ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. ix. 
ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS, JUNE 2, 1897. 
The General Monthly Meeting of the Society was held at the 
Society’s House, No. 5, Elizabeth-street North, on Wednesday 
evening, June 2nd, 1897. 
The President, Henry Drang, M.A., M. Inst. C.E., in the Chair. 
Twenty-nine members and three visitors were present. 
The minutes of the preceding meeting were read and confirmed. 
The following gentlemen were elected Members of the Society:— 
Cardew, John Haydon, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., Pitt-street. 
Low, John §., George-street. 
Marden, John, .a., Li.D., Principal, Presbyterian Ladies’ 
College, Sydney. 
The certificates of two candidates were read for the first time. 
THE FOLLOWING PAPERS WERE READ :— 
1. “A Contribution to the Study of Oxygen at Low Pressures,” 
by R. Turetraut, m.a., Professor of Physics, Sydney Uni- 
versity, and FLorence Martin. 
There is known to be a pressure (about 0-7 mm. of mercury), 
at which oxygen becomes unstable in its volumes and pressure 
relations. This instability may plausibly be attributed to a change 
im the chemical nature of the gas, and during the period of change 
it is possible that ozone may be temporarily produced. An 
€xperiment was made with the object of investigating whether 
xygen can form ozone simply by virtue of a reduction of pressure. 
A suitable indicator having been discovered, an experiment was 
Satisfactorily carried out showing either that no ozone at all is 
ormed, when the pressure falls to from 0-4 to 0-1 mm., or that, 
if such formation does occur, it is to an extent less than 0°005% 
of the volume of the gas employed. 
2. « Determination of the Orbit Elements of Comet f 1896 
(Perrine),” by C. J. MERFIELD, F.R.A.S. 
The author explained that his deductions were based on obser- 
vations made in various American and European observatories, 
