22 Mb. J. Bhtce on the Low Temperatures 



The President made a communication illustrative of the Osteology of 

 the Higher Apes, and exhibited various specimens, among which was 

 the skeleton of a young Chimpanzee recently prepared. 



A copy of the Census of Ireland for 1S51 was presented to the 

 Library by Mr. Hastie, M.P., for which the thanks of the Society were 

 voted. 



April 2, 185G. — William Mueeat, Esq., in the Chair. 



Mr. Thomas Boyd and Mr. Thomas "Watson were elected members. 



Dr. Taylor, Andersonian University, read a paper " On the Natm-e 

 and Causes of Waterspouts." 



Dr. Taylor also exhibited a new method of Illuminating the Magic 

 Lantern. 



April 16, 1856. — The Peesident in the Chair. 



Mr. William Mackenzie was elected a member. 



The President announced that, in compliance with an invitation from 

 the Council, Professor Henry D. Rogers, of Boston, United States, had 

 consented to deliver a Lecture to the Society on the evening of the 30th 

 instant, and that it was proposed that the meeting should be held ui one 

 of the public halls of the city — admission for the members and their 

 friends being by ticket. The Society approved of this proposal. 



Mr. Bryce presented the Beport of the Committee on the Low Tem- 

 peratures of the Winter of 1854-5. 



Report on the Loiv Temperatures of the Spring Months of the Year 1855. 



By James Betce, M.A., F.G.S. 

 The Eeport now laid before the Society has been prepared in confor- 

 mity with a resolution passed at the close of last session. A Committee 

 was then appointed, " consisting of Dr. Thomas Anderson, Professor of 

 Chemistry ; Mr. James Bryce, High School ; Mr. Thomas B. Gardner, 

 optician ; Mr. Eobert Hart, Cessnock Park, Govan ; and Mr. James 

 King, Windsor Terrace — Mr. Bryce, Convener" — with instructions " to 

 make inquhies as widely as possible respecting the low temperatures of 

 the spring months of the present year, and report to the Society next 

 session." The Committee soon after entered on the inquiry. In reply 

 to a circular distributed as widely as possible during the summer, returns 

 were in due course received from a considerable number of places, widely 

 separated over the country. On these, and the facts collected by the 

 members of the Committee, the present Beport is founded. The author 



