Royal Astronomical Society. 225 



visible, the sun being obscured by heavy clouds ; but almost imme- 

 diately afterwards it broke through them, and the interior contact 

 of the limbs was well observed at 4 h 18 m 33 s mean time. The sun 

 was covered by light fleecy clouds, through which it was distinctly 

 visible, and the discs of both the sun and Mercury were most beauti- 

 fully and sharply defined until 5 h 1 2 m , when the whole sky became 

 densely overcast, and continued so until after sunset. The time of 

 interior contact is, I believe, accurate to a second, as the error of the 

 chronometer had been determined at the sun's transit at noon." 



Mathematical Society. — After the conclusion of the business of the 

 Ordinary Meeting, a Special General Meeting was held to take into 

 consideration a subject, of which due notice had been given to the 

 Fellows by the following circular : — 



"Somerset IIoii3e, June 5th, 1845. 

 " Sir, — I have the honour of notifying to you, that in pursuance 

 of a Resolution of the Council, passed on Friday, the 23rd of May 

 last, a Special General Meeting of this Society will be held at the 

 Society's apartments on Friday, the 13th day of June instant, im- 

 mediately after the business of the Ordinary Meeting to be held on 

 that day is concluded, for the purpose of taking into consideration 

 and deciding upon a recommendation of the Council to suspend upon 

 that occasion the Bye-laws relative to the Election of Fellows, and 

 to elect as Fellows of this Society the remaining Members of the 

 Mathematical Society (now reduced to nineteen in number, of whom 

 three are already Fellows), without payment of the usual Admission 

 Fees and Annual Contributions (or compositions in lieu thereof), the 

 Mathematical Society having announced its resolution to transfer 

 its valuable Library, with its Records and Memorials, to the Royal 

 Astronomical Society. — I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obe- 

 dient servant, 



" Robert Main, Secretary." 



It was then moved by Professor De Morgan, and seconded by Mr. 

 Galloway, and resolved unanimously, — 



" That the recommendation of the Council in the circular now 

 read be approved and adopted by this Meeting ; and that, on the Li- 

 brary, Records, and Memorials of the Mathematical Society being 

 delivered over to this Society, the remaining Members of the Ma- 

 thematical Society be admitted Fellows of the Royal Astronomical 

 Society without payment of the admission fees or annual contribu- 

 tions required by the Bye-laws." 



November 14. — The President announced that the whole of the 

 books of the late Mathematical Society had been delivered over to this 

 Society, and had been arranged by Mr. Stratford, who would acquaint 

 the meeting with a few of the particulars. 



Mr. Stratford stated that the books received consisted of 

 76 volumes folio 

 622 . . 4to. 

 1442 . . 8vo. 

 311 . . 12mo. 

 Phil. Mgp. S. 3. Vol. 28. No. 186. March 1846. It 



