immr • I,;;.: :. .;.:..•:;• : '''. '''/'.'.', !)';•• ;:vi;:!;;-i;i'i' . 'c-ri'h'-:-:;: ':.;.. •':;;: /. I ^. ^./^a REPORT EIGHTEENTH MEETING ;r^„,ftjWi7^> BRITISH ASSOCIATION ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE; HELD AT SWANSEA IN AUGUST 1S48. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1849. PRINTED BY RfCHARD AND JOHN E. TAYLOR, RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET. CONTENTS. Pa^e Objects and Rules of the Association v Places of Meeting and Officers from commencement viii Table of Council from commencement x Treasurer's Account xii Officers and Council xiv Officers of Sectional Committees xv Corresponding Members xvi Report of Council to the General Committee xvi Recommendations for Additional Reports and Researches in Science xxii Synopsis of Money Grants xxiv Arrangement of the General Meetings xxix Address of the President xxxi REPORTS OF RESEARCHESJN SCIENCE. A Catalogue of Observations of Luminous Meteors. By the Rev. Baden Powell, M.A., F.R.S. &c., Savilian Professor of Geometry, Oxford 1 On Water-pressure Engines. By Joseph Glynn, F.R.S.,M. Inst. C.E.&c. 11 On the Air and Water of Towns, By Robert Angus Smith, Ph.D., Manchester 16 Eighth Report of a Committee, consisting of H. E. Strickland, F.G.S. Prof. Daubeny, Prof. Henslow and Prof. Lindley, appointed to continue their Experiments on the Growth and Vitality of Seeds ... 31 Fifth Report on Atmospheric Waves. ByW. R. Birt 35 On Colouring Matters. By Edward Schunck, Ph.D 57 IV CONTENTS. Page Oil the advantageous use made of the gaseous escape from the Blast Furnaces at the Ystalyfera Iron Works. By James Palmer Budd 7.5 Report of progress in the investigation of the Action of Carbonic Acid on the Growth of Plants allied to those of the Coal Formations. By Robert Hunt S4' Supplement to the Temperature Tables printed in the Report of the Britisii Association for 1847. By Professor H. W. Dove, Cor. Memb. of the British Association; containing 84' additional Stations 84- Remarks by Professor Dove on his recently constructed Maps of the Monthly Isothermal Lines of the Globe, and on some of the principal Conclusions in regard to Climatology deducible from them ; with an introductory Notice by Lieut.-Col. Edward Sabine, Gen. Sec 85 On the Progress of the investigation on the Influence of Carbonic Acid on the Growth of Ferns. By Dr. Daubeny 97 Notice of further progress in Anemometrical Researches. By John Phillips, F.R.S 97 To the Assistant-General Secretary 98 Second Report on the Gaussian Constants. By Adolphe Erman 98 Report relative to the expediency of recommending the continuance of the Toronto Magnetical and Meteorological Observatory until De- cember 1850, adopted by a Committee of the British Association at Swansea, August 1848, consisting of the following Members: —Lord Wrottesley, Chairman, the Dean of Ely, Rev. Dr. Lloyd, Pre- sident of the Royal Irish Academy, and Lieut.-Col. Sabine 99 OBJECTS AND RULES THE ASSOCIATION. OBJECT S. The Association contemplates no interference with the ground occupied by other Institutions. Its objects are, —To give a stronger impulse and a more systematic direction to scientific inquiry,^to promote the intercourse of those who cultivate Science in different parts of the British Empire, with one an- other, and with foreign philosophers,— to obtain a more general attention to the objects of Science, and a removal of any disadvantages of a public kind which impede its progress. RULES. ADMISSION OF MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES. All Persons who have attended the first Meeting shall be entitled to be- come Members of the Association, upon subscribing an obligation to con- form to its Rules. The Fellows and Members of Chartered Literary and Philosophical So- cieties publishing Transactions, in the British Empire, shall be entitled, in like manner, to become Members of the Association. The Officers and Members of the Councils, or Managing Committees, of Philosophical Institutions, shall be entitled, in like manner, to become Mem- bers of the Association. All Members of a Philosophical Institution recommended by its Council or Managing Committee, shall be entitled, in like manner, to become Mem- bers of the Association. Persons not belonging to such Institutions shall be elected by the General Committee or Council, to become Life Members of the Association, Annual Subscribers, or Associates for the year, subject to the approval of a General Meeting. COMPOSITIONS, SUBSCRIPTIONS, AND PRIVILEGES. Life Members shall pay, on admission, the sum of Ten Pounds. They shall receive gratuitously the Reports of the Association which may be pub- lished after the date of such payment. They are eligible to all the offices of the Association. Annual Subscribers shall pay, on admission, the sum of Two Pounds, and in each following year the sum of One Pound. They shall receive gratuitously the Reports of the Association for the year of their admission and for the years in which they continue to pay without intermission their Annual Subscription. By omitting to pay this Subscription in any particu- lar year. Members of this class (Annual Subscribers) lose for that and all future years the privilege of receiving the volumes of the Association gratis : but they may resume their Membership and other privileges at any sub- sequent Meeting of the Association, paying on each such occasion the sum of One Pound. They are eligible to all the Offices of the Association. — — — VI RULES OF THE ASSOCIATION. Associates for the year shall pay on admission the sum of One Pound. They shall not receive gratuitously the Reports of the Association, nor be eligible to serve on Committees, or to hold any office. The Association consists of the following classes : 1. Life Members admitted from 1831 to lSi5 inclusive, who have paid on admission Five Pounds as a composition. 2. Life Members who in 1846, or in subsequent years, have paid on ad- njission 'I'en Pounds as a composition. 3. Annual Members admitted from 1831 to 1839 inclusive, subject to the payment of One Pound annually. [May resume their Membership after in- termission of Annual Payment.] 4. Annual Members admitted in any year since 18S9, subject to the pay- ment of Two Pounds for the first year, and One Pound in each following year. [May resume their Membership after intermission of Annual Pay- ment.] 5. Associates for the year, subject to the payment of One Pound. 6. Corresponding Members nominated by the Council. And the Members and Associates will be entitled to receive the annual volume of Reports, gratis, or to purchase it at reduced (or Members') price, according to the following specification, viz. : 1. Gratis. —Old Life Members who have paid Five Pounds as a compo- sition for Annual Payments, and previous to 1845 a further sum of Two Pounds as a Book Subscription, or, since 1845 a further sum of Five Pounds. New Life Members who have paid Ten Pounds as a com- position. Annual Members who have not intermitted their Annual Sub- scription. 2. /4t reduced or Members' Prices. —Old Life Members who have paid Five Pounds as a composition for Annual Payments, but no further sum as a Book Subscription. Annual Members, who have intermitted their Annual Subscrip- tion in any subsequent year. Associates for the year. [Privilege confined to the volume for that year only.] Subscriptions shall be received by the Treasurer or Secretaries. MEETINGS. The Association shall meet annually, for one week, or longer. The place of each Meeting shall be appointed by the General Committee at the pre- vious Meeting ; and the Arrangements for it shall be entrusted to the Offi- cers of the Association. GENERAL COMMITTEE. The General Committee shall sit during the week of the Meeting, or longer, to transact the business of the Association. It shall consist of the following persons : 1. Presidents and Officers for the present and preceding years, with au- thors of Reports in the Transactions of the Association. 2. Members who have communicated any Paper to a Philosophical Society, which has been printed in its Transactions, and which relates to such subjects as are taken into consideration at the Sectional Meetings of the Association. BULBS OF THE ASSOCIATION. vii S. Office-bearers for the time being, or Delegates, altogether not exceed- ing three in number, from any Philosophical Society publishing Transactions. 4. Office-bearers for the time being, or Delegates, not exceeding three, from Philosophical Institutions established in the place of Meeting, or in any place where the Association has formerly met. 5. Foreigners and other individuals whose assistance is desired, and who are specially nominated in writing for the meeting of the year by the Presi- dent and General Secretaries. 6. The Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Secretaries of the Sections are ex officio members of the General Committee for the time being. SECTIONAL COMMITTEES. The General Committee shall appoint, at each Meeting, Committees, con- sisting severally of the Members most conversant with the several branches of Science, to advise together for the advancement thereof. The Committees shall report what subjects of investigation they would particularly recommend to be prosecuted during the ensuing year, and brought under consideration at the next Meeting. The Committees shall recommend Reports on the state and progress of particular Sciences, to be drawn up from time to time by competent persons, for the information of the Annual Meetings. COMMITTEE OF RECOMMENDATIONS. The General Committee shall appoint at each Meeting a Committee, which shall receive and consider the Recommendations of the Sectional Committees, and report to the General Committee the measures which they would advise to be adopted for the advancement of Science. All Recommendations of Grants of Money, Requests for Special Re- searches, and Reports on Scientific Subjects, shall be submitted to the Com- mittee of Recommendations, and not taken into consideration by the General Comniitree, unless previously recommended by the Committee of Recom- mendations.