8 



MEETINGS. 



and what they were erected for, so far as we can gather from 

 the remains found in them. In Guernsey a good deal of 

 ancient pottery has been found, as well as stone implements 

 which show by the degree of wear and tear they have under- 

 gone that they have done real work. It was very interesting 

 to compare the dolmens found in Guernsey with those of 

 Brittany and Cornwall, and other places. 



The second lecture, by Mr. E. Scott, B.Sc, dealt with 

 the subject of " The Solar Spectrum." From the earliest 

 times speculation had been rife as to the composition of 

 the heavenly bodies, and only in the 19th century had 

 the spectroscope settled the question. White light, that 

 is sunlight, is split up by the prism into coloured bands 

 called the spectrum. Gaseous hot bodies give spectra of 

 colour on a dark background. A dark line across a 

 bright spectrum indicates that white light has passed 

 through a certain vapour. Comparison of this line with 

 the spectra of known vapours shows the substance which 

 has produced it. The sun is surrounded by a gaseous 

 envelope or chromosphere, and the dark lines in the sun's 

 spectrum show the vapours in this chromosphere — and conse- 

 quently what substances are found in the sun — and in the 

 same way with various other heavenly bodies. 



The third Lecture, by Dr. Aikman, was entitled " A 

 fragment of Lilliputian biography." The lecturer briefly 

 sketched the life-history of the minute parasite which 

 produces the deadly sleeping sickness, the terror of Central 

 Africa. This disease originally develops in the blood of 

 crocodiles, whence through the agency of the Tsetse Fly 

 it is transferred to the blood of domesticated animals, in 

 which sooner or later it causes death. The disease is more 

 prevalent among negroes than white men, but we have 

 the sad instance of Lieut. Tulloch, of the Army Medical 

 Corps, who was infected at Uganda, and succumbed to sleep- 

 ing sickness after his return to England. That the disease 

 may be spread has been proved by experiments, but it has 

 also been ascertained that some negroes may be infected with- 

 out afterwards developing the disease. Several months or 

 even a year or two may elapse before the symptoms are 

 manifest, and it seems the disease does not develop until the 

 parasite has gained access to the fluid which surrounds the 

 brain and spinal cord. 



The evening's entertainment, which was very enjoyable, 

 attracted a large and appreciative audience, and the sum of 

 £7 7s. 6d. was realised by the sale of tickets. 



