12 
Mr. Ullyett.—He calls it an established fact. 
Mr. Smurthwaite, continuing, said he would willingly accept this 
theory if it could be proved, but at present there were no proofs. 
They spoke about mising links ; he wished they would supply some 
of them, and so let them have something tangible to consider. 
Mr. Ullyett having pointed out some peculiarities to be found 
both in man and in the monkey,— 
Dr. Eastes said he must assert that the advanced evolutionists 
of the present day did evolve all organised bodies from an inorganic 
substance which they called spontaneous generation; and par- 
ticularly Hackel, and others of the German school. They were 
all materialists, and he also believed Professor Huxley to be a 
materialist. What the Rev. J. Burgess had read to them, it should 
be remembered, was written 24 years ago, and the views of evolu- 
tionists had very much changed since then. He drew atttention 
to the fact that the doctrine was not proven, and said they need 
not, therefore, accept it as truth unless they chose. 
The Rev. J. Burgess having offered a few remarks against the 
idea that the theory of spontaneous generation was generally held 
by scientists, 
Mr. Ullyett replied. If they asked him what he thought about 
the theory, he said he did not wish them to go away with the idea 
that he believed in it or that he did not believe in it. His mind 
was about in the position of Mahommed’s coffin when it hung 
between heaven and earth, and did not go either way. 
The meeting shortly afterwards terminated. 
Turspay, January 20TH, 1885. 
A very large number of members were present to hear a lecture 
on Spectrum Anatysis given by the Rey. J. Burgess, F.R.A.S. 
Dr. T. Eastes, Vice-President, took the chair. 
SPECTRUM ANALYSIS. 
The lecturer observed that he had hesitated as to whether he 
should better serve the interests of the Society by attempting a 
general exposition of the science of ‘‘ Spectrum Analysis,” or by 
using the available time in experimental illustrations, confining 
himself simply to such explanatory remarks as might be necessary 
to make the experiments intelligible. His decision had been taken 
in favour of the latter course; and for this reason chiefly,—that 
whereas any member of the Society whose studies had not been in 
