February 21st, igii.'] PROCEEDINGS. xvii 



Dr. Alfred Holt, M.A., read a paper entitled "The 

 Boric Acids." 



The paper is printed in full in the Memoirs. 



Mr. J. E. Myers, B.Sc, read a paper, written in con- 

 junction with Dr. A. Holt, entitled "The Hydration of 

 Metaphosphoric Acid," of which the following is an abstract. 



Experiments were described by which it was shown that 

 pyrophosphoric acid is formed as an intermediate compound in 

 the hydration of metaphosphoric acid. It was further shown 

 that the hydration did not take place according to any simple 

 scheme, and a method of estimating meta acid in a solution of 

 all three varieties by means of barium chloride was described. 



From the depression of the freezing point of aqueous 

 solutions of various varieties of pyro and meta acids it appears 

 that, when these acids are prepared by dehydration of ortho- 

 phosphoric acid, there occurs association of the molecules, but 

 when prepared by decomposition of the lead salts by hydrogen 

 sulphide, simple molecules result. The peculiar "crackling" 

 phenomenon which accompanies the solution of one form of 

 meta acid was shown. 



Ordinary Meeting, March 7th, 191 1. 



Mr. Francis Jones, M.Sc, F.R.S.E., President, 

 in the Chair. 



The thanks of the members were voted to the donors of 

 the books upon the tables. 



The President referred to the loss the Society had sus- 

 tained through the death of Professor J. H. van't Hoff, the 

 celebrated Dutch Chemist, who had been an Honorary Member 

 since 1892, and was present at the dinner in 1903 when the 



