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has proved a decided success, and they continue to be well 

 attended by members ; indeed the room which has been granted 

 for the purpose by the authorities of the Eoyal Literary and 

 Scientific Institution is found to be too small, as it is generally 

 rather uncomfortably crowded. The concluding meeting of last 

 session was held on March 12th, under the Presidency of Mr. 

 Charles Moore and was devoted to Natural History and Geology. 



Mr. D. Williams led off with a very interesting paper on 

 " Sea Weeds." He said that the bed of the sea was covered just 

 as the earth was with plants and trees, only, owing to the density 

 of the water, the stems of the seaweeds were much more slender. 

 He described the general characteristic of the algae and said that 

 about 370 species were found on our coasts. He particularised 

 several of these, and among them that which yields the laver or 

 slcke sold by fishmongers, and the common kelp from which 

 iodine is derived, and described the process employed in the 

 manufacture of iodine, and particularised the cutting of the seaweed 

 in seaside places. Mr. Williams also exhibited a very valuable 

 collection of English seaweeds. The conversation turned upon 

 the length to which some seaweeds grow, in which the chairman 

 and Sir H. Freeling took part. 



This was followed by a very interesting verbal communication 

 from the Rev. H. N. Ellacombe, regarding 



THE KAVAGES OF THE PAST WINTER. 



He thought it would be of interest to the Club to know the observa- 

 tions he had made in his own garden this winter. The President 

 always warned them against the mistake of people who said whenever 

 there was any severe weather that it was the most extraordinary that 

 had ever been heard of, whereas the weather tables showed it was no 

 worse than they might expect. Still the winter they had passed 

 thiough had been extraordinary. From the 1st of November to the 

 end of February the mean average temperature had been 33'^ F. — one 

 degree that was above freezing point. This was taken 4 feet from 

 the ground, and on the ground it would be much colder, so that Uieir 

 F 2 



