HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY. 505 



Kemp then exhibited some interesting experiments with potas- 

 sium, producing readily the metallic bases of various earths, and 

 shewing how the sudden inflammation of the potassium, on coming 

 in contact with water, might be rendered useful in affording an 

 instantaneous though transient light in a dark night at sea — 

 The Society adjourned till November next. 



THIRTY-FIRST SESSION. 



Professor Jameson in the chair. — Dr Martin Barry exhi- 1837. 



Nov. 25. 

 bited a living specimen of the Proteus anguinus ; and having, 



with a lancet, drawn a small portion of its blood, shewed the 

 globules by means of a microscope by Schiek of Berlin, these 

 globules being about fifteen times larger than those of the hu- 

 man blood. 



Professor Jameson in the chair — The Assistant-Secretary Dec 9. 

 read the Rev. Dr Anderson's account of remarkable fossil re- 

 mains, especially fishes, found in the sandstone of Fifeshire ; 

 and exhibited a series of interesting and beautiful specimens. 

 — He then read the 1st Part of Dr A. Boue's remarks on 

 the scenery, antiquities, population, agriculture, and commerce, 

 of Central Turkey. — Professor Jameson exhibited an enormous 

 tibial bone of a mammoth, from the Himmalaya range in Upper 

 India (from the collection of Colonel Colvin) ; likewise two 

 skulls of the great or red orang-outang ; and a fine specimen of 

 the stork, killed on the mainland of Shetland last autumn, and 

 transmitted by William Mouat Cameron Mouat, Esq. 



ProfiBssor Jameson in the chair. — The Assistant-Secretary 1838. 

 read Mr G. Maclaine of Batavia's remarks on the geology and 

 mineralogy of Java, and exhibited specimens ; likewise remarks 

 on a cheiropterous animal, taken in the tombs of the kings of 

 Thebes, by Dr William Hibbert of the Queen's Royals ; com- 

 municated by Sir James M'Grigor, Bart. — Mr William Jameson 



