THE OUTBURST OF SUN SPOTS I.V 1S87. 25 



own observations were in accord with the statements of that writer. 

 Mr. Elvins also stated by the method adopted by him in papers 

 published in 1871 and 1872, a maximum should have occurred in 

 1887, but he also stated that he was not quite satisfied that the true 

 pei'iod had yet been determined. The fact remained, however, that a 

 maximum was jiredicted for 1887, and an outburst had occurred 

 dui'ing the past year. 



The President said that the subject had exercised a great 

 many scientific men for a long time : there were many diffi- 

 culties attending the investigation of it. In the case of the 

 distance of one maximum to another, when it has risen rapidly 

 from a minimum to a maximum or to maxima on different 

 sides of the equator, it would require a long series of observa- 

 tions to come to a satisfactory conclusion, so that at present 

 we would not be justified in predictions for any one year. 

 Although the fact was indisputable, Mr. Elvins' explanation 

 could hardly be accepted in our present knowledge of the sub- 

 ject. We must wait till we have ascertained the physical 

 cause. Prof. Balfour Stewart had made observations connect- 

 ing meteorological phenomena with shorter periods as one of 

 27 days. He fcund a connection between magnetic disturb- 

 ances and the appearance of sun spots in short periods from 

 observations made at Toronto, Kew and Prague. 



THIRTEENTH MEETING. 



Thirteenth Meeting, nth February, i888, T. B. Browning, 

 M.A., in the chair. 



Donations and exchanges since last meeting, 40. 



Mr. Sandford Fleming, C.M.G., F.G.S., was elected an 

 honorary member. 



Mr. A. F. Chamberlain, B.A., read a paper on the " Catawba 

 Language." 



