330 , Transactions of the [Sess. 



describing the nature of various kinds of bacilli, and the artificial 

 means adopted for propagating these organisms. Their presence 

 in several forms of disease, as phthisis, small-pox, splenic fever, 

 &c., was further demonstrated by means of the magic-lantern ; and 

 the treatment adopted for combating such diseases by inoculation 

 was explained. 



At the fourth meeting (Feb. 5, 1886), Mr F. G. Pearcey, of H.M. 

 Challenger Commission, delivered a lecture on the Foraminifera, 

 which was illustrated by an extensive series of named specimens, 

 shown under the microscope, as well as by a large number of 

 beautiful diagrams. The lecturer enumerated the various classi- 

 fications of these minute organisms, from that of d'Orbigny, in 

 1826, to the recent investigations of the Challenger Commission, 

 which have been wrought out and tabulated by Mr H. B. Brady. 

 The structure and life-history of the pelagic forms were then 

 taken up, with their distribution in the ocean-depths, and the 

 ultimate reduction of the lime composing their tests to a bicar- 

 bonate of lime, which was carried away in solution, to be again 

 elaborated into varied and beautiful living forms. The forma- 

 tion of coral-reefs and coral-islands was then explained, especially 

 the part played by the Foraminifera in laying the foundation on 

 which coral is built up. Lastly, the importance of the fossil Foram- 

 inifera in the formation of the earth's crust was dwelt upon. 



At the same meeting, Mr J. D. Murray made the following 

 communication on the tongue of the Blow-fly : — 



THE TONGUE OF THE BLOW-FLY IN RELATION 

 TO ITS FOOD. 



Most microscopists are familiar with that well-known object, the 

 tongue of the Blow-fly [Musca vomitoria). This fly secretes large 

 quantities of saliva from two glands situated one upon each side of 

 the thorax, and the consumption of its food has been very generally 

 ascribed to the solvent action of this saliva alone. Jabez Hogg, in 

 the fourth edition of his valuable work, ' The Microscope,' quoting 

 from a book called ' Episodes of Insect Life,' says that "a magnifier 

 will solve the difficulty, and show how the fly dissolves its rock, 

 Hannibal fashion, by a diluent or salivary fluid passing down 

 through the same pipe which returns the sugar melted into syrup." 

 Mr Lowne also, in his admirable monograph on the ' Anatomy and 

 Physiology of the Blow-fly,' states that " no solid food is taken by 

 the fly, as it lives entirely upon juices or such substances as can 

 be dissolved by its copious saliva;" while a recent writer in the 

 '■ Natiiralists' World ' further informs us that " when flies want to 

 •eat hard substances, such as sugar, they emit a drop of water, 

 which renders the soluble substances liquid." On the other hand. 



