I3tF 
as 
Friday, November 9th. Sir Samuel Wilks, Bart., F.R.S., in 
the Chair. There were thirty-five persons present. A vote of 
thanks was passed to Dr. J. W. Williams, the late secretary and 
founder of this Section, on his retirement, in recognition of his 
many services to the Society. 
Mr, J. T. Cunningham, M.A., read a paper on ‘ Recent 
Research in Hereditary and Evolution.’ He said one of the 
most important problems in evolution was the origin of variations. 
Lamark and Darwin had each investigated the subject. 
The lecturer explained experiments he had made with flat 
fish by keeping them in a wooden tank with a glass bottom and 
darkened above. The under side of the fish became pigmented. 
He illustrated this experiment and other parts of his paper with 
lantern slides. By keeping two long-tailed Japanese cocks he 
lengthened the tail feathers of one six inches as judged by the 
unstroked fowl, by stroking them, as the Japanese are reported 
to do. Two horned horses that had been under his personal obser- 
vation were described. The horns were bony outgrowths of the 
frontal bones, about three quarters of an inch high, in the correct 
position for horns in species where they were normal. 
He held that spontaneous mutation, individual stimulation, 
and natural selection were all responsible for evolution. 
Friday, December 14th. Sir Samuel Wilks, Bart., F.R.S., 
in the Chair. There were thirty-one persons present. Mr. Hugh 
Findon, F.L.S., exhibited specimens of Murex crinaceus Linné 
and Limnea palustris Mull. from various localities, showing the 
effects of environment. 
Stalactites, Stalagmites, Cave Bones and Teeth were exhibited 
by Mr. F. W. Rudler, I.S.0., F.G.S. 
A variety of Meadow Brown Epiniphele ianira captured at 
Weisbaden, was exhibited by Mr. A. Hinderlich. 
Mr, Thos. W. Reader, F.G.S., read a paper on ‘‘ Caves, 
Caverns and Grottos,” which he illustrated by one hundred 
and seventeen lantern slides, and a scintillating screen for views 
of Stalactites. He divided caves into four classes, namely, sea- 
caves, fissure-caves, volcanic caverns, and waterworn caverns. 
The formation and destruction of sea-caves were first described. 
Fissure-caves were shown. These are caused by earth move- 
ments, and are generally choked with dédris. 
Volcanic caverns are not common. They are found in lava 
flows. Views of such in the Sandwich and Canary Islands were 
thrown on the screen. 
