through the wire which surrounds it. As the wire round the fields 

 is connected with that of the armature, the current passes round 

 these, and in doing so makes them more powerfully magnetic and 

 so able to induce a more intense current in the wire round the 

 armature. After traversing the fields it makes its way through 

 the main circuit and round to the other brush. This brush 

 delivers it up to one half of the commutator, and as one end 

 of the armature wire is connected to this half, the current can 

 flow all through the wire to the other half, and so to the brush and 

 round the fields again. As each half of the armature is alter- 

 nately north and south for it is made of soft iron, and one brush 

 always collects the Electricity due to north magnetisation, and the 

 other brush that due to south, a steady and apparently constant 

 current is maintained. 



I will now throw on the screen a picture of the Gramme Dynamo, 

 and we will see how far its parts correspond with the one I have 

 described. 



The armature being somewhat different to Siemen's H, we will 

 will throw that alone on the screen. 



Makch 8th, 1887. 

 The meeting took the form of a Conversazoine. There was an 

 interesting exhibition of a great variety of objects, which were 

 described and explained to the members. 



Electrical Apparatus ; by Mr. A. H. Ullyett, and Mr. 

 Hambridge. 



Botanical and Zoological specimens by Mr. Walton. 

 Miscellaneous specimens by Dr. T. Eastes. 

 Dried Australian Plants ; a collection presented to the Society 

 by Miss Rutt. Microscopes were lent by the President, Secretary, 

 Dr. Tyson, Dr. Eastes, and others. 



Mr. Peden, of Dover Road, brought three instruments and 

 exhibited Vorticelloe and many other living specimens. 



May 3rd, 1887. 

 The Secretary was absent through illness. Dr. Fitz Gerald took 

 the chair and read the following paper : 



WHY THE SEA IS SALT. 

 It has been well said that without the sea the world would have 

 remained in a state of barbarism, for civilisation would have been 

 impossible. The sea not only united primitive nations, and 



