214 TRANSACTION'S OF SOCIETIES. 



hoped that the experiments, being made with the object of apply- 

 ing them to the study of the diseases of this country, may come 

 to a successful issue. 



TRANSACTIONS OF SOCIETIES. 



Geological Society of South Africa. — Monday, December 9th : Mr. 

 H. S Harger, President, in the chair. — " Note on a composite dyke from 

 the Klipriversberg " : D. P. McDonald. The dyke comprises two rock types 

 differing markedly in petrographical characters. A basic magma was 

 first intruded, and on crystallising produced a typical ophitic dolerite. A 

 second intrusive magma is evident in the centre of the dyke as a rela- 

 tively acid rock of granophyric structure. The absorption of basic material 

 by the acid magma gave rise to hybrid rocks. — " Notes on the vertical 

 bedded veins of Pilgrim's Rest " : A. von Dessauer. All these vertical 

 veins and dykes resulted from one continuous tectonic movement; they 

 were evidently intruded after the deposition of the whole Transvaal 

 System. At all horizons where vertical veins or dykes are found bedded 

 reefs occur. There is a genetic connection between the vertical and 

 bedded reefs, the former being the feeders of the latter. Mineralisation is 

 due to post-volcanic agencies. — " Negative spheroidal weathering and 

 jointing in a granite of Southern Rhodesia": Dr. P. A. Wagner. The 

 Greystone Hills have been carved out of a boss of porphyritic granite, 

 covering an elliptical area of 6\ by 2 miles. The granite is remarkably 

 uniform in texture, notwithstanding which the hills show great diversity 

 of configuration, due solely to the differences in the nature and disposition 

 of the natural divisional planes traversing the rocks. These are (1) 

 platy joints or curvilinear cracks of huge radius, (2) systems of well- 

 defined vertical and horizontal joint planes, (3) concentric spheroidal 

 joints. The author proceeded to discuss the influence of these various 

 types of jointing on the hills constituting the Greystone Range. 



South African Institute- of Electrical Engineers. — Thursday, 

 December 19th : J. H. Rider, V.P.I.E.E., President, in the chair. — " Elec- 

 trical distribution for mines " : J. W. Anson. The author discussed 

 various questions which require consideration when an existing reduction 

 plant in connection with one of the Witwatersrand gold mines has to be 

 electrified, or when the electrical equipment of a new reduction plant or 

 process has to be designed. — Thursday, January 16th : Mr. J. W. Kirkland, 

 President, in the chair. — " The education and training of engineers " : N. 

 Harrison. The view was expressed that the policy of importing engi- 

 neers should cease, and that methods of training intending engineers 

 should be introduced which would make the country self-contained. The 

 author further dealt with the functions of an engineer, with the past and 

 present provision for training engineers, concluding with suggestions for 

 future action in this connection. 



NEW BOOKS. 



Worsfold, W. TZ.—The Union of South Africa: w ; th chapters on 



Rhodesia and the Native Territories of the High Commission. 



8vo., pp. ix., 530. Map and illus. London : Sir Isaac Pitman & 



Sons, 1912. 7s. 6d. 

 FitzSimons, F. W. — The Snakes of South Africa: their venom and 



the treatment of snake bite. 8vo., pp. xvi., 547. Illus. Cape Town : 



T. Maskew Miller, 1912. 420Z., 12s. 6d. 

 Johnson, J. P. — The prehistoric period in South Africa. 2no Edition. 



J o X 7£ in., pp. vi, 116. Illus. London : Longmans & Co. 1912. 10s. 



Johnston, Sir H. H. — Livingstone and the exploration of Central Africa. 



• Maps and illus. 7 X 4J in., pp. viti, 372. Lcndon: G. Philip & Son, 



1912. is. 



