Proceedings, &c., for 1887. 85 



Dr. R. D. M. Verbeek, of Buitenzorg, Java, author of nn 

 elaborate report on tlie Krakatoa Eruption, was, on the 9th 

 September, specially elected as an honorary member under 

 Law XXI 7. 



On the 3rd June the Council appointed as members of an 

 Australian Antarctic Exploration Committee (jointly with the 

 Royal Geographical Society of Australia, Victorian Branch, who 

 appointed a like number) Professor Kernot, Messrs. Ellery, 

 Griffiths, Rusden, Selby, and Dr. Wild, and the Committee was 

 re-elected in December, to enable it to act during the recess. 

 Also, on the 11th November, Messrs. Ellery, Griffiths, and Rusden 

 were appointed as a Printing Committee to attend to the prepara- 

 tion of the Twenty-third Volume of the Transactions duringthe recess. 



A conversazione was held in the new Masonic Hall, Collins 

 Street East, on the 26th October, at which His Excellency the 

 Governor and a large number of ladies and gentlemen attended. 

 The President delivered his annual address, Mr. Griffiths read a 

 paper on "Antarctic Exploration," and Mr. Sutherland gave a 

 paper on "Allotropism," illustrated by experiments. A record of 

 the numerous and interesting exhibits will be found in the 

 Proceedings of the Society, Vol. XXIII., which will be issued in 

 the course of the month. Your Council regrets that it could not 

 be completed before, and recommends that in future, for many 

 reasons, the annual volume be printed off as soon as possible after 

 the last meeting in each session. 



Your Council desires to remind members that the shorthand 

 writer's notes of the discussions are written out at length with a 

 type-writer, and preserved for reference if desired, and that this 

 will account for the brevity of the notes of speeches in the printed 

 Proceedings of the Society. 



Report of Section A. 



The papers contributed during the past year have been less 

 numerous than in former years, biit the subject matter has been 

 more closely connected with practical work than in some previous 

 papers. 



The following papers were read : — 



March 31st. — " Boiler Explosions," by Professor Kernot. 



April 28th. — "The Testing of large Dynamos," by Mr. John 

 Booth, M.C.E. ; " Modern Marine Indicator Diagrams," by 

 Mr. C. W. Maclean, C.E. 



May 26th.— " Collimation in Levels," by Mr. G. R. B. 

 Steane, C.E. 



June 30th. — Discussion continued on the last-mentioned paper, 

 and " Some Notes on Mr. J. A. L. Waddell's pamphlet on Japan 

 Railway Bridges," were read by Professor Kernot ; another paper, 

 " On Safety Valves," was read by Mr. C. W. Maclean, C.E. 



