PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 285 



Antwerp Crag, and others from Swanage, and imbedded in tlie latter 

 were to be seen perfect specimens of willow leaves. Some extra- 

 ordinary shells of the Malleus vulgaris, and a gigantic oyster-shell, 

 from India, with two cases containing beautiful sjjecimcns of marine 

 Polyzoa, neatly mounted by Mrs. Bury, of Thornton Heath, were 

 greatly admired. 



Mr. Whitling exhibited a microscope and a graphoscope, and with 

 the latter some very beautiful views. 



Dr. Adams contributed largely to the Natural History department 

 by sending si^ecimens of the Australian Diver, the native bear of 

 Australia (Koali, or " biter"), the duck-billed Platypus, or water-mole, 

 the Echidna, or porcupine ant-eater ; calabash, from the West Indies, 

 Australian war-clubs and spears, some of which had been lent by 

 Mrs. Lockyer, who also sent some Chinese chop-sticks. A wag, on 

 observing that no object had been placed in Dr. Adams's microscoije, 

 wrote on the card which bore his signature, " Ex niliilo nihil Jit," 

 which caused no little amusement, in which the Doctor participated 

 when he discovered the joke that had been perpetrated in his absence. 



The cases of butterflies which had been artistically arranged in 

 imitation of a flower garden, by Mr. Cooper, gardener to Mr. Paget, 

 were greatly admired, not only for the harmonious blending of colours, 

 but also for the taste disj)layed in disposing of these handsome insects 

 to the best advantage. 



Mr. Thomas Cashing exhibited three microscopes with interesting 

 objects, amongst which was a most beautiful collection of natural plants ; 

 twenty-four photographs of scientific instruments constructed for the 

 great trigonometrical survey of India ; and a differential polariscope, 

 which fully merited the lai'ge shai'e of attention it received. 



The following members of the Croydon Club also exhibited micro- 

 scopes :— Mr. H. Ashby; Mr. J. Berney ; Mr. A. Crowley; Mr. P. 

 Crowley ; Mr. H. Noakes ; Mr. T. Brindley ; Mr. E. Sturge ; Mr. F. 

 C. Clark ; Mr. Loy ; Dr. Owens (circulation in Vallisneria spiralis, 

 a very beautiful object); Mr. F. West, jun. ; Mr. McKean, jun. ; Mr. 

 W. H. Snelling ; Dr. Strong (sections of wood) ; Mr. Sigsworth 

 (antennfe of cockroach, polarized) ; Mr. C. W. Hovenden (three micro- 

 scopes and a collection of old and rare coins) ; Mr. Coojier ; Mr. 

 Linney (an illuminated copy of the ten commandments under the 

 microscoi)e) ; Mr. Perry (some quaint old Chinese etchings) ; and Mr. 

 Spencer, who exhibited a crystallized lens of the eye of a cod-fish, 

 with regard to which some curious calculations were made by Sir 

 David Brewster on measuring the object. He found that the number 

 of fibres in each sj^herical coat was 2500 ; the number of teeth in 

 each fibre, 12,500 ; number of teeth in each spherical coat, 31,251,000 ; 

 number of fibres in the whole lens, 5,000,000 ; and number of teeth 

 in the whole lens, 62,500,000,000. Mr. H. Noakes displayed, under 

 the microscope, some foraminiferous sand ; Mr. J. S. Johnson, Deutzia 

 scahra (jiolarized light), and a beautiful collection of small shells 

 from Devonshire ; Mr. H. Lee, jun., petal of geranium ; and Mr. 

 Manners, wing of Omitlioptera Richmondii. 



Commencing at the centre table, the first thing that struck the 



X 2 



