XXXli. THE ANNUAL fetJSINESS MEETING. 



presented to the Museum by Mr. Alfred Pope, together with the pavement, and 

 is especially valuable as having been made before the removal of the latter to its 

 present position on the floor of the Museum. 



BY CAPTAIN ACLAND: 



2. Dent's Meridian instrument or dipleidoscope, on which he made the follow- 

 ing remarks : "This instrument has been recently handed to the Dorset County 

 Museum as a loan from the Dorchester Town Council. It was fixed at the 

 south-west window of the Town Hall, probably about the year 1848, by the late 

 Mr. Arthur Acland, of Wollaston House, Dorchester. It had been practically 

 forgotten and lost sight of, and was also rendered useless for making observations 

 by alterations to the Town Hall buildings. 



" With the many facilities which we now enjoy for obtaining correct time, this 

 instrument has very little practical use. It is, however, an interesting scientific 

 'toy.' 



"When properly fixed, it gives the time (exact to a few seconds) of the sun 

 crossing the Meridian. 



"The sun is reflected into two mirrors placed at an angle to one another ; a 

 few minutes before noon two images of the sun may be seen, which gradually 

 approach each other, and at 12 noon, exactly coincide, after which they slowly 

 separate again. 



" The Council of the Museum has consented to this interesting little instrument 

 being fixed in the Library in such a position that observations can be taken of the 

 sun crossing the Meridian." 



3. A specimen of a mass of sand tubes formed by Annelid worms on rocks 

 near low water mark. From Bude, Cornwall. 



BY REV. JAMES CEOSS. 



4. A note on rainfall was read from Rev. James Cross calling attention to a 

 statement that the weather from August 1st- 10th was usually stormy, windy, 

 and wet, and asking for information on the subject. 



BY REV. W. R. WAUGH. 



5. A specimen of Ammonites communis from Lyme Regis. Presented to the 

 Museum. 



6. Photographs of the new star, Nova Perfci, taken on February 25th and 

 March 10th, 1901, at Potter's Bar, near London, by Mr. H. Ellis, F.R.A.S. 



The latter, with Mr. H. Ellis' permission, has been reproduced as an illustration 

 to Mr. Waugh's paper on the star in this volume. 



BY E. CUNNINGTON, ESQ. 4, 



7. A specimen of the wild tulip (Tulipci sylvestris), a rare British and Dorset 

 species. 



The meeting ended at about 4.45 p.m. 



