elvili 
Ethnology : 
A Japanese suit of armour, Mrs. J. C. Hadley. 
EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS. 
Captain J. Snorrt, R.N., Meteorological Observer, made a few 
remarks on a paper on Earthquake Shocks, by Mr. A. B. Biggs, 
Launceston, read at the last Society’s meeting. He said he 
wished first to point out the inconsistencies of Mr. Biggs in his 
many letters to the Press on the earthquake shocks that 
have been experienced both in Tasmania and on the Continent 
of Australia since April, 1883. He (Mr. Biggs) has given the centre of 
disturbance as occurring in Bass’ Straits, in New Zealand, also 500 and 
1,000 miles to the eastward of Tasmania, and by his letter, read at the 
October meeting, he would wish to infer from the shock of September 
1lth the centre was nearer Hobart than the Hast Coast of Tas- 
mania. After comparing the time of the shock, as given by different 
observers in Tasmania, the speaker found that Falmouth is the only 
station that would give him the grounds for the supposition that the 
centre is not at some place in a line north or south of the centre. 
He (Capt. Shortt) consistently considered it to be, as at about 90 
miles to the eastward of the North-East Coast of Tasmania, 
sometimes farther north of it, which has been the case during 
the last year, the shocks having reached Gabo Island earlier 
than Tasmania; and the time of those noted there can be depended 
upon as more reliable than at country places either in 
Victoria or Tasmania. Mr. Biggs speaks of the shock ex- 
perienced in Victoria on September 8 as coming from 8.W. in 
the North-Eastern districts. It would be reasonable to infer that 
places on the Southern Coast of Victoria ought to feel them with 
greater severity. In the monthly record of shocks felt at Gabo, the 
direction is always given as from south to north. Gabo Island 
is nearly north of the slope where the sea bottom suddenly slopes 
to a depth of over 2,000 fathoms, which the speaker thought we 
should attribute to the region of the great physical line of fault, 
and the origin of the disturbance. Observers are very 
easily deceived in the direction of shocks, as numbers of reports 
have been received at the observatory from the islands in Bass’ Straits, 
also in Tasmania, as proceeding from N. to S., N.W. to §.E., and 
West to East, and vice versa; Mr. Biggs has also published an 
account ofa shock as recorded by a seismometer as coming from 
N.W., so it is easily seen how difficult it is to judge correctly, 
(more especially by an observer feeling the earlier sensations), from 
what direction they really proceed ; in fact, from Goose Island they have 
always giventhe direction as from N.W. toS.E., when it should be the 
reverse. In his letter Mr. Biggs acknowledges Professor Milne, of 
Japan, holdsa premier positionin seismology. JIhat gentleman, sub- 
sequent to his late visit to Tasmania and after obtaining all possible 
information as to earthquakes felt both in Victoria and Tasmania, 
has written an article on the earth movements in Australia in the 
Melbourne Argus of October 10, in which he fully coincides with the 
speaker that the disturbance probably originates near to the edge 
of the 2,000 fathom line off the N.E. coast of Tasmania. 
PAPERS. 
An interesting payer was read, entitled ‘“‘ The scientific treatment 
of waste material,” by Mr. W. H. Charpentier. The paper dealt 
chiefly with the utilisation ot waste material now lost very 
day. As local instances he referred to the waste of tar from 
the gas works, and of refuse from the slaughter-house, which were 
allowed to go into the river, and showed how the utilisation of such 
