XX Transactions of the Boyal Society of South Africa. 
The Meeting proceeded to the election of the Council, President and 
Officers in accordance with the procedure prescribed by Statute. 
Were elected : S. S. Hough, M.A., F.E.S., President ; L. Crawford, 
M.A., D.Sc, Treasurer; L. Peringuey, D.Sc, Secretary; J. Burtt-Davy, 
F.L.S.; G. S. CoRSTORPHiNE, Ph.D.; J. D. F. Gilchrist, M.A., D.Sc. ; 
E. T. Innes, F.A.S. ; R. A. Lehfeldt, Ph.D. ; C. P. Lounsbury, B.Sc. ; 
T. MuiR, LL.D., F.R.S.; A. W. Eogers, M.A., Sc.D.; A. Theiler, M.D. 
Ordinary Monthly Meeting. 
May 19, 1909. 
Dr. L. Crawford in the Chair. 
Messrs. E. W. Davy, W. Jardine and A. E. E. Walker were elected 
ordinary members. 
The Secretary announced the names of all candidates proposed prior 
to the first day of May, i.e., A. L. Hall, E. T. Mellor, Sir Charles 
Abercrombie Smith, A. L. du Toit, A. M. Wilson. 
The following communications were read : — 
" On the Possible Existence at Kimberley of Oscillations of Level 
having a Lunar Period," by J. E. Sutton, M.A., Sc.D., F.E.S.S.Af. 
The outstanding seismic feature of Kimberley is the diurnal variation 
of level whereby the crust of the earth rises and falls once a day under 
the influence of some solar action as yet uninterpreted. This matter has 
been discussed in a paper read before the Eoyal Society of South Africa 
last July. The present discussion is concerned more with variations of 
level depending upon the gravitational influence of the moon. The 
observations do not cover a sufficiently extended period to admit of an 
exhaustive analysis ; but so far as they go they imply perhaps that when 
the moon is south of the equator its attractive force causes the whole of 
the enormous protuberant mass of the earth's crust forming South Africa 
to oscillate periodically east and west during the course of the lunar 
day. This oscillation tends to mask whatever true lunar tide there may 
be in the solid earth. Only when the moon is nearest to the earth does 
the pendulum move in such a manner as to suggest that there is such a 
tide. 
"The Eainfall of South Africa. The Possibility of Prediction over 
the South-west," by A. G. Howard, M.S. A., communicated by L. 
Peringuey. 
For this investigation, which extended over five complete years, three 
stations were selected so as to secure a triangle of observations ; and at 
each the rise or fall of the barometer in 24 hours was noted, together 
