PEOCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 55 



organisms wliicli lie had found on the shells of oysters, and exhibited 

 several of them, such as sertularia, foraminifera, and Serjnda triquetra, 

 mounted for the microscope. 



The President, Mr. H. Lee, having invited discussion amongst the 

 members, 



Mr. J. W. Flower said there was one singular feature about the 

 oyster, namely, that in former days the species were much more 

 abundant than at the present time, and that this was so had been 

 abundantly proved by the enormous variety of fossil oysters found 

 in the chalk and in the London clay. 



Mr. Long said he had examined the liquor of oysters, and, by spon- 

 taneous evaporation, he had obtained some beaiitiful crystals. 



Dr. Strong asked whether the body of the oyster, when the mantle 

 was removed, was homogeneous. 



The President said he did not believe that when once the young 

 had escajjed from between the valves of the parent they ever re-entered 

 them ; nor was it correct, as had been stated in a recently-issued 

 official report, that they adhered immediately. This was the critical 

 jjeriod of their existence. Oysters still bred and spawned just as 

 freely as ever they did, but the yoimg ones did not adhere. This 

 was the cause of the scarcity of oysters. Why this took place no one 

 could definitively say ; but warmth and tranquillity were undoubtedly 

 the great conditions of the prosperity of the young fry, and cold nights 

 at the spatting season were fatal to them. At Heme Bay, in June, 

 1861, he found the whole water of the sea full of young oysters in 

 their swimming condition ; but during that month the nights were 

 very cold, and there was no fall of sj)at that year. That a low tem- 

 perature was unfavourable to the development of the yoimg oysters 

 had been proved by an experiment made by Mr. Buckland and him- 

 self. Some of them were placed in sea. water in a glass jar, and whilst 

 they were swimming vigorously about, a piece of ice was dropped into 

 the vessel. The immediate eftect was that they all sank to the 

 bottom, apparently exhausted ; but on the withdi'awal of the ice, and 

 restoration of the former temperatiu'e, they revived. He agreed with 

 Mr. Flower that all the British oysters were varieties of one species, 

 and had satisfied himself that the formation of their shell depended 

 on the conditions and necessities of theii- habitat, and on the chemical 

 constituents of the water, miid, &c., in which they existed. He placed 

 some Swansea oysters in the experimental ponds, owned by Mr. Buck- 

 land and himself, at Eeculvers. The shells of the oysters, from the 

 former locality, were particularly heavy and clumpy; but the new 

 growth j)ut on all the characteristics of the true " native." They had 

 also had American oysters in their beds, but the growth of the shells 

 had not been sufiiciently marked to be conclusive, and, in fact, these 

 American oysters were totally diiferent in character and form from 

 the British oyster. 



A cordial vote of thanks was given to Mr. Johnson for his lectiu-e ; 

 which had given rise to an interesting discussion. 



The President announced that since the last meeting three new 

 Microscopical clubs had been formed ; namely, " The Sydenham and 



