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feel much satisfaction on hearing that a diminution of species was aimed at 

 rather than an increase in them. Not only in this instance, but also in biology, 

 botany, and other branches of science, the multiplication of species had become 

 very inconvenient, every little variety was now called a species, which not only 

 greatly increased the number of names which had to be remembered, but also 

 added much to the difficulties of classification. Great service might be done to 

 science by reducing the number of synonyms, &c, bringing them down to their 

 regular types. A vote of thanks to Mr. Kitton for his communication waa 

 carried unanimously. 



The Secretary, after calling attention to the subjects of papers announced for 

 the next meeting, observed that few fields of research were more interesting 

 than micro-entomology, and suggested the study of the anatomy of the spider aa 

 affording abundant scope for the researches of any members who desired to 

 enter into a subject which could not fail to be both useful to themselves and to 

 science, as very much had yet to be learnt concerning these creatures. 



Mr. M. C. Cooke said that some time ago he was on a visit to a medical friend 

 of his, and then enjoyed two or three hunting expeditions after spiders. His 

 friend took very great interest in tbem, although he had not done much that 

 season, because there was nobody else to go with; he was, however, remarkably 

 expert at catching them, and taught him very soon how to catch them quickly. 

 His attention had been chiefly directed to the palpi, and of these he had a large 

 collection of mounted slides ; and as he was mounting a set of them he inti- 

 mated that if the Quekett Club would accept them he should be happy to 

 present them to the cabinet. Any doubts on that point were at once 

 removed, so that before long members would probably have an opportunity of 

 examining this collection for themselves. Most of the members were probably 

 aware that the palpi of the female spiders were of small size and were very 

 much alike, but those of the males were much larger, and differed very con- 

 siderably, not only in different genera of spiders, but also in the different species 

 of the same genus. This was so marked that the specific characters of spiders 

 were greatly strengthened by comparing the difference in the palpi of the male 

 insects, and persons who were well acquainted with the subject could even de- 

 cide to what species a spider belonged by merely examining the palpi alone. The 

 way in which his friend mounted the palpi was very simple • after taking them 

 off, they were soaked for a short time in liquor potassae, then they were washed 

 to clear them from the alkali, and were afterwards placed upon a glass slide and 

 flattened out by pressure. It might be objected to this method that it did not 

 exhibit them naturally as in the living state; certainly it did not, but they were 

 extended and spread out by the pressure in a manner which enabled them to be 

 very readily examined in all parts. The method adopted in hunting for the 

 spiders was by turning over stones, bricks, tiles, &c, and there was hardly one 

 beneath which a spider was not found. His friend was provided with a number 

 of pill-boxes, and when he catches a spider it is immediately popped into one 

 of them, and then he afterwards chloroformed and dissected them. 



The Chairman said he was very glad to have the opportunity of congratulat- 

 ing the members of the club on the promise of this collection of the most won-, 

 derful parts of a spider ; he had often, even when a boy, been struck with their 

 curious nature, and it was now known that they took an important part in the 

 sexual process. To those members who were desirous of studying the subject, 

 he would recommend BlackwalFs work on spiders as being the one in which* 

 they would find the fullest information. 



