of Edinburgh, Session 1883—84. 
757 
Monday, 21st Jidy 1884. 
The Eight Hon. LOED MONCEEIFF, President, in the 
Chair. 
The President read to the Society a letter from M. Pasteur, 
Chairman of the Committee constituted for the purpose of erecting 
a Statue at Alais to the memory of Jean Baptiste Dumas. He 
intimated that the Fellows of the Society who wished to subscribe 
might send their subscriptions to the Librarian. 
1. Observations on Coral Eeefs and Calcareous Formations 
of some of the Islands in the Solomon Group. By H. 
B. Guppey, M.D., H.M.S. ‘‘ Lark,” with Notes by John 
Murray, Esq. Communicated by John Murray, Esq. 
2. Further Note on the Compressibility of Water. By 
Professor Tait. 
I had hoped to be able, during the winter, to extend my observa- 
tions to temperatures near the freezing point, but the lowest 
temperature reached by the large compression apparatus was 6°'3 C.; 
while the highest is (at present) about 15° C. From so small a 
range nothing can be expected as to the temperature effect on the 
compressibility of water, further than an approximation to its 
values through that range. 
The following table gives the mean values of the average com- 
pression per ton weight per square inch : — 
Pressure in Tons. 
1. 
2. 
2i. 
3 . 
4 
6°*3 C. 
0-00704 
692 
684 
672 
7°*6 
682 
670 
660 
ir*3 
684 
670 
654 
13°*1 
666 
648 
637 
15°*2 
673 
654 
... 
633 
These are all fairly represented by the expression 
0*00743 - 0*000038 1 - 0*00015 p. 
