94 
the slightest trace of any action tending to support this 
view; and it is at least equally probable that the stroke 
fell directly on the top of the iron down-spout at the east 
end of the church. It is stated that the bell in the tower 
was heard to ring at the time of the discharge; but the 
mere passage of the electric fluid down the conductor would 
not affect the bell, and the concussion of the air from a dis- 
charge on the top of the conductor would act upon the 
tower in a vertical direction, and would not, therefore, be 
likely to give the bell a swinging movement. If, however, 
the discharge was directly on the spout at the east end of 
the church, then the concussion of the air would act laterally 
upon the tower in an east and west direction, and, as the 
bell swings on an axis lying north and south, it is quite 
conceivable that an oscillating movement might be given to 
it sufficient to cause it to ring. In either case, however, 
whether the discharge took place upon the top of the con- 
ductor or on the top of the down-spout in the vestry, the 
ultimate results would be precisely the same. Had the 
conductor been directly connected with the gas main, as 
suggested by Mr. Wilde, the accident to the church would 
have been prevented, but not that at the rectory. The 
practical conclusion, therefore, to be drawn from a consider- 
ation of all the circumstances of this disastrous occurrence 
is that, in towns and districts where systems of gas and 
water mains and pipes exist, all lightning conductors should 
be directly connected with the mains of both systems. Had 
this been done at St. Mary’s Church no accident would have 
occurred either to the church or the rectory. 
Mr. Boyd Dawkins, F.R.S., called the attention of the 
Society to a remarkable group of crystals of calcite and sul- 
phide of iron surrounding stalactitic bitumen, found at 
Castleton in Derbyshire, by Roolce Pennington, Esq. The 
mode of formation was this. When the mountain lime- 
