NOTICES OF MEETINGS. 269 
Chester, held in the Town Hall, on Thursday afternoon and evening. The 
whole suite of rooms was thrown open for the occasion, and the arrangements 
of the committee were admirably carried out. The rooms and corridors were, 
by the kindness of Messrs. F. and A. Dickson and Sons, decorated with 
evergreens, flowering and ornamental foliage, plants, &c., which considerably 
enhanced the attractions of the scene. In the afternoon there was a fair attend- 
ance of visitors, and in the evening there was a numerous company, the Council 
Chamber which was specially devoted to a display of microscopes being at times 
inconveniently crowded. 
In the Assembly Room there were large and varied collections, the first in 
point of interest being those of cryptogamous plants sent in for competition 
for the Kingsley memorial prize; next came the land shells of the district and 
the drawings of leaf, flower, and fruit of the horse-chestnut, sent in for com- 
petition for the President’s prizes. In both classes the competition was very 
keen, and although there was no second prize offered for the best collection of 
land shells, 
The Council Chamber was altogether set apart for microscopes, of which 
thanks to the assistance given by microscopists from Liverpool and Wrexham, 
there were a large number, and during the evening the room was crowded with 
those desirous of seeing the manifold objects to be seen in connection with the 
animal and vegetable kingdoms. This year the objects were classified under 
the heads animal, vegetable, mineral, and miscellaneous, and this arrangement 
not only proved interesting but instructive. The lowest forms of animals 
(Protozoa) and vegetables (Protophyta) were placed together at the outer apex 
of the horse-shoe table, and diverged thence—the animals to the right and the 
vegetables to the left. .The minerals and miscellaneous exhibits occupied tables 
under the gallery. The following gentlemen showed in the annexed divisions 
of the animal kingdom (which was illustrative of the sub-kingdom inverte- 
brata) :—I. Protozoa (the simplest of all animals, having neither body-cavity 
nor nervous system: Mr. J. D. Siddall, Mr. A. B. Golborne, Mr. W. Oelrichs 
(Liverpool), Mr. John Griffiths, and Mr. F. Butt. 2. Polystomata (sponges 
only): Mr. Blower. 3. Ccelenterata (jelly fishes, sea-anemones, and hydras), 
having a stomach-cavity, and a radiate symmetry: Mr. H. M. Bennett (Liver- 
pool), Mr. A. O. Walker, Mr. G. F. Chantrell, and Mr. John Vicars. 4. 
Echinodermata (star-fishes and sea urchins), having a body-cavity, stomach, 
nervous and water-vacular systems: Mr. J. A. Mowle and the Rev. H. H. 
Higgins (Liverpool). 5. Vermes (leeches, worms, rotifers, &c.), having a body- 
cavity, alimentary canal, nervous and vascular systems: Dr. Taylor, Mr. T. 
Shepheard, Dr. Dobie, and Mr. G. Thomas (Liverpool). 6. Mollusca (oysters, 
snails, &c.), having a true heart and a blood vascular system, alimentary canal, 
nervous system, and advanced respiratory organs: Mr, A. T. Smith, Junr. 
(Liverpool), Mr. J. W. P. Edwards, Mr. C. Fish, and Dr. Stolterfoth. 7. 
Arthropoda (crabs, spiders, insects, &c.), having jointed bodies and limbs, and 
an external skeleton in addition to the above: Mr. A. W. Lucas, Mr. T. W. 
Bruce (Liverpool), Mr. I. C. Thompson (Liverpool), Mr. E. G. Tooker (Liver- 
pool), Mr. R. Nicholson (Liverpool), and Mr. G. Day. 
Vegetable Kingdom: 1. Thallophyta. Simple plants, often unicellular, hay- 
ing neither stems, leaves, roots, nor fibro-vascular bundles. Reproduced by 
spores or by division of the cells: Exhibited by Mr. D. Johnson, Mr. W. H. 
Munns, Mr. M. Johnson, Mr. Birch, Mr. J. B. Manning, Mr. W. J. Baker 
(Liverpool), Mr. W. Hodges, Dr. Seton Orr, Rev. W. Bannister (Liverpool), 
and Mr. G. E. Davis (Stockport). 2. Characeze (Stoneworts only): Exhibited 
by Mr. E. J. Baillie. 3. Bryophyta. Spore-bearing plants, having stems and 
leaves, but no true roots or fibro-vascular bundles. Reproduced by spores: 
Exhibited by Mr. J. Wiseman, and Mr. Davies, 19, Francis-street. 4. Pteri- 
dophyta. Spore-bearing plants, having stems, leaves, and roots, all permeated 
by fibro-vascular bundles. Reproduced by spores: Exhibited by the Rev. J. L. 
