SCIENTIFIC NEAVS. 



[Mar. 2, if 



and septa in the lower portion of the corallites are very 

 thin, but the upper portion of the corahites are so infilled 

 with compact stereoplasm that the calices are extremely 

 shallow when mature. There is no true columella, only 

 a pseudo-columella, formed by the union and partial 

 involution of the inner septal margins. The increase is 

 exclusively by marginal gemmation ; fission does not 

 occur. In some cases linear perforations between the 

 septa are shown ; these appear to be for the insertion of 

 the mesenterial muscles. 



The septa in Seplastrcea consist of a central layer, dark 

 in microscopic sections, enclosed on both sides by layers 

 of compact subcrystalline stereoplasm. 



There is a close correspondence in the septal and 

 thecal structure of Scptastrcea to that of the recent and 

 fossil genus Flabelliim, and in this genus also the septa 

 occasionally split longitudinally and show the same 

 .growth-lines on their median faces. 



Only two species are included in Septastrcea, as now 

 defined, viz., S. Forbesi, Edwards and Haime, and S. 

 (Columnaria ?) sexradiata, Lonsdale, sp. 



3. " On the Examination of Insoluble Residues 

 obtained from the Carboniferous Limestone at Clifton." 

 By E. Wethered, Esq., F.G.S. 



The limestone-forming organisms in each of the 

 carboniferous limestones at Clifton were mentioned, and 

 the methods adopted for obtaining the insoluble residues 

 by means of hydrochloric acid were described. 



Detrital quartz of small size, with a few grains of felspar, 

 tourmaline, and zircon, characterise the Lower Lime 

 stone Shales, and in one variety the soft tissues of organ- 

 isms are represented by ferric oxide, which in the case of 

 ■crinoids represents the whole skeleton. Residues of the 

 Black Rock exhibit slight secondary crystallisation round 

 ■detrital quartz, whilst amorphous and chalcedonic silica 

 become more plentiful. Residues of the Middle Lime- 

 stone consist to a less extent of detrital quartz along with 

 micro-crystals of quartz, amorphous and chalcedonic 

 silica, and less frequently of pyrites, tourmaline, and 

 zircon; sponge-spicules are also noted. Towards the 

 top of the Middle Limestones the proportion of detrital 

 •quartz increases, and the deposit of secondary silica on 

 <the surface of quartz grains is less marked. 



ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 At the monthly meeting, held on the 15th ult., the 

 following papers were read : — 



I. " Electrical and Meteorological Observations on the 

 Peak of Teneriffe," by the Hon. Ralph Abercromby, 

 F.R. Met. Soc. The author made a trip to the island of 

 Teneriff'e in October, 1887, for the purpose of making 

 :some electrical meteorological observations, and now gives 

 some of the results which he obtained, which may be 

 summarised as follows : — The electrical condition of the 

 Peak of Teneriffe was found to be the same as in every 

 other part of the world. The potential was moderately 

 positive from 100 to 150 volts, at 5 ft. 5 in. from the 

 ground, even at considerable altitudes ; but the tension 

 rose to 549 volts on the summit of the Peak, 12,200 ft, 

 and to 247 volts on the top of the rock of Gayga, 7,100 

 ft. A large number of halos were seen associated with 

 local showers and cloud masses. The necessary ice- 

 dust appeared to be formed by rising currents. The 

 shadow of the Peak was seen projected against the sky 

 at sunset. The idea of a south-west current flowing 

 -directly over the North-east trade was found to be 



erroneous. There was always a regular vertical suc- 

 cession of air currents in intermediate directions at 

 different levels from the surface upwards, so that 

 the air was always circulating on a complicated screw 

 system. 



2. "Rainfalls of South Africa, 1842-1886," by Mr. W. 

 B. Tripp. The author gives the rainfall statistics from 

 all those stations situated in South Africa which possess 

 records of ten complete years and upwards. He re- 

 marks upon the chronological succession of wet and dry 

 years, and the consecutive years above and below the 

 mean ; and also describes the seasonal distribution of 

 monthly maxima, and the extent over which monthly 

 rains prevail. He concludes by comparing the curves 

 of rainfall with those of sunspot energy. 



3. " Some Methods of Cloud Measurements," by Mr. 

 Nils Ekholm. As exact cloud measurements afford al- 

 most the only easily available means of determining 

 motions in the upper regions of the atmosphere, the 

 author describes some methods which seem to him likely 

 to give the best results. He also details the plans 

 adopted at the Swedish Polar Station, Cap Thorsaen, 

 in Spitzbergen, and at the Upsala Observatory, for 

 determining the direction and angular velocity of the 

 clouds, and for making direct measurements of the height 

 and absolute motions of the clouds. 



SOCIETY OF ARTS. 

 At the meeting on the 8th ult. Mr. W. Lant Carpenter 

 read a paper on the " Continuation of Elementary Educa- 

 tion." He drew attention to the fact that the school life 

 of many working men's children comes to an end at 12 

 years of age, and that they then obtain their amuse- 

 ments and pleasures from the streets, quickly forgetting 

 what they have learnt. He also pointed out that the 

 proportion of those over 14 attending school diminished 

 from i'i4 per cent, in 1880 to 0-89 per cent, in 1886. 



In Switzerland, the author said, attendance at ap- 

 prenticeship school for two hours on five days a week 

 was compulsory until the age of 16, and if the pupil 

 failed to pass his examinations he was liable to be 

 detained at school until 20. In Austria, Germany, and 

 Hungary, attendance at continuation schools was com- 

 pulsory. 



In England the night schools simply educated those 

 who by the accident of circumstances had been passed 

 over by day, but in the last seven years the proportion 

 of night pupils in attendance to that of the day scholars 

 had diminished from i"62 per cent, in 1880 to o'76 per 

 cent, in 1886. 



The author then said that to remedy this defect in our 

 educational system the Recreative Evening Schools 

 Association has been formed for the purpose of pro- 

 moting continuation classes in Board and voluntary 

 schools, and the Association has been so successful that 

 classes have been established in 92 out of the 128 

 schools belonging to the London School Board, and in 10 

 voluntary schools. 



In conclusion he pointed out the alterations which, in 

 the opinion of those who have studied the subject, 

 should be made in the existing law. They are : — 



1. The standard of age for total exemption to be 13. 



2. The standard of qualification to be, for the present, 

 the sixth. 



3. That there be two evening school schedules (a) for 

 those under Standard VI., {b) for those above Standard VI.; 



