228 Annals of the Philosophical Club 



of the universal meridian, coincident with the beginning of 

 the civil day and date of that meridian, and be counted from 

 zero up to 24 hours. 



Resolutions in favour of a speedy arrangement for the 

 beginning of the astronomical and nautical days at mean 

 midnight, and for the extension of the decimal system to 

 the division of angular space and of time were also adopted. 



1885. Jan. I5th, 339th meeting. Sir J. Hooker stated 

 that a cursory examination of the plants collected by 

 Mr. H. H. Johnston during his expedition to Kilimanjaro, 

 which had recently been received at Kew, showed the flora 

 to be nearly related to that of Abyssinia. Dr. Sclater said 

 that the zoological collection, sent to the British Museum, 

 was smaller than had been anticipated, because Mr. Johnston 

 had lost the services of his collectors, but promised to be 

 interesting and valuable. 



Feb. I2th, 34Oth meeting. Captain Noble described 

 brown powder and its value as an explosive. It differed 

 from ordinary powder in the presence of bituminous matter 

 and a larger proportion of water. In explosion it developed 

 a greater amount of hydrogen gas, and that rendered its 

 explosive energy much greater. Coarse powder lights very 

 slowly, but when ignited burns very quickly, and thus is 

 not wasted. Experiments showed it to have much erosive 

 power due (i) to the pressure, (2) to the temperature 

 developed in the explosion. A low temperature developed 

 much gas, a high one little, and the temperatures were very 

 different for different powders. He also gave an account of 

 firing heavy charges at Spezzia, where, on one occasion, 

 850 pounds of powder were fired, and a shot, weighing 

 2010 pounds, was projected with an initial velocity of 

 1985 feet per second. 



April 27th, 342nd meeting. Professor Frankland spoke 

 of the occurrence of vegetation in the hot springs of the 

 Yellowstone Park, U.S.A. He found it abundant in the 

 water immediately after issuing from the earth, where its 

 temperature could not be less than 190 F. As the water 

 cooled, the character of the organisms visibly changed. 



