Ixii Proceedings. 



an illustration of the unusual forwardness of the spring, a speci- 

 men of hawthorn in flower, gathered at Slaugham, Sussex, on 

 April 15th. (It was in flower at Croydon a few days later.) He 

 had never but once before seen it in flower so early as the end of 

 April, and it was not generally out until nearly the middle of May. 



Mr. J. Epps exhibited and described the fruit of the " Cape 

 gooseberry" [Physalis peniviana), which the members had the 

 opportunity of tasting. 



Mr. W. C. Brown exhibited the disarticulated bones of the 

 head of the pike [Esox lucius). 



Mr. Goodman gave a demonstration of the anatomy of the 

 wings of insects. 



Mr. Murton Holmes exhibited specimens of nudibranchiate 

 mollusca and other marine animals. 



Mr. Mennell exhibited Yiula arenaria in flower from Teesdale, 

 its only British locality. 



At the meeting on May 15th Mr. Drage exhibited a specimen 

 of the giant hemlock {Herocleum rjiganteum) ; also cones of the 

 Wellingtonia {Sequoia (jigantea), found at Abinger on the excur- 

 sion of the previous day. 



Mr. Mennell exhibited two rare plants, viz., Cephalanthera 

 ensifolia and Hutchinsia petraa, which he had found a few days 

 previously at Symouds Yat on the Wye. 



Mr. Lovett read an interesting paper on "Notes from Cash- 

 mere and Northern India," which was illustrated by a series of 

 well-executed water-colour drawings made by his brother, Captain 

 Lovett, and by a large collection of native-made objects. These 

 comprised tinder-boxes of both the Hindoo and Mongolian types, 

 and also a fire-drill used by the aboriginal Bhils, and pipes in a 

 variety of forms ; the simplest consisted merely of mud on the 

 river-bank, raised up into a small mound ; a cavity in the sum- 

 mit of the mound contained the burning leaves, and a smaller 

 hole driven in obliquely formed the stem, by lying down and 

 applying the mouth to which the smoke was inhaled. There 

 were ancient and curious lamps, and small vessels of sun-dried 

 clay, containing charcoal, and used as cooking-stoves on native 

 house-boats ; also native needlework, and a Sikh polo-stick, the 

 game of polo having come to us from that athletic people. 



The meeting on Sept. 18th was also devoted to the exhibition 

 of specimens. Mr. H. C. Collyer exhibited some bones and 

 articles taken from a supposed Saxon grave on the Sussex downs 

 in the neighbourhood of Arundel, among them being a skull 

 deeply cloven by a clean cut as of a sword, probably that of a man 

 killed in battle ; the bones indicated a height of about 6 ft. 3 in. 



Mr. Lovett exhibited a pair of "riveUns," or leathern shoes 

 of primitive pattern, from Fair Isle, Shetland ; also a model of a 

 coracle, or portable wicker-boat, used for fishing on the Welsh 



