prize. Back for chair, in Berlin work, Miss Petherick, Truro, second prize. Berlin work, Miss Mary Tregoning, Truro, third prize. Crochet quilt, Miss Phillips, third prize. Samples of lace, by children of Normal school, 13, Wentworth-place, Dublin, 17. Knitted body of child's frock, Miss Catherine Ring, fourth prize. Knitted counterpane, by children of Trevarno school, fourth prize.

Mr. Charles Fox, referring to the Natural History section, said the skeleton of a porpoise in the room had been prepared by a Coast-guardsman at Polperro (Mr. Loughrin). The authorities at the British Museum had been so much pleased with his preparations that they had purchased several for the national collection. He had first exhibited specimens at the meeting of this society. This concluded the proceedings of the morning.

In the evening a conversazione was held, Sir Charles Lemon again taking the chair.

Mr. Charles Fox made some observations on the different thepries of light, and the recent experiments of Professor Stokes, during which he exhibited the effect on light of the watery infusion of the inner bark of the horse chesnut. Mr. Fox afterwards showed a specimen of flax prepared on his farm. The manager of M. Claussen's works in London had told him, that though not equal to their best samples, it was fit for their use. The manufacturers in Ireland did not think Claussen's process would be ever applicable to their purpose; they also think lightly of Schenk's process, for what reason he (Mr. Fox) was not aware. But he was glad to find that the Irish manufacturers are extremely sanguine of the success of Watts's process. The great advantage of Watts's over Schenk's process was, that Watts takes the straw when only deprived of the seeds by a machine costing about £10, whereas Schenk's, he apprehended, must have the straw further prepared in some way, though not retted. By Watts's process the straw is put into hot water in a close vessel, and afterwards bruised in a machine which presses out the moisture, whilst it breaks the ligneous fibre; it is then dried by hot air. Cattle are found eagerly to drink the flax soup made by this process. It is evident from paintings on the walls of some of the Egyptian tombs, that they steeped their flax in hot water even before the Exodus, and Professor Robinson has found that the fibre of some

of the linen of their mummies, is finer even than that of the Ducca muslin. The gentlemen of Belfast conceive that Mr. Watts is in earnest, for he has a thousand tons of straw on his premises to undergo the process, and has laid out £1,500 in vats and other necessary things. The produce on Mr. Fox's farm had been two quarters of linseed and 2,800lbs. of straw to a statute acre, which straw exposed to bruising machinery would give about 11-28ths of the broken stalk. The produce of seed per statute acre amounted to the value of £5 16s., which was nearly equal to the value of wheat per acre,-supposing the straw valueless; having also this advantage over wheat, that the flax might be sown in the spring and pulled up even before the wheat crop. It was not to be wondered at that the farmers of this country had long ago abandoned the growth of flax, considering the trouble and expense of retting,-exposed in ponds, with constant watching necessary. The seed also, which at least trouble is the most profitable part, was then neglected. But if by any such plan as Mr. Watts's they could readily convert the flax straw grown in the fields to the purpose of manufactures, the objections to its growth would be greatly obviated, and it would be remunerative. In Fife they have now five hundred acres of flax grown.

The Rev. J. Punnett then brought before the meeting a statement relative to the origin of the wheat plant from a sport of the Sicilian grass, Egilops ovata, its further development being into Egilops triaristata and Egilops squarrosa. It had been discovered to come to the wheat plant by Monsieur Esprit Fabre in twelve years' growth; and Mr. Punnett took the opportunity of recommending gardeners to observe the sports of plants, and give them cultivation, by which useful produce for human sustenance might probably be obtained.

Mr. R. Were Fox made some remarks on the great telescope of Lord Rosse, and gave an interesting account of a recent visit to it, and the explanations of its mechanism which were kindly given by his lordship. Mr. Fox then referred to remarks previously made that evening on magnetism, and said some recent experiments had shown that the moon is magnetic, and, according

to its position, produces a very slight influence, but sufficiently determinate to show that there is an influence by the moon on the force of the magnet, which is important as indicating that the magnetic force extends through our solar system at least,— how much farther we do not know. Whether it be gravitation itself, or gravitation and magnetism, we do not know; but it is ascertained, without any doubt, that the spots on the sun affect the force of the earth's magnetism, as well as the changes in the moon. Mr. Fox also stated that Lord Rosse and several of his coadjutors, who are geologists, are about to examine the moon very minutely, and that M. Struvé, of Russia, is coming over for the same purpose.

Mr. C. Fox said he believed those valuable observations on magnetism which had brought out the results spoken of, had been mainly made by a needle exhibited in that room,—especially the observations at sea.

The meeting was then adjourned.

On Wednesday, the second day of the exhibition, as on the preceding day, the weather was very wet and unfavourable, which had its effect on the attendance, although a considerable number visited the exhibition in the course of the day. About half-past twelve the chair was taken by the Rev. J. Punnett, and the explanations of articles of machinery were proceeded with. The chairman said they had one machine to which one of the highest prizes of the society had been awarded, having reference to one of the principal economical and staple interests of this county, the China-clay; and he then read the following extract from a letter by a gentleman interested in the clay trade:-"The proprietors of clay are very deficient in not having the means of drying their clay during damp weather, and should the plan referred to prove as efficacious as the author represents, it will be of the greatest advantages to the clay proprietors of this district."

Mr. Stocker, of St. Austell, the inventor, then described the machine, first observing that two or three months ago he introduced a filtering process, for the purpose of adding drainage to the means already used for drying clay. A model which he

exhibited, represented one of his filtering pans, in which the clay is allowed to remain for one or two months, whereas in the pans commonly used it may have to remain six, seven, or even eight months, dependent on the locality or the soil on which the clay is placed. The China-clay is afterwards cut up, and carried on boards to elevated spots to dry. But as this would be impossible in a wet summer, or very severe winter, parties had been obliged of late years to have recourse to a kiln, or other process, by which the outer part of the clay is dried, or rather baked, but the inner portion remains soft, and being sent to the Staffordshire market in that state, it is injurious to the character of our Cornish clays. By the present machine he proposed so to remedy the evil, that the wet, which is now found to be so injurious, shall be a source of the power used in the drying process. By causing wheels to revolve, attached to the axles of multiplying wheels, a number of fans, or a barrel, is made to revolve rapidly, causing the water to be thrown off from the clay by centrifugal force, and rendering the clay lumps dry. He further illustrated the action of the machine by the model, and said he hoped by this invention to be enabled to dry most of the clay now going from Cornwall, in winter as well as in summer-in winter by the rain, which renders it almost impossible to dry it at present, and in summer by the wind, which is very high in those parts where the clay is found. By the use of this machine, he considered he should be enabled to dry two tons of clay every five minutes.

After the proceedings of the meeting, Mr. R. W. Fox, the Rev. J. Punnett, Mr. Stocker, and the Secretary, tried an experiment to test the capability of the machine for drying clay. This test was necessarily very imperfect, as the rapidity of motion obtained by a small model was very small compared with the mass operated upon. The owner of a clay bed was present during the experiment, and expressed himself as quite satisfied with it. The clay appeared comparatively hard and firm, and this was effected in a few minutes, showing that the centrifugal force may be applied with advantage for this purpose.

The Secretary then described an implement, invented by J.

Tresidder, of Gwennap, and intended to bore holes by means of a machine, instead of by the usual method of a jumper, or a mallet and borer. It is put in motion by three arms or levers, attached to an axis, and the action of the lifters is double, both elevating and turning the borer, as when it is used by hand. Some of the visitors to the exhibition, connected with granite quarries, had said it would be of no practical value; but the mining engineers who examined it on Monday thought it might be introduced with advantage in boring in mines, as it will not only bore in the perpendicular, but in any other position. Though not a perfect instrument, the idea was new, and he considered its application would be of great advantage. The Chairman said he thought very highly of it, and proceeded to explain a contrivance by which a horsewhim may be stopped when the load is running away with it. It was no other than the application of a common drag to a capstan. The driver could act on the drag by placing his foot on a lever, but as it was probable he might get out of the way on such an accident occurring, there was an arrangement by which the lander could also act on the drag and stop the running of the whim. The judges approved of the plan, and hoped it might be the means of saving life. Some discussion took place, it being said that drags are used with water-whims, whilst another person in front of the platform said some modification in the construction of horse-whims would be required if this drag were applied.

An improved coil machine was next explained by Mr. Hichens, the inventor. Mr. Rundell said he frequently used such instruments, and bore testimony to the utility of this invention. One of the peculiarities in the construction of this machine was that the coil of wire is placed immediately on the iron core, to which a false pole was attached,-the latter improvement was quite a new idea. The object of the inventor was to bring the pole of the magnet nearer the small piece of iron at the end of the spring, and thus produce more easy adjustment. The inventor also finds by this addition that he is able easily to regulate the quality of the shock given.

Mr. R. Were Fox made some observations on specimens of wax