Proceedings, Sc, for 1885. 153 



Mr. Sutherland said the matter of the paper was not original. 

 Photography was being rapidly adapted to commercial purposes, 

 and his brother had recently patented an invention by which a 

 printed picture could be issued within two hours after the object 

 had been photographed. 



Mr. Marks said that many beautiful reactions in photography 

 were worthy of detailed description, especially those by which the 

 various rays of the spectrum, visible and invisible, affected the 

 sensitised plate. 



The Rev. J. J. Halley mentioned Mr. Woodbury's process of 

 sun printing, which was invented at Eaglehawk, Victoria, but 

 failing support here, the inventor went to London, where it was 

 appreciated, and the necessary assistance obtained. He also men- 

 tioned the composite photograph, by means of which a typical face 

 was obtained by the combination of several with some common 

 leading characteristic. 



June llth, 1885. 



Present, Mr. White, Vice-President (in the chair), and 21 

 members and associates. 



Mr. W. K. Thomson was duly elected a member of the Society. 



Mr. G. S. Griffiths then read his paper " On the Recent Earth 

 Tremors, and the Conditions which They Indicate." 



Mr. Ellery said that the seismic centre, as placed by Mr. 

 Griffiths, corresponded with that calculated by himself and Captain 

 Short. He said that seismic shocks were never felt at the bottom 

 of mines, and that the motion of tall trees is less than that of 

 short ones. 



Dr. Taylor, F.G.S. (visitor), said the speed of an earthquake 

 depended largely upon the strata through which it passes. 



Mr. White said that such computations as that of Mr. Griffiths 5 

 might be vitiated by want of uniformity in the clocks ; but the 

 time kept here is, on the whole, better than that of Europe. 



Dr. Taylor said that the water contained in the first mile of the 

 earth's surface acts as a sort of buffer, capable of checking the 

 spread of the movement. 



Mr. Griffiths replied to the observations made. 



Mr. E. L. Marks read his paper on "The Atmosphere as a 

 Source of Nitrogen." 



Mr. Ellery said the paper opened up a new consideration, and 

 was worthy of experiment to test it. Certainly the atmosphere 

 was a source of nitrogen to the soil. 



Dr. Taylor said that in Professor's Viel's recent work it was 

 shown that the legunrinosee have the power of enriching the soil 

 with nitrogen. 



Further discussion wss postponed. 



