Alarch jni, igo^.] Tkoceedings. xxiii 



Ordinary Meeting, Marcli 3rd, 1903. 



Charles Bailey, M.Sc , F.L.S., President, in the chair. 



The thanks of the members were voted to the donors of the 

 books upon the table. The recent accessions to the Library 

 included the following: — ''A Biseriate Halonial Branch of 

 Lepidophlows fitliginosi/^" by Prof. F. E. Weiss (410., London, 

 1903), presented by the author; and ''List of Papers published 

 in the Bidktin and Mevioirs of the A}nerican Museum of Natural 

 History, Vol. i — 16, i88i-igo2'' (8vo., New York, 1902), 

 presented by the Museum. 



The President announced that the title of the Wilde 

 Lecture, to be delivered by Professor F. W. Clarke on May 19th, 

 1903, is "The Atomic Theory." 



Dr. Charles H.Lees called attention to a simple apparatus, 

 described in the current number of the Anttalen der Fhysik, by 

 means of which Messrs. Lummer and Gehrcke had been able to 

 decompose several of the spectral lines of mercury and cadmium, 

 supposed to be single, into groups of from 4 to 20 lines. 



Mr. Francis Jones, M.Sc, referred to the recent observa- 

 tions on the bending of marble, made by Professor See, of 

 Washington, who believed that the phenomenon was unique 

 and indicated that marble is in reality a fluid of enormous 

 viscosity. Similar phenomena have, however, long been known, 

 and many e.xamples are to be seen among the tombstones in 

 Edinburgh churchyards. Many of these consist of a framework 

 of solid masonry, in the centre of which is a marble slab, about 

 an inch in thickness, which soon loses its polish, and ultimately 

 becomes porous and powdery, and bent or bulged according to 

 circumstances. 



Lantern slides were shown of such tombstones, particularly 

 that erected to the memory of Professor Black, the marble 

 portion of which, after about 80 years' exposure to the weather, 

 fell to pieces and was renewed — but not in marble — in 1894. 



