contain a diagnosis of all the species of recent animals, and will, in fact, be for the end of the nineteenth century what the "Systema naturæ" of Linné was in his day.

Mr. ALLEN exhibited a large, well-illustrated German book on the injury suffered by forest trees in Silesia, principally conifers, due to local industries, entitled, "Waldschäden im Ober-schlesischen Industrie-bezirk,” by Prof. Dr. Bernard Borggrem. Frankfurt. 1895.

General Meeting, April 14th, 1896.

HENRY WILDE, F.R.S., President, in the Chair.

The following gentlemen were elected ordinary members of the Society: Mr. George Behrens, Fallowfield; Mr. James B. Bindloss, Eccles; Mr. James ClaytonChorlton, Didsbury; Mr. Thomas E. Stanton, M.Sc., senior demonstrator in the Whitworth Engineering Laboratory, Owens College, Manchester; and Mr. Arthur Harden, M.Sc., Ph.D., senior demonstrator of chemistry, Owens College, Manchester.

Ordinary Meeting, April 14th, 1896.

HENRY WILDE, F.R.S., President, in the Chair.

The thanks of the members were voted to the donors of the books upon the table.

Professor OSBORNE REYNOLDS, F.R.S., exhibited a slab of Itacolumite, a flexible stone which is associated with the presence of the diamond.

Mr. R. L. TAYLOR, F.C.S., F.I.C., exhibited a simple form of apparatus for liquefying some of the more easily liquefiable gases by means of the compressed gas in an ordinary cylinder of oxygen.

Mr. C. L. BARNES, M.A., read an extract from a paper in the Philosophical Transactions for 1826, by Jacob Perkins, "On the Progressive Compression of Water by high degrees of force, with some trials of its effects on other fluids," in which the writer described the liquefaction of air at 1,000 or 1,200 atmospheres, and of carburetted hydrogen at 40 atmospheres and upwards. As no cooling of these gases was described, it is obvious that the liquefaction could not possibly have been accomplished, the temperatures being far above the critical points. Professor DIXON suggested that it was the aqueous vapour which condensed. This explanation seems most probable in the absence of any special attempt to dry the gases.

Mr. ALFRED BROTHERS, F.R.A.S., exhibited two ruled plates containing 132 lines to the lineal inch, the plates when revolved on each other producing remarkable diaper effects.

Dr. GEORGE BOWMAN exhibited two receipts by Dr. John Dalton, dated respectively June 24 and September 29, 1831, for payments for private lessons in chemistry at Is. 6d. each, as illustrating the low cost of scientific education 65 years ago.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, APRIL 28, 1896.

HENRY WILDE, F.R.S., President, in the Chair.

Mr. HERBERT BOLTON, F.R.S.E., Assistant-Keeper in the Manchester Museum, was elected an ordinary member. The Annual Report of the Council was presented, and it was moved by Mr. J. E. KING, M.A., seconded by Mr. R. L. TAYLOR, F.C.S., and resolved:-"That the Annual Report be adopted, and printed in the Society's Memoirs and Proceedings."

It was moved by Dr. JAMES BOTTOMLEY, seconded by Dr. CHARLES BURGHARDT, and resolved:-" That the system of electing Associates of the Section be continued during the ensuing session."

It was moved by Mr. W. E. HOYLE, M.A., seconded by Mr. JOHN BOYD, and resolved:-"That the Council be recommended to take the opinion of the members regarding the hours of meeting."

Mr. FARADAY intimated that the expression of his inability to continue to act as one of the honorary secretaries, contained in the annual report, was intended to imply that his engagements would not permit him to serve on the Council in any capacity during the ensuing year.

On the motion of Professor REYNOLDS, Seconded by Dr. E. SCHUNCK, it was resolved:-" That this meeting. expresses the thanks of the Society to Mr. F. J. FARADAY for the great services which he has rendered to the Society during his 10 years' tenure of office as honorary secretary."

The PRESIDENT appointed Professor ARTHUR SCHUSTER, F.R.S., and Professor HORACE LAMB, F.R.S., to act as scrutineers in the election of the officers of the Society and of the members of the Council for the ensuing year, and the following gentlemen were declared

elected :

President: EDWARD SCHUNCK, PH.D., F.R.S., F.C.S. Vice-Presidents: CHARLES BAILEY, F.L.S.; JAMES COSMO MELVILL, M.A., F.L.S.; OSBORNE REYNOLDS, M.A., LL.D., F.R.S.; ARTHUR SCHUSTER, PH.D., F.R.S., F.R.A.S.

Secretaries: REGINALD F. GWYTHER, M.A.; FRANCIS JONES, F.C.S.

Treasurer: RUPERT SWINDELLS, M.Inst.C.E.

Librarian: WILLIAM E. HOYLE, M.A., M.Sc., M.R.C.S. Other Members of the Council: HAROLD B. DIXON, M.A., F.R.S.; ALEXANDER HODGKINSON, M.B., B.Sc.; J. E. KING, M.A.; HORACE LAMB, M.A., F.R.S.; FRANCIS NICHOLSON, F.Z.S.; ROBERT L. TAYLOR, F.C.S.

On the motion of Professor REYNOLDS, seconded by Professor DIXON, the thanks of the meeting were given to Professor SCHUSTER and Professor LAMB for acting as scrutineers.

Annual Report of the Council, April, 1896.

The Society began the session with an ordinary membership of 132. During the present session one former member has been re-admitted, and 22 new members have joined the Society; 3 resignations have been received, and the deaths have been 2, viz.: Mr. John Lawson Kennedy and Mr. Henry Davis Pochin. This leaves on the roll 150 ordinary members. The Society has also lost four honorary members by death, viz.: Dr. John Russell Hind, F.R.S.; Professor Thomas Henry Huxley, M.D., Ph.D., LL.D., D.C.L., P.P.R.S., &c.; M. Louis Pasteur, For. Mem. R.S.; and Professor W. C. Williamson, LL.D., F.R.S.

The financial position of the Society, as shown by the accompanying balance-sheets, is more satisfactory than it has been for many years. This has been due to receipts from the Wilde Endowment Fund; to an extended membership list, mainly the result of cancelling the admission fee; and especially to another donation from the President, Mr. Henry Wilde, F.R.S., of £250. The object of this gift was, partly, to meet certain additional expenditure in altering the electric installation in compliance with the Fire Insurance rules, and for other necessary internal accommodation, but mainly to have all liabilities discharged, as far as was possible, by the end of the financial year.

The amount of cash lying at the Society's bankers on the 31st March, 1896, was £357. 2s. 7d., or £194. 5s. 8d. more than it was at the corresponding period in the previous year. The details of the receipts and payments will be found in the Treasurer's Accounts at the end of this report.