^joufnlu. STit"'] PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 173 



Eeading Microscopical Society.* 



February 15tli, 1870. — Captain Lang presided, and after tlie ordi- 

 nary business Mr. Aniner read a paper upon " The Use of the Micro- 

 scope in the Detection of Adulterations," confining himself mainly to 

 the adulterations of tea, coflfee, cocoa, and sugar, and describing the 

 microscoi)ical characters of the genuine siibstances, as well as of those 

 added. The subject was illustrated by di-awings and mounted speci- 

 mens. 



The President read a paper by Mr. Tatem, entitled " A Contribu- 

 tion to the Teratology of the Infusoria," in which were described the 

 results of hypertrojjhy, or of ai-rested development in examj)les of 

 Tracliellus anas, Clnlodon cuculliis, Vorticella conrallaria, Melicerta, and 

 Stephanoceros Eichornii, &c. To these the writer attached some im- 

 jiortance, as helping to indicate the fixity of specific characters. 

 Drawings of the aberrant forms accomjDanied the paper. 



Mr. Tatem also exhibited slides of diatoms mounted symmetri- 

 cally. 



Brighton and Sussex Natural History Society.! 



February 10th. — The President, Mr. T. H. Henuah, in the chair. 



The receipt of ' Catalogue of Works on the Microscope,' by Mr. 

 R. C. Eoper, from the author, and ' Microscopic Objects Figured and 

 Described,' by J. H. Martin, from the publisher, was acknowledged. 



The Hon. Sec, Mr. T. W. Wonfor, exhibited and read a description 

 of a series of gall-nuts found on English plants, collected by Mr. W. 

 H. Kidd, and presented by that gentleman to the Brighton Museum. 



Mr. T. W. "Wonfor then read a paper " On Seeds." 



After tracing the seed from its fii-st appearance as a mere pimple, 

 in the unexpanded flower-bud, through the ovule, and its impregnation 

 to the perfect seed, with a description of the several parts and their 

 economy, the mode of dissemination, the power of resisting heat and 

 cold, the wonderful property possessed by some seeds of preserving 

 their vitality under apparently adverse cii'cumstances for long periods 

 of years, and the advantages accruing from artificial selection, were 

 each discussed ; on the last jioint attention was called to what had 

 been done by Mr. F. Hallett, of Brighton, with wheat. Seeds as 

 microscopic objects were next discussed. Having spent several years 

 in the collection and examination of wild and cultivated seeds as 

 microscopic objects, Mr. Woufor thought that few things in the vege- 

 table kingdom presented such diversity of form, markings, and beauty. 

 Although unwilling to lay down any law for classification by means 

 of the appearances of seeds, yet often in the case of unknown seeds 

 he had been able to name the family to which they belonged, from 

 certain peculiarities common to many plants of the same family. 

 Among some of the most interesting families might be mei\tioncd the 

 Scrophulariaceae, containing the Mulleins, Foxgloves, Antirrhinums, 

 Figworts, Paulownias, &c. ; the Papaveraceae, many of which were very 



* Report supplied bj' Mr. B. J. Austin, 

 t Keport supplied by Mr. T. W. Wonfor. 



