14 



Mr Wliately ; scales of fisli and foraminiferaB, 

 by Mr Peak ; sections of coco, pylonis of 

 cricket and infusoria, by Mr Gwatkin ; cbalk 

 wasbiugs, parasite of canary and insect pre- 

 parations, by Mr Cooper ; butterfly scales, 

 illustrative of i^aper on tbat subject, a series 

 of insect eggs, disintegrated glass, and sec- 

 tions of oak stained green by fungus (Helotium 

 JEruginosum) and known as Tunbridge Wells 

 oak, and American aloe sbowing rapbides, by 

 Mr Wonfor, wbo bad tbree microscopes at 

 work, and also exliibitcd Cm'tis' growing slido 

 and pocket cabinet. 



March. Two papers by Mr J. Robertson, one on tbe 

 male gall-liy, and anotber on Perforating Gas- 

 trocbeua, Saxicava, &c. was read by Mr Wonf or. 

 In tbe first, Mr Piobertson claimed to liave 

 found in a gall at Bognorin 18G5, twocrj'pts, 

 one in tbe centre, wbicli contained a female and 

 anotber mucb smaller and at tbe side wbicb 

 lield a male fly, smaller and more nimble tban 

 tbe female, and wbicb escaped before means 

 could be taken to secure it. In tbe second 

 he claimed to have discovered tbe method 

 by which, Gastrocheua, Saxicava, &c., which, 

 without rasps like the pholades, perform their 

 perforations in rocks and timber. Deshayes 

 considered the smootb-valved shell fish ac- 

 complished the perforations by means of a 

 " chemical solvent," while Hancock con- 

 sidered they were effected by " the thickened 

 anterior margins of the mantle :" by watching 

 the moUusks in spring and early summer at 

 the rocks at Eottingdean, he had caiight 

 them at work and discovered the means by 



