128 



Dr. E. ScHUNK communicated the following extract of a 

 letter from Mr. R. H. Gibson, of Taranaki, New Zealand, 

 dated 3lst January, 1884 : — 



" I see it is asserted in the English newspapers and even, 

 I believe, in the scientific journals, that the probable cause 

 of the singular lurid light observable in the sky in both 

 hemispheres, is the volcanic dust ejected by the recent 

 volcanic disturbance in Java. If this be the case how do 

 you account for the fact, well known by us here, that for 

 many lueeks before that eruption this lurid glow was most 

 strikingly perceptible in New Zealand ? At any rate the 

 phenomenon was manifested most clearly in our southern 

 sky over Mount Egmont, close to which I live, and formed 

 a very beautiful appearance, especially as contrasted with 

 the snow-capped mountains. We are, from some cause or 

 other, having a most extraordinary season all over the 

 colony — the wettest and coldest summer known by the 

 oldest inhabitant — certainly for more than forty years, or 

 almost longer than the existence of the colony. Even for 

 England the season would be thought most inclement. 

 Here in New Zealand instead of bright, nearly cloudless 

 skies and a temperature of 75° to 80° in the shade at noon, 

 our normal heat in January and February, we are having 

 day after day tremendous rain, constant gales, and not in- 

 frequent thunder storms — the last being very rare in 

 summer." 



Note on a paper read before the Society on October 2nd, 

 1883, concerning the motion of an oscillating rod, by James 



BOTTOMLEY, D.SC, F.C.S. 



In the paper, read on the above date, I discussed this 

 problem, to determine the motion of an oscillating rod 

 having a heavy ring surrounding it, and attached to it 

 by elastic cords. 



The differential equation to be solved is one of the fourth 



