TRANSACTIONS OF SOCIETIES. 6S 



which roads are classed as (i) Main roads, (2) Divisional roads, and (3) 

 Farm roads. The Government exercises no control over either the Divi- 

 sional or farm roads, and very little over the main roads. In the develop- 

 ment of the country, road construction and maintenance should, in the 

 author's opinion, he undertaken by the Government, and handed over to 

 the Local Authorities only when these are in an assured position to carry 

 out their duties efficiently. Indiscriminate handing over by Government to 

 Divisional Councils of all road control has proved such action to be prema- 

 ture. — " Note on staggered and squared rail joints as applied to railway 

 tracks" : A. J. Beaton. The term " staggered " is applied by trackmen 

 to broken or unsquared joints of the rails in the permanent way. Consi- 

 derable doubt exists regarding the relative merits of the staggered and 

 square joints systems of laying rails. These were discussed by the author, 

 who concluded tliat the use of staggered joints is undesirable for reasons 

 of (i) expense, (2) lack of additional stability to tlie track, and (3) 

 detriment to smooth track riding. 



Wednesday, August T3th : A. D. Tudhope, M.I.C.E., Vice-President, in 

 the chair. — " Some notes on a modern Spanish irrigation c.inal " : F. E. 

 Kanthack. A description, based on the author's inspection, of the State 

 canal of Aragon and Catalonia. 



Rov.\L Society of South Africa. — Wednesday, July i6th : Dr. L. 

 Peringuey, F.E.S.. F.Z.S., President, in the chair. — " On- some Fossil Fishes 

 from the diamond-bearing pipes of Kimberley " : Dr. R. Broom. Three 

 new types of Paljeoniscid tishes now preserved in the McGregor Aluseum, 

 Kimberley, were descri])ed. For these the author erects two new genera — 

 Disichthys and Pclciclithys — and three new species — Acrolcpis addamisi, 

 Disichihys Kimberlcycnsis, and Peleichthys Kiniherlcycnsis. The fossils 

 occur in sandstone taken from the Wesselton and De Beers Mines, and 

 from the absence of conspicuous sandstones in the Ecca beds of the 

 vicinity, and the occurrence in another slab of Chclyoposaurus ii'\:iliamsi, 

 they are in all probability of Beaufort age. — " On the daily range of atmos- 

 pheric potential gradient at Bloemfontein and the influence of dust storms' : 

 W. A. D. Rudge. An account of observations at Bloemfontein between 

 July and December, TQ12, with a Bendorff recording electrometer. The 

 values of the potential gradient at hourly intervals were given for the 

 whole period, and curves showing the daily range of the potential gradient 

 for selected cases. The normal curves are similar to those taken in 

 other parts of the world, but those for dusty days show great differ- 

 ences. On very dusty days there was a very strong negative potential 

 gradient amounting to thousands of volts per metre. This is caused by 

 the clouds of fine siliceous dust raised by the wind. A negative potential 

 gradient was never recorded unless dust was blowing or rain falling. The 

 rain which fell during the period under observation was invariably nega- 

 tively charged. — " Further magnetic observations in South Africa '" : Prof. 

 J. C. Beattie. The results of observations in various parts of South 

 Africa during 1910-13. The observations were mainly carried out in tlie 

 Western Transvaal, British Bechuahaland, and Bushman land. — " Magnetic 

 Maps of the Western and Northern parts of the Union of South Africa 

 and of Great Xamaqualand for the epoch ist July, 1908": Prof. J. C. 

 Beattie. The maps show the true isogonics, the true isoclinals, and the 

 true lines of equal horizontal intensity for the above region. — " Note on 

 Clebsch's Theorem " : Dr. T. Muir. 



Wednesday, August 20th : Dr. J. K. E. Halm, Ph. D., F.R.S.E., Vice- 

 President, in the chair. — " On the significance of the position of the genital 

 apertures in Hirudinea " : Prof. E. J. Goddard. The position of the 



genital pores is considered to be identical in all leeches, with two doubtful 

 exceptions. It is concluded that the ancestral stock, from which the 

 Hirudinea arose, must have been oligochaetan and aquatic in nature, with a 

 Ijody of 33 or 35 somites, and provided with setae similar to those of 

 ac^uatic oligochaeta, such as Liimbriculid?e and Phreodrilidse. — " On a 



