424 TRANSACTIONS OF SOCIETIES. 



South African Society of Civil Engineers.— Wednesday, June 

 14th: Mr. A. D. Tudhope, M.I.C.E., in the chair. — "Notes on Road 

 construction" : R. W. M enmuir. The suitability of road making 

 materials was dealt with and information was given in connection 

 with the cost of roads constructed in the Cape Peninsula. 



Royal Society of South Africa.— Wednesday, June 21st: Dr. 

 A. M. Wilson, in the chair. — "Notes on the principal systematic work 

 and publications dealing with the South African Proteaceae" ; E. P. 

 Phillips. Beginning with the first record of Clusius in 1605, the 

 author went on to refer to Boerhaave's study in the i8th century and 

 the work of Salisbury and R. Brown in the early part of the 19th. 

 In Meisner's monograph, dated half a century laterj 27Q species are 

 described. The author has undertaken a revision of the order and 

 has recorded between 300 and 400 species.— "The spectrum of the ruby ; 

 and the artificial ruby" : Dr. J. Moir. A complete spectrum of 



eight hair lines has been observed : these are best seen in the artificial 

 ruby, which is in every respect identical with the natural gem, and 

 even its superior when free from flaws. — "Notes on the spectrum of 

 the precious emerald, and other gem stones": Dr. J. Moir. The 

 emerald spectrum contains three very distinct hair lines in the red. 

 Sapphires have no hair lines in their spectrum. Indefinite spectra 

 are yielded by artificial emeralds, rubellite, spinel, amethyst, fluor, 

 aquamarine, rose quartz, lepidolite, and topaz. — "Note on the land 

 and sea breezes of South Africa" : Dr. J. R. Sutton. 



