291 



appearance of branches and twigs ; or, having made them, how it could 

 possibly live in them. 



Mr. Waller, in repl)^, said he laid stress in his paper on the method shown 

 in the borings. He thought the question must be tested by that. It was as- 

 serted that the effects produced by dentine absorption were similar. He 

 believed tliat his profession had made his eye more critical, and he asserted 

 that the results were not quite alike ; there were not the same geometrical 

 forms that he contended the other had. In his diagram he had given the 

 form, and had shown how one depression might be made interfering with 

 another, and a third interfering wdth both. He was prepared with the 

 piece of alabaster he had in his hand to demonstrate the fact, and make 

 the peculiar markings of the burrows as seen under the microscope. Mr. 

 Stewart had mentioned, that some of the processes tapered off to a point. 

 He (Mr. Waller) had said, that he had never found that point smaller 

 than the 2,000th of an inch. In the borings which he considered to be made 

 by annelids, he said it was above that diameter, so that what he supposed 

 were annelids, as shown in his drawings, were quite capable of forming the 

 tubes. Mr. Priest referred to the analogy of the Saolytus, remarking that 

 it was very far removed from the annelids, being one of the Articulata, 

 but the latter are grouped by naturalists in the same class. We know 

 that the larva of the Scolytus makes circular depressions, and continues to 

 excavate in that manner. His specimen of perforated wood showed very 

 clearly how the borer in wood did its work. He had a specimen of shell, 

 which he had mounted, for the express purpose of showing the process of 

 the working — that just beginning and that partly carried through. What 

 had been said did not account for the uniform operation, which he had 

 pointed out as being so precise. It did not account for it, because of the 

 irregularity which is observable in the dentine absorption, which is distinct 

 and separate from what is seen in his diagram. His argument rested 

 entirely on the character of the subcircular depressions. 



The thanks of the meeting were unanimously voted to Mr. Waller and Mr. 

 Priest for their communications. 



The President announced the engagements for the ensuing month, and the 

 proceedings terminated with the usual Conversazione, at which the following 

 objects were exhibited : — 



Specimens to illustrate the similarity in^ 



character existing in the absorption of V The President. 



Dentine and the excavations of Cliona ^ 

 Fungus on wing of B-ouse-Qy—Empusa} ^^ -p^ ^^ Andrew. 



musccB ... ... ... j 



Head of Cysticercui celhtlosce or Hog^j 



Measle, an unique specimen, the head i t)- rp q CoVvVvold 



being furnished with six suckers— Speci- [ 



mens removed from the human brain / 

 Section of human stomach and duodenum "j 



at their junction — showing Payer's > Mr. W. I. Curties. 



patches ... ... ... j 



