96 THE NORTHERN MICROSCOPIST. 
considering the smallness of their subscription. The accounts were only made 
up to December 31st, and although about twenty shillings on the wrong side, 
the subscriptions which were then due had since been paid, and really placed 
them with a balance in hand at present. (Hear, hear.) At the last eleven 
meetings the average attendance had been fifty-eight. 
The report and accounts were adopted, on the proposition of Mr. George E. 
Davis, seconded by Mr. Thomas Brittain. 
The following officers were then elected for the ensuing year :—President, 
Mr. John Boyd; vice-presidents, Messrs. Thomas Brittain, George E. Davis, 
Dr. Samuelson, and Dr. John Tatham ; treasurer, W. W. Dawson ; librarian, 
J.C. P. Brown; curator, F. J. Randall; committee, W. Blackburn, Henry 
Champ, J. W. Dunkerley, John Dutton, Henry Hall, H. Hyde, F. W. Lean, 
J. L. W. Miles, E. Ward, and J. Pettigrew; secretary, Charles L. Cook. 
The chair having been vacated by Dr. Tatham, it was taken by the new 
president. 
Mr. John Boyd, who said the society had hope of a good session in the 
coming year, for already no fewer than four papers or communications had been 
promised. This augured well. (Hear, hear.) Last year they started very 
badly, there being two meetings at which no papers were read. He appealed 
to each member to bring forward as many short communications as possible ; it 
should be the ambition of every individual to prepare subjects, and not, like a 
sponge, suck information in, but they should be prepared to give information as 
well, 
MANCHESTER SCIENCE ASSOCIATION.—The ordinary fortnightly 
meeting of the above society was held in the Memorial Hall, Albert Square, on 
Tuesday, February 22nd, when an efficient paper was read by Mr. Henry Hall, 
entitled ‘‘ Insect Life—The Caterpillar.” Opening the subject with a sketch 
of the part that insects in general play in the economy of Nature, the essayist 
proceeded to the most important branch of his subject, viz., the habits and 
anatomy of the caterpillar, of which he has for some time made a study. He 
said, the mouth is furnished with an upper and a broad under lip, the upper is. 
a horny plate attached to the head by an elastic membrane, that allows the 
creature to raise and depress it at pleasure. The under lip is broad, fleshy and 
thick ; it is furnished outside with two pairs of jointed palpi, the outermost pair 
are large at the base, terminating with three small ones on each side, like the 
fingers on one’s hand; next a very small single-jointed pair are situated just under 
the centre outside edge of the lip, and a somewhat large pair are fixed to the 
base of the chin. A third pair may also be found on each of the jaws attached to 
the head that are somewhat analagous to the antennz on the perfect insect. All 
these palpi terminate with a long stiff bristle or hair appendage running to a fine 
point, and all together these feelers must be of material importance to the 
insect in search of food. At the centre tip of this lip, upon pressure being 
applied, a very fine delicate membrane protrudes, which may possibly be an 
organ of taste or possibly a lancet. All round, and continuing some distance 
inside the mouth, is studded with spines or teeth, there being no tongue, these 
spines are evidently intended to assist in the grinding of the food, or to catch 
the particles as they fall from the jaws, and these pass then into the throat and 
stomach. Its jaws, situated on each side of the mouth, consist of two strong, 
solid horny mandibles, hooked and toothed, and semi-circular in form, hollow 
on the inside with an additional tooth in the centre, these jaws move horizontally 
and overlap each other. The eyes are simple, and twelve in number, six on 
each side. The skin is composed of a double series of half-rings, connected 
along the sides by an elastic membrane. The legs are six perfect ones, and in 
most species there are ten pro-legs. The perfect leg has four distinct joints, 
the last one having a strong horny hook-claw. The pro-legs are oval and 
hollow, their outer margin being thickly studded with hooklets, in the centre a 
