Sponges. 47 



Saturday, July 6th, 1867. 



A PARTY of nieiubcrs of the Society made an excursion to Kew. 

 One section visited the Gardens, Museum, and Houses for the growth 

 of tropical and other plants, under the guidance of the Rev. B. F. 

 Westcott. Another, with the President and Mr. Griffith, visited 

 the Physical Observatory, where they were kindly received by 

 Mr. Balfour Stewart, who carefully explained the nature of the 

 various observations, meteorological, magnetic, &c., which form 

 the regular work of the Observatory, and the instruments with 

 which they are made, and who also exhibited several of the 

 photographs of the Sun, which are daily taken by the Heliograph, 

 and thus form a record of the progressive changes in the spots 

 visible on his surface. 



Tuesday, July 9th, 1867. 



The Thirtieth Meeting of the Society was held at Mr. Hayward's 

 House. 



The objects exhibited were : 



A Pocket Sextant . . . . . . By G. Griffith, Esq. 



A monstrosity of the Polyanthus, found in Dr. Butler's garden 



By Rev. F. W. Farrar. 



A collection of Sponges, including the beautiful Euplectella or Venus's 



Flower Basket . . . . . . By W. Leaf, Esq. 



A Paper was read by Leaf 



ON SPONGES. 



It seems to be generally believed at the present time that the 

 sponge is an animal, though verging closely on the vegetable king- 

 dom. Accordingly, Cuvier classes it among the Apolypiferous 



