TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. Il7 



curious fact as to the high estimation in which it is held by the natives. All the 

 Manati in the Calabar waters belong to Egbo, and before any one can become a 

 member of this remarkable institution, it is necessary that lie procure one of these 

 animals for the feast which takes place on his admission. This Egbo Society 

 exercises a ver)' important influence in the country, being, in fact, the great governing 

 power, as from it all the laws regulating both civil and religious matters emanate. 

 It was by an Egbo law passed within these three years that an end was put to the 

 wholesale murders which were committed on the death of a chief by the Ordeal Bean, 

 of which an interesting account by Prof. Christison appeared in a late Number of the 

 'Edinburgh Medical Journal.' Admission to Egbo is obtained by purchase, and all 

 the leading men are members. It is divided into shares, of which any individual 

 may hold as many as his means will enable him to acquire. At his death one share 

 drops, but the others vested in him are inherited by his relatives ; in this waj', as 

 each share confers a vote, large political power may become concentrated in one 

 person. Eyo Honesty, the present king, a shrewd and sagacious man, who has 

 obtained his surname by the integrity of his dealings with the numerous traders who 

 frequent his river, purchases a share whenever he can procure a Manatus, and has 

 thus a large sum of money invested in it, from which he derives a considerable, 

 though somewhat precarious revenue. Calabar is steadily advancing in civilization, 

 and its progress would be much accelerated were it not for the barrier which this 

 powerful body presents. Eyo is aware of this, but as he holds a large stake in the 

 concern, he, like other potentates, is somewhat conservative of old customs, and 

 though he has admitted some slight ameliorations in its mode of operation, will 

 allow no material change in its constitution. Admission being dependent upon the 

 acquisition of a Manatus, the capture of one of these animals is a prize of no small 

 value. The species is said to attain the size of from 12 to 15 feet in length, and its 

 flesh, which much resembles veal, is esteemed a great delicacy by the natives. In 

 Calabar, the elephant, hippopotamus, leopard, and boa constrictor, are deemed royal 

 property, and are denominated in the broken English of the country " King Beef." 

 Lately a serious disturbance was like to occur in consequence of the Ekri Tobacco 

 people having devoured a small portion of a putrid hippopotamus which had been 

 shot by one of King Eyo's men, and had been carried by the current to their neigh- 

 bourhood. The inhabitants of the village only escaped by the payment of a heavy 

 fine to Egbo. Mr. Oliphant said he had mentioned these particulars, as they were 

 not likely to come under the notice of the naturalist. 



Notes on Animals. By J. Price. 

 The author offered directions for aisrating the water of the marine aquarium by 

 means of a moving tank, and suggestions for removing putrid matter from the water. 



On Sea Medxisce. By J. D. Sandland. 



On Vivaria. By N. B. Ward, F.R.S. 



The object of the author was to show that the cases for growing plants and the 

 tanks for cultivating plants and animals in water, which he had first suggested, had 

 perfectly succeeded in all the objects for which he had first proposed they should be 

 used. He read several letters from persons who had extensively employed them, 

 and concluded by urging a much more extensive use of them than had been hitherto 



undertaken. 



On the Habits of the Stickleback, and on the Effects of an Excess or Want of 



Heat and Light on the Aqtiarium {Marine). By Robert Warington. 



In the latter paper the author points out that temperatures below 45° destroyed 

 many forms of animal life, especially Crustacea, whilst a temperature exceeding 

 75° Fahr. was destructive of both animal and vegetable life. Too great exposure to 

 light was also found to be injurious to many creatures kept in the Marine Aquarium*. 



* Dr. Fleming related, in connexion with the subject of keeping animals iu sea-water, that 

 he had in his possession an Actinia, originally captured by Sir John Dalyell, that had now 

 been in captivity twenty-eight years. 



