MEETINGS. 317 



about two feet long, the two branches being held in the hands, 

 with the stem pointing outwards. Several other gentlemen 

 offered observations on the subject, and then Mr. Collenette 

 came forward and showed that there was nothing mysterious 

 about the movement of the rod in the operator's hand — it was 

 simply the result of muscular force applied in a certain way. 

 The action was mechanical and involuntary, and the " diviner " 

 was quite unconscious of it. Mr. Collenette illustrated his 

 theory by diagrams on the blackboard, and also by various 

 rods he had prepared, one of which, composed of numerous 

 strands of wire, showed the movement referred to. Many of 

 the members present tried the experiment for themselves with 

 varying degrees of success. It was pointed out that Mr. 

 Collenette's theory, while no doubt applicable in many cases, 

 still left certain points unaccounted for, and, therefore, if it were 

 possible to secure the attendance of a professional " diviner " 

 the subject might be further discussed with much advantage. 



Monthly Meeting held on April 11th, 1894, Mr. E. D. 

 Marquand, President, in the chair. 



The Rev. T. D'E. Jesse, M.A., was unanimously elected 

 a member of the Society. 



Among the visitors present was Mr. Charles Mellish, who 

 for some years has used the " divining rod " professionally in 

 this island with great success. He very kindly gave a clear 

 and detailed description of his method of using the rod, from 

 which it became at once evident that Mr. Collenette's theory 

 of unconscious muscular action, so ably propounded at the last 

 meeting, was wholly untenable, or at any rate inapplicable in 

 this particular case. Mr. Mellish, however, frankly admitted 

 that he could not explain how or why the rod was deflected 

 when held over a spring of water, but, in the hundreds of cases 

 he had been engaged in professionally, he had never had a 

 failure. On behalf of the meeting the President warmly 

 thanked Mr. Mellish for having favoured them with his 

 experience as a rhabdomantist, and his views on a subject 

 which must still remain an unsolved mystery. 



With reference to the extraordinary severity of the frost 

 which occurred during the first week in January last, Mr. Gr. 

 Derrick read the following notes : — 



" The frost which visited Guernsey in common with the 

 adjacent parts of England and France was the severest on 

 record for many years, and though fortunately of brief dura- 

 tion, had a most disastrous effect upon vegetation, 



