PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 203 



paper as he had several years ago induced Mr. Wailes bo take up the 

 study of these beautiful microscopic creatures, and recently to write the 

 paper for the .Society. As it was too long to read in its entirety, he 

 would omit nearly all the detailed results of the author's investigations, 

 which would be better understood when in print. 



After reading the earlier portion of the paper, he exhibited two 

 lantern-slides which he had had made from the plate showing the 

 minute structure of the tests, and explained some of the figures, drawing 

 special attention to those which appeared to indicate a desire to most 

 effectively combine lightness with strength, to use material most eco- 

 nomically, and to produce the prettiest effects. He referred especially 

 to the building of a test of hexagonal plates in two parallel layers joined 

 together by transverse webs at the edges of the plates, and to the 

 economic and artistic strengthening of the tests, for usually when in a 

 test of circular scales openings are left, if these are equilateral a circular 

 plate or disk is placed over them, and if oblong an oval plate, and in 

 one of square scales or plates when the corners of four meet in one 

 point, this, being the weakest part of the test, is sometimes strengthened 

 by a minute square plate with its centre exactly over that point, and if 

 the corners do not quite join in one point it is strengthened by an 

 oblong plate so accurately fitted that its edges are equidistant from the 

 corners of the scales. 



The Chairman, in proposing a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Wailes 

 for his extremely interesting paper, and to Mr. Hopkinson for bringing 

 it before the Society, said that the subject was of particular interest to 

 him, as he used many years ago to pay special attention to the fresh- 

 water Rhizopoda, and he was very much struck by the wonderful way 

 in which the tests were put together. Mr. Wailes had given them 

 many illustrations of these beautiful tests, and of the curious manner in 

 which they were formed. He could not help thinking, however, that 

 some of the smaller plates described might possibly be due to optical 

 illusion, and he suggested that one of the new high-power binocular 

 microscopes might be used with advantage to investigate this point. 

 The structures were certainly worthy of intensive study. 



The Chairman then invited comments on the subject-matter of the 

 communication. 



Mr. Heron-Allen offered some observations relative to the phenomena 

 of purposive intelligence displayed by both fresh- water and marine 

 Rhizopoda. It appeared to him that a consistent evolutionist would 

 admit the continuity of an evolutionary cycle, and not postulate the 

 sudden introduction at some point of a new influence to be called 

 intelligence. It was therefore reasonable to suppose and to admit that 

 the lowest orders of living things were endowed with a specialized 

 intelligence which became apparent when they adopted extraneous 

 materials to their individual needs whether for purposes of adaptation 

 or defence. 



Dr. J. Rudd Leeson dealt with this subject of intelligence in an 

 even lower plane, referring to the remarkable and seemingly purposive 

 action that took place in crystals, and illustrating his remarks on the 

 blackboard. He said if an alum crystal was put into an alum solution 



