1 82 Annals of the Philosophical Club 



Its texture is very thin but extremely tenacious, and when 

 rubbed it is highly electric, Mr. Busk, in a discussion 

 about its nature and origin, remarked that he had seen 

 material from Mexico very similar but yellow in colour, which 

 is said to be made by spiders and found hanging from trees. 



Nov. 26th, ig6th meeting. Mr. Busk, reverting to the 

 above-named tissue, said that Mr. Stainton 1 had suggested 

 it might be the work of a small Tineina, and similar cases 

 had been previously observed. 



1869. Feb. 25th, iggth meeting. Sir W. Armstrong 

 described a machine invented by Captain Andrew Noble 

 for measuring very minute intervals of time, which was 

 being employed to measure the velocity of a projectile in 

 passing through the gun. The principle of the machine 

 was that an electric spark, emitted by a series of pointed 

 wires, arranged at fixed intervals, marked the circumference 

 of a number of smoke-blackened discs, which rotated with 

 a high velocity about an axis. It had proved remarkably 

 successful in measuring even the smallest variations in the 

 time occupied by the shot in passing through successive 

 intervals of the gun. It had also been observed that a 

 much milder kind of gunpowder had been found to give a 

 higher average pressure than that generally used, notwith- 

 standing its lower maximum pressure. This probably was 

 due to the fact that the higher temperature, accompanying 

 more intense pressure, caused greater absorption of heat 

 by the gun, with a consequent loss of propelling power. 



March i8th, aooth meeting. Mr. Gassiot spoke of a very 

 powerful electrical machine by which a spark could be 

 obtained 19 inches in length. 



April 26th, 2Oist meeting. Dr. Hooker exhibited drawings 

 of some curiously-shaped stones, found by Mr. W. T. L. 

 Travers, F.Z.S., on the isthmus between LyelTs Bay and 

 Evans* Bay, near Wellington, New Zealand. They have 

 a strong resemblance to works of human art, occur in great 



1 Henry Tibbats Stainton (1822-1892), a distinguished entomologist, 

 author of papers and works on British insects, Secretary of the Ray Society 

 1861-1872, F.R.S. 1867. 



