LI?r>-EAX SOCIETY OF LOXDOX. 7 



The following papers were read : — 



1. " On the Anatomy of an Indian Gasteropod belonging to the 

 genus PontiofJiauma." By S. Pace, F.Z.S. (Communicated hj 

 Prof. G. B. Howes, Sec.L.S.) 



2. " On the Ostracoda collected round the Funafuti Atoll." Bv 

 Frederick Chapman, A.L.S. 



January 16th, 1902. 

 Prof. S. H. YixES, F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed. 



Mr. Charles Edgar Salmon was elected, and Mr. Charles Smith 

 Nicholson and the Eev. William Burgess were admitted Fellows 

 of the Society. 



Mr. Alfred O. AValker, F.L.S., exhibited some branches of 

 Cherry affected with a fungus disease caused by Gnomonia 

 eri/tJirostoma, and made the following remarks : — In the autumn 

 of 1900 certain varieties of CheiTy were noticed in Kent to retain 

 their leaves in a withered state at the time of normal leaf-fall. 

 They were examined by 3Ir. G. Massee, and the fungus causing 

 the mischief was ascertained to be Gnomonia erytlirostoma, Auersw. 

 The Eoyal Agricultural Society investigated the evil, and 

 recommended that all the affected leaves should be stripped off 

 and burned, to avoid future mischief. Although few growers did 

 this, the crop of 1891 was exceedingly good. The immunity of 

 the Cherry orchards from the menaced calamity was ascribed by 

 the exhibitor to the comparatively equable temperatures and the 

 small rainfall of the latter year, whilst the outbreak in 1900 was 

 attributed to the extreme low temperatures in May, following 

 abnormally high temperatures in April. 



A discussion followed in which Messrs. G. Massee, E. S. Salmon, 

 and "W. Carruthers took part. 



Mr. J. E. Haeten'g, F.L.S., exhibited some heads of "Wild Sheep 

 together with photographs and lantern-slides, to illustrate a 

 recent suggestion as to the use and value of spiral horns in feral 

 species. 



Dr. George Wherry, of Cambridge, who originated the discus- 

 sion and who was present as a visitor, selected Ovis nivicola ot 

 Kamtschatka as a typical species to support his theory, and 

 pointed out that while the horns were enormous, the ear was 

 remarkably short, situated exactly in the axis of the spiral, and, 

 as it were, at the apex of a hollow cone formed by the great spiral 

 horn. This he regarded as a provision of nature to enable the 

 animal to hear better, and to determine the direction of sounds 

 when there is a mist or fog, the horn when used as an ear-trumpet 

 acting like a megaphone. 



