103 



aud although aiAn\ of them from being packed in wet grass ha(i become much 

 heated on the vovage from Adelaide, he hoped the greater portion of them 

 would live. The new varieties of potatoes lately received from ticotland by Dr. 

 Moore had also been planted in the Society's Gardens. 

 Mctcurohxjical Returns, — 



1. llobart Town, from F. Abbott, Esq. 

 (a) Table for October. 



{b) Summary aud Analysisof Observations for ditto. 



2. Swansea, from Dr. Story, 

 (a) Table for September. 



3. Taraar Heads, from 11. Henry Esq. 

 (a) Table for August. 



(6) Ditto for September. 



4. Port Arthur, from J. Boyd, Esq. 

 (a) Table for October. 



(6) Reading of Grovernment Schooner's Barometer for ditto. 



The Secretary read the usual monthly analysis of the Hobart Town Meteor- 

 ological Table, with a Health Report by E. S, Hall, Esq. 



Air. Abbott read some " notes on the half-yearly abstract of the Meteorological 

 Registers kept at Hobart Town, and at the Coast stations." 



Dr. Hall observed that tne longer these returns were made, the more ap- 

 parent would their value become. He might adduce a simple example Irom the 

 abstract just read. It has been generally supposed that the climate on our 

 eastern seaboard was drier than elsewhere, but it was evident from the docu- 

 ments laid before them that there were few localities in the colony where the 

 rain fall was so heavy. It was not safe, however, to draw conclusions from a 

 few half-yearly returns, it would be necessary to have careful observations 

 carried out for a very considerable period before trustworthy averages could 

 be deduced from them. 



The presentations were as follows : — 



1. Two large Maps of Tasmania. From the Colonial Secretary on the part 

 of the Government. 



2. Stuffed skin of Guinea Pig [Gavia Gdbaya). From Mr. Hissey. 



3. Stuffed skin of a Mouse of a remarkably elongated form, and light brown 



colour, although not a true Albino. From the Rev. Mr. Simpson, 

 O'Brien's Bridge. 

 4 Y\%h. {Clinus SpA) From T. Giblin, Esq. A well executed water colour 

 drawing by Mrs. Allport of a fish of the same genus {Clinus) was 

 exhibited. 



5. Acts of Council, and of Parliament of Tasmania, from 7th George IV. 



to 26th Victoria, 4 volumes, bound. Also index. From J. Barnard, Esq., 

 the part of the government. 



6. An excellent and very accurate water colour drawing by Mrs. Meredith, of 



the fish presented by Mr. Owen Meredith at last meeting. 



7. A halfpenny and farthing of George II. From Mrs. Boardman. 



Mr. W. JoHNSTOXE laid on the table a leaf of cabbage presenting a somewhat 

 singular formation. Its free margin had so far grown together that the leaf 

 assumed the form of a hollow cone, similar to the flower of the trumpet plant. 



Mr, F. Abbott read a report from the Physical Section on the cause of the 

 twist in the trunks of our trees, and of the very eccentric arrangement which 

 is so frequently observed in their rings of woody fibre, as shewn in several 

 transverse sections of timber which were exhibited, Letters from several corres- 

 pondents on the subject (Dr. Vallentine, Mr. Watson, Mr. Weber, &c.) were laid 

 before the meeting. 



The enquiry was originated by a correspondent in London, who had written 

 to ask did our trees twist in a manner differing from that which obtained in 

 England, where it took placfe in a direction from left to right. After careful 

 and repeated observations by some members of the Society, and others prac- 

 tically acquainted with the growth of timber, it was found that our trees do 

 not keep to any particular twist, and that as far as could be determined they 

 are not influenced by any general laws having reference to the sun, wind, slope 

 of ground, &c. The subject is, therefore, still open tor further investigation. 



After discussion on various points raised by the correspondence, the usual vote 

 of thanks to the authors of papers, and donors of presentations, closed the 

 proceedings. 



