Societies and Academies

Abstract

LONDON Physical Society, February 12.—Annual General Meeting,—prof, B. Stewart, F.R.S., President, in the chair.—In opening the proceedings the President regretted that in their Report the Council have to record the loss of one who took a prominent part in the proceedings of the Society, the late Dr. Guthrie. It was, however, satisfactory to learn that the appeal of the Guthrie Memorial Committee, under the presidency of Prof. Huxley, had been generously responded to. The Council also learn with regret from Dr. E. Atkinson that owing to pressure of work he is unable to retain the office of Treasurer to the Society, and desire to express their thanks to him for his past services. Prof. Rücker has consented to be nominated for the office thus rendered vacant, and the Council believe that by his election the connection between the Society and the Normal School of Science (which is so desirable) will be maintained.—The Report of the Council for the year 1886 was read and received, and the following gentlemen were elected Members of the Council for the present year:—President: Dr. Balfour Stewart, F.R.S.; Vice-Presidents: Dr. E. Atkinson, Prof. W. E. Ayrton, F.R.S., Shelford Bidwell, F.R.S., Prof. H. McLeod, F.R.S.; Secretaries: Prof. A. W. Reinold, F.R.S., Walter Baily; Treasurer: Prof. A. W. Rücker, F.R.S.; Demonstrator: C. V. Boys; other Members of Council: R. H. M. Bosanquet, W. H. Coffin, Conrad W. Cooke, Prof. G. Forbes, Prof. F. Fuller, Prof. J. Perry, F.R.S., W. N. Shaw, Prof. S. P. Thompson, C. M. Whipple, C. R. Alder Wright, F R.S.—The President proposed the following resolution: “That at the end of Clause 11 of the By-laws, which says, ‘Every candidate for admission into the Society shall be recommended by not less than three members, to two of whom he must be personally known,’ there be added, ‘When a candidate living abroad is a member of a recognised scientific Society, such membership may, subject to the approval of the Council, be held equivalent to the personal knowledge aforesaid.’” The resolution was carried, subject to confirmation by a special general meeting to be held on February 26.—A vote of thanks, proposed by Prof. Ayrton and seconded by Prof. McLeod, to the Lords of the Committee of Council on Education, for the use of the rooms and apparatus of the Normal School of Science, was passed unanimously.— The Hon. R. Abercromby proposed a vote of thanks to the officers of the past year for their gratuitous services, which was seconded by Prof. Pickering.—Sir Philip Magnus proposed a vote of thanks to the auditors, Colonel Festing and Prof. Fuller, which was seconded by Mr. Lecky, and passed unanimously.— Mr. J. Brown was elected a Member of the Society.—The following communication was then read:—Note on the tenacity of spun glass, by E. Gibson and R. E. Gregory. The authors have experimented on the tenacity of glass rods and fibres made from the same piece of glass. The fibres varied from 1/25 to 1/50 mm. and the rods from about 1/2 to 1 mm. in diameter. They find the tenacity per square centimetre of rods increases as the diameter decreases, as in ordinary wires, whereas with fibres this is not shown. Experiments were shown illustrating the method of working, and the highest tenacity recorded was for a fibre of.0340 mm. diameter, which gave 466 × 107 dynes per square centimetre, a value about half as great as that for steel wires. The authors refer to Quincke's suggestion that the increased tenacity of small wires is due to surface-tension, and may be represented by W = Ad + Bd2, where W is the breaking weight and d the diameter, but their own results with glass do not agree with this formula. Sir Philip Magnus asked if the diameters were measured at the point of rupture, if the elongation was determined, and whether the authors were able to suggest any other formula which would express their results. Mr. C. V. Boys remarked that the tenacity being so much affected by accidental circumstances, such as rate of cooling, no such formula could be expected. Prof. Rücker, referring to Quincke's experiments, said that the surface-tensions of metals calculated from them appear improbable. After some further remarks by the President, Prof. Ayrton, Mr. C. V. Boys, Prof. McLeod, and Mr. Gregory, the proceedings terminated.