240 Annals of the Philosophical Club 



same atomic weight and because it negatives the suggested 

 existence of a new element present as a constant impurity 

 in the two metals. It also shows the possible existence of a 

 group of elements, forming compounds of the type RO 4 . 



Sir F. Bramwell mentioned an attempt, made many years 

 ago at the old Vauxhall Gardens, to prepare hydrogen gas 

 for commercial purposes by passing steam over charcoal. 

 It aimed at producing as little carbon monoxide as possible, 

 the carbon dioxide being got rid of by passing the gas through 

 a solution of caustic soda. 



Dec. nth, 3Qist meeting. Professor Frankland gave the 

 results of experiments on the fitness of electric lamps for 

 use in coal mines. He found that the small spark from 

 small storage batteries could not ignite explosive mixtures 

 of marsh gas or coal gas or even of hydrogen with air. Hence 

 no such spark, caused by a breaking circuit or otherwise, 

 can cause danger in a fiery mine. He was still making 

 experiments to ascertain whether the breaking of the globe 

 and momentary contact of the incandescent filament with 

 an explosive mixture would be dangerous. 



1891. Jan. I5th, 3Q2nd meeting. Professor Newton 

 read a letter from Professor Stirling, giving a description of 

 a recently discovered Australian mammal, which proves 

 to be a marsupial, not a monotreme as at first supposed. 1 

 It has a bird-like pelvis and four or five of the cervical 

 vertebrae are fused, but has marsupial bones, though these 

 are exceedingly small. The eyes are pigment spots under 

 the skin, and it burrows underground in the sand for long 

 distances. He could not send a specimen to England, for 

 he had only four, none of them in good condition, 

 since they had travelled 1500 miles wrapped in a kerosene 

 rag, and they supplemented each other. Professor Flower 

 said the animal represented a new order in the marsupials, 

 which now afforded representatives of the mammalian orders 



1 A drawing of Notorhyctes typhops was exhibited at the Royal Society 

 Conversazione on June lyth, by Professor Newton (Nature, vol. xliv. 

 page 1 88). The first account of the animal, found at a station on the 

 overland route from Adelaide to Port Darwin, is given by Professor Stirling, 

 Nature, vol. xxxviii. pages 588-9. 



