56 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. [''!,Cll^,,'!,lTri'7a' 



ovum after segmentation was pointed out. The Gregarina might be 

 considered as consisting of a single cell, from which, rising still in 

 the scale, other animals were found to consist of cell upon cell, a fact 

 which gave rise to the celebrated cell theory of Schwann. The forma- 

 tion of muscular tissue by the fibrillation of the plasma was next 

 referred to, aud the difference in the ai^pearance of striated and non- 

 striated muscular fibre pointed out, it being explained that in the 

 human body the involuntary muscles consisted of non-striated, and 

 the voluntary muscles of striated fibre. The author then proceeded 

 to show that throughout the mollusca, both in the voluntary and 

 involuntary muscle non-striated tissue alone was to be found, whereas 

 in insects nothing but striped tissue existed. Two most important 

 exceptions, however, existed to these rules — the Serapis, one of the 

 lowest of the mollusca, was said to possess striped muscular tissue, 

 whilst the Annelida, which lead up to the type of insects, exhibit 

 nothing but unstriped tissue. It had been stated that the muscles of 

 insects were of far larger formation than those of the vertebrata, but 

 this he was able to contradict, having demonstrated that although in 

 the larval state they were larger, in the higher forms of insects they 

 were either smaller or of the same size ; there was in fact no diflference 

 between the striped muscular tissue in the highest and the lowest 

 forms, except in jjoint of quantity. Dwelling at some length upon 

 these facts, the author pointed out their bearing upon the great 

 question of the Origin of Sj)ecies, and concluded by expressing his 

 belief that the microscope would one day be the means of demonstra- 

 ting whether Darwin's theory were right or wrong. The paper elicited 

 the loud apj)lause of a large and most attentive audience, and a well- 

 merited tribute to its value was paid by Dr. Braithwaite ; after which 

 Mr. Hailes called attention to a small j)ortion of skin from the door 

 of the Pyx Chamber in Westminster Abbey, which he exhibited under 

 the microscope, and unanimous votes of thanks were passed to Messrs. 

 Lowne and Hailes for their communications. The usual conversazione 

 concluded the proceedings. 



Erratum. — Page 286, hne 6, for Biology )-ead Bryology. 



At the ordinary meeting held at University College, November 

 26th, P. le Neve Foster, Esq., M.A., President, in the chair, four 

 new members were elected, six gentlemen were proposed for member- 

 ship, and a number of donations to the club were announced. Mr. A. 

 E. Durham exhibited a new portable dissecting and mounting micro- 

 scope, designed by Mr. Marshall and manufactured by Messrs. Field, 

 which was justly described as multum in parm. Mr. Durham also 

 read a communication from Professor Tomlinson, suggesting microsco- 

 pical observations on the movements of small pieces of camphor placed 

 upon solid surfaces, and requesting information as to the results. Mr. 

 W. Hislop read a paper upon " A New Selcnite Stage," in which a 

 plate of mica was so fitted as to be rotated above the plate of selenite, 

 producing a variety of colours ; a diagram of the contrivance was 

 exhibited. Mr. M. C. Cooke read a translation of a jiaper by Count 

 Castiacanc, " Uiion the Italian Methods of Micrometry," and an inter- 



