426 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCffiTIIlS. 



ins; on the -itli July, Mr, George GuUivei" now exhibited the newly 

 hatched young of both these species. Swarms of the young broods 

 were found on the 1st of August fi'ee from the eggs (the hatching 

 continued up to the last day of observation, on the 15th) and running 

 actively about, trying to escape from their prisons. These young 

 of the two species were miniatures of their parents ; only, as 

 already Imown of some other immature Acarina, they had six legs, 

 and these so crowded that no room appears, before a moult, for the 

 wanting fourth pair, except posteriorly. Besides, in Argas the 

 body of the young was fringed, especially at its hind part, with 

 hyaline hairs ; and these little creatures are so transparent that the 

 urinary sacs near the anus were seen to be filled with the granules 

 of guanine described at the meeting on June 6th, 1872, and reported 

 in the ' Quart. Journ. Mic, Science' of the following month. Thus, the 

 dart-like mandibles, with recurved teeth and the articulated palps, 

 were much produced iu the 3'oung of both species, especially of 

 Argas. Ixodes is so very prolific that one female confined in a 

 pill-box laid no less than 143 eggs, all of which, except six, were 

 hatched. Having thus discovered the time and manner of breed- 

 ing, and how easily these creatures may be bred for observation in 

 confinement, we may already perceive some practical applications. 

 Thus, the usual attempts of flockmasters to relieve their suffering 

 sheep by picking off the parasites and throwing them on the 

 ground is simply sowing the vermin broadcast, for all these bloated 

 Ixodes are pregnant females, ready to lay their eggs to be hatched 

 spontaneously. The ravages of this arachnid on sheep and pheasants 

 have been dreadful this season in the neighbourhood of Canterbury. 



Septemher 6th, 1872. — Excursmi to Whitstahle. — Colonel 

 Horsley, Mr. Sibert Saunders, and Mr, FuUagar, collected several 

 Campanularidse, Tubularida?, Annelida, and Ascidise, and exhibited 

 them in different marine aquariums, giving at the same time very 

 instructive demonstrations of the various living animals under the 

 microscope. Mr. Sheppard and Mr. Fullagar exhibited and illus- 

 trated the habits and economy of Pagurus in living specimens, 

 Mrs. Dean collected and named numerous pha3nogamous plants, 

 among which was Hippophaii rhamnoides ; and Mrs. Fairbrass 

 arranged a bouquet of wild flowers so as to prove how effectively 

 they may be used for graceful decoration. 



Sejjtemher 19th, 1872. — Blood-disks of Gadidce. — The meeting 

 was chiefly occupied in the examination of plants lately collected 

 near Canterbury by Mrs. Dean ; in microscopic demonstrations of 

 the wings of Ephemerinte and diurnal Lepidoptera by Colonel 

 Horsley and Mr. Fullagar ; and in the determination of some species 

 of fishes collected a few days since at Hastings by Mr. George 

 Gulliver. Of the fishes, it was shown that the red blood-corpuscles 

 of the little Motella are as large as those of other and big members 

 of the Gadida? ; and thus that the relation of size between the 

 species and its blood-disks, long since proved by the Hon. Sec. in 

 mammals and birds, is not maintained in fishes, nof is it in reptiles j 

 and the facts are of much physiological significance. 



