8 PEOCEEDINGS or THE 



A discussion followed, in which Messrs. Eendle, H. Grroves, 

 and J. C. Melnll took part. 



Dr. A. B. Eendle, F.L.S., exhibited specimens of aPreshwater 

 Alga {Fithophora) new to Britain, and described its structure; 

 additional remarks being made by Messrs. A. W. Bennett and 

 Clement Eeid. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. "On the genus Lemnalia, Grray ; with an account of the 

 Branching Systems of the Order Alcyonacea." By G. C. Bourne, 

 M.A., F.L.S. 



2. " On some African Labiatae with alternate leaves." By 

 Messrs. I. H. Burkill, F.L.S., and C. H. Wright, A.L.S. 



3. " Report on the Marine Mollusca obtained during the Pirst 

 Expedition of Prof. A. C. Haddon to the Torres Straits." By 

 Messrs. J. Cosmo Melvill, M.A., P.L.S., and Eobert Standen. / 



March 2nd, 1899. | 



Dr. Albert C. L. Gr. Gtjjsthee, P.E.S., President, in the Chat. 



The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed. 



Mr. H. M. Bernard, P.L.S., showed some microscopic sectiors 

 of the digestiA'e c*ca of Spiders, which had led him to the ciO- 

 clnsion that dig^^stive, assimilatory, and excretory functions /-re 

 all performed by these. In a discussion which followed, the 

 Eev. T. E. E. Stebbing, Mr. A. D. Michael, and Prof. Howes bok 

 part. 



Mr. J. E. Harting, P.L.S., exhibited a male specimen c the 

 rare King Eider {Somateria speciahilis) which had recentljbeen 

 forwarded in the flesh from Lerwick, and called attention ^o the 

 colours of the soft parts, which diflered materially frcQ the 

 colours represented by Gould in his folio plate of this fi)ecies. 

 After referring to the natural haunts of this Duck in thPalse- 

 arctic and Nearctic regions, he described it as a bird f such 

 rarity in the British Islands that since it was first notiod as a 

 visitor to the coast of Norfolk in 1813 not more than a tore of 

 examples had been met with, the last of which was reptted in 

 Nov. 1890. i 



The President referred to the statement of Col. Montau, made 

 on the authority of Bullock, that the King Eider had pted in 

 Papa Westra, an observation which had not been confirmed ; and 

 Mr. H. Druee made some remarks on the process of bkching to 

 which the Eider-down of commerce is generally, tbfugh not 

 always, subjected. ' 



Mr. G. C. Druce, F.L.S., exhibited and made roarks ou 

 specimens of Dianthus gallicus, Pers., from Jersey. 



