NOTES AND MEMORANDA. 137 



3. " Genericas has (2) miscuit Natura, unde tot species congeneres, 



quot hodie existunt. 



4. "Species has (3) miscuit Casus, unde totidem, quot passim 



occurrunt, Varietates. 



5. " Suadent hsec (1-4) Creatoris leges a simplicibus ad composita. 



Naturce leges genera tionis in hybridis. Hominis leges ex 

 observatis a posteriori." 



Whatever meaning be put upon these somewhat enigmatical pro- 

 positions, they certainly show that Linnasus (as a naturalist of his 

 turn of mind was not unlikely to do) had thought of a derivative 

 origin of species as not improbable, and had formed some idea of an 

 hypothesis concerning it,^ — perhaps as definite as his idea of natural 

 orders, — a problem he could suggest rather than solve. And it is 

 interesting to note the scale of operating powers, — Chance sufficing 

 for the production of varieties, Nature for genera, the Omnipotent 

 directly for the mightier work of producing orders. But in a subse- 

 quent nmnber of the same joui-nal (November, 1870), the veteran 

 Professor Von Mohl maintains that Linnteus did not hold the theory 

 of the origin of species which is now becoming so general. 



NOTES AND MEMOEANDA. 



Alteration of Day of Meeting of the Society.— The next meeting 

 of the Society will take place on the first day of March. In future, 

 the meetings will be held on the first, instead of the second, Wednesday 

 in the month. 



Mr. Lee and the Croydon Microscopical Club. — Mr. Henry Lee, 

 the President and originator of the Croydon Microscopical Club, 

 delivered his annual address before a large and important meeting, on 

 Wednesday, the 18th day of January last. After the usual business had 

 been gone through, Mr. Lee addressed the members at some length. 

 After dwelling upon the advantages of such clubs, upon the field 

 that lay before them, and upon the success of the Society's soiree, 

 he concluded as follows : — And, now, I come to a point of great 

 importance in its influence upon the usefulness of our studies to our- 

 selves and others : I refer to the systematizing of our work. I am 

 satisfied with what has been done during our first year, but it is time 

 that each of us began, in conjunction with others of similar taste, to 

 follow up with a distinct pm-pose some particular subject. The pur- 

 pose should be the more complete knowledge of om' local natural 

 history ; and the subjects which I would especially indicate to you as 

 not difficult, are entomology, botany, and microscopic palaeontology 

 and pond-life. On a former occasion I communicated to you my 

 friend Mr. Wilson Saunders's suggestion that we should unite with the 

 Holmesdale Club at Reigate in the botanical section ; and I shall 

 shortly ask those who are interested and able to help in the four 



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