for the year 1874. xi 



Since our last Annual Conversazione we have held nine 

 ordinary meetings, at- which thirteen original papers were 

 read, having reference chiefly to the application of science 

 to useful purposes, among which I am glad to say are two 

 from an ex-member, eno-ao-ed in scientific work in Scotland, 

 who has sent us in this form the results of some of his 

 geological researches made during a somewhat brief stay in 

 the colony. 



At the September meeting I read a paper " On Lightning 

 and Lightning Conductors," with a view of popularizing a 

 knowledge of the principles of protection of buildings from 

 the effects of lightning, and the methods of putting them 

 into practice. At the October meeting Mr. S. W. Gibbons 

 read a paper " On Contaminated Water Supply," which 

 clearly indicated the danger of adopting any source of water 

 supply for a community without a thorough investigation 

 as to its purity and freedom from chance of contamination. 

 At the same meeting a short paper by Mr. Etheridge, " On the 

 occurrence of Eetepora in Tertiary Deposits at Schnapper 

 Point," was read. At the November meeting a discussion on 

 '" A proposed Method for Determination of Longitude" took 

 place. The method proposed claimed to involve less calcula- 

 tion than is usualty necessary in ordinary lunar distances — 

 it consisted in observing the moon and star or sun on the 

 same vertical. Mr. White clearly showed that the method 

 did not possess the advantages claimed. In November 

 Mr. A. K. Smith read a paper on " The New Embankment 

 on the South Bank of the River, near Prince's Bridge," in 

 which was pointed out the dangers likely to accrue in case 

 of a large flood in the Yarra. 



At the meeting on December the 8th, Dr. Neild read a 

 paper on " Cremation," in which that method of disposing 

 of the dead was advocated. This meeting was the last of 

 the session, and no ordinary meeting took place till the 



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