166 
Proceedings of the Society. 
FIFTH WINTER SESSION—1869-70. 
Tue First EvENING MEETING was held on Tuesday, Nov. 16, at the 
house of the President, the Rev. T. H. Browns, by his kind invitation, and 
was largely attended. The SECRETARY read a paper on “ Double Flowers,’ 
demonstrating the various modes in which these beautiful monstrosities 
are produced, and explaining their structure and the consequent meta- 
morphoses of parts. This was illustrated by specimens and drawings. At 
its conclusion, the President gave an address on the three scientific topics 
of theday, viz.:—Tbe discovery and measurement of sidereal motions by 
means of the Spectroscope ; the Meteoric band and the appearance of it 
by means of the November star showers ; and the observations that have 
lately been made on the formation of chalk by means of deep ocean 
deposits. These deposits throw great light on the mode by which the 
chalk hills around us were built up. A microscopic examination of the 
minute organisms that form the bottom of the ocean, not only discovers 
foraminifera which are kindred to those of the cretaceous period, but rings 
and disks that constitute the cementing element in chalk having living 
analogues in seas of recent times. Disks from the upper chalk near 
Wycombe were exhibited through the President’s microscope. There was 
on the table a large collection of Icthyic and Molluscous remains 
from the chalk, many of them collected from onr own neighbourhood. 
By means of the spectroscope different kinds of absorption bands were 
shown, in different alcoholic solutions of chlorophyll, etc. There was, as 
usual, a large exhibition of objects, and the moeting did not separate until 
a late hour. 
THE SECOND BVENING MEETING was beld on Tuesday, Dec. 14, at the 
house of Mr. R. VERNON, by kind invitation. The first paper was one by 
Dr, BowstTEaD, on “ The Gamekeeper’s Museum,” in which were described 
those of our animals and birds which fall a prey to the ignorance of the 
gamekeeper, a sketch of the habits of each being given ; and it was clearly 
shown that, in the majority of cases, his supposed foes are, in reality, his 
most useful friends. This paper was listened to with great interest, and 
