1SG Library. [Nov. 



wind in these storms has yet to be ascertained. The highest that has been 

 registered in Calcutta, by an Osier's Anemometer, is 50 Ins. to the square foot ; 

 but this was in a storm of no remarkable violence, and one which did but 

 little injury in Calcutta. The centre of the storm, at the time, was passing 

 some 15 miles to the East of the city, and the barometer stood at 28 - 712. 

 In the far more severe storms of the 2nd November, 1867 and the 5th Octo- 

 ber, 1861, the Anemometer was blown away, under a pressure of 36 fts. to the 

 square foot, so that no register of their maximum force was obtained. There 

 is a prevalent impi*ession that cyclonic storms have been more frequent of 

 late years than formerly, but the belief does not appear to rest on any sound 

 basis of fact. Since the destructive storm of October. 1861, the attention 

 of the public has been attracted to the subject more steadily than in former 

 years ; and many a storm that would have escaped notice, or, if reported in a 

 newspaper paragraph, would have been speedily forgotten, is now made the 

 subject of general conversation for the time, and recorded with all procura- 

 ble detail, in the annual Meteorological Reports. To this cause probably 

 may be attributed the popular belief in the greater frequency of storms in 

 recent years. 1869 and 1872 were both stormy years. 



The reading of the following papers was postponed — 



1. On a secondary sexual character in Squilla rajrfiidea, Fabr. By 

 J. Wood-Mason, Esq. 



2. Enumeration of Burmese Palms. By S. Kurz, Esq., 



3. Note on two Muhammadan Gold Coins. By the Hon'ble E. C. 

 Bayley, C. S. I. 



4. On the Ruins of Dimapur, in the Naga Hills. By Major H. H. 

 Godwin- Austen. 



Libeaht. 

 The following additions have been made to the Library since the 

 meeting held in August last. 



Presentations. 

 * # * Names of Donors in Capitals. 

 Royal Society, Proceedings, Nos. 144-145. 



No. 144. J. Norman Lockyer — Researches in Spectrum-Analysis in connexion 

 with the Spectrum of the Sun. No. II. Major W. A. Ross — On Jeypoorite a 

 Sulph-antimonial Arsenide of Cobalt. C. Meldrum — On a periodicity of Rainfall in 

 connexion with the Sun-spot Periodicity. 



No. 145. H. G. Bastian — Further observations on the temperature at which 

 Bacteria, Vibriones, and their supposed Germs are killed when exposed to heat in a 

 moist state; and on the causes of Putrefaction and Fermentation. O. C. Podc and 

 E. B. Lankester, — Experiments on the Development of Bacteria in Organic Infusions. 

 T. Lauder Brunton and J. Fayrer — On the Nature and Physiological Action of the 

 Poison of Naja Tripudans and other Indian Venomous Snakes. F. Chambers. The 



