PROCEEDINGS OP SOCIETIES. 149 



spherical weights of about 70 lbs., which were detached and left at 

 the bottom of the ocean. Lieut. Brooke observes, " that nine con- 

 secutive casts (soundings), varying from 2000 to 2000 ftithoms, 

 were made with the same piece of twine and detaching apparatus, 

 which last weighed less than 1 lb. As the specific gravity of 

 a wet flax line is nearly that of water, a line that can he pulled 

 down by a iveight may be pulled up hy hand, provided the loeight 

 be detached at the bottom. One of the specimens obtained in 3030 

 fathoms, nearly 3^ miles, in the Pacific Ocean, is the greatest depth 

 from which material has yet been brought up from the ocean bed. 

 A few specimens were taken in shallow water on the east coast of 

 Niphon, Japan, by Lieut. Brooke, during his boat voyage from 

 Simoda to Hakodadi, in 1855, under the orders of Commander 

 Eodgers. 



Mr. Binney described to the section the appearance of certain 

 nodules found in the middle of a seam of coal in the lower part of 

 the Lancashire coal-field, which are composed of fossil wood asso- 

 ciated with marine shells. Specimens of the fornner were exhibited 

 to the members ; the most perfect of which was that of Sagenaria, 

 the old Lepidodendron elegans, in transverse, parallel, and tangential 

 sections. The marine shells associated with the fossils belong to 

 the genera Aviculopecten, (Ethoceras, Nautilus, &c. 



Mr. Brothers exhibited a section of pearl, Isthmia nervosa, in- 

 fusoria, &c. 



Mr. Whalley exhibited living Diatomacese from Southport. 



BEDrOBD MiCEOSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 



This Society was established some months ago, and based upon 

 the plan of the Wakefield Society. For the advantage of any 

 other societies about to be established, we forward the twelve rules 

 which have been adopted, and found to be very simple. In the 

 "Wakefield Society the possession of a first-class achromatic instru- 

 ment is a sine qua non of membership ; but in smaller towns it wiU 

 probably be found desirable to dispense with this rule. 



RULES. 



1. — The Society shall be called the "Bedford Microscopical 

 Society." 



2. — The object of the Society shall be the cultivation of those 

 branches of science which require the aid of a microscope. 



3. — The election of members shall be by ballot, the candidate to 

 be proposed at one meeting, and balloted for at the next; the elec- 

 tion to be unanimous. 



4. — Any member, unable to attend a meeting, may send his vote 

 in writing to the Secretary. 



5. — The number of members shall be limited to twelve. 



