Proceedinijs. clxxi 



elasticity of glass. He also successfully showed the growth of 

 crystals under polarized light. 



December 9th. — " Ou the Signs of the Seasons," by Mr. Epps. 

 In this paper, which was of considerable length, Mr. Epps 

 referred to the occurrence of animals and plants throughout the 

 twelve months of the year. In the early part of the year our 

 animals and birds are in winter clothing, and plant-life, except 

 in a quiescent state, is scarce. Soon, however, the very early 

 flowers begin to appear, and later on, when our spring flowers 

 bloom, the summer migratory birds revisit our shores, and nests 

 of the early pairers are built. Then later migrants arrive, and 

 insect-life becomes abundant among the now flower-clad fields ; 

 then follows a period of stillness in the song of birds, and a 

 temporary scarceness of flowering plants, to be again followed 

 by the fulness of bloom of late summer, the commencement of 

 the season of fruit, cereals, and berries, and the departure of 

 some of our birds. Then comes the time of harvest, with its 

 characteristic flora, and the tints of autumn. Later, our last 

 summer migrants leave us, our flowers linger on at the mercy of 

 the weather, and once more our native birds and animals 

 assume their winter garb ; our last flowers disappear, and the 

 country is once more bound in the iron bands of winter's frost. 



On March 18th a lecture was kindly given in the large Public 

 Hall by Col. Charles Swinhoe, F.L.S., entitled " Mimicry in 

 Nature." For this lecture, to which members and friends were 

 invited, the Club is indebted to the generous kindness of Mr. 

 Crowley, who himself engaged the Hall, and arranged other 

 matters on our behalf. The subject, which was illustrated with 

 a number of photographs and paintings shown by the optical 

 lantern, dealt mainly with the protective colorisation of forms 

 of insects, although brief reference was made to one or two 

 crustaceans, arachnids, and fishes. The lecturer first dealt with 

 protective resemblance, then with aggressive resemblance, and 

 lastly with mimicry, as it is called, where one creature liable to 

 molestation becomes somewhat similar in appearance (through 

 natural selection) to one not so liable. The lecture, which will 

 appear in our ' Transactions,' was attentively followed by an 

 audience of 334 persons (Trans., Art. 99). 



The Twenty-second Annual Soiree of the Club was held at 

 the Institution on Wednesday, Nov. 25th last, and was one of 

 the best that has taken place. It had been decided to do with- 

 out the usual refreshments, and, although this modification in 

 the arrangements did not meet with universal approval, a glance 

 at our Balance-sheet will show that the retrenchment was justi- 

 fied by our financial position, for bad we incurred the same 



