Minutes of Proceedings. iii 



Professor J. E. Duerden, of Graham's Town, by C. P. Lounsbury 

 and L. Peringuey. 



C. W. Howard, of Pretoria, was elected an Ordinary Member of 

 the Society. 



Ordinary Monthly Meeting. 

 Wednesday, October 31, 1906. 

 Dr. J. C. Beattie, President, in the Chair. 

 Business. 



Nomiiiations. — Dr. G. Beare, Kuruman, by A. W. Eogers and 

 L. Peringuey ; C. K. Brain, Cape Town, by J. C. Beattie and L. 

 Peringuey ; P. J. Hannon, Cape Town, by J. M. P. Muirhead and 

 J. C. Beattie ; Professor Ogg, Graham's Town, by J. C. Beattie 

 and L. Peringuey. 



Messrs. J. B. Pole Evans and J. E. Duerden were elected 

 Ordinary Members of the Society. 



J. Stuart Thomson, F.L.S., F.E.S.E., exhibited and described a 

 number of mounted Cape Alcyonaria (Coelenterates) obtained by the 

 Government Biological Department. He explained the different 

 types of colonies formed by these coral-like animals, and by means 

 of diagrams illustrated incipient stages and their probable mode of 

 evolution. The specimens exhibited were of remarkable beauty 

 in form and colouring. One of the most interesting of the forms 

 exhibited was Aiithoptilum thomsoni, a colony measuring about 

 3 feet long and occurring in abundance at certain places, probably 

 forming miniature animal forests at the bottom of the sea. 



Note on the Connection between the Eainfall at Durban and 

 at Mauritius, by T. F. Claxton, F.E.A.S. Director Eoyal Alfred 

 Observatory, Mauritius. 



The note arises out of an enquiry into the possibility of seasonal 

 weather forecasts for Mauritius : 



Examination shows that the monthly departure from average of 

 the various meteorological elements at Durban have no connection 

 with those at Mauritius. 



It appears, however, that winter droughts in Durban have invari- 

 ably been followed by summer droughts in Mauritius at intervals of 

 from three to seven months, and that prolonged droughts in Natal 

 or those commencing in the summer may be either accompanied or 

 followed by prolonged droughts in Mauritius. 



There is some evidence to show that the interval depends upon 

 the time of commencement of the drought at Durban. 



