150 TRANSACTIONS OF SOCIETIES. 



means will be prepared in small amounts only ; the chief diffi- 

 culty will perhaps be found in separating and identifying 

 substances formed only in microscopical quantity, and for those 

 purposes the most refined methods of analysis must be employed. 



TRANSACTIONS OF SOCIETIES. 



Royal Society of South Africa. — Wednesday, October 16th: Dr. 

 L. Peringuey, F.E.S., F.Z.S., President, in the chair.—" Note on double 

 alternants": Dr. T. Muir. — " Xenopus laevis (.the Plathander)": Dr. 

 T. F. Dreyer. — " A short note on the occurrence of Aspergillosis in 

 the Ostrich in South Africa " : J. Walker. The author believes Asper- 

 gillosis to be the cause of considerable mortality in ostrich chicks, 

 and, to a less extent, in adults, the seat of lesions being principally 

 the lungs. — " A preliminary survey of the meteorology of Kimberley " : 

 Dr. J. R. Sutton. Statistics and "tables were given showing the principal 

 meteorological elements of Kenilworth (Kimberley), all of which, 

 except the rainfall, are expressed in deviations from the normal monthly 

 means of a period covering 15 years. — " Some geodetic elements ^ 

 C. Moorsom. — " South African Oligochaeta, Part I : on a Phreodrilid 

 from Stellenbosch Mountain " : Prof. E. J. Goddard and D. E. Malan. 

 The paper dealt with the anatomy of a new genus, Gondwanaedrilus, 

 constituting the first record of the family in Africa. The occurrence of 

 this genus in Africa completes in detail the circumpolar distribution of the 

 family. — " Contributions to a knowledge of South African Oligochaeta 

 Part II. Description of a new species of Phreodrilus " : Prof. E. J. 

 Goddard and D. E. Malan. The new species, which is definitely 

 related to P. bcddardi and P. subterraneus, was found on Table Mountain 

 in August. — " Contributions to knowledge of South African Hirudinea, 

 Part II: on some points in the anatomy of Marsupiodella africana": 

 Prof. E. J. Goddard and D. E. Malan. An account was given of the 

 anatomy of a new Glossiphonid leech with a large internal brcod pouch. — 

 " Portuguese commemorative pillars erected on the South African coast " : 

 Dr. L. Peringuey. During the reign of John II. of Portugal, Portuguese 

 navigators sailed for the first time provided with commemorative pillars 

 to mark the progress of their journey. Diogo Cam was the first to leave 

 Portugal with these pillars. Historians attribute to him the erection of 

 three, the most southern of which, at Cape Cross, was discovered in 1893. 

 Chroniclers are not clear about the number of pillars erected by Dias, 

 and hitherto three only have been mentioned, whereas it would appear 

 that he put up five: The first was erected at Angra Pequena in November, 

 1487; ten days later, the navigator reached Angra das Voltas, and erected 

 another pillar; in February, 1488, he reached Algoa Bay and set a third 

 pillar on a small island ; after that he reached the River Rio Infante, 

 but was compelled to return by his crew ; he retraced His way to Algoa 

 Bay, and erected a fourth pillar on Cape Padron, to the east of the bay; 

 he discovered the Cape of Good Hope and erected a fifth pillar, probably 

 at Cape Point. Of all these pillars two only are now known to be in 

 existence, Cam's pillar at Cape Cross, and a fragment of the pillar from 

 Angra Pequena is in the Cape Museum. The author called attention to 

 the possibility of finding some remnants of the others. It is reported 

 that at the mouth of the Orange River, where Dias abandoned his store 

 ship with nine men, and on his return found one survivor only, who 

 expired at the sight of his countrymen, rock gravings reproducing cruci- 

 fixion scenes have been seen. 



South African Institution of Engineers. — Saturday, November 9th: 

 Mr. J. A. Yule, President, in the chair. — " South African corundum and 

 its uses " : J. Broad-Roberts. Reference was made to occurrences of 

 corundum near the Olifants River at Malalane and west of the Mashishi - 

 mali Range in tin- Transvaal. Attention was drawn to the corundum 

 industry in Canada, and to the various uses of the article, the only 

 opening fur its use in South Africa at present appearing to be as lining 

 for tube mills. 



