XXVI. ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. 



Holt, Thomas Samuel, 'Wynterdyne,' Burwood. 

 Peake, Algernon, 25 Prospect Road, Ashfield. 

 Pollitt, James Chas. Tomlin, 'Athole,' Croydon. 

 The certificates of three candidates were read for the third time 

 of six for the second time, and of three for the first time. 



Thirty-nine Volumes, 117 Parts, 9 Reports, 35 Pamphlets and 

 2 Geological Photographs, total 202, received as donations since 

 the last meeting, were laid upon the table and acknowledged. 



The Chairman announced that the Fifth Science Lecture 1901,. 

 on "The History of a Grain of Wheat," by F. B. Guthrie, f.i.c, 

 f.c s., would be delivered in the Royal Society's House, [on. 

 Thursday, October 24, 1901 at 8 p.m. 



THE FOLLOWING PAPERS WERE READ : 



1. "Recurrence of Rain — the relation between the Moon's motion 

 in declination and the quantity of rain in New South Wales," 

 by H. C. Russell, b.a., c.m.g., f.r s. 



The paper was essentially a continuation of that on the 

 "Periodicity of good and bad seasons," read 3rd June 1896. The 

 author stated that while coastal rains were irregular, those of the 

 interior shewed a 19-year periodicity. Regretting that observations 

 did not extend over a more lengthy period, it was pointed out 

 that some rain records of Horsham, Yictoria, dating back to 1848 

 were valuable, our first record at Bathurst beginning in 1858. 

 To minimise possible errors, the averages of neighbouring stations 

 were taken. An illustrative diagram accompanied the paper, the 

 author stating that between 1850 and 1851, 1869 and 1870, and 

 1888 and 1889, the thick vertical lines — 19 years apart — divided 

 the records in 'natural spaces' in which the first six years had 

 abundance of rain, and the remainder was a 'dry period.' The 

 first bad year of the series, we were stated to be now in, was 1895, 

 the loss of sheep from starvation between 1895 and 1900 being 

 alleged to be 25,000,000, not including the loss of 20,000,000 

 natural increase. The diagram shewed also the curve of extreme 

 southerly declination of the moon for each year. The author in 



