602 EEPORT— 1881. 



As the author conceived, there must be a large cavity communicatiug with the 

 shaft of the well, at his request Mr. Huttoii had the well opened, and on descending 

 with a candle he easily found the fissures in the sandstone, through which the 

 air was passing at a depth of about 15 yards from the surface. 



A piece of this sandstone, broken off at the side of the fissure, contained the 

 following : — 



Moisture 1-25 



Silica 87-72 



Ferric oxide, with traces of alumina . 3-96 



M^nesia .' .'.':: .' Jgl Carbonates of calcium 



Carbonic acid g.^gj and magnesmm, 7-05 



Sulphuric acid a trace 



Loss 0-02 



10000 



To obtain the approximate volume of the cavity by the application of Boyle's 

 law, careful readings were taken of the barometer at Solberge, and the current was 

 measured, first by means of an anemometer, afterwards by means of very large diy 

 gas-meters. The results of numerous observations made by Mr. Hutton, select- 

 ing those where the current due to the change of pressure had had sufficient time 

 to expend itself, give an approximate volume of about ten million cubic feet, 

 corresponding to a cubic space measuring 217 feet each way. 



The cui'rents at the other wells also consist of au', and vary with the barometric 

 pressure. 



8. On Experiments tuitli Manures on the Barley Crop of 1881 . 

 Bij W. IvisoN Macadam. 



The author said that he was engaged in a large series of experiments with the 

 various crops, to determine the best seasons for the application of different manures 

 and the results of the various treatments. A large number of results had been 

 obtained, but the present Paper was restiicted to the consideration of two lots of 

 barley, the first of which was grown on land from which a pre\'ious turnip crop had 

 been eaten by sheep, and in the case of the second the turnips had been carted off 

 the land. The results showed that the water, which was most large during the 

 earliest stages of gi'0-^\i;h, gradually decreased with an increasing amount of organic 

 vegetable matter during the ripening process. The results also showed that the 

 effect of eating the turnips on the land was best seen on the commencement of wet 

 weather, when the barley on the land so treated rushed forward and became much 

 more healthy in appearance and hea^ier in weight than the second sample, and 

 that it also yielded a heavier crop on ripening. 



9. On tlie Hydration of Salts and Oxides. By C. F. Cross, B.Sc. 



The author bases his method of observation of the rate of hydration of salts 

 and oxides, viz., confinement over water of the substances in bell-jars of 2,000 cc. 

 capacity, and in quantities of 1'25 grms. or less, and distributed in the finest state 

 of division over a circular area of 60 nun. diameter, upon a critical experimental 

 investigation. As a typical instance of the results obtained, details ai-e given 

 of the obsen-ations of the hydration of Copper Sulphate (CuSO^.H„0). Com- 

 bination with water proceeds with diminishing velocity up to the point cor- 

 responding to the pentahydrate, at which it remains constant for some hours, 

 after which deliquescence sets in, and the combination with water continues 

 until a liquid mass is obtained. Potassium Dichromate represents another class of 

 salts which appear to condense water into their substance, rather than combine 

 with it (although the quantity taken up is observed to be in simple molecular ratio), 

 since they are again rendered anhydrous by pressm-e between blotting paper, or 

 short exposure to ordinaiy air. Potassium Sodium and Magnesiuin Sulphates pass 

 continuously through hydration to deliquescence. 



