cliv Proceedings. 



for small fish, which it captures with its long claws. Of the 

 hermit crabs much might be said as to the curious fact of their 

 requiring artificial protection for their soft abdominal segments, 

 whilst the great stone crab, Lithodes main, is an example of a 

 species in a state of evolution from the hermits to the true crabs, 

 and the genera Galathea and Munida in a transition state to the 

 lobster group. They possess the fifth pair of legs in a pseudo 

 condition only, and Dromia vulgaris uses these curious appen- 

 dages for freeing its carapace from any obnoxious substance. 

 My contributions to the Zoologist, 1881-4, go into this subject 

 more fully. 



December 10th. — By Mr. E. Straker on «' Changes in the Aspect 

 of our District during Historic Times" (Trans., Art. 90). In this 

 paper Mr. Straker referred to the fact that this subject though of 

 great interest had not been touched by geologists. The chief 

 changes had been wrought by man, domesticated animals, and 

 earth worms, which latter were constantly forming vegetable 

 mould. Prehistoric man being a hunter did little to alter the 

 aspect of the country, but the advent of the Saxons wrought 

 great changes, owing to their three field system and their heavy 

 draught oxen. The lecturer then referred to the Dooms-day 

 Book, as to the distibution of parishes with their proportions of 

 grazing, arable, and wood lands, and pointed out that such 

 allotted areas had in reality not altered to any very marked 

 extent. Mr. Straker concluded with some observations upon the 

 alteration of our flora by the introduction and cultivation of 

 suitable trees, shrubs and plants from other parts of the world. 



The Twenty-first Annual Soiree of the Club took place on 

 "Wednesday, November 26th last, and its interest and attractive- 

 ness were well maintained. Ninty-one microscopes were exhibited 

 by members of twelve different Societies, and some of the pre- 

 parations shown were above the average of excellence. The 

 Photographic Section of the Club made perhaps the finest 

 display of photographs ever seen in Croydon. These were the 

 work of members, and much taste and judgment were shown in 

 their arrangement, causing them to attract a great deal of atten- 

 tion : a large number of excellent transparencies were also shown. 

 A large series of meteorological instruments of great interest 

 were exhibited by Mr. Stanley ; and Mr. Philip Crowley lent his 

 remarkably fine collection of Lepidoptera from the Palsearctic 

 region of the world. My own exhibit consisted of a rather large 

 series of Neolithic arrow-heads and spear-heads from nearly all 

 parts of the world, and made of flint, jasper, chert, chalcedony, 

 carnelian, obsidian, quartz ; also celts and their modern repre- 

 sentatives from the South Pacific. I also showed the war head- 

 dress of eagle feathers, formerly belonging to a chief of the 



