Minutes of Proceedings. xv 



and twenty-four have been elected. The number on the Eoll is 

 now 215 ordinary and 4 honorary members — the highest yet 

 obtained. 



The Society celebrated the semi- jubilee year of the Society and 

 also the erection of a Memorial Tablet of La Caille by a public 

 banquet, and the members of the South African Association for 

 the Advancement of Science were welcomed at a conversazione, 

 held at the conclusion of one of the ordinary monthly meetings. 



Part 4 of vol. xi., parts 2 and 3 of vol. xii., and parts 1 and 2 of 

 vol. xiv., in all 925 pages, have been published and distributed 

 during the year ; parts 3 and 4 of vol. xiv. are in the hands of the 

 printers, and are expected at an early date. 



The report of the Treasurer shows a credit balance of £330 17s. 2d. , 

 but heavy payments are anticipated during the forthcoming financial 

 year. 



Ordinary Monthly Meeting. 

 October 28, 1903. 

 Dr. J. D. F. Gilchrist, President, in the Chair. 



The following nominations were made : Messrs. A. Brink, Kim- 

 berley, by J. E. Sutton and L. Peringuey ; A. H. T. Muller, 

 Willowmore, by E. H. L. Schwarz and L. Peringuey ; J. S. 

 Thomson, by J. D. F. Gilchrist and L. Peringuey. 



Messrs. E. J. A. Innes, G. Mann, and Dr. Wessels were elected 

 ordinary members. 



Dr. Gilchrist exhibited a series of specimens showing various 

 stages in the development of a fish Scombresox from the egg to the 

 adult form. The egg differed in some respects from that described 

 as belonging to the European Scombresox saurus which is recorded 

 from the Cape. The most notable feature was the absence of the 

 filaments, their place being taken by what appeared to be small dark 

 dots. A huge crab, Lithodes Antarcticus, was also exhibited. The 

 specimen was obtained at a depth of 600 fathoms in a region about 

 30 miles off Cape Point. It showed the typical red colour of many 

 deep-sea animals, and also the absence of carbonate of lime deposit, 

 as indicated by the soft external shell. 



Mr. J. Stuart Thomson, F.L.S., read a paper on " The Periodic 

 Growth of Scales in Gadidae as an index of Age." 



The chief contention of this paper was that scales of certain 

 species of Gadidse show a series of parallel eccentric lines which 



