ee 
81 
The session commencing Noy. 12th, 1873, was opened by an 
address from the chairman on Topography (vide p. 43). Mr. 
Skrine, in proposing a vote of thanks to Dr. Hunter for his 
valuable contribution to an original and philosophical treatment 
of the subject, asserted the usefulness of small parochial efforts in 
this direction, and thought that in many instances there might 
fairly be an attempt to commence a Topographical History earlier 
than the period of the Domesday book. During the discussion a 
complimentary allusion was made to Mr. Skrine’s effort in this 
direction, in his ‘Sketch of the early history of Bathford and its 
neighbourhood.’ 
A special evening meeting was held on the 26th Nov. for a 
promised communication on local geology ; as the Member who 
had undertaken this was unable to be present, Mr. Braham very 
kindly came forward at a short notice to supply his place with 
some viva voce remarks on Electro-Metallurgy. Commencing with 
an elementary description of chemical affinity, he stated that 
electricity about which so much had lately been discovered was 
but still in its infancy, and very much had yet to be known about 
it. With regard to the important question, ‘What is metal?’ 
the answer that it is an element with certain properties, i.e., 
malleability, ductility, and metallic lustre, was not by any means 
a satisfactory definition. Various experiments were then made to 
show the analysis of water by operation of metals undergoing 
oxydation and consequent evolution of heat and electricity. The 
-decomposition and recomposition of water, the action of the 
current on binary salts and the process of electrotyping were 
illustrated. Electro-plating and gilding were explained, and 
‘several coins coated with the precious metals. The crystallization 
of metals by electricity was shown in action under the microscope, 
and attention was called to the similarity of the forms produced 
to those found in metalliferous veins known as native metal. 
A vote of thanks was passed to the lecturer for his experimental 
illustration of so difficult a subject, and the chairman (Dr. Hunter), 
F 
