240 THE MICROSCOPICAL NEWS. 
and friends. A number of valuable books were presented to the 
library by Baron de Rottenburg, C.B., and Captain Ogilwy. 
Mr. Gooch, the secretary to the society, read a paper on “ Insect 
Devouring Plants,” which was illustrated by specimens, diagrams, 
and microscopic slides. The paper, which was of a highly 
interesting character, may be found on page 220 of the present 
number. 
The President said he thought all present must congratulate 
themselves on having heard such an excellent paper. Everyone 
acquainted with Mr. Gooch anticipated a paper beyond the com- 
mon, and undoubtedly their expectations had been more than 
realised. Not only was the subject chosen an interesting one, 
but it had been rendered more than usually so by the original 
experiments which had been made, and the conclusions the lecturer 
had drawn from them. The President next referred to the fact 
that the English flesh eating plants appeared to have arrived at 
such a state of perfection in the matter of diet that they put to 
shame man with all his boasted reasoning powers, for they steadily 
refused anything that was likely to disagree with them. He was, 
however, somewhat relieved on reading the experiments of Hooker 
and others with the Dionea, an American insect eating plant, 
which did not seem to have the same discriminating power as its 
English brethren, for it digested a variety of substances, and when 
a piece of cheese was placed on one of its leaves it readily closed 
over it, but the cheese was too strong for it, and instead of its 
digesting the cheese the cheese digested it, for the leaf soon turned 
black and died. 
The Rev. E. Hale said he was requested to apologise for Mr. 
Carpenter’s absence, who had intended to say a few words on the 
electricity of the plants so ably explained that night; but Mr. 
Carpenter would read a paper on the subject at another meeting. 
He might observe that when Mr. Darwin first called attention to 
the carnivorous habits of the Drosera, that he and Mr. Wolley 
Dod, an expert naturalist, made a series of experiments by way of 
testing the absorbing powers of the plants ; the result was that the 
Drosera seemed to prefer beef to any other food which they 
administered—even to the fly. 
Mr. Drew said he would only refer to the plants explained that 
evening ina geological sense. As the Cyprides, which were minute 
crustaceans, of the character of those mentioned by Mr. Gooch, 
abounded in the Wealden series, so much so as to divide the clay 
in some localities into distinct laminz, he suggested as a possibility 
that close investigation of those rocks might lead to the discovery 
of impressions of plants, which required the Cyprides as food. 
Should any members present wish to work in that direction he 
should be pleased to furnish them with specimens of the Wealden. 
