12 
REPORT OF THE 
been witnessed in, if anything, a still more striking manner. 
Little doubt now remains among the best authorities that they 
are a far-reaching result of the awful eruption of Krakatoa, and 
considerable progress has been made in elucidating the real 
character of the various phenomena, whilst their relation to 
ordinary sunset effects has been clearly proved. 
The usual Tables will be found appended. An examination 
of the wind totals might, at first glance, make them appear 
almost worthless; but it will be observed that, greatly and as 
increasingly disproportioned as are the returns for the four 
main points of the compass, the relative variations are to a 
certain extent reliable. 
Botany. —The Curator of Botany reports: The English 
and foreign Herbaria are in a good state of preservation. The 
Eev. C. B. Norcliffe, of Langton Hall, has presented two 
interesting and curious specimens of a Caterpillar (the larva 
of Chiragia mrescens of Walker, —B^einalm virescens of Double¬ 
day), the animal substance of which has been replaced by the 
tissue of a fungus, Sjohoeria Rohertsii (Hooker). 
There are no other donations to record, but an exchange is 
in course of negociation with the British Museum, by which 
(if approved of by the trustees of that museum) we shall gain 
several objects of interest. 
Library. —The Curator of the Library reports that during 
the year a most valuable contribution of books has been made 
by William Eeed, Esq., F.G.S., Honorary Curator of Deology, 
who has presented to the Society between two and three 
hundred volumes of scientific works which are to he kept apart 
from the Greneral Library and constitute the “Eeed” Reference 
Library. 
Amongst the volumes so presented are the exceedingly 
valuable and costly reports of the various scientific experts to 
whom were entrusted the Zoological Collections made dming 
the “ Challenger ” deep-sea exploration, thirteen large volumes, 
magnificently illustrated, having been issued so far. 
