186 MEETINGS. 



Monthly Meeting held on April 22nd, 1903, Dr. J. Aikman, 

 President, in the chair. 



Mr. W. Davidson and Mr. E. Butler were unanimously 

 elected members of the Society. 



Mr. Derrick exhibited a fresh specimen of the small 

 Violet he alluded to at the last meeting, and made some 

 remarks on the peculiarity of its distribution in the Channel 

 Islands, where it appears to be confined to Guernsey and 

 Jersey. 



The third of the series of short scientific lectures was 

 delivered by Mr. R. C. Mabbs, the subject being " Some 

 Low Temperature Phenomena." The origin of the idea of 

 absolute zero was explained, and one method of finding it 

 given. The chief modes of artificially cooling bodies were 

 then mentioned, and the Hampson air liquifier was described 

 in some detail. The lecturer then went on to describe some 

 of the curious phenomena which are observed when bodies 

 are exposed to this extreme cold. The fact that bacteria 

 are not killed even when placed in liquid hydrogen provoked 

 much interest and some discussion. Mr. Mabbs mentioned 

 the anomalous results obtained in connection with the phos- 

 phorescence of bodies when much cooled, and discussed some 

 of the possible results of reaching absolute zero itself. 



Mr. Derrick made a few remarks on the mosses of Sark, 

 of which he had made a collection during a visit to that 

 island at Christmas. They had been named by Mr. E. D. 

 Marquand, who would later on prepare a paper on the subject, 

 but Mr. Derrick hoped in the meantime to add a few further 

 species to the list. 



Monthly Meeting held on May 20th, 1903, Dr. J. Aikman, 



President, in the chair < 



Mr. Collenette exhibited, and made remarks upon, a 

 stuffed specimen of the Horned Screamer, a curious bird from 

 Brazil, called by the natives Chaja, recently presented to 

 the Museum by Mr. A. Stevens, of Belmont Road. 



Mr. Gr. Dalgliesh exhibited a specimen of the Black- 

 throated Diver, a bird rarely visiting Gruernsey, which had 

 been washed ashore at Cobo. This led to a discussion on 

 Gruernsey birds, and it was decided to form an Ornithological 

 Section, Mr. Dalgleish being appointed its Hon. Secretary. 

 Another section was formed for Marine Zoology, a subject 

 which hitherto has received but little attention from the 



