xliv The Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society 
desirability of urging on the Government a more or less detailed geo- 
logical survey of the Colony be referred to the Council. 
The Rev. G. H. R. Fisk read a letter from Dr. Boulenger, of the 
British Museum, asking for more specimens of the egg-eating snake 
(Dasypeltis scabra). 
ORDINARY MONTHLY MEETING. 
Wednesday, June 28, 1893. 
Mr. D. Git, LL.D., F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 
The undermentioned presents were announced, and the thanks of the 
Society voted to the donors : 
Feuille des Jeunes Naturalistes, No. 272. 
Memorias y Revista de la Sociedad Cientifica ‘Antonio Alzate,’ 
Tomo VI., Nos. 7 and 8. 
Dr. MARLOTH exhibited specimens of Alga, a species of water-weed, 
which he had obtained from the hot spring, Brand Vley, near Worcester. 
The water from which he had taken the specimen was of a temperature 
of 140° Fahr., and was warm enough for the people of the neighbour- 
hood to scald pigs in. It was remarkable to find vegetation in water 
of such a temperature, which exceeded that recorded from other 
localities by several degrees. 
Mr. FINLAY described the position, at its various returns, of a periodic 
comet which he had discovered in September, 1886, and which was 
visible until December of the same year. Since then it had been on its 
travels, going nearly as far as the planet Jupiter, and it had now become 
again visible, after an absence of about six years and eight months. 
He had been able to get three observations of the comet during the 
present month, although it had only been faintly visible. It would 
next be visible in the year 1900, and would return at periods of 62 years, 
though, on account of its varying position with regard to the earth and 
the sun, it would be more easily seen at some returns than at others. 
Mr. Finlay said that Mr. Schulhof, of the Paris Observatory, believed 
he would eventually be able to identify the comet with Lexell’s comet, 
which was last seen in the Northern Hemisphere in the year 1760. 
