80 



that several of the localities about Bath had yielded to him 

 some very good specimens, and that they were plentifully 

 distributed amid the black unctuous earth lately excavated 

 for the foundations of the Grand Pump Room Hotel, on the 

 site of the old White Hart. Several Members took part in 

 the discussion, and, as might readily be supposed, were 

 unwilling to give their adherence to some of the statements 

 brought forward — one Member even going so far as to say 

 that he believed a natural law would be discovered, whereby 

 all or most of the fractures could be accounted for. At the 

 same time, those who opposed the theory that these flakes 

 showed design, and that they were the work of man, acknow- 

 ledged that they had not been able to give sufficient attention 

 to the subject. 



April 22nd. — This evening concluded the series with a 

 general conversazione, in which the President, the Vice- 

 President, Mr. Charles Moore, and Mr. Weld took part ; the 

 President commencing the evening with a description of 

 curious natural phenomena, certain apparent falls of worms 

 in rain. Two small bottles of worms were exhibited in illus- 

 tration ; one contained a species of the common earth worm, 

 Lumbricus, found by Mr. Johnston in a paved area below 

 his garden in Sion Place, on the morning of the 8th of 

 March, 1868, after a heavy fall of rain during the preceding 

 night. Most of them were dead. The President accounted 

 for their position by a heavy shower of rain having washed 

 them off the gravel walks and the garden above, where they 

 had been lying out during the night. The other bottle con- 

 tained specimens of the genus Mermis, or thread worm, 

 collected from a garden at Fairford, in Gloucestershire, after 

 a tremendous storm of rain, accompanied with thunder, 

 which occurred mid-day on June 15th, 1845. The box 

 edgings, the vegetables, and garden beds were covered with 

 these worms, which were even found alive and writhing about 



