PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 723 
on the veins, while the arteries could, from not being so compressed, 
still force up more blood, He thought that the knowledge of his fate 
would rather make the criminal’s brain ancemic than hypercemic. The 
lower part of the spinal cord was undoubtedly congested, as shown by 
the frequency of priapism in these cases. 
After some further remarks from various members, the meeting 
resolved itself into a conversazione to exemine the specimens. 
Liverroot MicroscoricaL Society. 
The annual meeting of this Society was held on Friday, January 
19, at the Royal Institution, the Rev. H. H. Higgins, M.A., in the 
chair. The annual report of the Committee stated that the number 
of members on the books of the Society was much the same as last 
year, and that the financial position of the Society was satisfactory. 
Important donations have been made of valuable slides to the So- 
ciety’s cabinet during the session; and also a further number of 
books have been added by donations and purchase to the library. 
The Committee congratulated the Society on the fact of the Presi- 
dent, the Rev. H. H. Higgins, having consented to retain the office of 
president for another year, in consequence of his prolonged absence, 
occasioned by his having, on the nomination of the Library, Museum, 
and Arts Committee of the Town Council, joined the ‘Argo’ scien- 
tific expedition to the West Indies, which has resulted in some very 
valuable additions to our local collections. 
The President delivered his inaugural address. In the course of 
it he said: Your kind reception of my paper on “Lines of Animal 
Life,’ consisting chiefly of remarks on the Stammbaum des Thier- 
reichs of Professor Koch, induces me to hope that a similar attempt 
to illustrate the vegetable kingdom may be acceptable, and the sub- 
ject of my address this evening is “Lines of Vegetable Life.” 
Thanking you for the favour of occupying during the second year 
the honourable position which I hold as your President, my best 
apology for so very brief a preface may be the interest and magnitude 
of my subject.” In concluding the address, the President said: 
“To appreciate these facts in nature it is not necessary to regard 
the theory of evolution as if evolution were unconditioned or of 
universal application ; at the same time it must, I think, be admitted 
that in the absence of that theory the facts themselves would be in- 
comprehensible, or would possess comparatively little interest.” 
The second ordinary meeting of the ninth session was held on 
Friday, February 2, at the Royal Institution, Colquett Street; the 
Rev. H. H. Higgins, M.A., President, in the chair. The Hon. See. 
(Mr. Chantrell), in announcing the donations, read a letter he had 
received from Mr. G. B. Rothera, of Nottingham, who was present as 
a visitor at the annual meeting, and heard the President’s inaugural 
address, the subject of which was “Lines of Vegetable Life.” To 
show his appreciation of the address, and his desire to see it pub- 
lished, he enclosed 5/. as a donation to the Society’s funds. Mr, 
