260 EEPORTS OF MEETINGS. 



Monnteney nests of the Mud Wasp from Texas. Two speci- 

 mens of stoat were also shown, shot near Taunton at the 

 same time, one of the dark summer colour, and the other in 

 the white winter coat. It was suggested that there may be 

 two varieties, if not two species, of stoat. One, the larger 

 of the two, does not vary in the colour of its coat at different 

 times of the year, while the smaller one does. A clutch of 

 eggs of the Pied Flycatcher was shown by Dr. Norton with 

 the egg of a cuckoo found in the same nest. The last ex- 

 hibit was by Mr. C. K. Rudge of dried fish preserved in 

 a way which retained the natural appearance of the eye. 



On March 4th Mr. S. H. Swayne read a paper on the 

 " Homologies of Horn Structure in the Ungulata," after 

 which a few notes upon an artesian well in San Marcos 

 were read by Mr. Rudge for Dr. Fryer. At the depth of 

 188 feet water was struck, and flowed out at the rate of 

 1,100 gallons a minute. The water thrown out contained 

 many animal forms, all blind and colourless. Amongst 

 these were salamanders, but the most numerous a species of 

 niphargus. Mr. Baker showed several minerals and crystals 

 from South Africa, and a specimen of gold from Johannes- 

 burg. 



The meeting that should have been held on April 1st 

 was held a week earlier, on March 25th, conjointly with a 

 meeting of the Microscopical Society, in order to hear a 

 paper from Mr. E. M. Wilson, President of the Royal Micro- 

 scopical Society, on " Microscopic Vision." 



On May 6th Mr. H. W. Pearson read a paper upon "Local 

 Surface and Underground Springs, and their Surrounding 

 Strata," after which Mr. Gr. Brebner laid before the meeting- 

 some original observations affecting the classification of the 

 Tilopteridace{«». 



THEODORE FISHER. 



