PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 95 
Fiera Eventne Meetine, Turspay, Marcu 23.—Held, by kind per- 
mission, at the house of Mr. R. Vernon. The first paper, “ On Fern 
Freaks,’ was communicated by Robert Holland, Esq., it will be found at 
p. 84 of the present number. Very fine specimens of Scolopendrium multi- 
fidum and S. crispum were exhibited in connection with this paper. The 
Rey. W. H. Painter had forwarded a paper, “ On the South Staffordshire 
Coal-fields,” which was read by the President ; it was illustrated with a map 
and characteristic fossils ; specimens of the various kinds of coal in use for 
domestic purposes were exhibited by Mr. R. Vernon. After some little con- 
versation and discussion, the Secretary read a paper, forwarded by the Rey. 
H. Harpur Crewe, of Drayton Beauchamp, ‘‘ On the Prominent-Moths of 
Buckinghamshire.” This, which will be published in a future number, 
was illustrated by two collections, chiefly of Buckinghamshire specimens ; 
one sent by the author of the paper, the other by the Rev. Canon Smith, of 
Marlow. The President exhibited an interesting and instructive collection 
of marsupial (or pouched) animals from Australia, and pointed out the fact 
that many of the fossils of that country were also of the marsupial type, 
some of them appearing most gigantic when compared with their living 
analogues. As an illustration of this, there was placed by the side of a recent 
Wombat (Phascolomys Wombat) casts of portions of the jaws of the Phas- 
colomys gigas (Owen), the originals of which are in the British Museum. 
Besides the Wombat, there were specimens of the Vulpine Opossum 
(Phalangista vulpina), the Sugar (flying) Squirrel (Petawrus Sciwreus), the 
Flying Mouse, (Phalangista gliriformis), the Longnosed Bandicoot (Perameles 
nasuta), and the Common Phascogale (Phascogale penicillata) ; also the 
hind foot of the Giant Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). The Secretary ex- 
hibited a collection of British Ferns, and a portfolio of specimens of rare 
British plants : also living specimens of the Violets of the district, including 
Viola odorata, V. hirta, and V. Reichenbachiana. Fossil fish and coprolitic 
remains were shown by the President. The members were greatly interested 
in some newly-hatched Trout, in various stages of development, which were 
brought by Mr. Saunders, One of these, under the microscope, exhibited 
the arterial and yenous circulation of the blood, and the connection between 
the arteries and veins by means of the capillaries: the action of the heart 
could also be clearly distinguished. The meeting, which was very largely 
attended, separated about 10 p.m. 
Hooks Received. 
Report of the Manchester Field Naturalists’ Society for 1868. 
As might be supposed, this report of one of the largest of our Field 
Naturalists’ Societies, cannot fail to be of interest; to us it is especially 
