20 



BRIEF ABSTRACTS OP THE REPORTS OP THE 

 SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS IN 1875. 



January 6. 



Mrs. Dean exhibited fresh specimens in fruit of Mosses, Liver- 

 worts, and Lichens, from the neighbourhood of Canterbury. Mr. 

 T'ullao'ar brought living specimens of Polyzoa and Kotifera, among 

 which was the Melicerta Ringens, which was seen in the exercise 

 of its digestive function, the gizzard, or muscular bulb of the 

 gullet in fuU activity, and the tube or case in which the creature 

 lives under construction. 



The Hon. Secretary, G. Gulliver, Esq., F.R.S., gave a dis- 

 course on walking sticks in general, and on those called " Bois 

 Maigrc" and " Bois dur" in particular, describing them for the first 

 time in relation to their parent plants, viz , the former Securingea 

 Nitida, a member of the Box tribe ; and the latter a species of 

 Cauthium, a member of the natural order of Cinchonacese. 



February Srd. 



Colonel Horsley exhibited Sphgeraphides in the pith of the 

 Hop bine, with polarized Hght. 



Major HaU contributed mounted slides of the palate of the 

 "Whelk, with its wonderful teeth ; also of the hairs of insect larvae 

 and other objects. 



Colonel Horsley read a paper on the Genus Taginicola, des- 

 cribing in particular the species found by him in water brought 

 from Chartham, and referred to in the proceedings of the scientific 

 meeting held on the 2nd Nov., 1874. The life history of this 

 minute creature, as observed by Mr. Pullagar, was fully described. 

 The natural term of its life was ascertained to be about three 

 months. Whether the species described in this paper belong to 

 Tagnieola decumbens would seem to be an open question. 



March Srd. 



Colonel Horsley exhibited living specimens of Lophopus, Tubu- 

 laria Najas, and the tree VorticeUa, with micrometrical observa- 

 tions on the last mentioned, showing that its mean diameter is about 

 1 -600th of an inch. 



Mr. 11. J. Bell described certain parasites called Gregarinoe, 



