1 26 Cats. [Sess. 



III.— GATS. 



By Mr J. G. GOODCHILD, F.G.S., F.Z.S., Etc. 

 (Bead Dec. 26, 1894.) 



To exhibit the general aspect of the various members of the 

 Felidse, Mr Goodchild placed upon the walls of the meeting- 

 room large coloured drawings from life of nearly all the species 

 at present recognised. The drawings were by himself, chiefly 

 after the work of Joseph Woli, " the prince of animal-painters." 

 The salient points in the structure and in the natural history 

 of the chief forms were briefly noticed, and Mr Goodchild then 

 went on to describe some of the more interesting of the extinct 

 species, mainly with a view to dealing with the genesis of the 

 cats as a family. He speculated whether the lion which, since 

 the advent of man, contended with him for the possession of 

 Britain, and which is known to have closely resembled the 

 African lion in structural character, was not a rough shaggy 

 beast, with its body covered with the long hair of which the 

 mane is one of the surviving vestiges. He further speculated 

 as to whether the coat of the British lion might not have been 

 spotted, as are the coats of the lion cubs of the present day. 



IV. —DO TROUT PURIFY OR POLLUTE WATER? 



By Mr TOM SPEEDY. 



(Read Dec. 26, 189Jf.) 



In reading a paper to this Society on such a subject as the 

 present one, I feel myself incompetent either to do justice to 

 it or to impart information to the members upon it. My 

 object in giving you the paper at all is rather with the view 

 of acquiring knowledge from the discussion which I trust will 

 follow my placing it before you, than any hope that I may 



