21 
a remarkable similarity to the Holtenia found by Dr. 
W. B. Carpenter in the North Sea, and which Mr. Kent 
named, in compliment to his chief—Dr. J. E. Gray—Phero- 
nema Grayit. Mr. Lee said that having carefully examined 
the structure and spicules of this beautiful and supposed new 
sponge, and compared them under the microscope with 
similar preparations of Holtenia Carpenteri, he had arrived 
at the conclusion that the new species could not be main- 
tained. It was certainly a strongly marked variety; and, 
therefore, he would refrain from positively stating in public 
his firm opinion that the two wereidentical until it had been 
confirmed by Dr. Bowerbank and Mr. Kent himself, to 
whom he had just communicated it. The character of the 
sea-bottom on which the sponges were found, and the organ- 
isms associated with them, opened before us a vast subject 
for investigation. The peculiar interest of these dredgings 
was that animals were found which carried us back to remote 
geological periods; and that conditions of temperature were 
observed which led one to see the possibility of the contem- 
poraneous existence of species which had hitherto beer 
supposed to have succeeded each other after the lapse of 
long periods of time, and in consequence of great changes in 
the physical geography of the localities in which they were 
found. The white mud which was brought up frum the 
greatest depths reached, contained globigerina, foraminifera, 
siliceous sponges, and other organisms which were known to 
haye abounded in the chalk period ; consisted, in fact, of all 
the constituents of chalk, both in its materials and in its 
continuance of the great types of the cretaceous fauna. 
From this was argued that, over certain areas which, from 
their great depth, had never been elevated above the sea 
level, and on which the temperature had remained unaltered, 
the deposit of chalk had never ceased, and that we might 
now be living in the true eretaceous epoch—a startling 
announcement, deserving most serious consideration and 
vigorous discussion by geologists. 
Amongst the objects of interest distributed to the mem- 
bers for mounting were—leaves of Hippophae Rhamnaides, 
by the President; Foraminifera from sponge sand, by the 
Secretary ; and Microscopic Fungi, by Mr. Bennett. 
Messrs. Henry W. Peek, M.P., H. P. Stephenson, and 
A. B. Drummond were elected members of the Club. 
November 16th, 1870.—‘* On Mosszs,” by Mr. Grorce Prrry.— 
After directing attention to the Mosses as a highly-interesting 
