17 



scope it presents the appearance of an insect 

 porcupine : the elytra, head, and thorax being 

 covered by a complete armature of spines, each 

 of which is terminated by a projecting seta. 

 This insect was afterwards shown under Beck 

 and Beck's popular microscope, provided with 

 their new glass stage, which affords a very 

 delicate and smooth motion. — The President laid 

 on the table a number of geological specimens, 

 but there was not time to describe them. 



May 13. — " A Microscopical Meeting." — Mr. "Wonfor 

 read notes, by Mr. T. B. Home, on a series of 

 Anthozoa and Polyzoa, collected during the 

 preceding two months by that gentleman and a 

 daughter of the President, at the Isle of Wight. 

 These were afterwards exhibited by the Pre- 

 sident, Mr. Glaisyer, the most noticeable being 

 Sertularia operculata (from the resemblance of 

 the vesicles in this species to the urns of some 

 mosses, botanists were at one time led to claim 

 them for the vegetable kingdom) ; Plumularia 

 eristata, Notamia bursaria, and Bugula calathea, 

 with bird's-head processes. — The Eev. J. Cross 

 exhibited an interesting series of sections of 

 forest and tropical trees, entomological prepara- 

 tions, and diatoms. — Mr. Gorringe showed fora- 

 miniferffi, Australian diatoms, butterflies' wings, 

 feathers, and hairs. — Mr. T. Cooper exhibited 

 Bections of cedar wood, textile fibres, and human 

 hair. — Mr. Simonds exhibited antheridi^ and 

 zoosphores of sea-weed, fucus serratus, junjer- 

 mania, sphagnum, polystomella from Shoreham 

 Harbour, spicules of Gorgonia, and palates of 

 mollusca. — Mr. Peto showed, under polarized 



