EAST KENT NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 423 



was, however, not auytliing very special, the globular zygospore is 

 formed free between the empty parent cells not ns in G, Brcbis- 

 sonii, combined with them ; the same reddish-purple colour which 

 marks the unconjugated examples, is found in the zygospore, and 

 is due, not as Mr. Archer had previously supposed, to this colour 

 imbuing the cell wall, but to its belonging to the protoplasmic 

 contents, through which a longitudinal string of chlorophyll 

 contents passed, and it is to the predominance of this colour above 

 the green that the reddish-purple colour in the mass in the pool 

 is due. The application of potash or acid at once and suddenly 

 deprives the protoplasmic contents of this colour, which is curious 

 to watch under the microscope. A central nucleus is a pro- 

 minent feature, but it is not quickly or strikingly made to acquire 

 a bright colour by the application of the carmine solution, as 

 happens so notably in most Desmidieje. There can be no doubt 

 that this seemingly singularly local form is a quite distinct one, 

 of which Mr. Archer hoped ere long to publish an appropriate 

 description. 



Dr. Barker showed PoJi/jjhemus pediculus and young, the latter 

 even still more quaint-looking objects than the mature animal, 

 which had been taken by himself and Mr. A. Andrews in Lough 

 Bay. This striking entomostracan had now been taken, on each 

 occasion plentifully, in west and east of Ireland. 



Dr. McNab exhibited an instructive preparation showing 

 cambium layer in a section from the lime, beautifully stained by 

 carmine fluid, rendering it very readily examined. 



Mr. Kelt showed a new Peziza from the Botanic Gardens, as 

 well in its entirety as the asci and spores under the microscope, 

 and an excellent drawing of the details ; the spores are broadly 

 elliptic and bluntly pointed (or elliptico-fusiform) and distinctly 

 and finely warted ; the form he hoped to make the subject of 

 future examination and research with a view to publication. 



Mr. iVrcher presented examples of VasicoJa ciliata (Tatem), a 

 seemingly rare and withal very pretty iufusorian ; o^ Pamphagiis 

 mutahilis (Bailey), of Gomphosphoeria aponina (Klitz), the latter 

 for the purpose of showing the appearance of the cells during the 

 progress of self-division, in illustration of this incidental allusion, 

 thereto, in his paper just published bearing on the chroococcaceous 

 genus Tetrajpedia (Keinsch). 



East Kent Natural History Society. 



President, the Rev. John Mitchinson, D.CL., &c., Oxon. ; 

 Honorary Secretary, Greorge Gulliver, F.R.S., &c. 



Juhj -itli, 1872. — Food of Ndidina. — Colonel Horsley exhibited 

 some small and lively species of nuid worms, from a freshwater pool 

 in the neighbourhood. They were seen under the microscope feeding 

 greedily on Volvox glohator, and numbers of this minute plant then 

 appeared inside and distinctly through the transparent bodies of the 

 animals. 



