381 



Mr. J. G. Waller read a paper " On Pai'asitic Vegetable Organisms in 

 Calcareous Particles of the Gabbard Sands," the subject being illustrated by 

 nnrnerons coloured diagrams. 



The President said he was sure the members must have listened with 

 much interest to the paper, and he must for himself express his personal 

 thanks to Mr. Waller for having brought the matter so clearly before them. 

 So far as his own reading went with regard to the excavating bodies referred 

 to, he could only say that heretofore he felt far from satisfied with the argu- 

 ments and examples produced, but now he thought there was rather more on 

 which to form an opinion, although previously it had been doubtful as to 

 whether they were algas or fungi. He thought, however, that Mr. Waller 

 was right in assuming that they showed more affinity to the fungi than to 

 the alga3, and that they were not far removed from the group in which it 

 was proposed to place them. One correction he would like to suggest, and 

 that was wherever Mr. Waller mentioned asci, this term should be struck 

 out and Sporangia put in the place of it. The former would be sacs 

 enclosed within the peridium, but Sporangia — vessels containing spores — 

 w r as the right term. As regarded Fig. 20, he did not think it had such 

 affinity to Villoscs, but would suggest that it seemed to come nearer to the 

 Mucorini. They all reminded him very much of the parasite commonly 

 known as the Fungus Foot of India, in which they had an example of a 

 parasitic mucor. He considered that Mr. Waller had done good service in 

 bringing the subject before them. 



A vote of thanks to Mr. Waller was unanimously passed. 

 Mr. Waller, in acknowledging the vote of thanks, said that he confessed 

 himself to be a complete novice on this subject, but it had been his inten- 

 tion when he brought it forward to draw out information on it, and he knew 

 that there was no one so likely to be able to impart this as their President 

 himself. There was a very great deal yet to be learnt upon the subject. 



The President read a letter from the Secretary of the Ealing Micro- 

 scopical Society announcing their arrangements for a soiree to be held on 

 April 30th, and inviting the co-operation of members of the Club on that 

 occasion. 



The proceedings then terminated with the usual conversazione, when 

 the following objects were exhibited : — 



Spongilla fliiviatilis ... ... ... ... Mr. F. W. Andrew. 



Section of White Marble, by polarized light... Mr. A. L. Corbett. 



Wheels of Chirodota Mr. W. I. Curties. 



Tubercle bacillus, in sputum, and in tissue, -\ 



shown on a dark ground with ^in. and > Mr. E. M. Nelson, 

 -^in. objectives ... ... ... 



Qonium pectorale ... ... ... ... Mr. C. Le Pelley. 



Stentor polymorjphus ... ... ... ,., Mr. C. Rousselet. 



Pikrite Schreisheim ... ... ... ... Mr. G. Smith. 



Adipose tissue ... ... ... ... ... Mr F. Steele. 



(Ecistes crystallinus ... ... ... ... Mr. A. Wildy. 



Attendance — Members, 73 ; Visitors, 7. 



