208 



Dr. Hector. On the 



[Nov. 19, 



November 19, 1885. 



THE PRESIDENT in the Chair. 



In pursuance of the Statutes, notice of the ensuing Anniversary 

 Meeting was given from the Chair. 



Mr. Cornelius 0' Sullivan and Dr. Sydney Howard Vines were 

 admitted into the Society. 



Professor W. G. Adams, General Boileau, Dr. Huggins, Dr. Perkin, 

 and Dr. Rae, having been nominated by the President, were by ballot 

 elected Auditors of the Treasurer's Accounts on the part of the 

 Society. 



The Presents received were laid on the table and thanks ordered for 

 them. 



The following Papers were read : — 



I. "On the Total Solar Eclipse of September 9, 1885 (in a 

 Letter to Professor Stokes, Sec. R.S.)." By James Hector, 

 M.D., F.R.S., Director of the Geological Survey, New 

 Zealand. Received October 22, 1885. 



Wellington, September 12, 1885. 



Dear Sir, 



On the 5th instant I duly received your note of the 15th July, 

 enclosing instructions drawn up by the Committee for observing the 

 solar eclipse which took place here on the 9th. 



The instructions were circulated in all quarters where they were 

 likely to be of use. You will observe from the enclosures that unfor- 

 tunately both the parties equipped by Government, in their anxiety 

 to get as near the line of centrality as possible, encountered bad 

 weather, so that no observations were made which can be considered 



