43 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 



MAT, 1865. 



The usual monthly evening meeting of the Society was held on Tuesday, the 

 9th May, T. Stephens, Esq., in the chair. 



Among the Fellows present were Dr.Agnew, Hon. Sec, Messrs. E.Swarbreck 

 Hall, W. Henry, J. Davies, D. Lewis, R. Lewis, W. Johnston, H. S. 

 Wintle, W. L. Dobson, F. Abbott, sen., F. Abbott, jun., Lieutenant Lloyd, 

 R.E., &c., &c. 



The Secretary laid on the table the usual returns for the past month, viz., — 



1. Visitors to Museum, 670. 



2. Ditto to Gardens, 2,104. 



3. Periodicals received (the usual). 

 Meteorological Returns. 



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

 (a) Table for April. 



\h) Summary of observations for ditto. 



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

 (a) Table for March. 



(6) Reading of Government schooner's barometer for ditto. 



3. Tamar Heads, from R. Henry, Esq. 

 (a) Table for March. 



(6) Ditto for AprU. 



4. Swansea, from Dr. Stoiy. 

 (a) Table for March. 



The Secretary read the usual Analysis of the Observatory Records, 



together with a Health Report for April, by E. S. Hall, Esq. 

 The Presentations consisted of, — 



1. A Golden Pheasant. From J. Maclanachan, Esq. 



2. Two Gang-gang Cockatoos ( CaUocephalon cjaleatum). 



3. Beaver Rat ( Hydromys chrysogasterj. 



4. Fern (Thalasseus poliocercus). From Morton AUport, Esq. 



5. ^[^^(Clinus sp.). 



6. A large Centipede (picked up at sea, preserved in a bottle). From Mr. 



Turner. 



•7. Kingfisher. From Mr. Bellette. 



8. Hyalea (with drawings). From Lieut. Lloyd, R.E. This specimen was 

 procured at sea, in lat. 35° S., long. 18° W. 



Mr. F. Abbott read some notes on the importance of establishing a Time 

 Signal in Hobart Town, for the purpose of giving the correct time both to the 

 city and to the surrounding districts. He recommended that a gun should be 

 fired every day exactly at one o'clock, and as this would be attended with some 

 expense he hoped the Society would think the matter of suSicient importance 

 to bring it untler the notice of the Executive. 



Mr. Dobson observed if a time gun were established it would be well to be 

 careful in fixing upon a proper site. When he was in Melbourne in Februazy 

 last the iii-ing of the time gun at the University was discontinued as it was 

 supposed to be the cause of some mortality in the Lying-in Hospital, situate 

 in the immediate vicinity. 



Mr. Abbott said that subsequent observation must have shown this opinion 

 to be erroneous, as when he was in Melbourne, at a much later date, the firing 

 of the gun had been resumed. 



Mr. JJavies thought it was entirely a question of expense, because as to the 

 utility of the time signal there could be no doubt. He found, however, that 

 fli'ing a single gun, say a 32-pounder, could not be done for less than from £150 

 to £200 a year, a large expenditure for the colony. He was quite in favor, 

 however, of a time ball, as at Greenwich. 



Mr. Lloyd said that a much smaller gun than a 32-pounder would do. The 

 sound would not, of couise, be canied to the same distance as from a larger guu 

 F 



