30 



alae, the shell grows in diameter. It is increased in height by 

 additions to the basal margins of the compartments. Darwin 

 states that in the living state, the tubes formed by the septa of 

 the walls and base, are occupied by threads of corium, and that 

 crests of corium also run into each suture between the compart- 

 ments. He also supposes that the tips of the complicated ridges, 

 and points interlocking on the lines of sutures, are actually united 

 by corium in a calcified, yet still growing condition. 



j\Ir. J. Reid exhibited and explained a very large specimen 

 of a fungus, of a foliated kind, removed from a beech tree. 

 This fungus more frequently grows on the elm. It is edible, 

 though its leathery substance is by no means attractive to the 

 gourmand. A kind of tough leather-like cloth is made out of 

 it, for clothing ; its substance, dried and powdered, formed the 

 amadou, so generally used to obtain fire, before lucifer matches 

 came into use. It has several other uses. 



OCTOBER. 



James Reid, Esq., with the aid of specially prepared 

 diagrams, described the development and peculiarities of some 

 of the fungi. This interesting lecture was further illustrated 

 with the aid of microscopical slides by Mr. W. Reid. In con- 

 tinuation of the same subject, G. Rigden, Esq. exhibited a 

 curious gelatinous fungus from New Zealand, sent to him by Mr. 

 Gardener, late of Canterbury, from whence large quantities are 

 now exported to China, with which the omnivorous inhabitants 

 make soup. It is likely that this natural product may, in the 

 future, aff"ord a source for the production of gelatine on a large 

 scale, as it differs from the mucilage obtained from the Carrageen 

 moss (chrondrus crispus) in containing nitrogen. 



NOVEMBER. 

 The Maastricht Beds, ly Mr. G. H. iN'elson, M.A. 



Mr. G. H. Nelson, M.A., delivered a very able lecture, 

 descriptive of the Maastricht beds, a remarkable portion of the 

 upper cretaceous strata of Belgium. Mr. Nelson compared the 

 English chalk formation with the Belgian, and described with 

 the aid of carefully prepared diagrams, the relative positions of 

 the various beds comprising each series. In this country the 

 Thanet beds at the base of the Eocene formation immediately 

 overlie the upper chalk, the uppermost portion of which is repre- 

 sented by the Margate chalk. On the continent between the 

 beds corresponding to the Margate chalk, and the lowest Eocene 

 beds, there are found considerable deposits known as the 



