104 Proceedings, &c., for 1876. 



The President having resigned the chair to Mr. White, Vice- 

 President, read a note on ^' The small number of Sun Spots visible 

 during the year 1876." 



The President read a paper on ''The Chronograph," with especial 

 reference to a parabolic governor which he had successfully adapted 

 to the instrument. He also exhibited a form of governor recently 

 invented by Mr. Cooke. Discussion ensued. 



The President resumed the chair, and Mr. White read a paper on 

 " Determination of the Longitude of the Melbourne Observatory." 

 Discussion ensued, in course of which the President stated that in 

 consequence of the proprietors of submarine cables objecting to 

 strong currents being sent through them, there was at present no 

 prospect of obtaining determination of our longitude by means of 

 the electric telegraph. 



Mr. Kernot read a paper on " Iron Arches," with reference to the 

 iron arched bridge at Heidelberg, recently erected by Mr. Raw- 

 linson. Discussion ensued. 



(Signed) R. L. J. Ellery, Chairman. 



Ordinary Meeting, 



Held in the Library of the Society, November \Wij 1877. 



The President in the Chair. 



Mr. P. C. Klemm was elected an ordinary member of the 

 Society. 



The President having vacated the chair (which was taken by 

 Mr. White), he read a paper on " Some Experiments in Atmos- 

 pheric Electricity." Discussion ensued. 



The President resumed the chair, when Professor H. M. Andrew 

 gave an account of a hitherto undescribed peculiarity of " Amor- 

 phous Phosphorus." The phosphorus was of the chocolate-coloured 

 variety. Exteriorly there had accumulated during two or three 

 years a layer of syrupy fluid which contained phosphorous acid. 

 The same phenomenon had been observed by Mr. Foord and 

 Professor Smith ; the latter had found the fluid to be a mixture of 

 phosphorus and hypophosphorous acid. There was some pro- 

 bability that any action of this sort might be dangerous if occur- 

 ing in the amorphous phosphorus used in safety matches. Dis- 

 cussion ensued, in course of which one or two facts were men- 

 tioned which went to show that safety matches were not so free 

 from danger as was commonly supposed. 



Mr. White's paper on " The Recent Telegraphic Determination 

 of the Longitude of Hobart Town" was postponed till next meet- 

 ing. 



(Signed) R. L. J. Ellery, Chairman. 



