NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 85 



America from Behring's Straits to Massachussetts, as well as on 

 the shores of Asia. 



The climate of Japan seems to be extremely various, being 

 intensely cold in the north, and in the south as warm as the 

 highest temperature of France, while it is milder than its latitude 

 would indicate, owing chiefly to the influence of the surrounding 

 ocean. In the south the thermometer ranges between 29 deg. and 

 104 deg. Fahrenheit, 80 deg. being the average in summer, and 

 35 deg. in the coldest months of winter. Yokohama is about 

 latitude 35°, and at 36° the lakes are covered with ice, which at 

 38° to 40° becomes thick enough to allow of rivers being crossed 

 upon it. It would appear, therefore, that at Yokohama the cold 

 does not reach that of Scotland, or at least does not exceed it, and 

 yet this mollusc lives and thrives, if we may judge by the portly 

 dimensions of its shell, in a temperature higher than that which 

 is supposed to have driven it away from the shores of the British 

 isles. 



Mr Robertson mentioned, for the benefit of any of the members 

 who might be mounting marine algae for the microscope, that 

 there appears to be less need for being troubled about the prepara- 

 tion of preservative fluids than has generally been thought neces- 

 sary. He showed a slide which had been mounted for nineteen 

 years and one month, in nothing more than sea water, and which 

 was still in a fine state of preservation; the colour was in a great 

 measure gone, but the structure was clear and distinct. Few of 

 those mounted v*dth glycerine and distilled water (a preparation 

 highly recommended at the time they were prepared) are so well 

 preserved, either in colour or structure. Another mounted in sea 

 water, glycerine, and spirit, was also in good condition, but the 

 latter interferes with the adhesion of the cement of the cover, 

 unless used very sparingly. Another mounted in sea water and 

 spirits had the colour perfectly preserved, but this might be 

 accounted for in a great measure by the more robust character 

 of the plant. 



Dr Francis P. Flemyng, F.RG.S,, exhibited a specimen of a 

 species of cuttle-fish, Sei)'ia odopodia, which had been captured at 

 Dunoon in November last. He had managed to get it confined in 

 a pool from which it could not escape, and had an opportunity of 

 observing its movements, and the manner in which it seizes hold 

 of anything coming within reach of its arms, holding it firmly 



