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The following papers have been read daring the past 
session, 1856: — 
October 29—The President, Dr Stevelly, delivered 
an address opening the session. 
Nov. 5—Professor Wyville Thomson read a paper 
‘© On some Modern Geological Changes.” 
Nov. 19—Dr Dickie, “Oa the Homologies of In- 
secis.” 
Dec. 3—Mr Joseph John Murphy, “On Longitude 
and Clock Time.” Dr Stevelly, ‘ Oo the Dispute about 
the Moon’s Rotation.” 
January 7, 1857—W. J. Ffennell, Esq, Irish Fishery 
Commissioner, “ On Edible Fishes, and the Develop- 
ment of the Fisheries of Ireland.” 
Jan. 21—Mr Wm Simms, juno, “ On Forest Trees and 
Artificial Planting.” 
Feb. 4—Dr Dickie, ‘‘On the Colouring Matter of a 
Lake near Derry.” Mr Joseph Joho Murphy, “ On 
Tornadoes and Waterspouts.” 
Feb. 18—Alex. Graham, Esq, Capilly, Renfrewshire, 
© On the Agriculture of the Ancients.” 
March 4—Mr Thomas Malcomson, “‘ On some rare 
Irish Birds.”? Mr Alex. Montgomery, ‘* On the last Erup- 
tion of Mauna I.oa, in the Sandwich Islands.” 
March 18—Dr Andrews read “ Oo Aluminium.” 
April 1st—Mr James Thomson, “On Capillary 
motions in Liquors.” Mr Hyndman, ‘‘ Ou the Herring.” 
April 22—Dr Dickie, “ On the Whale.” 
May 6—Mr Hyndman read a notice of the “ Ant- 
lion;” also, “Notes on a Bee’s Nest found in Ma- 
hogany.” Dr Stevelly delivered the closing address. 
It is to be noticed that, in the previous list of papers, 
there were two delivered by gentlemen who are not 
members of the society, Messrs Ffennell and Graham; 
and to these gentlemen the thanks of the society were 
duly rendered for their great kindness in acceding to 
the wishes of the Council, when solicited to bring for- 
ward their valuable communications. 
Before tlie commencement of the present sessiou, our 
fellow member, Sir J Emerson Tennent, was staying for 
a short time in Be'fast, and during his stay, he kindly 
offered to deliver a lecture on the habits of wild ele- 
phants, and the mode of capturing them, a subject to 
the elucidation of which he was eminently qualified to 
render fall justice, from his long residence in Ceylon, 
where he had observed these animals with great inte- 
rest and accuracy,and whence he sent to our museum 
a valuable collection of their skeletons. ‘The Council 
gratefully accepted the offer, and by making a small 
charge for acmission to this lecture, it was turned to 
some advantage for the socicty’s fuods, from the large- 
ness of the audience present. 
The success of Mr Patterson’s course of lectures on 
zoology, during the previous séssion, induced the Couneil 
