15 



In the next advance, the Foraminifeba, we find, — 



10. The development of families and genera. These animals 

 form an order, but in the order there are sub-orders, in the sub- 

 orders, families; in the families, genera; in the genera, species — 

 hosts of them. The creatures themselves are structureless, they 

 have no organs of any kind, but the shells which they construct 

 are exquisitely beautiful. 



Finally, in the Polyctstina we observe, — 



11. A developmef)it of a profuse variety of curvilinear forms. — 

 These are indeed pre-eminent in beauty, but what is. remarkable 

 is this — that the elegant form of the glassy shell is far in excess 

 of its apparent utility, and, in the present state of our knowledge, 

 the beauty of the polycystin shell cannot be accounted for by any 

 advantage it can confer on the animal, 



12. Constitutional differences between specimens of the same 

 species in the lower classes of organisms, form an almost unex- 

 plored field in Biology, Even among the lovely creatures now 

 under our notice, the existence of some kind of idiosyncrasy may 

 be recognised. 



The author of the paper concluded by saying, "I feel strongly 

 that the assumption that we possess complete theories, such as 

 Evolution is by some supposed to be, does infinite mischief, inas- 

 much as gigantic speculations dwarf and disparage the hard-earned 

 stores of true knowledge," 



TUESDAY, MAY 3rd, 



A Lecture on "The Eye as an Optical Instrument" was 

 delivered by J, W, Waghorn, Esq., R,N,, B.Sc. 



The formation of an image by a convex lens was explained, 

 and illustrated by a gas flame placed on one side of the lens, and 

 on the other, a screen on which the image of the flame was 

 received. It was shown that the more distant the object the 

 smaller is the image, and the closer must the screen be placed to 

 the lens. In all cases the image received on the screen is inverted. 

 The photographer's camera is essentially such a combination of a 



