158 Annals of the Philosophical Club 



gone over their work. A comparison of the results thus 

 obtained led him to conclude that the great theodolite, 

 made by Ramsden in 1783 (which is still in working order 

 and used on this Survey), was a more accurate instrument 

 than the French repeating circle. 



Dr. Carpenter exhibited photographs by Dr. Haidinger 

 of dissections of the nervous system, and Mr. Paget men- 

 tioned that Dr. W. Budd l had successfully photographed 

 many pathological specimens. He suggested that the 

 Royal College of Surgeons would do a great service to science 

 by having photographs taken of many important specimens 

 in the Pathological Museum. 



1862. Feb. 27th, I36th meeting. Colonel Sykes com- 

 municated a description of a black rain, which fell on Jan. 

 I4th at Slains and along the whole eastern coast of Aberdeen- 

 shire. According to the minister, Mr. James Rust, the 

 morning, about 8.30, was clear ; then the sky darkened, 

 threatening rain. About an hour later, " a large, dense, 

 black, smoky-looking cloud came driving over the sea from 

 the S.S.E., and discharged a shower of rain with drops like 

 ink, which blackened all the water collected in cisterns 

 from the roofs of houses, and dirtied clothes put out to bleach 

 so effectively that warm water was needed to wash out 

 the spots." Mr. Rust suggested the dust might be due 

 to a recent eruption of Vesuvius. 2 Sir R. Murchison said 

 that though it was not impossible for dust from Vesuvius 

 to travel as far as Aberdeen, he thought the peculiar blackness 

 of the cloud indicated a smoky origin. That recent eruption 

 had differed from those in past centuries, in that for some 

 miles near Vesuvius the land had risen about 3 feet. 



March 27th, I37th meeting. Colonel Sykes referred to 

 the black rain mentioned at the last meeting, and said that 

 he had made enquiries which had satisfied him of the 

 trustworthiness of the narrator. Professor Tyndall stated 



1 William Budd (1811-1880), M.D. Edinburgh, who practised for many 

 years in Bristol, was the author of numerous medical papers, especially 

 on zymotic diseases. 



2 A rather severe eruption had occurred, Dec. 8th-ioth, 1861. 



