1896 - 97 .] 
Chairman's Opening Address. 
173 
made the notable discovery of the star Nova Auriga, and who 
regularly consults the astronomical works of the Library, has in 
the course of last session discovered three variable stars, not pre- 
viously known to vary. These are : 
Variable Stars. 
The first is in Lyra. + 36° 3066 of Bonn Durchmusterung. 
R.A. and Deck for 1855*0, 18 h. 9*9 m., and +36° 37'. Varia- 
bility confirmed by Mr Paul S. Yendell, of Dorchester, U.S.A., the 
well-known authority on variable stars. 
The second is in Hercules. +27° 2772 of Bonn Durchmus- 
terung. R.A. and Deck for 1855*0, 17 h. 5*0 m., and +27° 14'. 
The third is in Hercules. Not in Bonn Durchmusterung. R.A. 
and Deck for 1855*0, 16 h. 4*1 m., and +25° 28'. 
Obituary Notices of Ordinary Fellows. 
During the past Session thirteen of our Ordinary Fellows and 
five of our Honorary Fellows have died. It is usual on the open- 
ing of a new Session to advert to each of the deceased, it being 
understood that the brief records I shall now give are in nowise 
intended to supersede more elaborate obituary notices, which I 
hope we will receive. 
The first to be taken away was Hugh Miller, the younger and 
only surviving son of the famous geologist of the same name. 
Born in 1850, he was educated at the School of Mines, to which 
he was nominated by Sir Roderick Murchison on account of his 
father’s important contributions to geological science. He joined 
the Geological Survey of England and Wales about the year 1874, 
and one result of his researches was a paper on Tynedale escarp- 
ments. He was afterwards transferred to the Survey of Scotland, 
and was chiefly employed mapping out the old red sandstone of 
the Moray Firth basin. His work, as was seemingly appropriate, 
was confined chiefly to Cromarty and Sutherlandshire. From 
his father he inherited literary ability, and he was always 
painstaking and accurate in scientific work. He died on 9th 
January 1896. 
Josiah Livingstone was born in Edinburgh. Notwithstanding 
the responsibilities of an important mercantile business, he took a 
