was in his opinion important to consider the relative position of the spicules, not only to each other, but also to the animal itself.

Mr. Kent replied, and the President proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Kent, observing at the same time how the paper illustrated the well-known truth that nature is constant in her law, but infinite in her modifications. The endless variety in the leaves of trees is hardly more striking than the varied structure of the spicula of the Gorgoniæ, which clearly are characteristic of genera and species. To arrive at any law of formation would involve very difficult but interesting inquiries.

The meeting was then adjourned until the 9th of February, which will be the anniversary. The officers for the ensuing year will be elected, and the President will deliver an address.

Donations to the Library and Cabinet from December 8th, 1869, to January 12th, 1870

Walter Tebbitt, Esq., was elected a Fellow and M. Mouchet an

Honorary Fellow of the Society.

WALTER W. REEVES,

Assist.-Secretary, &c.

LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF MANCHESTER.

Microscopical and Natural History Section.

December 6th, 1869.-John Watson, Esq., President of the Section, in the chair.

Mr. W. Boyd Dawkins, M.A., F.R.S., was elected a member of the Section.

Mr. Charles Bailey read a paper "On Pollen; considered as an Aid in the Differentiation of Species." [This paper will be found among our articles.]

Mr. J. B. Dancer, F.R.A.S., read a short paper on some of the new Hydro-Carbon compounds from which he had obtained very beautiful polarizing objects for the microscope. These were exhibited to the

members, and a more detailed account promised when the experiments are complete.

MANCHESTER MICROSCOPICAL SECTION OF THE LOWER MOSLEY STREET SCHOOLS.-NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY.*

A conversazione was held on Monday evening, January 10th, 1870, about 120 being present. The members brought their microscopes, and other objects relative to the science of microscopy were exhibited. J. Barrow, Esq., President, in the chair.

The President stated that the object of the meeting was to create a taste for the study of microscopy, to show the work of the members, and to give some idea of the pleasure the microscopist enjoys.

The President gave a short address "On the Life History of Ferns," showing the value the microscope had been in defining their organization.

Mr. Aylward exhibited with Reade's prism various diatoms; two small aquariums containing animalculæ ; and a number of trays of foraminifera, &c.

Mr. Armstrong, a series of insects mounted whole; a number of slides of various parts of insects; `some human anatomical preparations; and a number of micro-photographs.

Mr. Hope, a number of ferns and miscellaneous slides.

Mr. Chaffers, sections of mollusca.

Mr. Hyde, vegetable cuticles.

Mr. Jackson, a series of seeds, and a number of ferns showing fructification.

Mr. H. C. Armstrong, a number of corallines, scales, foraminifera, &c.

Mr. Armstrong exhibited, with the gas microscope, a number of slides of diatoms, insects, parasites, &c.; also, by the oxy-hydrogen lantern, some micro-photographs taken on Dr. Maddox's principle.

This was exceedingly successful, and added considerably to the interest of the meeting.

The President read the list of papers for the present quarter.

READING MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY.†

December 21st, 1869.-Captain Lang (the President) presided, and after the usual business

Mr. Vines read a paper " On Urinary Deposits." In it he referred to the valuable aid of the microscope in physiological research; and after giving a detailed account of the structure of the kidney and its functions, proceeded to describe the characters of healthy urine, and the microscopic appearances of urea, sugar, and the various salts met with in deposits. He also dwelt upon the means of diagnosis afforded by casts of uriniferous tubes and the cells they entangled. His paper was illustrated by a diagram and examples of deposits.

*Report supplied by Mr. W. Jackson.

+ Report furnished by Mr. B. J. Austin.

Acting upon a resolution passed at the November meeting, whereby papers upon Natural History subjects not exclusively connected with the microscope were made admissible, Dr. Moses gave interesting particulars of the spur-winged goose (Anser Gambensis), of which a specimen had recently been shot in Hampshire; and Mr. F. A. Bulley read a short paper "On a Remarkable Case of Animal Malformation," in which he described a preparation placed upon the table. This consisted of a pig which had lived four hours, and at the time of its birth was furnished with a trunk about two inches long formed of flexible rings and ending in a prehensile appendage, with tubular passages exactly like the trunk of the elephant. Its ears and epidermis were like those of the elephant, while the eyes were in an unusual position.

Captain Lang exhibited Petrobius maritimus, and Mr. Tatem showed various insect mounts.

January 18th, 1870.-Captain Lang presided, and, after the transaction of business, the secretary read a paper "On the Structure and Affinities of Lycopods;" embracing an account of the microscopic structure of the various tissues and organs, and a comparison of the club-mosses generally, with conifers, ferns, mosses, and selaginella. The paper was illustrated by specimens and mounts.

Captain Lang showed mounted specimens of two different species of Acari found on house-fly, also of Coleochate scutata, and Chatophora tuberculosa.

Mr. Tatem exhibited Trinoton conspurcatum and Lipeurus jejunus, parasites from the goose; Hæmatopinus acanthopus, from the fieldmouse; Nirmus argulus (before and after moult) and Colpocephalum subæquale, from the rook; the dog-tick, Ixodes plumbæus; and the sheep-tick, Hippobosca ovina.

Mr. Simpson exhibited live larvæ of the dog-flea.

BRIGHTON AND SUSSEX NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY.

January 13th, 1870.-The President, Mr. T. H. Hennah, in the chair.-Mr. Wonfor announced the receipt of a copy of a paper from Mr. C. Roper "On the Decapod Crustacea obtained at Eastbourne," and read by that gentleman before the Eastbourne Natural History Society. Mr. J. E. Mayall communicated a note on the discovery of copper in common coal gas, generated, he believed, from the pyrites contained in the coal. Mr. J. E. Mayall read a very interesting paper "On Volcanic Theories."

BRISTOL MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY.*

Wednesday, January 19th, 1870. Mr. W. J. Fedden, President, in the chair. The minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, it was announced that Mr. Roper had presented to the Society a copy of his book 'A Catalogue of Microscopical Works.'

*Report supplied by Mr. T. G. Ponton.

A unanimous vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Roper for his donation, and he was proposed as an honorary member of the Society, to be balloted for at the next meeting.

Some discussion then ensued on the advisability of the Society's holding a public soirée. There was a considerable diversity of opinion, and the matter was finally referred to the Standing Committee.

Mr. Tibbits then read a paper "On Mounting Animal Tissues,” which he illustrated by a number of beautiful preparations of brain and spinal cord made by himself.

TUNBRIDGE WELLS MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY.*

The first meeting of this Society was held at Dr. Milner Barry's house on the 4th inst., Dr. Deakin, President, in the chair.-A variety of most interesting objects were exhibited, amongst them some of the very earliest micro-photographs taken by Mr. Delves, the circulation in Chara; sections of wood, &c. For the future each monthly meeting will be devoted to the consideration of some special subject. The Anatomy of Lichens will be discussed at the next meeting.

BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AND MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY.

The meetings were resumed on the 11th ultimo, when Mr. S. Allport exhibited and described a fine collection of foraminifera from the West Indian and Mediterranean Seas, obtained by shaking sponges brought from those regions over water, skimming off the shells which float while the particles of sand sink to the bottom, and mounting the specimens thus obtained in Canada balsam, after preliminary treatment with turpentine and exhaustion of air from the chambers. Special interest attaches to these organisms at the present time by reason of the attention which has lately been directed to them, in connection with the subject of deep-sea soundings, as the great chalkforming agents of the world. Mr. Allport further referred to certain passages in systematic works on Foraminifera, with a view to prove that in this, as in other branches of natural history, varieties are too often unjustifiably elevated to the rank of species. The specimens exhibited in illustration of the subject included representatives of the genera Peneroplis, Spirolina, Orbiculina, Orbitolites, Polystomella, and Planorbulina. The Rev. H. W. Crosskey also contributed Globigerina bulloides from 2000-fathom soundings in the Atlantic, and foraminifera from chalk; and in connection with these made some interesting remarks on points of geology suggested by Dr. Carpenter's recent lectures. The speaker observed that modern geologists would find themselves compelled to depart from the strict and arbitrary rules by which they had hitherto separated different epochs and formations, the tendency of progressive discovery being to show that these extend into or overlap each other so that no harsh line of demarcation can be * From the Secretary, the Rev. B. Whitelock.

drawn. He also alluded to the difficulty with which geologists have hitherto had to contend in explaining the great break in the system between the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods, which recent discovery has in a great measure enabled us to do. Among general specimens exhibited were the shells Bythinia tentaculata type, var. ventricosa, brown and white; and var. albida, all from Alum Rock, the last being a new variety, found by Mr. Lloyd, and named last month by Mr. Jeffries; also, Sphærium corneum, var. flavescens, from Plant's Brook, all contributed by Mr. R. M. Lloyd; and a collection of cones and olives, forming the second part of a series of foreign shells, presented to the Society by Mr. Keen, of Liverpool.

At a subsequent meeting, Mr. S. Allport also contributed the first instalment of a series of minerals, forming the constituents of igneous and metamorphic rocks; 1st, the group of Felspars, including specimens of Orthoclase, Albite, Oligoclase, and Labradorite, with the varieties Adularia and Sanadine: 2nd, Pyroxenic minerals, comprising Augite, Hornblende, Bronzite, Diallage, Hypersthene, Actinolite, Tremolite, with specimens of Mica, Quartz, Leucite, and Nephelite; also some of the Zeolites most frequently found in cavities of the older igneous rocks, and the minerals Tourmaline, Epidote, Garnet, Idocrase, Chlorite, and Spodumene.

Mr. J. Bagnall exhibited Tortula papillosa, and several other mosses, not previously recorded as occurring in the district, and on behalf of Dr. Braithwaite, Andrea rupestris and A. obovata, two recent additions to the British Flora, from Glen Callater; Mr. E. Myers contributed fragments of boulder and wood from Boulder Clay at Sefton Park, near Liverpool, and described the Drift section in which they were exposed; and Mr. E. Simpson laid on the table thirty species of marine mollusca taken on the coast of Jersey.