14 
with the subject of polarized light, enforcing his remarks 
by a large number of beautiful illustrations thrown on a 
screen by the oxy-hydrogen light. 
In the discussion which followed, the Prestpent, Mr. 
Stewart, and Dr. Carpenter took part; and the opinion 
was expressed that the polariscope would, in a_ short 
time, play a most important part in guiding medical 
men to a true diagnosis of various diseases, and in sug- 
gesting methods for their cure or alleviation. 
Several members of the Club exhibited objects, with 
their microscopes, to illustrate the lecture. 
The following gentlemen were elected members of the 
Club, viz.:—Messrs. John Moore, Daniel Watney, Peter 
Thrale, and Ralph Thrale. 
April 17th, 1872.—On ‘‘Tue Nestinc or THE Eacite Ow. IN 
Croypon,” by N. L. Austen, Esq.—A pair of Eagle Owls 
kept in confinement, mated in January, 1871, and the first 
egg was laid on the 11th of February. The first nestling 
was hatched on the 22nd of March, and another about a 
week later. The young birds were carefully fed by their 
parents with rats, the male bringing the food, and the 
female tearing it up; the family usually ate seven or eight 
in the course of the day. The young owls obtained their 
plumage by the time they were two months old, and were 
able to fly up to their perches. The female of this young 
pair died in November, but the male is still in good 
health. The old birds again nested in the spring of 1872, 
but the eggs were addled. Mr. Austen has also a pair of 
the Little Owl (Athene noctua), which have likewise nested in 
confinement. Mr. Austen also gave some interesting par- 
ticulars of the native haunts of the Eagle Owl, and of 
visits which he has paid at different times to them in 
Norway. 
At the close of the paper, Mr. Bartiert, of the 
Zoological Gardens, gave an interesting account of the 
owls in the gardens, and of one which he had placed in 
the aviary with the peacocks for the purpose of catching 
mice. Mr. Bartlett, at the President’s request, related an 
anecdote of the successful performance in the past few days 
of a surgical operation on a rhinoceros. The animal was 
suffering from ulceration of the nasal bone, produced by 
the growing in of the horn, and it became, therefore, 
necessary to cut off the horn. This, by great care, was 
successfully accomplished. 
