liv Proceedings of the South African Philosophical Society. 
had been a great reduction in the numbers of snoek and other fishes 
caught in these waters. 
Mr. B. MacMrxuan suggested that the relatively higher September 
temperatures of Table Bay might be due to the continuous north- 
west winds blowing some portion of the warmer current into the Bay. 
In reply, Dr. Gincurist stated that the ultimate object of the 
observations was of course the obtaining of a thorough knowledge of 
the conditions here prevailing and influencing the distribution of the 
marine fauna, but it meant going into a very large question to try to 
explain the full bearing of what was even now known, and this was 
hardly the intention of the present paper. Dr. Fuller’s suggestion 
had already been tried by some of the Mail Company’s officers and 
doubtless there was much practical utility in it. Weighted bottles 
had been thrown overboard, but up to the present none had been 
returned, and the prospect of obtaining information as to the deeper 
currents by this means did not appear a hopeful one. 
Dr. J. GC. BeArtre read a paper by himself and Professor J. T. 
Morrison, of Stellenbosch, on ‘“‘ The Magnetic Elements of the Cape 
of Good Hope, from 1605 to 1901.” 
The paper has for its object the determination of the secular 
variation of the magnetic elements at Cape Town, from the year 
1605 to the present time. The first observation made at the Cape 
was a determination of the declination by Davis, in 1605. From 
that time till 1841, observations of this element have been made at 
irregular intervals. It is interesting to note that Vancouver, Cook, 
Ross, La Caille are amongst those to whom we owe records. From 
1841 to 1846 a detachment of R.A. was stationed at the Royal 
Observatory of the Cape of Good Hope, for the purpose of studying 
the magnetic elements there. Observations were taken once per 
hour throughout that period. The work thus started was continued 
by Sir Thomas Maclear and Mr. E. J. Stone. Observations of the 
declination Were at first made five times daily; later twice per day. 
This continued till 1869. From that date to the present time there 
are only a few isolated observations, one set in 1873, taken by the 
magneticians of the Challenger, a second set by Mr. Preston, of the 
U.S. Pensacola, in 1890. About 1894 Sir David Gill obtained a set 
of field instruments for determining the elements. Observations 
with these instruments were made in 1894, by Commander Combe ; 
in 1895 and 1897, by Mr. Finlay ; and in 1900, by Messrs. Beattie 
and Morrison. It is a matter for regret that the Royal Observatory 
can no longer—owing to the disturbances arising from the electric 
tramway—be used as a station for magnetic observations. 
The records show that the declination when first observed in 1605 
