xiT Minutes of Proceedings. 



M. A. G. Howard read a paper on " The Reduction of Barometer 

 Readings to Sea-level." The writer had come to the conclusion that 

 the usual formulae could not be used for deducing isobars in such a 

 country as South Africa, and he had substituted for them reductions 

 which did not depend on the temperatures at the various stations. 



Messrs. Gill, Abercrombie vSmith and Finlay, while admitting the 

 uncertainties in the ordinary method of deducing the temperature of 

 the air column between two places, were of opinion that Mr. Howard 

 was wrong in neglecting this temperature altogether. 



Mr. Murphy, electrician on the Eastern and South African 

 Telegraph Company's Ship " Great Northern," gave an account of 

 the methods of testing and repairing sub-marine cables, and exhibited 

 specimens of the different styles of effecting a joint in a severed 

 cable. 



A number of questions were asked bj the members in connection 

 with the subject, to which Mr. Murphy replied. 



A vote of thanks to Messrs. Howard and Murphy closed the 

 proceedings. 



Ordinary Monthly Meeting. 



Wednesday, October 26, 1887. 

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



The following donations were announced and the thanks of the 

 Society voted to the donors : 



Bulletin de la Societe d'Ethnographie. 



Results of Rain and River Observations in N.S, Wales. 



Notes upon the History of Floods in the River D. 



Notes upon Floods in Lake George. 



The Sydney University Calendar for 1887. 

 Dr. Marloth read his paper, " The Acacias of Southern Africa," 

 stating that the landscape north of the Orange River received its 

 peculiar character mainly from the, in parts, almost exclusive growth 

 of the genus of acacias. This fact induced him to devote some 

 study to the Acacias of Southern Africa. He mentioned that there 

 are two distinct groups of this plant, one of which alone numbered 

 four hundred varieties. The plant is distributed over the continents 

 of Australia, Africa, Asia and America. Twenty-five varieties belong 



