Proceedings and List of Papers read. 323 



the second paper he takes an arithmetical example based on 205 

 families. His results, if correct, would only show a flattening of the 

 frequency-curve, an increased variability, and not a divergence or 

 difl'erentiation. But I have shown that the tendency is really to a 

 decreased variability, and on examination it will be found that the 

 diflerences on which Mr. Vernon bases his conclusions are all of the 

 order of the probable errors of his results ! Apart from this, however, 

 the whole of his argument on pp. 405-6 seems to me invalid; we 

 cannot proceed by a vague threefold classification such as he adopts ; 

 and he nowhere introduces, so far as I can see, the diff'erence in height 

 of the parents which must be the essential feature of the whole 

 argument. 



That Mr. Vernon has shown a relationship between homogamy and 

 fertility in his ' Phil. Trans.' memoir is of high value, but I hold that 

 such cannot help us in the slightest degree to dispense with the funda- 

 mental factor of Darwinian evolution, namely, natural selection."^ 



Apil 5, 1900. 



The LOED LISTEE, F.E.C.S., D.C.L., President, in the Chair. 



A List of the Presents received was laid on the table, and thanks 

 ordered for them. 



In pursuance of notice sent to the Fellows, an election was held to 

 fill the vacancy upon the Council caused by the decease of Mr. G. J. 

 Symons. 



The statutes relating to the election of the Council, and the statute 

 relating to the election of a Member of Council upon the occurrence of 

 a vacancy, were read, and Professor Carey Foster and Sir E. Ommanney 

 having been, with the consent of the Society, nominated scrutators, the 

 votes of the Fellows present were taken and Mr. W. H. M. Christie, 

 Astronomer Eoyal, was declared duly elected. 



The following Papers were read : — 



I. " On the Weight of Hydrogen desiccated by Liquid Air.'* By 

 Lord Eayleigh, F.E.S. 



* Since the above paper was sent to the E.oyal Society — 



(a) The relationsliip of eye-colour to fertility in both man and woman has been 

 inyestigated for several thousand cases ; while there appears to be some correlation 

 between eye-colour and fertility, homogamous unions do not appear to be the more 

 fertile. The numbers will be eventually published ; 



(J) Mr. Vernon has sent me a letter stating that, on further investigation, he 

 has modified his views on Reproductive Divergence. 



VOL. LXVI. 2 €. 



