xlvi Proceedings. 



birds flew at sxicli a height that they could not be seen, and their 

 presence was only known by hearing their call-notes. There 

 were many birds, too, which migrated so high that they were 

 out of range either of sight or hearing. Astronomers, especially 

 in America, had seen with their telescopes flocks of birds which 

 must have been more than a mile above the surface of the ground." 

 As to the power or faculty which enabled birds to steer their 

 course at night, Mr. Seebohm said that " birds no doubt migrated 

 by sight. They had landmarks with which they were familiar, 

 and when thej' could see those landmarks they flew with great 

 certainty ; but when they did not, they flew with great hesitation 

 and doubt. Carrier pigeons, which were taught to return home, 

 had to be acquainted with the country around the spot they were 

 brought up in. It was found by the Arctic explorers that when 

 they let out some pigeons, which they had brought out in the 

 hope of sending them home, that they fluttered about helplessly. 

 They had no landmarks, and they had not the slightest idea what 

 to do or Avhere to go. There could be no doubt that birds had a 

 very remarkable power of remembering localities. That, every- 

 one would recognise in a moment if they thought how larks would 

 build in the middle of a great field of long grass, and yet would 

 have no difficulty in finding the place where they had deposited 

 their nest and eggs." 



In conclusion, the lecturer gave some interesting particulars 

 of the order of the migrations, the young birds coming first, 

 led by two or three old bachelors or spinsters, and taking 

 about a week to pass ; then in the second week come the male 

 birds, followed in the third by the females, and in the fourth week 

 by a strange company of cripples. 



The meeting will long be remembered as one of the most 

 successful ever held under the auspices of the Club. 



Seventh Hreiiin;/ Meetuu/, November 10th, 1886. — The seventh 

 Evening Meeting was held on November 10th. Mr. Crowley 

 exhibited some cleverly coloured specimens of Lepidoptera, to 

 show how spurious varieties are executed by unscrupulous dealers 

 to deceive collectors. 



Mr. W. H. Beeby then read a paper, "On the Additions to 

 the Surrey Flora during 1886," which will be published in our 

 Transactions (Tr.\ns., art. 62). It was illustrated by excellent 

 specimens of the species referred to. 



Mr. W. H. Mordaunt, President of the Sidcup Club, followed 

 with a paper, " On the Spider," illustrated by excellent diagrams 

 of the spinning organs and structure of these animals. Mr. 

 Mordaunt gave an interesting popular account of the spider, and 

 a detailed description of their more important organs and struc- 

 ture, especially of the spinnerets. Microscopic preparations 

 illustrating their anatomy were also shown. 



