22 



stomacli of the starlings crainmccl with insects, chiefly small coleop- 

 tcra, mixed with fragments of cherries. Thus, even at this season, 

 the starling must be more beneficial than injurious ; and, as is well 

 known, at all other seasons so useful, as to deserve, in the interest 

 of husbandry, the most careful protection. He mentioned that he 

 had known a tame hawk, kept in cherry trees while the fruit is 

 ripe, quite effectual in keeping off small birds. 



July 23, 1874. 



Excursion to Whitstable- — This took place about noon, and was 

 composed of numerous ladies and gentlemen, members of the 

 Society and their friends. After an exploration of the coast, and 

 that tongue of shingle which is called the Street, tho party assem- 

 bled in the Music Hall, where the microscopes of Colonel Horsley, 

 Major Hall, Mr. Dowker, Mr. Sibert Saunders, and Mr. FuUagar 

 were set to work, the objects for examination being li%-ing speci- 

 mens of the marine fauna, all invertebrates, collected a few 

 hours previously. Living Oyster-spat was shown and described by 

 Mr. Saunders, also the alternations of generations in the Medusae ; 

 Colonel Horsley described the tubular Annelids, especially SabelliB 

 and Serpulae, giving a detailed account of their structure and 

 economy, and of their common and diagnostic characters, illustrated 

 by extemporaneous preparations under the microscope. Mr. 

 Dowker, F.Gr.S., gave copious notes of his observations on the 

 Kentish Anemones, all Astrseacea, and of the following species : — 

 Actiniloba dianthus and its varieties, Sagartia miniata, Sagartia 

 troglodytes, Sagartia viduata — a rare species which he had kept in 

 a maiine aquarium for fifteen years — Actinia mesembryanthemum, 

 Telea crassicoruis, and an Anemone new to the coast, if not a 

 nondescript, sent by Mr. Hillier, of Eamegate, approaching nearlj 

 to Sargatia rosea of Gosse. 



August 5, 1874. 



Colonel Horsley showed under his microscope live specimens of 

 the oyster spat, obtained from Mr. Saunders, at Whitstable, (both 

 the valves of these tiny oysters being convex and symmetrical,) 

 actively swimming about by means of vibratile cilia ; Mr. FuUagar 

 the fresh-water Polyzoon, Lophopus crystallinus, which he had 

 found abundantly near Chartham ; Mr. Hayward various insect 

 larvae, among which was Acherontia atropos, with a description of 

 the noise which this species makes in all stages of its life. 



September 2, 1874, 



Mrs. Dean sent a collection of flowering plants recently gathered' 



