viii Minutes of Proceedings, 



Vierzehnter Bericht des Museums fiir Volkerkunde in* 



Leipzig, 1886. 

 Mitteilungen des vereins fiir Erdkunde zu Leipzig, 1883, pts. 

 1,2, 1884, 1885. 



The Rev. G. H. R. Fisk exhibited a snake from Xamaqualand 

 (coronella cana)^ of a different colour from the ordinary ones : it was 

 salmon-coloured underneath. He also drew attention to some remarks 

 that had appeared in " Nature " during the present year, that the 

 poison of a snake had no effect upon another snake of the same 

 species, and quoted a case that had come under his personal observa- 

 tion, in which one horned snake {viper a cornuta^ had bitten another 

 of the same species, with the result that the attacking snake died, 

 apparently from exhaustion, whilst the one bitten remained unaffected. 



Dr. Shaw exhibited an otolith of a whale found on Robben Island. 



Prof. MacOwan exhibited an African variety of alectoria jubara 

 found near Smithfield, O.F.S. 



L>r. Beck then read his paper on "Physiology Teaching in Schools." 



An exceedingly interesting discussi©n ensued in which Messrs. 

 Merriman, Fisk, MacOwan, Bolus, and Sir J. H. de Villiers took part. 

 All the speakers with the exception of Mr. Merriman agreed with Dr. 

 Beck as to the advisability of introducing the study of Elementary 

 Physiology into schools. Mr. Merriman was of opinion that more 

 harm than good would be done by teaching young lads a smattering 

 of this subject at an age when they ought to be studying History and 

 Geography. 



A vote of thanks to Dr. Be«k closed the proceedings. 



Ordiiiary Monthly Meeting. 



Wednesday, June 29, 1887. 

 Mr. H. Bolus, F.L.S., President, in the Chair. 



Dr, Marloth read a paper on " The Adulteration of Brandy," and 

 in connection with it he exhibited a number of specimens of brandies 

 containing various amounts of fusel oil. 



An interesting discussion followed the reading of the paper. 



Mr. Easton desired to know whether the brandy containing fusel 

 oil would not fall under the penalties of Act No. 28 of 1883. 



Mr. Sivewright enquired whether age would not remove the fusel 



