HEETFORDSniEE NATTJEAL HISTORY SOCIETY. XXXI 



hut very few autiqunrios had aoeoptod the idea ; and there was an a priori 

 improbahilitv of the Hint iniplemeuts alhidcd to bein^ actually the work of man, 

 as tht'Y had heou found in marine deposits, associated with the remains of a kind 

 of dugonjj and marine slu'lls. 



As to the increase of post-tertiary soil, he thought it would he found that the 

 heapiusj up of the soil only takes place on the sites of human hal)itations. It was 

 partly from the remains of old buildings getting covered with sand and dust blown 

 over them, rubbish being shot near, and various artificial means, that the rising 

 of the ground took place. No doubt worms had an effect in giving the appearance 

 of an increase of soil. For instance, when a layer of chalk was put on a meadow, 

 in the course of years it would be found some inches under the surface, being let 

 down by the action of worms. The only other way was the accumulation of 

 carbonic matter in the form of humus, but they would not get great accumulations 

 of that kind, imless after a long series of years, as in the great prairies. There 

 humus was found to the depth of two or three feet, but not to the depth of fifteen 

 feet. He was sorry that the author was not present to reply himself to the 

 questions to which his paper had given rise. 



ORDLffARY Meeting, 23ed Maech, 1880, at Heeteoed. 



J. GwYN Jeffreys, Esq., LL.D., F.E.S., etc., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. "\V. Lewis Horley, High Street, Hoddesclon ; Mr. Thomas 

 Hunt, High Street, Ware ; and Miss Julia Stokes, Cecil House, 

 Hertford, were proposed as Members of the Society. 



The following letter was read : — 



^& 



EoYAL Microscopical Society, 



King's College, London, 



Ibth March, 1880. 



Dear Sirs, — I have the honour to inform you that your Society having been 

 duly nominated under the bye-law relating to Ex-ofiicio Fellows, and the same 

 having been approved by a general meeting held on the 10th inst., yoiir President 

 for the time being is now entitled to the privileges of an Ex-officio Fellow of this 

 Society. — I am, dear Sirs, yours truly, 



Walter "W. Eeetes, 

 Assist. Sec. Royal Microscopical Society. 

 To the Secretaries of the Hertfordshire Natural History Societij. 



The thanks of the Society were accorded to the Eoyal Micro- 

 scopical Society. 



The following paper was read : — 



" Observations on Rotifers, with special reference to those found 

 in the Neighbourhood of Hertford. By F. W. Phillips. (^Trans- 

 actions, Yol. I, p. 113.) 



Ordinary Meeting, 20th April, 1880, at Watford. 



John E. Littleboy', Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Mr. Charles E. Gcake, Hansteads, Bricket Wood, St. Albans ; 

 Mr. W. Lewis Horley, High Street, Hoddcsdon ; Mr. Thomas Hunt, 

 High Street. Ware ; and Miss Julia Stokes, Cecil House, Hertford, 

 were elected Members of the Society. 



