358 Microscopical Society. 



gether, both being commonly seen near the young one. The hooded- 

 stals generally bring forth their young two or three weeks later than 

 the harps, and they always occupy different districts, being generally 

 found further to the north. 



4. The " square -flipper " is described as being much larger than 

 the hooded-seal. It is, however, very rare, and we did not see one, 

 or hear of one being seen this season. I do not know what is the 

 scientific name of this seal, and whether he has been described at 

 all. Captain Furneaux told us that they were sometimes twelve or 

 even fifteen feet long. It may be the Phoca barbata of Muller. — 

 Vol. i. p. 308-312. 



Newfoundland Woods. — The woods occupy indifferently the sides 

 or even the summits of the hills and the valleys and lower lands. 

 The trees consist for the most part of fir, spruce, birch, pine, and 

 juniper, or larch ; and in some districts the wych-hazel, the moun- 

 tain-ash, the alder, the aspen, and some others are found. The cha- 

 racter of the timber varies greatly, according to the nature of the 

 subsoil and situation. In some parts, more especially where the 

 woods have been undisturbed by the axe, trees of fair girth and 

 height may be found ; these, however, are either scattered indivi- 

 duals, or occur only in small groups. Most of the wood is of small 

 and stunted growth, consisting chiefly of fir-trees about twenty or 

 thirty feet high, and not more than three or four inches in diameter. 

 These commonly grow so close together, that* their twigs and 

 branches interlace from top to bottom, and lying indiscriminately 

 amongst them, there are innumerable old and rotten stumps and 

 branches, or newly fallen trees, which, with the young shoots and 

 brushwood, form a tangled and often impenetrable thicket. Every 

 step through these woods is a matter of toil and anxiety, requiring 

 constant vigilance to avoid falling, and constant labour to procure 

 standing-room ; climbing and creeping, and every mode of progres- 

 sion must be had recourse to, and new directions have constantly to 

 be taken, in order to find the most practicable places through which 

 to force a slow and tortuous way. — Vol. ii. p. 212-213. 



PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 



MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 



At a meeting of the Microscopical Society held November 16th, 

 1842, Prof. Lindley, President, in the Chair, a second paper was read 

 by Arthur Hill Hassall, Esq., on the destruction of fruit by fungi. 

 The author stated, that he had obtained more conclusive evidence of 

 the influence of fungi in producing decay in fruit, from the fact that 

 this decay can be communicated at will by inoculating sound fruit 

 with the decayed matter containing the spawn of the fungi, and 

 the effects of this inoculation become manifest in twenty-four hours. 

 The author concluded by observing, that the decay of fruit might be 

 retarded by coating the surface over with a varnish which would ex- 



