24 



by Zoologists as to their place in the Animal Kingdom, and showed 

 that although they had been regarded by Cuvier, Lamarck, D'Orbigny 

 and others, as Mollusca allied to the highly organised Nautili and 

 Cuttle Fish, the researches of Dujardin and subsequent naturalists 

 abundantly proved that their place was far lower in the system, their 

 nearest allies being the Infusorial Animalcules. After referring to 

 the beauty and complexity of structure of the shells, contrasted with 

 extreme simplicity of organisation of the animals, the paper called 

 attention to the abundance of the Foraminifera in our present seas, 

 and to their existence in still greater profusion in some geological 

 periods, — many beds of rock of great thickness being almost entirely 

 built up of their remains. 



ApRTii 5 — The Rev. John Kenrick read the first part of a paper 

 by the late Rev. Charles Wellbeloved, " On the Information respect- 

 ing the state of York, during the 14th and 15th centuries, derived 

 from Wills in the York Registry." It consisted of a series of notes 

 with commentaries, made from the " Testamenta Eboracensia," pub- 

 lished by the Rev. James Raine. The Wills of the Plantagenet, 

 Tudor and Stuart reigns are for the most part written in Latin. 

 Some are in English, and a few in French ; sometimes a part is written 

 in Latin and a part in English, or a codicil or inventory in English 

 is added to a Latin Will. Even in those written in Latin, English 

 terms frequently occur, sometimes very oddly intermingled. The 

 wills appear to have been made by professional persons, — the proctors, 

 the parish priest, or some one who obtained his living by writing. 

 In the year 1391, William de Kyrkby of York, describes himself as 

 scriptor ; that he is a layman is evident, as he directs that he be 

 buried near his wife in St. Elen's Church, and leaves his property to 

 his two daughters. In the same year, Ellen, the wife of Marmaduke 

 Thweng, of Cornborough, made a nuncupative will, because no writer 

 was at hand. Of these nuncupative wills, two affecting examples 

 occur. In 1346, before joining the forces mustering to oppose David 

 of Scotland, who had advanced as far as Durham, Sir William de 

 Crathorne went into his parish church to declare his will, in the event 

 of his falling in the field. From this expedition he never returned, 

 and his widow afterwards appeared before the Commissary of the 

 Archbishop, at Cawood, and was admitted to prove her husband's 

 will, by the production of witnesses who deposed that they were 

 present in the church when he made it. The other instance is that of 

 Sir Ralph Newmarchc, of Whatton, who made his nuncupative will at 



