MINUTES OF PEOCEEDINGS. 



Ordinary Monthly Meeting. 



Friday, August 28, 1885. 



Prof. MacOwan, B.A., F.L.S., President, in the Chair. 



The ballot for Dr. Atherstone as an ordinary member, and Dr. F. 

 W. Klatt as a corresponding member, resulted in these gentlemen 

 being unanimously elected. 



The following presents were announced, and the thanks of the 

 Society voted to the donors : — 



Geological and Natural History Survey of Canada. 

 Eeport and Maps for 1882-84. 

 Catalogue of Canadian Plants. Part II. 



The Eev. G. H. E. Fisk, exhibited and described the skeleton of a 

 fish's head Lophius JJpsicephaliis, which Giinther considers to 

 be the same as the English species Lophius Piscatorius, or "Angler." 

 This specimen was taken in Table Bay, and is found at the bottom 

 of the sea embedded in mud or sand. 



He also exhibited the skin of a Eobben Island snake, Coronella 

 Phocartmi, and drew attention to the fact that although the snake, 

 when alive, measured only 5 feet 9 inches, the skin, when removed, 

 measured 6 feet 10 inches. Mr. Fisk pointed out that if this rule 

 holds good it is not improbable that an erroneous idea as to the 

 original size of specimens may have frequently been entertained. 



The President exhibited and described a specimen of Welivitschia 

 Mir ai His from Walvisch Bay. This plant is described by Sir J. D. 

 Hooker in vol. xxiv of the Linnean Society's Transactions. 



In reply to the Eev. G. H. E. Fisk, the President stated that the 

 Welivitschia mirahilis had germinated at Kew, but he did not imagine 

 it was of commercial value. 



Mr. T. Stewart, Mem. Min. Soc, then read a paper on the 

 ''Weathering and Erosion of Eocks," as illustrated in the Cape 

 Peninsula. 



Mr. E. J. Dunn, F.G.S., remarked upon a powerful agent con- 

 nected with the disintegration of rocks, which had not been mentioned 

 in the paper just read. He referred to the small lichens which by 

 means of their tiny roots were responsible for the removal of tons of 

 earth and rock in such a circumscribed locality as the Cape Peninsula. 

 Speaking generally as to the erosion and weathering of rocks it is to 

 be noted that the character of the rock generally regulates the form 

 it assumes. Lime stones become shaped into rounded masses. 

 Granites form huge boulders ; whilst the dolerites in South Africa 

 are frequently found piled up on one another ; the corners of these 

 close-grained rocks being attached both above and below. Amongst 

 the sandstones of the Stormberg huge rocks 40 feet in height may 

 be seen which owe their form and apparently insecure position to the 

 effects of weathering. Sometimes owing to the lower portion being 



of a softer material these rocks increase from 3 to 4 feet in diameter 

 VOL. IV, ... 



