42 



May 23rd, 1884. — Ordinary Meeting. 

 Dr. M. C. Cooke, M.A., A.L.S., President, in the Chair. 



The minutes of the preceding meeting were read and confirmed. 

 The following gentlemen were balloted for and duly elected members of 

 the Club : — Mr. John C. Havers, Mr. Ernest L. Lancaster, Mr. Alfred C. 

 Tipple, and Mr. Charles West. 



The following donations, &c, to the Library were announced ; — 

 " Proceedings of the Royal Society" ... ... From the Society, 



"American Monthly Microscopical Journal"... In Exchange. 

 " Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science " Purchased. 

 " Annals of Natural History " ... ... ... „ 



Ray Society's last volume (Michael's " British^) 



Oribatidse") ) " 



Prantl's " Text Book of Botany " „ 



Rutley's " Studies of Rocks" ... ... ... „ 



Cole's " Studies in Microscopical Science" ... „ 



Klein's " Elements of Histology" ... ... „ 



Pascoe's " Notes on the Origin of Species "... ,, 



Re-statement of the Cell Theory, by Pat. Geddes ,, 



The thanks of the Club were voted to the donors. 



The following extracts from a letter from Mr. Kruitchnuit, of New 

 Orleans, was read by the Secretary : — " The perusal of an article ' On 

 Sand,' by J. G. Waller, published in the ' Quekett Journal' for July, 1882, 

 gave me the idea that I had discovered a new source (at leapt to me) of 

 sand. Two years ago when I sojourned a few days at Hot Springs, 

 Arkansas, I discovered in one of the hot-water tanks some conferva. The 

 water was almost boiling hot. The formation in which the springs are 

 found is chiefly clay slate. A bushel of the quartz crystals adhering to the 

 filaments of the conferva would certainly be taken for sand, and fur sand 

 of the purest kind." 



Mr. J. G. Waller said — Having given the slide sent with this letter a com- 

 plete examination, I fail to detect the usual character of quartz crystalline 

 formation. Viewed by ordinary light, the particles are dull and dirty, 

 looking, not clear and transparent, neither when examined by polarized 

 light is there the response indicated by quartz. One very minute particle 

 gives colour, but it does not seem to belong to the rest. The outlines of the 

 particles are rounded, but not by attrition ; it is the character of their for- 

 mation, which is generally ovate. Much consists of a conglomerate of 

 minute parts. Where some crystalline forms are seen, they resemble more 

 that of calcareous matter, such as spar, talc, &c. Some test is required 

 before we can affirm these particles to be silex at all ; and I am inclined to 

 think otherwise. At any rate, they are not of quartz, which is always more 

 or less translucent, and never has the dull appearance which is here 

 indicated. 



Mr. Ingpen said that the question with regard to it was — Whether it was 



