ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 3} 
in lavas has been made by Mr. W. F. Smeeth, Lecturer in Metal- 
lurgy and Demonstrator in Geology. This paper has been favour- 
ably criticised in Nature, and in the Geological Magazine. A 
discovery likely to prove of importance has been made by my 
third year students and myself, of radiolarian jaspers in the 
Barraba and Bingara Districts of this Colony. Reference will be 
made to this later.! 
Physics Laboratory.—Professor Threlfall has kindly furnished 
me with the following report as to recent research work in his 
laboratory :—‘‘ My time during the year 1895-6 has been occupied 
(1) In purifying selenium. In this I have succeeded as well, but 
T do not think better than Nilson and Petterson, who determined 
its atomic weight. The electrical properties of the purified sub- 
stance are now being examined. (2) Messrs. Farr and Allen 
spent a considerable time in endeavouring to complete a series of 
observations on the magnetic permeability of bismuth. The 
immediate object of the experiment was not attained, owing to a 
difficulty arising from a hitherto unsuspected cause. This matter 
still awaits investigation. (3) A fairly complete study of dielectric 
waste of energy in rotating fields has been carried out and is nearly 
ready for publication. (4) Considerable improvements have been 
made by Mr. Pollock in the gravity meter, and it is hoped that 
the present form of instrument will be of sufficient accuracy to 
be of some use.” 
Physiological Laboratory.—Dr. C. J. Martin, has lately been 
engaged chiefly in studying the following :—Physiological action 
of snake-poisons ; further observations on the venom of platypus; 
development of platypus; experiments in the pharmacology of 
arsenic and strychnine (for the Dean Commission). You are all 
aware that Dr. Martin’s essay on snake-poison was awarded the 
prize and medal by this Society, and it is satisfactory to note that 
his recent physiological researches have been very favourably 
1 Since the above was written abundant radiolaria in black chert of 
probably Upper Silurian Age, have been discovered by me in the sia? 
bourhood of the Jenolan Caves, New South Wales 
