1876.] UxMhition of Croohes' Badiometer ly Bev. Fr. Lafont. 171 



Peoposed New Rule (Miscellaiteous) . 



Alteration of the Bye-laws. 



When the introduction of aivy new Bye-law, or the alteration or repeal 

 of any existing Bye-law, is recommended hy the Gov/ncil, or proposed hy ten 

 or more ordinary Members, the Council shall cause to he sent to every 

 member of the Society entitled to vote, a statement of the proposed changes 

 and the reasons for them, with a view to the votes of the general body of 

 M-embers being taJcen as directed in Bule 33. Brovided always that no 

 change in the Bye-laws shall be valid toilless a majority of three-fourths 

 of the Members who have voted shall be infavowr of the proposed changes. 



The CoTJJsrciL reported that in conformity with the wish expressed at 

 the last meeting Mr. H. F. Blanford's proposal, that the refund of sub- 

 scription to the Piddington Fund should be devoted to form a nucleus of 

 a fund for the pensioning of old and deserving servants of the Society, had 

 been referred for the decision of the subscribers at joresent in India, and 

 that of 17 members addressed eight had replied agreeing to the proposal. 

 The Council would therefore recommend that it should be adopted but 

 with the proviso, that any subscriber who wished to reclaim his share 

 should be at liberty to do so. 



The proposition was agreed to unanimously. 



The Council reported that in accordance with the vote passed at the 

 last meeting, the Society had been registered under Act XXI of 1860. 



Also that they had elected Dr. J. Anderson and Lieut.' F. W. Jarrad, 

 R. N., members of the Natural History and Library Committees. 



The Eev. Fathee Lafont, S. J., exhibited one of Crookes' Radiome- 

 ters and said that he had made numerous experiments to ascertain 1st, whether 

 the rotation was due to the impulse of the ether wave, and 2nd, whether they 

 were due to the longer or to the shorter waves, to Heat rather than to Light. 

 Having tried polarized heat and light, he thought the very slight acceleration 

 produced, when the pilane of the waves was directed normally against the 

 vanes, could not warrant the conclusion that the waves were the propelling 

 agent. In his opinion, the result of his experiments on the second point 

 was more definite and pointed to Heat as the principal moving agent. He 

 might venture to say that the radiometer never moved except a change 

 occurred in its temperature : if that tem2:)erature was increased, the little 

 mill moved white faces forward ; if it was lowered, it moved black faces 

 forward, or in the reverse direction. 



