212 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



Hull Micbo-Philosophical Societt. 



The sessional course of bi-monthly meetings, held at the Eojal 

 Institute, terminated on March 21st last ; the various papers 

 usually occupying about fifteen to twenty minutes in delivery, 

 followed by the exhibition of slides and preparations in illustration, 

 aad also by discussion, were of an interesting and advancing 

 scientific description. Attendances were generally good, and a 

 pleasing feature to observe is the zeal and assiduity with which 

 non-professional members prosecute research. 



The president, George Norman Esq., on the questio vexata of 

 the markings upon Diatomacere, as to their being elevations or 

 depressions, after duly considering the cellular or areolar theory, 

 assigned reasons for his arriving at the conclusion — derived from 

 the exhibition of Cosciuodiscus, Triceratium, Aulacodiscus, &c. &e. 

 — that such structures, though at first view appearing cellular, yet 

 after more careful study and examination, are evidently granular, 

 the granules being in some species isolated and round, in others 

 more closely crowded and compressed, causing an appearance of 

 hexagonal cellulation. 



The president was well aware of opposite views being entertained 

 and promulgated by experienced microscopists, yet did not despair 

 eventually of gaining many recruits to the granular theory, 

 trusting that the members generally would prosecute this 

 interesting branch of enquiry in natural history. 



Mr. Hunter delivered two excellent papers on the structure of 

 bone and teeth, illustrated by a number of well-mounted prepara- 

 tions of the bones of various mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 

 both recent and fossil, &c. &c. 



Dr. Kelbourne King delivered an interesting theme, with illus- 

 trations, on nervous matter, exhibiting the corpuscles and tubuli 

 of the various parts of the brain and spinal cord, chiefly from the 

 fresh subject, as also a variety of splendidly mounted slides. 



Mr. Stather gave an article on the Italian bee, in comparison 

 with the common honey and wild bees, with a variety of mounted 

 specimens. 



Mr. H. Prescott submitted an able paper on tobacco and its 

 adulterations in commerce, which included a sketch of vegetable 

 tissues generally, and the ordinary structure of the stems and 

 leaves of plants, particularly the peculiar form and character of 

 the minute hairs usually found thereupon. The specimens selected 

 in illustration were from rhubarb, foxglove, dock, burdock, and 

 coltsfoot. 



The views of Mr. Hendry on Navicula rJiomboides have already 

 appeared in the pages of this journal. Another paper was also 

 introduced by Mr. Hendry on Prussic acid, with the exhibition of 

 the action of the usual tests — that of Prussian blue under the 



