558 Proceedings. 



4. " Description of a new Crustacean from the Auckland Islands," by 

 George M. Thomson. [Transactions, p. 249.) 



Ninth Meeting. 2ith September, 1878. 



W. N. Blair, President, in the chair. 



New Members. — C. H. Eobson, A. Moritzson. 



The Eev. A. E. Fitchett gave a lecture on " Domestic ^Esthetics, and 

 the Higher Education of Women." 



Tenth Meeting. 8th October, 1878. 

 Prof. Hutton, Vice-president, in the chair. 

 New Members. — Mrs. Edwards, Miss V. Edwards, W. G. Jenkins. 

 1. " On Magnetic Dip," by A. H. Eoss. 



ABSTBACT. 



After describing the nature of magnetic dip and the circumstances that 

 led to its discovery, the author proceeds to state that " the first magnetical 

 observation taken on the shores of New Zealand of which I can find any 

 record was taken by Captain Cook at Dusky Bay in May, 1773, one hun- 

 dred and five years ago. He then found by tliree different needles the 

 variation or declination to be 13° 49' E., and the dip or inchnation 70° 5' 45". 

 The next observation, in the same place, was taken by Captain Stokes in 

 1851, the declination then being 15° 34' E., and the inclination 69° 47', the 

 decrease in the angle of inclination having been 18' 45" in seventy-eight 

 years. It is not at all improbable, however, that the inclination was 

 increasing in 1773, and having attained its maximum at some period of 

 which we have no record, had decreased to the amount observed by Captain 

 Stokes in 1851. 



" The inclination of the needle is also subject to diurnal variation, being 

 in the morning of each day 4' greater than in the afternoon ; it also changes 

 when the needle is elevated to considerable heights. 



"I have made these few remarks in reference to the inchnation with a 

 view of compensating for the dryness of what is really my paper of to- 

 night, and which consists solely of a tabulated statement of observations 

 made by me during a recent voyage from England, chiefly with the object 

 of ascertaining the position in reference to the geographical equator of the 

 point in the magnetic equator over which our vessel passed, and which is 

 shown to have been situated in latitude 8° 30' S. and longitude 25° 30' W. 

 The observations were taken whenever practicable by means of an instru- 

 ment specially constructed for the purpose by Mr. Casella, of London. At 

 the commencement of the voyage, the case containing my instruments was 



