Proceedings of the Royal Society for the month of September, 1882

The monthly meeting of the Society was held on Monday, the 11th September ; Mr. T. Stephens, V.P., in the chair.
The following gentlemen, who had previously been nominated by the Council, were balloted for, and declared duly elected as honorary Members of the Society, viz.:—Baron Ferd. von Mueller, K.C M.G., M.D., F.R.S., Government Botanist of Victoria ; and the Rev. J. E. Tenison -Woods, F,L.S., F.G.S,, F.R.G.S,. Includes meteorological returns, times leafing, flowering, etc., of a few standard plants in the Botanic Gardens during August and presentations to the museum. In reference to the specimens of asbestos from the West Tamar, which were exhibited at the meeting, the Chairman remarked that it was to be regretted that this mineral had hitherto received little attention, though it had long been known to exist in the colony ; indeed, the Asbestos Ranges derived their name from it in very early days, though, as Mr. Gould had pointed out, they were quite unconnected with the serpentine of the neighbourhood of Anderson's Creek, in which rock it occurs. The proper title of the West Tamar mineral is probably Chrysotile, better known as Picrolite, or Schiller asbestos, a fibrous variety of serpentine, which belongs to the hydrous silicates of magnesia. As far as one could judge from superficial examination, the fibre seemed to be of excellent quality, and it would be interesting to ascertain whether it is inferior in any essential point to the other asbestos, so far as regards the special purpose for which it is manufactured.