LVI ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
earth-current readings was published in the volume of Transactions for 
1894, and a full discussion of the subject will be presented when sufficient 
data are obtained. 
During the year the subject of the unification of civil, astronomical 
and nautical time continued to receive the careful attention of the society. 
Based upon the replies from 171 answers received from astronomers, all 
over the world, to the question: ‘ Is it desirable, all interests considered, 
that on and after the first day of January, 1901, the astronomical day 
should everywhere begin at mean midnight ?” a joint memorial from the 
Canadian Institute and the Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto 
was addressed to his excellency the governor-general, praying his excel- 
lency to lay the matter before her majesty’s advisers with a view to such 
action being taken as appeared to be proper in the premises. The society 
has reason to believe that on the 26th of June the colonial secretary for- 
warded the memorial to the lords of the committee of council on educa- 
tion, which referred it to a special committee, which. on the 3rd of 
August, made a report, and that, eventually, on the 22nd of September, 
1894, the foreign office issued to her majestys representatives in the 
countries which publish astronomical ephemerides, viz., France, Germany, 
the United States, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Brazil and Mexico, a circular 
in which it was stated that, while the lords of the admiralty ‘ do not con- 
sider the change necessary, they are nevertheless prepared to carry it out 
in 1901, provided that other nations who publish astronomical ephemerides 
desire the change and will take the same action.” Replies have, it would 
appear, been received from the United States, Austro-Hungary, Spain, 
Brazil and Mexico, and, inferentially, from France, the sense of which 
seems to be that whatever action Great Britain takes will be followed by 
other nations, with the possible exception of the United States, which, 
alone, are opposed decisively to the proposition. This subject is referred 
to at greater length in a paper read before section three of the Royal 
Society. 
XV.—From The Nova Scotian Institute of Science, through 
Dr. SANDFORD FLEMING, C.M.G. 
The Nova Scotian Institute of Science begs to submit to the Royal 
Society of Canada, through its delegate, Dr. Sandford Fleming, C.M.G., 
a report of its proceedings during the past session, which is the thirty- 
third since its foundation. 
The president, Professor G. Lawson, opened the session with an 
address containing an interesting sketch of the early history of the insti- 
tute and of its work. 
The treasurer's report showed the finances to be in a healthy state, 
and the institute is glad to acknowledge that this is largely due to the 
