32 



this or that j but with regard to this particular observation she aays " I 

 have seen " this spider, and " have been told " that it captures small 

 birds, &c. 



The Chairman believed that what Mr. Hailes had just stated was quite 

 correct, and that the evidence rested on a very slender foundation, and was 

 entirely without confirmation. With regard to Mdlle. Merian's book, beauti- 

 ful as the plates were, he feared it was not the most reliable source from 

 which to draw information ; he believed it to be a fact that the natives finding 

 that she was willing to pay for anything rare or curious, were quite ready 

 to bring her things which were not always in the same condition as Nature 

 intended them to be — such as the heads of lantern flies on other bodies, &c. 

 With regard to spiders, one was generally so lost in admiration at the beauty 

 of the construction of the web itself, as to lose sight of the manner in 

 which it w^as hung upon a tree ; but they would find that each individual 

 Bpider would hang it in a different way according to the position of the 

 tree. 



The thanks of the meeting were unanimously voted to Mr. Hind for his 

 paper. 



Announcements of meetings, &c , for the ensuing month were then made, 

 and the proceedings terminated with the usual conversazione, at which the 

 following objects were exhibited . — 



Jasmine leaf ... 



Anatomy of Saw-fly Tenthredo variabilis .. 



Algae. Batracliospermiwi moniliforme and') 

 Cyrtomium falcatum ... ... ) 



Insects in Spiders' Webs 



Palate of Black Slug 



Leaf of Drosera rotundifolia (stained) . . . Mr. J. T. Powell. 

 Attendance — Members, 53 ; Visitors, 3. 



September 12th. — Conversational Meeting, 



The following objects were exhibited : — 

 Fungus (Puccinia) on Bramble 

 Head of Honey Bee ... 

 Spores of Funaria and section of stem of"; 



Dog Rose 

 Section of Scalp of Negro ... 

 Embryo of Haricot Bean 

 Diatom. Cymatopleura elliptica ... 

 ^Y)0\\ge.Leucosolenia hotrijoides ... 

 Leaf and sections of Sjfhagnum cuspidatiim 

 Sections of Ash, (Fraxinus excelsiorj 



Leaf Insect Mr. J. Willsou. 



Attendance — Members, 41 ; Visitors, 4. 



