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tiling to do with the effect, acting somewhat in the same way as that con- 

 tained in the poison glands of the nettle. He did not know, however, that 

 anybody had hitherto furnished sufficient grounds for arriving at a clear con- 

 viction that the effect depended upon either the one or the other, or both 

 causes combined. There was no doubt as to the kind of effects produced, 

 and their severity was in accordance with the size of the thread-cells 

 inflicting them. It was possible to handle Hydro.oa provided with only 

 small thread-cells with impunity, though even these were very formidable 

 to small creatures which came in contact with them. The small fresh water 

 Hydra, for instance, was apparently harmless, but if one of the small water 

 fleas came within reach of its tentacles the effect was most marked and 

 striking. 



Mr. T. C. White said that Gosse mentioned a very curious instance, show- 

 ing the penetrating power of these minute spines — he cut off with a razor a 

 slice of the hardest skin from the sole of the foot, and presented it to the 

 creature, when he found that even this hard structure was completely 

 pierced through. 



Mr. A. D. Michael said that this creature was pretty well known on the 

 coast of Cornwall, where the fishermen had the greatest possible dread of 

 it; and he had been assured by them that they sometimes had their arms 

 rendered quite useless for days together after having been stung. 



The thanks of the meeting were unanimously voted to Mr. Bedwell for his 

 paper. 



Mr. E. T. Newton read a paper " On a New Method of Preparing a 

 Dissected Model of an Insect's Brain from Microscopical Sections," the paper 

 being illustrated by numerous coloured diagrams, and by the exhibition of 

 the model, and of prepared sections shown under four microscopes in the 

 room. 



The President, in inviting remarks upon' the paper, observed that the 

 method described by Mr. Newton was one of the most ingenious processes 

 that had for a long time come under his observation. As regarded the 

 brain structure of insects, these questions were all new, and it was very 

 satisfactory to find that the study of them had resulted in the discovery of 

 something more than it was the custom formerly to believe in. Because to 

 him, at least, it was not satisfactory to think that bees and ants, with 

 nothing but a little nervous pulp, were able to do things, apparently with 

 intelligent purpose, which we, with our wonderful convolutions, had some 

 difficulty in imitating. In the case of the cockroach, however, it was a 

 little difficult at first to see what he did with so much brain, at least his 

 capacities did not appear to have been fully recognised, though it might be 

 that perhaps he was of a too retiring nature, or was he possibly "a mute 

 inglorious. Milton'' amongst his fellows of the insect world ? (The President 

 referred to an amusing incident narrated by Mr. Moseley as having occurred 

 on board the " Challenger," illustrating the sagacity and alertness of the 

 Cockroach.) To speak seriously, this method of Mr. Newton's did seem to be 

 a means of bringing before one's mind, not only the structure of insects' 

 brains, but might also be applicable to the study of the highly complicated 



