32 Proceedings, &c, for 1873. 



Mr. P. Ford, on "Biangular Co-ordinates." On the 13th May 

 Mr. Frederick Poolman read a paper describing an aj>paratus invented 

 and patented by him in 1863, and called " a self-acting regulator 

 and coal economiser for steam engines." Mr. A. K. Smith also 

 produced and described a valve for fire-plugs in Yan Yean mains. 

 On the 10th June Mr. MacGeorge read some notes on Sirius and his 

 companions, and Mr. Sydney Gibbons read some observations 

 respecting the Cranbourne meteorite, and particulars of an analysis 

 of it made by M. Berthelot. On the 8th July, after the delivery 

 of the president's address, Mr. Gibbons read a short paper on " Yan 

 Yean Water," and Mr. George Foord read some notes on a piece of 

 native copper found at Footscray. On the 12th August, Mr. J. 

 Cosmo Newbery read a paper on the extraction of vegetable oils, 

 and the president exhibited and described Siemen's Universal 

 Galvanometer, for testing telegraphic lines. On the 19 th September 

 Mr. George Foord read a paper on " The mechanical assay of 

 quartz." On the 14th October Captain C. J. Perry described his 

 method of verifying a ships position on a coast where only one 

 object can be seen, either in the day or night, by means of his 

 anti-collision dial. On the 11th November Mr. Rusden read a 

 paper on " The treatment of criminals in relation to science." Mr. 

 0. Pritchard described and exhibited a kaleidograph, and Mr. Mac- 

 George read a paper on " Matter a mode of motion ; " and on the 

 9th December, Mr. W. T. Deverell read a paper by his brother, 

 Mr. S. R. Deverell, on " Ocean wave power machinery ; " and the 

 Rev. Lorimer Fison read one, in which he gave a comparative 

 description of various kinship systems existing in widely separated 

 portions of the globe, and exhibiting striking resemblances. 



"A special meeting of the Society was held on the 12th August, 

 after due previous notice, for the purpose of making the following 

 alterations in the 25th and 27th laws. For the last sentence in the 

 26th law, the following was substituted, viz.. — ' Members resident in 

 Melbourne, or within 10 miles thereof, may compound for all 

 annual subscriptions of the current and future years by paying £2 1 , 

 and members residing beyond that distance may compound in like 

 manner by paying £10 10s." The word ' ten ' also was substituted 

 in the second line of the 25th law for the word ' fifty.' 



" The idea having been suggested about the time of the opening of 

 the Exhibition that the Royal Society might more fully fulfil its func- 

 tion, and confer a public benefit by offering facilities to exhibitors to 

 explain the peculiar advantages of their exhibits, three extra meet- 

 ings of the Society were held on the 18th and 25th of November 

 and 2nd of December last. Twelve exhibitors took advantage of 

 the Society's invitation. On the first evening Mr. Robert Bell 

 described a new printing-press which he had invented and made (No. 

 945 of the Exhibition catalogue) ; Mr. Mathews described a piano 

 of his own construction (No. 1,386), and Mr. Pittard a new steel- 



