384 . Royal Society, — Linncean Society, 



insect, observed by IvI. Perot, of which only one genu^ or 

 species has yet been discovered. 



In summing up some concluding remarks on the caus^ 

 oF this luminous qualily in insects, Mr. M. expresses him- 

 self with great diffidence, and from the experiments of 

 Kumford, and his own obbcrvations, hesitates in stating 

 whether tight is not rather a quality than a substance, as all 

 the phsenomena of luminous insects tend to give probability 

 to the former opinion. The medusa^ he observes, cai> 

 emit light for any indefinite time : their liglit and that of 

 other sea-insects appear of no specific use to the animal, 

 but that of glow-worms and flics serves to make them 

 known to each other in the night. All luminous animals, 

 shun the light of day, and hence the author infers that they 

 cannot have imbibed solar light sufficient to emit so much 

 during the night; that the luminous matter of the sea, or 

 medusa^ has nothing in it phosphoric or inflammable; that 

 the manner of secreting this luminous matter (if so it be) 

 is yet wholly unknown ; that the sudden death of the ani- 

 TDals, and consequent extinction of their luminousness ; pre- 

 vent all anatomical or microscopical observations, and that 

 the number ot creatures possessing this peculiarity is very 

 considerable. He related a great number of experiments, all 

 of which tended to denionstrate that this light has nothing 

 in it of a phosphorescent quality, as universally believed, 

 and that, whatever it may be, it is no longer attributable to 

 the presence of phosphoric or inflammable matter. 



May 24. The introduction to a paper on the sexual or- 

 gans and mode of generation 'if the squaliis genus, or dog- 

 fish, by Mr. Home, was read. It related principally to a 

 description of those organs in the fishes, of which Mr. H. 

 has before given some general accounts to the Royal 

 Society. 



LIN N^ AN SOCIETV. 



April 17. — The President in the chair. The following 

 papers were read : Observations by Olof Swartz, M.D. on 

 some former Species of Andromeda, properlv belonging 

 to the Genus Menziesia: — On the supposed Etfects of Ivy 

 on Trees, by Hum])hry Repton, Esq. : — On the Fasciola 

 Hepatica, by Mrs. Cobbold. 



May 1. — A paper was read On the Genus Androea, with 

 Descriptions of four British Species, by W. J. Hooker, 

 Esq., F.L.S. 



I'hurfday, May 24, being the anniversary of the birth- 

 day of Linnasus, the Linnasan Societv met at their house 



in 



