Linnaan Society. 67 



which I have kept for about eight months, supplying pure 

 boiled water as evaporation takes place. In the course of 

 frequent examination during that period, I have found many 

 different species of animalcula succeed each other ; and I 

 have even reason to think that different generations of the 

 same species have been produced and have disappeared during 

 that time. 



I beg you will excuse my troubling you with details, which 

 may possess none of the merit of novelty to you. 



Yours, &c. 

 Ramsgate, August 18, 1832. George Fairholme. 



P.S. I find the light of a lamp much su- 

 perior to that of the sun for microscopical ob- 

 servations on transparent or very minute ob- 

 jects. 



A grain of the sand alluded to is about 

 the size of one of the small dots in the annexed 

 figure, and the zigzag line represents their 

 irregular form. 



XIV. Proceedings of Learned Societies, 



LINN^EAN SOCIETY. 



Dec. 4-.—TJEAD the Description of a species of Thrush, killed 



AV at Heron Court, Hants, in January 1828. By the 



Hon. Charles A. Harris. Communicated by John Curtis, Esq. F.L.S. 



This account was accompanied by a letter from Mr. Yarrell, con- 

 taining some observations on the bird, which appears to be identical 

 with the Java Thrush (Turdus varius of Dr. Horsfield), a native of 

 the Indian Islands, and also of New Holland. The specimen shot 

 was in perfect plumage, and had no appearance of ever having been 

 in confinement; but Mr. Yarrell is disposed to think that the species 

 may likewise prove to beAfrican, which, if confirmed, would account 

 for its appearance on our southern coast. 



Read also a continuation of Dr. Nees von Esenbeck's paper on 

 East Indian Solanece. 



Dec. 18. — A paper was read, entitled "Observations on the Tro- 

 paolum pentaphyllum of Lamarck ; by Mr. David Don, Libr. L.S." 



The Tropceolum pentaphyllum is a native of the countries bordering 

 on the Rio de la Plata, where it was first discovered by Commerson -, 

 and from specimens collected by that indefatigable naturalist, the 

 figure and description published by Lamarck were derived. The 

 trivial names of pentaphyllum and quinatum, given to it by Lamarck 

 and Hellenius, are, as Mr. Don justly observes, misapplied to a plant 

 whose leaf is merely deeply lobed. Notwithstanding its having been 

 described and figured by various authors, and but very recently in 

 the Botanical Magazine and Register, Mr. Don appears to be the 



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