Throughout the year 1884 the sun was seen over most countries under peculiar atmospheric circumstances; and these, instead of being confined to low altitudes, were never more conspicuous than during the summer of the year, and noon-tide of each day, and in the clear air on mountain heights of every country, whenever the sky was more or less free of actual clouds.

On such occasions then, the usual phenomenon to be noticed by the eye, was, that nothing like blue sky could be witnessed near the sun. But in place of that, there was a broad glare of whitish light extending for several degrees around the luminary; and beyond that range, or over 20 degrees distant from him, there spread a wide reddish haze, passing into purple, and at greater distances into blue, but nowhere a very decided and deep blue sky.

Nitroglycerine is commonly described as the tri-nitric ether of glyceryl, and the formula C3H5(O.NO2)3 is accorded to it. This theory of its composition is based (1) upon its mode of formation; (2) upon the statement, made by Railton, Williamson, and others, that it is decomposed by potash into potassium nitrate and glycerine; (3) upon several estimations of the nitrogen which it contains, and one comparative estimation of its carbon. The second argument cannot be accepted, as it has been shown by one of us that the decomposition does not take place in the way stated; and the analytical results which have been obtained by the various investigators are so incomplete and mostly so imperfect, and differ so greatly among themselves, that they cannot be taken as affording any proof of the composition of the substance. It seemed to us, therefore, desirable that some accurate estimations should be obtained, not only of the nitrogen but of the carbon and hydrogen. A brief résume of previous analytical results will show that this is the case.

In the twenty-ninth volume of the Society's Transactions, at page 59, Lord Brouncker's process for finding the ratio of two quantities (commonly known as the method of continued fractions) is extended to the comparison of three or more magnitudes. It is there shown that recurrence, which was believed to belong exclusively to equations of the second degree, extends to those of higher orders, and examples of this extension are given in determining the proportions of the heptagon and enneagon.

One main object of the present brief paper is to take advantage of the results obtained by Kirkman, and thus to extend my census of distinct forms to knottiness of the 8th and 9th orders; for the carrying out of which, by my own methods, I could not find time. But I employ the opportunity to give, in a more extended form than that in the short abstract in the Proceedings, some results connected with the general subject of knots, which were communicated to the Society on January 6, 1879, as well as others communicated at a later date, but not yet printed even in abstract.

This collection was sent to me for examination some months ago by Mr Murray. It may be conveniently divided into two very natural groups:—

1. Ascidiacea, including the forms dredged or trawled from the bottom of the sea.

2. Thaliacea, including the free-swimming pelagic forms captured by the tow-net at or below the surface.

On account of the treacherous character of the natives of the Solomon Group, no extensive geological observations have ever been made in these islands since the period of their discovery by the Spaniards three centuries ago. For this reason my excursions in these regions were not free from personal risks; in many places they were considerably curtailed, and in some places they had to be abandoned altogether. Fortunately, however, I was able to make a detailed examination of several of the smaller islands, the natives of which had been first conciliated by the kindly tact of Lieut.-Commander C. F. Oldham, to whom I am indebted for much assistance in my pursuits. But from the circumstances in which I was placed, both on board and on shore, it was necessary, in order to accomplish much, to dare a little.

The following observations on atmospheric electricity were made on the top of Dodabetta, between 3rd and 12th January 1885. The position of the electrometer, when not otherwise stated, was at a height of about 5 feet above what remains of the walls of the bungalow formerly used as a meteorological observatory. Dodabetta is the highest hill in the Neilgherries, and the bungalow was built exactly on the top, which is in latitude 11° 24′ 5ʺ·40 N., longitude 76° 46′ 44ʺ·39 E., and at a height of 8642 feet above mean sea-level. The top is free from trees, and my tents were slightly below, and at a sufficient distance off to prevent them interfering in any way with the accuracy of the readings.

The Pennatulida obtained by H.M.S. “Triton,” and placed in my hands for description, are of six genera only, each genus being represented by a single species. The interest of the collection is, however, far from commensurate with its size, for of the six species two are altogether new to science, a third has hitherto been met with only off the Norwegian coast, while concerning the remainder, which are well known species, the “Triton” specimens have furnished important additions to our knowledge, either of their anatomy or distribution.

The Universe, as we have it, is an organised system of rational or reasonable forces and forms; of which the former are the product of the plastic, self-energising, productive power within, the latter the external presentation or manifestation of that power.

The star-fishes recorded in the present communication were dredged by Mr John Murray during the cruise of H.M.S. “Triton” (under the command of Staff-Commander Tizard, R.K), whilst investigating the nature of the Wyville-Thomson Ridge and the adjacent portions of the Faeröe Channel. All the forms, excepting these from Station 3, were obtained from deep water, and the collection, as a whole, is both rich and interesting. One species and two well-marked varieties have not hitherto been described, and two other species have only been found once previously. The series consequently forms a valuable supplement to the collections made during the cruises of H.M.S. “Porcupine” and the “Knight Errant,” and is an important addition to our knowledge of the fauna of this region of the Atlantic. I propose to reserve any remarks upon the general character of the asterid fauna of the Faeröe Channel until treating of the collections obtained during the “Porcupine” and “Lightning” cruises.

Perhaps the most interesting feature connected with the Old Red Sandstone formation in Shetland is the evidence of prolonged volcanic activity in those northern isles. The great development of contemporaneous and intrusive igneous rocks, which gives rise to some of the most striking scenery in Shetland, is all the more important when compared with the meagre records in the Lower Old Red Sandstone of Orkney and the Moray Firth basin. Not till we pass to the south of the Grampians do we find evidence of a far grander display of volcanic action during this period, in the sheets of lava and tuff in the Sidlaws and Ochils and in the great belt stretching from the Pentlands south-westwards into Ayrshire. The relations of the Shetland igneous rocks are admirably displayed in the various coast sections, especially in the mural cliffs of Northmavine and some of the Western Islands. From these records, though they have been subjected to much denudation, it is possible to construct a tolerably complete sketch of the volcanic history of this formation, as developed in that region.

The group of the Phæosporeæ was first recognised by Thuret in 1850. It includes algæ that vary greatly in size, habit, external appearance, and mode of branching, some possessing a flat thalloid appearance with or without a long stalk (e.g., Laminariæ), others being filamentous and much branched (e.g., Ectocarpus, Sphacelaria, Chordaria, &c). The great majority of the genera included in the group are marine or brackish water forms, but recently E. Flahault has described, under the name of Lithoderma fontanum, a fresh water species from the neighbourhood of Montpellier.

For the parasites which form the subject of the present communication, I am indebted to my friend Professor Morrison Watson, who found them in a male specimen of Proteles cristatus, Sparrman, of whose myology he has since published an account. Before entering upon a description of the entozoon, it may be allowable to say a word or two with respect to its host, which is not an animal of everyday occurrence. It was first described a little more than a century ago by Sparrman, the Swedish traveller, as occurring in South Africa, where it is known to the farmers as the “grey jackal”; he gave it the name Viverra cristata. The only point in his description of any present interest is that its stomach “ had nothing but ants in it, or to speak more properly, the white termites,” which might be a valuable hint for any one who had the will and opportunity to investigate the life history of the parasite before us.

The appearance of a green or blue sun, though not unknown, is of sufficiently rare occurrence to make a full investigation of all the phenomena connected with it highly desirable. I have therefore tried to obtain as accurate and complete information as possible concerning the appearance of a green sun in India during several days in September 1883.

The following research was undertaken chiefly with the object of furnishing a complete memoir on the morphology and physiology of Patella vulgata. A number of isolated observations on various organs are recorded, but no systematic account has as yet been written, so far as the writer is aware. He has endeavoured to incorporate these observations in such a general account, having first convinced himself of their accuracy so far as lay in his power.