236 FROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
found the contents of the quiescent individuals in some instances 
undergoing division, some being found with the contents divided 
into two, others into four, and others into eight—in the latter 
instance the individual portions presenting a subtriangular out- 
line, owing to the peculiar way in which the lines of division 
seemed to run; the diameter of the organism being now nearly 
as broad again as in the ordinary condition, and the acute extre- 
mities hyaline. Notwithstanding the apparent absence of flagella, 
all this seemed to point to an affinity with Chlorogonium. 
Rey. Eugene O’Meara, A.M., referred to a paper by W. H. 
Heys, Esq., in the last number of the ‘Quarterly Journal of 
Microscopical Science, No. XVII, January, 1865, p. 19, “on 
mounting microscopical preparations in Canada balsam and chlo- 
roform,” and stated that he had tried the experiment with the 
most satisfactory result. To illustrate this he showed a slide 
containing Biddulphia pulchella, which, when mounted, appeared 
indeed unsatisfactory ; but after a few days the cells were pene- 
trated by the medium. The students of microscopical science 
are placed under an obligation to Mr. Heys for his kindness 
in making known so good a method of mounting preparations 
in Canada balsam. 
Mr. O'Meara also exhibited several figures of diatomaceous 
forms found by him since last meeting in gatherings from the 
Friendly Islands, directing special attention to two species of 
Cocconeis. One of these he considered identical with Dr. Gre- 
ville’s C. punctatissima ; the other was a very curious form, pos- 
sessing, in addition to the. characters of Cocconeis, the appear- 
ance of “ canaliculi,” somewhat similar to those which occur in 
Surirella. He added that Podocystis had occurred frequently in 
the gathering, and that he had found several frustules of Synedra 
robusta for which the only habitat mentioned in Pritchard’s 
‘Tnfusoria’ is Corsica. 
Dr. E. Perceval Wright exhibited a small actinozoon, which 
he believed either to belong to the genus Haimeia (Milne- 
Edwards), or, more likely still, to be undescribed. All the Aleyon- 
arian Actinozoa are gregarious — giving rise by budding to 
variously shaped masses : some of the best-known forms being the 
genera Alcyonium, Virgularia, Pennatula, &c.; but in the first 
sub-family, Cornulariade, the polypes are not, as a rule, very 
much aggregated. In the polype now exhibited there was, how- 
ever, no trace of a ccenosare, though it had been under observation 
for some months, and this alone was sufficient to assign it to the 
division of Cornulariade, distinguished by the polypes being 
“simple, not aggregated, tubular, and retractile.’”” The question 
then was, did it belong to the only genus thus typified? but un- 
fortunately this genus is described by none save negative quali- 
ties, and the species has for its diagnosis “ Polypiéroide brunatre 
haut de 3 ou 4 millimétres,” which is totally insufficient to 
characterise a species. There can be no doubt as to the indi- 
