"joS.mITiS'] proceedings of societies. 265 



witli a special collection of 100 microscopic objects, selected to illus- 

 trate the invertebrate sub-kingdom, by Charles Stewart, Esq., F.L.S., 

 member of the council of the E.M.S., who prepared a descriptive 

 catalogue, a copy of which was sent to each Fellow some time previous 

 to the soiree, accomj)anied by an explanatory letter inviting co-oper- 

 ation. Many Fellows of the Society lent microscoi>es and objects, and 

 many other gentlemen kindly assisted ; but a large portion ^of the 

 objects, including many of rarity and beauty, were supplied by Mr. 

 Stewart. The list comprehended characteristic specimens of Ehizo- 

 poda, Spongiadfe, Hydrozoa, Actinozoa, Scolecida, Echinodermata, 

 Annelida, Crustacea, Ai-achnida, Myriapoda, Insecta, Polyzoa, Brachio- 

 poda, Ascidioida, Lamellibranchiata, Gasteropoda, and Cephalopoda. 

 The interest of this collection was much enhanced by a series of draw- 

 ings illustrating the various orders and families of the objects exhi- 

 bited, lent for the occasion by Prof. Rymer Jones, F.E.S., and Mr. 

 Mummery, and arranged by Mr. Stewart. 



A si^ecial department was occupied by Dr. Carpenter with a 

 remarkably interesting collection — of which he contributed a descrip- 

 tive catalogue — illustrating his Deep-Sea Dredgings. The first series 

 contained Arenaceous Forauiinifera, " to which the additions made by 

 Deeji-Sea Dredgings have been most remarkable." In these, "the 

 shells of other Foraminifera are replaced by tests, which are built up 

 by the animals constructing them from the materials furnished by the 

 sea-bottom whereon they live ; particular kinds of materials being 

 selected and cemented together, so as to make particular forms of 

 tests, with the most marvellous regularity and exactness. It is very 

 curious to note that one and the same dredging will often yield a great 

 number of types of these Arenaceous Foraminifera, diifering not merely 

 in the form, but in the materials of their tests, and also in their mode 

 of aggregation ; thus showing a selecting and constructive power in 

 creatures which may be said to be mere, particles of animated jelly 

 (sarcode or protoi)lasm), possessing no ' organs ' save the soft filaments 

 into which this jelly extends itself."* Dr. Carpenter observes that 

 " the most rudimentary forms of this series consist of spherical 

 masses of Protoplasm, throughout which sand-grains are uniformly 

 diffused, without any distinction of the containing wall and internal 

 cavity. The next stage is presented in Astrorliiza, in which tj-pe there 

 is a containing wall composed of sand-grains loosely aggregated 

 together, surrounding a cavity occupied by sarcode ; but there is no 

 distinct mouth, the filamentous extensions of the sarcode-body probably 

 finding their way out between the sand-grains, especially at the ends 

 of the finger-like projections." 



In the long tubes of the Botellina (from botellum, a sausage or 

 pig's pudding) " an advance is shown. The wall of the cylinder is 

 composed of sand-grains firmly cemented together ; while its cavity is 

 traversed by extensions of the like structiu-e, intermingled with sponge- 

 spicules, forming a rude labyrinthic arrangement," 



* ' Descrijjtive Catalogue of Objects from the Deep-Sea Dredgings,' exhibited 

 at the Soiree of the Eoyal Microscopical Society, King's College, 20th April, 1870. 

 By Dr. Carpenter, F.E S., &c. 



