1889-90.] FOURTEENTH MEETING. 21 



Moved by Mr. Hamilton, seconded by Mr. Browning, " That the mem- 

 bers of the Institute express profound regret at the recent calamity which 

 has befallen the Province, in the destruction by fire of a large part of 

 the University building, with its valuable library, apparatus and speci- 

 mens. They also express the hope that the building will be speedily 

 rebuilt, which they urge in the best interests of education and of the 

 the people generally. 



Moved by Mr. Harvey, seconded by Mr. Boyle : 



" That deeply sympathizing with the Faculty and the Students in the 

 impairment of the facilities for study, the Canadian Institute beg to 

 tender the use of their Lecture rooms and the mineralogical and archaeo- 

 logical museums in the building of the Institute on Richmond street. 

 The reading room, open daily between one and six, is also placed at their 

 service." 



Both motions were carried. 



Messrs. Bain and Macdougall were elected representatives of the Insti- 

 tute on the Board of the Industrial Exhibition Association. 



Mr. Andrew Elvins read a paper on "Sun Spots during 1889," illustrated 

 by diagrams and a magic lantern. 



He stated that he at first intended to give a few facts in relation to 

 sun spots during 1889, but finding no other paper on the programme for 

 the evening he would branch out a little and embody the spots of 1889 

 in some general remarks on sun spots. He then described a typical spot 

 and showed a drawing of one taken during the past year, also a group of 

 spots as seen at different dates during August last. The group under- 

 went marked changes from day to day. He alluded to the fact that spots 

 are usually found near the sun's equator, and very rarely more than 35'' 

 from it, so the zone of spots passes around the sun parallel to the 

 equator. 



The fact that spots are more numerous some years than others was 

 then referred to, and it was shown that though there is a cycle of about 

 11^ years the real period is very variable. During 1889 there were very 

 few spots. They have kept decreasing in numbers and size, and it is 

 questionable if the minimum is yet reached. During 1887 there were 

 156 new spots, in 1888, 82 new ones, and last year only 55. 



He noticed that a spot cycle commences with the spots far from the 

 equator, and that they approach the equator at the time of sun-spot 

 minimum or the end of the cycle. This was illustrated by diagrams. 

 During the past year an old question has been revived. Rev. Mr. 



