80 



might be described as consisting of a small round mass provided with these 

 sail-like floats, richly ciliated, whereas in the present instance the organism was 

 perfectly without cilia, and therefore not at all like what they knew to be the 

 general characteristic of the young of the Mollusca. Another reason why he 

 thought it to be more likely a Trematoid than a Mollusc, was, that if the latter, 

 there would be no difficulty in getting it to develop into its mature condition 

 and this, it would seem, could not at present be done. But if it were a Tre- 

 matoid they could of course understand the difliculty, inasmuch as it would 

 probably require to be developed in the body of some other " host." 



Votes of thanks were unanimously passed to Dr. Moore, and Mr. W. Fell 

 Woods for their papers. 



Dr. Moore said he should much like to induce some of the members to take 

 up this subject; at the present time it could be done without difliculty, a 

 pennyworth of cockles would furnish any number of specimens. He thought 

 that the remarks of Mr. Stewart were rather general j he should like to hear of 

 some particular instances. 



Mr. Stewart inquired if Dr. Moore wished him to give some instances of the 

 development of some Lamellibranchiate ? 



Dr; Moore said he had developed them himself many times, and did not ask 

 for that ; what he meant was that one could not very well argue from single 

 forms when the same kinds often presented so many peculiarities. He had 

 observed many differences in oysters, one from Lisbon showed a large Zona 

 pellucida, and in an American oyster a kind of shell was formed in the gland 

 itself ; so that he did not think they could argue from any individual species. 



Mr. Stewart quite agreed with Dr. Moore as to the latter part of his obser- 

 vations, but with regard to the question before them, he thought that where it 

 was shown that in certain known forms, one uniform character was always 

 present and specially developed, it was more probable that an unknown organism 

 which possessed no trace of that character belonged to some other class rather 

 than to the same. 



The President announced that at the next ordinary meeting a paper would be 

 read by Mr. M. Hawkins Johnson, "On the Organic Structure of Flint and 

 Meerschaum." 



The Proceedings then terminated wish a conversazione, at which the follow- 

 ing objects were exhibited: — 



Collection of Australian Polyzoa by Mr. E. Bartlett. 



Hairs of larva of Tiresias serra Mr. W. G. Cocks. 



Pleurosigma angulatum (under gin. immersion ~> -^ r Q rouc j 1< 



lens) ' 



Larva of Moth (Orgyia antiqua) Mr. Enock. 



Algce, Fungi, and other objects collected in| Mr. Glasspoole. 



Hackney marshes ... ... ... ) 



Pyrites containing gold , Mr. Golding. 



Argulus foliaceus Mr. Goodinge. 



Hydra viridis (with parasites) Mr. Hainworth. 



Transverse section of Penis of Squirrel ... Mr. W. W. Jones. 



Trachea of Centipede Mr. C. S. Eolfe. 



Transverse section of Hoof of Horse (injected)... Mr. A. Topping. 



Spongillafluviatilis (early development of) ... Mr. J. G Waller. 



Clava squamata (alive) Mr. T. C. White. 



Attendance— Members, 79 ; Visitors, 8 ; total, 87. 



