Minutes of Proceedings. 
XXV 
shelter of grass and twigs. The poison they use for their arrows consists 
of snake-poison and also of that of the large spiders reputed to be very 
venomous, mixed with the milky juice of an Euphorbia growing in the 
Langebergen. They practise witchcraft to remove illness, this being done 
in a very simple manner by the old women. They acknowledge no chief 
or leader, and are not polygamous, but they have no marriage ceremonies. 
They are extremely revengeful, killing even their own relations if neces- 
sary. Instances are given of this propensity. They believe in resurrec- 
tion, and bury the dead in a sitting position, so as to enable them to get up 
easily and walk to a certain place where there is plenty of wild honey and 
locusts. Those who have been quarrelsome and have behaved badly 
towards their friends during their lifetime would get common flies to eat 
as a punishment. The Bushmen believe that jackals, wild cats, &c., were 
formerly human beings transformed by witchcraft as punishment for evil- 
doing. They believe also that there was an evil person or devil in the 
early days who always quarrelled with the others, but from the instances 
given often had the worst in his encounters. 
" A Note concerning the Physical Significance of the Mean Diurnal 
Curve of Temperature," by Dr. J. K. Sutton. 
This paper discusses briefly the question whether hourly average tem- 
peratures have any great scientific value. The author comes to the 
conclusion that it is not unlikely that the mean diurnal curve of tempera- 
ture is, for Kimberley, made up of at least three superimposed curves of 
the same period, which curves are proper, perhaps, to various outstanding 
types of weather. 
A Note on the Earthquakes of the South African Table-land,'' by Dr. 
J. E. Sutton. 
Occasional shocks of earthquake are felt in South Africa. Four have 
occurred of sufficient intensity to be plainly felt since the Observatory at 
Kenilworth (Kimberley) was established. The author calls attention to 
the fluctuations of barometric pressure which were in progress at the time 
of these shocks. 
Oedinary Monthly Meeting. 
August 21, 1912. 
Dr. J. K. E. Halm was in the Chair. 
The Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of July 17th were confirmed. 
The Chairman announced that Sir David Gill, K.C.B., F.E.S., had 
represented the Society at the 250th anniversary of the foundation of the 
Eoyal Society of London. 
The Chairman announced that the Council nominated Sir William 
