152 Proceedings, <&c, for 1885. 



certainly in the other direction. He thought that possibly the 

 reason might be that there was a steadily-increasing population of 

 Victorian birth. Those who came here as emigrants from other 

 lands mostly came in the prime of life, and a large proportion 

 would be likely to have already passed through the ordeal of 

 typhoid, thus being, to a certain extent, preserved against it in 

 after life. The comparative absence of typhoid in the early days 

 of the colony might have been due to the fact that the field it had 

 to spread in was worked out, while the rising generation has no 

 such safeguard. 



Dr. Neild replied that typhoid existed here in abundance in 

 the early days of the colony, but it was then known as colonial 

 fever. 



The discussion then terminated. 



May Uth, 1885. 



Present, the President (in the chair) and 21 members and 

 associates. 



The President communicated a message from the Council 

 suggesting that Messrs. H. K. Rusden and Edward Howitt should 

 be elected Honorary Life Members, in consideration of their 

 services as Honorary Secretaries of the Society when the duties 

 were more arduous. After some remarks from several members 

 testifying to their knowledge of the value of the services of these 

 gentlemen in promoting the interests of the Society, Messrs. 

 Rusden and Howitt were unanimously elected Honorary Life 

 Members. 



Dr. Neild, Librarian, announced that he had received from 

 Mr. H. F. Eaton, Dr. Davy's son-in-law, a copy of J. J. Fahie's 

 11 History of Electrical Telegraphy." 



Mr. LrDOVic Hart read his paper on " Photography, its Past and 

 Present." 



Professor Kernot said the Society was much indebted to Mr. 

 Marks for his paper ; that photography was invaluable to all the 

 professions, but particularly to the engineers, as it was perfectly 

 reliable. He remarked on the fact that a photograph is evidence, 

 which is not the case with an engraving. He suggested as an 

 interesting exhibit a specimea of each process in the history of 

 photography, and Mr. Hart promised such an exhibit. 



Mr. White also remarked on the unreliability of any other 

 pictorial records. Photography was of immense service to astrono- 

 mers, and though the results were imperfect when clear definition 

 of small objects was required, there was ground for hope of 

 improvement. He thought Mr. Hart did not do justice to Mr. 

 Osborne. 



