A. C. MACKENZIE, Esq. Mus. Doc. Three Lectures on THE TRADITIONAL AND NATIONAL IN MUSIC (with Musical Illustrations). On Saturdays, Feb. 9, 16, 23. THE RIGHT HON. LORD RAYLEIGH. Six Lectures on WAVES AND VIBRATIONS. On Saturdays, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, April 6. The PRESENTS received since the last Meeting were laid on the table, and the thanks of the Members returned for same, viz. :— FROM The Lords of the Admiralty-Report of Her Majesty's Astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope for the period 1889-92 and for the year 1893. 4to. 1893–4. Accademia dei Lincei, Reale, Roma-Classe di Scienze Fisiche, Matematiche e Naturali. Atti, Serie Quinta: Rendiconti. 2o Semestre, Vol. III. Fasc. 8. 8vo. 1894. Classe di Scienze Morali, etc.: Rendiconti, Serie Quinta, Vol. III. Fasc. 9. 8vo. 1894. 1894. 8vo. 1894. American Philosophical Society-Proceedings, No. 145. 8vo. 1894. Bankers, Institute of-Journal, Vol. XV. Part 8. 8vo. 1894. British Architects, Royal Institute of-Journal, 3rd Series, Vol. II. Nos. 1, 2. 4to. British Astronomical Association-Journal, Vol. IV. No. 11; Vol. V. No. 1. 8vo. 1894. Camera Club-Journal for November, 1894. 8vo. Chemical Industry, Society of-Journal, Vol. XIII. No. 10. 8vo. 1894. Proceedings, No. 142. 8vo. 1894. Chicago, Field Columbian Museum (the Director)—Guide to the Museum. 2nd edition. 8vo. 1894. Chili, Société Scientifique de-Actes, Tome III. Livr. 4, 5; Tome IV. Livr. 2. 4to. 1894. Clinical Society of London-Transactions, Vol. XXVII. 8vo. 1894. Athenæum for November, 1894. 4to. Brewers' Journal for November, 1894. 8vo. Editors-continued. 8vo. 4to. Svo. Nuovo Cimento for October, 1894. Tropical Agriculturist for November, 1894. Work for November, 1894. 8vo. Zoophilist for November, 1894. 4to. Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale-Bolletino, No. 214. Svo. 1894. Geographical Society, Royal-Supplementary Papers, Vol. III. Part 4. 8vo. 1893. Geographical Journal for November. 8vo. Glasgow Philosophical Society-Proceedings, Vol. XXV. 1893-4. 8vo. 1894. Hutton, A. W. Esq. M.A. (the Author)-The Vaccination Question. 8vo. 1894. Johns Hopkins University-American Chemical Journal, Vol. XVI. No. 7. 8vo. 1894. American Journal of Philology, Vol. XV. No. 3. 8vo. 1894. Langley, Professor S. P. (the Author)-Nouvelles recherches sur la région infrarouge du spectre solaire. 8vo. 1894. (Extrait des Comptes Rendus.) Linnean Society-Journal, No. 158. 8vo. 1894. Madras Government Museum-Note on Tours along the Malabar Coast. By E. Thurston. 8vo. 1894. Manchester Free Libraries-Fifty-second Annual Report. 8vo. 1893-4. Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society-Memoirs and Proceedings, Meteorological Society, Royal-Quarterly Journal, No. 92. 8vo. 1894. 1894. Ministry of Public Works, Rome-Giornale del Genio Civile, 1894, Fasc. 8, 9. 8vo. And Designi. fol. 1894. Moore, Mrs. Bloomfield, M.R.I.-The New Science Review, Vol. I. No. 2. 8vo. 1894. Musical Association-Proceedings, Twentieth Session, 1893-4. 8vo. 1894. Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain-Journal for November, 1894. 8vo. Royal Irish Academy-Transactions, Vol. XXX. Parts 13, 14. 4to. 1894. 1894. Sanitary Institute-Journal, Vol. XV. Part 3. 8vo. 1894. Saxon Society of Sciences, Philologisch-Historische Classe — Abhandlungen, Band XIV. No. 7; Band XV. Selborne Society-Nature Notes for November, 1894. 1. 8vo. 1894. Thr Smithsonian Institution-U.S. National Museum Report for 1891 and 1892. 8vo. 1892-3. Society of Architects-Journal, New Series, Vol. II. No. 1. 4to. 1894. Spottiswoode, William Hugh, Esq. F.C.S. M.R.I.-Sur quelques problèmes cubiques et biquadratiques. By H. J. S. Smith. 8vo. 1869. 1 On the complexes generated by two correlative Planes. By T. A. Hirst. 8vo. 1879. On the Correlation of two Planes. By T. A. Hirst. 8vo. 1894. On the Degenerate forms of Conics. By T. A. Hirst. 8vo. Solar Physics Committee Papers, 1879-80. By Professors Stokes, Lockyer and B. Stewart. Report on the Electric Light Experiments at Chatham in 1878. By Sir John Stokes. 8vo. Akustische Untersuchungen von W. Preyer. 8vo. 1879. Die Mathematischen Elemente der Erkenntnisstheorie von O. SchmitzDumont. 8vo. 1878. Memoir on Curves of the Third Order. By A. Cayley. 4to. 1856. La Relazione di Göpel per funzioni iperellittiche d'ordine qualunque. By F. Brioschi. 4to. 1881. Sopra un sistema di equazioni differenziali. By F. Brioschi. Sur la distinction des intégrales des équations différentielles linéaires en sous groupes. Par F. Casorati. 4to. 1881. Genneralizzazione di alcuni teoremi dei Sig. Hermite, Brioschi e MittagLeffler sulle equazioni differenziali lineari del 2° ordine. By F. Casorati. Aggiunte a recenti Lavori dei Sig. Weierstrass e Mittag-Leffler sulle funzioni di una variabile complessa. By F. Casorati. 4to. 1882. Sur un écrit très récent de M. Stickelberger. By F. Caso. 1881. Ein neuer Beweis für die Riemann'sche Thetaformel, von F. Prijm. 4to. 1882. Sur quelques points de la théorie des Fonctions. Par C. Hermite. 4to. 1884. Sur un représentation analytique des fonctions au moyen des transcendantes elliptiques. Par C. Hermite. 4to. 1880. La Fonction Exponentielle. Par C. Hermite. 4to. 1874. Die Sechs Grade der Beweglichkeit eines unveränderlichen Systems, von W. Schell. On the Rolling of Sailing Ships. By W. H. White. 4to. 1881. On J. Amsler Laffon's Mechanical Integrator. By C. W. Merrifield. 4to. 1880. Richerche Microscopiche sulle tracce delle scintille elettriche incise sul vetro. Par E. Villari. 4to. 1883. Practical Results on the Preservation of Alimentary Substances. By F. Artimini. Svo. 1885. Beobachtungen in Gauss' Erdmagnetischen Observatorium in Göttingen, von The Algebra of Relatives. By C. S. Peirce. 4to. 1882. Par R. Radau. Otto von Guerickes Experimenta Nova (ut vocantur) Magdeburgia. 4to. 1881. Note sur les méthodes de Wronski, &c. By A. J. Yvon Villarceau. 4to. 1881. Essai philosophique sur la Science de l'ordre. Par H. J. Yvon Villarceau. Also numerous Photographs, Drawings, &c. Surgeon-General's Office, U.S. Army-Index Catalogue of the Library, Vol. XV. 4to. 1894. Tacchini, Prof. P. Hon. Mem. R.I. (the Author)-Memorie della Società degli Spettroscopisti Italiani, Vol. XXIII. Disp. 9a. 4to. 1894. United Service Institution, Royal-Journal, No. 201. 8vo. 1894. United States Department of Agriculture-Monthly Weather Review for August, 1894. 4to. Experiment Station Record, Vol. V. Nos. 8-11. 8vo. 1894. Forestry Division Bulletin, Nos. 2, 4. 8vo. 1889-90. Farmers' Bulletin, Nos. 3-9, 13, 16, 17, 19. 8vo. 1891-4. United States Department of Agriculture-continued. Division of Statistics: Reports, Nos. 2, 5, 6. 8vo. 1892-3. Division of Entomology: Bulletin, Vol. VI. Nos. 1, 3, 4. 8vo. 1893-4. Division of Chemistry: Bulletin, Nos. 25, 26, 37, 40. 8vo. 1890-4. Miscellaneous Series: Reports, Nos. 7, 8. 8vo. 1893-4. United States Department of the Interior—Compendium of the Eleventh Census, Part 2. 4to. 1894. United States Geological Survey-Twelfth Annual Report, 1890-1, Parts 1, 2. 4to. 1891. Thirteenth Annual Report, 1891-2, Parts 1-3. 1892-3. United States Patent Office-Official Gazette, Vol. LXIX. Nos. 4-8. 8vo. 1894. Vereins zur Beförderung des Gewerbfleisses in Preussen-Verhandlungen, 1894: Heft 8. 4to. 1894. Winn, J. M. Esq. M.D. M.R.C.P. (the Author)-An Exposition of the Fallacies of the Materialistic Theory of Physiological Psychology. 8vo. 1894. WEEKLY EVENING MEETING, Friday, January 19, 1894. SIR FREDERICK BRAMWELL, BART. D.C.L. LL.D. F.R.S. PROFESSOR DEWAR, M.A. LL.D. F.R.S. M.R.I. Scientific Uses of Liquid Air. WHEN Faraday was working on liquid gases in this Institution about 1823, with such means as were then at his command, his inquiry was limited to the determination of the specific gravities and vapour pressures of such bodies. Twenty years later, by the use of solid carbonic acid, the greatest cold then possible was obtained, and Faraday made admirable use of Thilorier's new cooling agent to extend his early investigations. Just as liquid. carbonic acid produced in glass tubes was of no use as an agent for effecting the liquefaction of more resisting gaseous matters, until it could be manipulated in the solid state, so liquid air, until it could be handled, stored and used in open vessels, like any ordinary liquid, could not be said to possess scientific uses in any wide sense. Such operations become easy when double-walled vacuum vessels (such as were described in a former lecture) are employed in the conduct of experiments where substances boiling at very low temperatures have to be manipulated. The chief scientific use of liquid air consists in the facilities it gives for the study of the properties of matter at temperatures approaching the zero of absolute temperature. In this lecture the expression liquid air may mean either oxygen or air. Where a constant temperature is required oxygen is used. Liquid air made on the large scale may contain, after it is collected in open vacuum vessels, as much as 50 per cent. of oxygen. Such a liquid boils between 192° and - 182° C., and the longer it is stored the nearer it comes to 182° C. or the boiling point of pure oxygen. For a number of experiments of a qualitative character, whether it is liquid air or oxygen that is used makes no difference. In many of the experiments to be recorded, liquid oxygen made from the evaporation of liquid air was employed. In pursuing this subject in consort with Professor Fleming,* a long series of experiments, involving the use of large supplies of liquid oxygen, have been carried out on the electric resistance of metals and alloys, and *The Electrical Resistance of Metals and Alloys at Temperatures Approaching the Absolute Zero.' By James Dewar, LL.D. F.R.S. and J. A. Fleming, M.A. D.Sc. F.R.S. Professor of Electrical Engineering in University College, London. Phil. Mag. 1892. |