W. THOMSON, F.R.S., J. BROUGH, G. FORBES, F.R.S.E., D. MILNE-HOME,

F.R.S.E., and P. DRUMMOND

74

Report on the Present State of our Knowledge of the Crustacea.-Part

II. On the Homologies of the Dermal Skeleton (continued). By C.

SPENCE BATE, F.R.S. &c. (Plates II. & III.)

75

Second Report of the Committee for investigating the Circulation of the

Underground Waters in the New Red Sandstone and Permian Forma-

tions of England, and the quantity and character of the water supplied

to various towns and districts from these formations. The Committee

consisting of Professor HULL, Mr. BINNEY, Rev. H. W. CROSSKEY,

Captain D. GALTON, Professor A. H. GREEN, Professor HARKNESS, Mr.

H. HOWELL, Mr. W. MOLYNEUX, Mr. G. H. MORTON, Mr. PENGELLY,

Professor PRESTWICH, Mr. J. PLANT, Mr. MELLARD READE, Mr. C.

FOX-STRANGWAYS, Mr. W. WHITAKER, and Mr. C. E. DE RANCE. Drawn

up by Mr. DE RANCE (Secretary)

Fourth Report of the Committee, consisting of Professor HARKNESS, Prof.

PRESTWICH, Prof. HUGHES, Rev. H. W. CROSSKEY, Prof. W. BOYD

DAWKINS, Dr. DEANE, Messrs. C. J. WOODWARD, L. C. MIALL, G. H.

MORTON, and J. E. LEE, appointed for the purpose of recording the

position, height above the sea, lithological characters, size, and origin

of the more important of the Erratic Blocks of England and Wales,

reporting other matters of interest connected with the same, and

taking measures for their preservation. Drawn up by the Rev. H.

W. CROSSKEY, Secretary ..

Page

95

110

Fourth Report of the Committee, consisting of Sir JOHN LUBBOCK, Bart.,

Prof. PRESTWICH, Prof. BUSK, Prof. T. M'K. HUGHES, Prof. W. BOYD

DAWKINS, Prof. MIALL, Rev. H. W. CROSSKEY, and Mr. R. H. TIDDE-

MAN, appointed for the purpose of assisting in the Exploration of the

Settle Caves (Victoria Cave). Drawn up by R. H. TIDDEMAN, Reporter 115

Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors during the year 1875–76,

by a Committee, consisting of JAMES GLAISHER, F.R.S., R. P. GREG,

F.G.S., F.R.A.S., C. BROOKE, F.R.S., Prof. G. FORBES, F.R.S.E., WAL-

TER FLIGHT, D.Sc., F.G.S., and Prof. A. S. HERSCHEL, M.A., F.R.A.S.

(Plate IV.)

Report on the Rainfall of the British Isles for the years 1875-76, by

a Committee, consisting of C. BROOKE, F.R.S. (Chairman), J. F.

BATEMAN, C.E., F.R.S., ROGERS FIELD, C.E., J. GLAISHER, F.R.S.,

T. HAWKSLEY, C.E., The Earl of Rosse, F.R.S., J. SMYTH, Jun., C.E.,

C. TOMLINSON, F.R.S., G. J. SYMONS (Secretary). .

119

172

Ninth Report of the Committee, consisting of Professor EVERETT, Sir W.

THOMSON, F.R.S., Professor J. CLERK MAXWELL, F.R.S., G. J. SYMONS,

F.M.S., Professor RAMSAY, F.R.S., Professor A. GEIKIE, F.R.S., JAMES

GLAISHER, F.R.S., GEORGE MAW, F.G.S., W. PENGELLY, F.R.S., Pro-

fessor HULL, F.R.S., Professor ANSTED, F.R.S., Professor PRESTWICH,

F.R.S., Dr. C. LE NEVE FOSTER, Professor A. S. HERSCHEL, G. A. LE-

BOUR, F.G.S., and A. B. WYNNE, appointed for the purpose of investi-

gating the Rate of Increase of Underground Temperature downwards

in various Localities of Dry Land and under Water. Drawn up by

Professor EVERETT, Secretary
204

Nitrous Oxide in the Gaseous and Liquid States. By W. J. JANSSEN.. 211