1873.] On the Preservation of Iron Ships , fyc. 259 



Reports, &c. 



London : — Statistical Tables of the Patients under treatment in the 

 Wards of St. Bartholomew's Hospital during 1871. 8vo. 1871. 



The Hospital. 



Melbourne : — Census of Victoria, 1871. Birthplaces and occupations 

 of the People, fol. Statistics of Victoria for 1871. Part 8. In- 

 terchange, fol. The Registrar-General of Victoria. 



Paris : — Bulletin de Statistique Municipale. Janv.-Avril, Nov., Dec. 

 1871 ; Janv., Fevrier, Avril 1872. 4to. The Prefect of the Seine. 



Salford : — Report of the Museum, Library, and Park Committee, 

 1871-72. 8vo. The Committee. 



"Washington : — Annual Report of the Librarian of Congress for the 

 year ending Dec. 1, 1872. 8vo. The Librarian. 



Wellington:— Statistics of New Zealand for 1871. fol. 1872. 



The Registrar-General of New Zealand. 



Groves (C. E.) On the Formation of Naphthaquinone by the direct Oxi- 

 dation of Naphthalene. 8vo. London 1873. The Author. 



Kronecker (L.) Zur algebraischen Theorie der quadratischen Formen. 

 8vo. Berlin 1872. The Author. 



Maxwell (J. Clerk), F.R.S. A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism. 

 2 vols. 8vo. Oxford 1873. The Author. 



Merrifield (C. W.), F.R.S. A Catalogue of a Collection of Models of 

 Ruled Surfaces constructed by M. Fabre de Lagrange. 8vo. London 

 1872. The Author. 



April 24, 1873. 



Sir GEORGE BIDDELL AIRY, K.C.B., President, in the Chair. 



The following communications were read : — 



I. <( On the Durability and Preservation of Iron Ships, and on 

 Riveted Joints." By Sir William Fairbairn, Bart., F.R.S. 

 Received March 5, 1873. 



(Abstract.) 



The disaster which happened to the ' Megaera ' is first discussed, as 

 showing the need of constant inspection of iron structures. That vessel 

 was built by the author of the paper in 1849, and, in his opinion, would 

 have been perfectly sound at the present time if her interior had been 

 freely open to inspection, and if such inspection had been regularly 

 carried out. Some years ago an alarming report was circulated as to the 



vol. xxi. z 



