Eleventh (Extraordinary) Meeting.—15th July 1867. The following Reports of Committees were read and approved of: 1. On Mr J. M. Balfour's Combined Optical Square and Line Finder. 2. On Mr Richard Adie's Plan for Building Iron Ships. 3. On Mr Robert Aytoun's Second Notice of an Improved Mode of Drawing Coals. 4. On Mr Cockburn Muir's Observations on the Construction of the Track of Railways. (See Report printed in the Transactions, p. 304.) 5. On George H. Slight's method of Equalising the Illumination of the Image in Landscape Photography. 6. On Mr Peter's description of an Improved Ball-Cock, &c., also of an Improved Nose-Cock. 7. On Mr Thomas Stevenson's mode of Illuminating Beacons, &c., by Electricity conveyed from the Shore by Wires; also on Mr Hart's Improved Break for Interrupting Electric Currents. (See Reports printed in the Transactions, pp. 309 and 313.) The following Donations were laid on the table, and thanks returned to the Donors: 1. Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India. Calcutta. Parts II. and III. 2. Annual Report of Do. 1865-66. Vol. V., 3. Catalogue of the Organic Remains belonging to the Cephalopoda. 1866; and 4. Do. of the Meteorites. 1866. Presented by His Excellency the Governor-General of India, in 5. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Vol. XXIV., Part II. Session 1865-66; and 6. Proceedings of Do. Vol. V. No. 68. Presented by the Society. 7. Proceedings of the Royal Society, London. Vol. XV. No. 93. Presented by the Society. 8. The Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal. No. 399. Presented by the Proprietors. 9. The Practical Mechanic's Journal. Presented by the Proprietors. 10. The Artizan. Proprietors. Part XXVIII. July 1867. No. 6, Vol. I. Fourth Series. Presented by the 11. The Mechanic's Magazine. Nos. 2227-2230 inclusive. Presented by the Proprietors. 12. The Journal of the Society of Arts, London. Nos. 759-762 inclusive. Presented by the Society. 13. "Engineering." Nos. 75-78 inclusive. Presented by the Proprietors. PRIVATE BUSINESS. I. The Minutes of last Meeting were read and confirmed. II. The following Candidate was proposed, balloted for, and admitted an Ordinary Fellow : Thomas H. Maule, LL.D., Vice-Principal of Birkenhead College, Birkenhead. III. The Society appointed the following Committee to award the Prizes for Session 1866-67, viz. :— The PRESIDENT, ALEXR. CUNINGHAM, V.P. R. W. THOMSON, C. JAMES FALSHAW. Dr FERGUSON. FREDERICK HALLARD, C. ROBERT GIRDWOOD. THOMAS IVORY. WM. LEES. DAVID RHIND. A. RITCHIE. A. WALLACE. : The SECRETARY, Convener ex officio. IV. A verbal Report was made by the Committee of Council on the proposed invitation by the Magistrates of Edinburgh to the British Association-the President, Con vener. The Society adjourned till next Session. APPENDIX (M.) LIST OF PRIZE SUBJECTS FOR SESSION 1867–68. THE ROYAL SCOTTISH SOCIETY OF ARTS proposes to award Prizes of different values, of Thirty Sovereigns, and under, in Gold or Silver Medals, Silver Plate, or Money, for approved Communications, whether previously published published or patented, or not, submitted to the Society by Fellows or others, relative to Inventions, Discoveries, and Improvements in the Mechanical and Chemical Arts in general, and in their relation to the Fine Arts, and also to means by which the Natural Productions of the Country may be made more available. The Society suggests the following as a few of the many subjects that may be attended to, viz. : I. INVENTIONS, DISCOVERIES, or IMPROVEMENTS in the Useful Arts. 1. Mechanical Arts. INVENTIONS OF IMPROVEMENTS in applying the Motive Power of Men and Animals,-in Wind and Water Prime Movers,in Steam and other Heat Engines, including Gas Engines, -in Pumping, Blowing, Rolling, Sawing, Agricultural and other Engines and Machines,-in Cotton and other Textile Manufacturing Mills,-in Ship-building in Wood, Iron, and Steel,-in Lighthouses,-in Marine Propellers,-in Railways, Plant, and Signals,-in Electric Apparatus,-in ElectroMagnetic Motive Power,-in Electric and other Telegraphic Apparatus, Sub - Marine and Aërial,-in Photographic Apparatus,—in Fire-Proof Buildings,-in Water Supply,in Paving, Sewerage,-in Economical Appliances for increasing the Sanitary condition of Towns,-in Smoke Consumption and Extinguishing Fires,-in Gas-Works,- in Canals and Inland Navigation, including the application of Steam Power to Canal Traffic,-Canal Locks, Inclines, and Lifts, Application of Hydraulic Power for Lifts for Domestic Use, for Cranes, Printing Presses,- OrganBlowing, and other similar purposes, where smali Propelling Power is required,-Labour-saving Machines for working in Wood,-in Tools, Implements, and Apparatus for the various Trades,-in Sewing Machines,-in Bricks, Encaustic Tiles, Cements and Mortars,-in Printing Machines, Cases, and Rollers,-in Stereotyping,-in Cranes,-in the Machinery for Collieries,-in preserving Timber and Metals in Marine Works,-in Optical Apparatus,-in Manufacture of Paper,Experiments on the Effect of Low Temperatures on Metals. 2. Chemical Arts. INVENTIONS OF IMPROVEMENTS in new and useful applications of Gutta Percha and Vulcanised India Rubber, or similar Gums, in the Economical Extraction of Chemical Principles or Useful Substances, as Paraffine, &c., from Coal,—Porcelain Clay from Granite or Felspar,-and Metals generally from their Ores and Oxides,-in Dyes,-in Paints,-in Paper,in Glass, especially for Lenses,-in methods of rendering the Electric Light available in practice. 3. Relative to the Fine Arts. INVENTIONS OF IMPROVEMENTS in Photographic processes, in "Carbon" Printing, and in Methods of Printing Photographs from their Impressions on Steel or Copper Plates, or Lithographic Stones,-in Electrotype processes,-in Die-Sinking, -in methods of illustrating Books, to be printed with the letterpress,-in Paper-Hangings,-in Articles of Porcelain, Common Clay, or Metal,-in Glass-Staining,-in Engraving on Stone,-in Chromo-Lithography,-in "Nature" Printing. 4. Natural Productions. DISCOVERY of Plumbago Mines,-Whetstones,-of Woods suitable for Engraving. II. EXPERIMENTS applicable to the Useful Arts. III. COMMUNICATIONS of Processes in the Useful Arts practised in this or other Countries, but not generally known. IV. PRACTICAL DETAILS of Public or other Undertakings of National importance, already executed, but not previously published;or valuable suggestions for originating such undertakings. The KEITH PRIZE, value Thirty Sovereigns. For some important" Invention, Improvement, or Discovery, in the Useful Arts, which shall be primarily submitted to the Society" during the Session. The HEPBURN BIENNIAL PRIZE, value about £12. (If not awarded during Session 1866-67.) "For such Inventions or Communications submitted to the Society as shall be approved of by the Society, or by their Prize-Committee." The MAKDOUGALL-BRISBANE BIENNIAL PRIZE, value £10. (If not awarded during Session 1866-67.) "To the Authors or Inventors of Communications of Merit, which shall be approved of by the Society, or its Committee, and judged by them deserving of such distinction.” The REID and AULD PRIZES. For the First, Second, and Third best Models of " Anything New in the Art of Clock or Watch Making,-by Journeymen or Master Watch and Clock Makers,"❞—if these should be considered worthy of Prizes, the Year's Interest of the Reid and Auld Bequest, being about SEVEN GUINEAS, divided among them in such proportions as the Prize Committee shall fix, according to merit. To such as deserve it, the Society may add to the amount of the Prize out of its general funds. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS AND DIRECTIONS FOR PREPARING AND LODGING COMMUNICATIONS. The descriptions of the various inventions, &c., must be full and distinct;-be legibly written on Foolscap paper, leaving margins at least one inch and a half broad, on both sides of each page, so as to allow of their being bound up in volumes; and, when necessary, be accompanied by Specimens, Drawings, or Models. All Drawings to be on Imperial Drawing-Paper, unless a larger sheet be requisite. The Drawings to be in bold lines, not less than a quarter of an inch broad, or strongly coloured, so as to be easily seen at about the distance of thirty feet when hung up in the Hall, and the Letters or Figures of Reference to be at least 1 inch long. When necessary, smaller and more minutely detailed Drawings should accom |