1. If the approximate numerical value of e is expressed as a continued fraction the result is

and it was in finding the proof that the sequence extends correctly to infinity that the following work was done. First the continued fraction may be simplified by setting down the difference equations for numerator and denominator as usual, and eliminating two out of every successive three equations. A difference equation is thus formed between the first, fourth, seventh, tenth … convergents , and this equation will generate another continued fraction. After a little rearrangement of the first two members it appears that (1) implies

2. We therefore consider the continued fraction

which includes (2), and also certain continued fractions which were discussed by Prof. Turnbull. He evaluated them without solving the difference equations, and it is the purpose here to show how the difference equations may be solved completely both in his cases and in the different problem of (2). It will appear that the work is connected with certain types of hypergeometric function, but I shall not go into this deeply.