94 FIRE-RESISTING I'.UILDINGS. 



be made of lights composed of mica plates secured to asbestos 

 framing, and of glass bricks set in gypsum. 



Conclusion. — In conclusion, I would express the hope that 

 at our next congress we may be favoured with a paper dealing 

 with fire-resisting " construction " in buildings, and upon the 

 application of the materials I have dealt with, and others to 

 their best uses. The two subjects are naturally allied, as the 

 one depends upon the other. 



The object of fire-resisting construction is the employment 

 of such materials and systems of construction as will retard an 

 outbreak of fire on the one hand, and its progress or develop- 

 ment on the other, thus preventing a dangerous conflagration in 

 a building, and giving sufiicient time for the escape of the occu- 

 pants, the salvage of the contents, and the arrival of the fire 

 brigade to cause its extinction. 



Everything seems to depend upon the planning of a build- 

 in? so that all chances of a fire spreading are reduced to a 

 minimum, and this can only be secured by dividing it into a 

 maximum number of safe units both horizontally and vertically. 



This is absolutely the work of the architect, and one that 

 no engineer of repute should undertake unless he has also been 

 trained as an architect or co-operated with one who has had the 

 necessary s])ecial experience in that class of building. 



Poisoned Bait for Biting Flies. — During ex 

 periments made by Mr. C. W. Mally, Government Entomologist, 

 at the Entomological Exi)eriment Station, Rosebank, Cape Pro- 

 vince, the biting house fly, Stonioxys calcitrans, was destroyed 

 by means of a liquid poisoned bait, containing i per cent, of 

 sodium arsenite and lo per cent, of sugar. This has suggested 

 the possibility of destroying other biting flies, r.r/., tsetse flies and 

 certain Tabanid?s in the same way. The Tabanid Hcrniatopota 

 occUata Wied is very abundant around the vleis in the Cape 

 Flats this season, and an effort is being made to determine 

 whether this fly can be attracted to poisoned bait in the field. 



