56 PKOCEEDINGS OP SOCIETIES. 



Forest-hill Microscopical Club ; " " The Margate Microscopical Club," 

 at the inauguration of which he had assisted on the previous Monday 

 evening ; and " The South London Microscopical and Natural History 

 Club," a preliminary meeting of which he had also attended on the 

 11th inst. This latter society would especially direct its attention 

 to the Natural History of the county of Surrey. He was sure that 

 the members of the Croydon Club would be glad to fraternize with 

 all these newly-formed societies ; and he had no doubt arrangements 

 might be made for their co-operation with each other in systematic 

 work, and for the members of all of them joining in excursions under 

 the leadership of the most experienced men belonging to each. 



The following presents had been received ; — The ' Transactions of 

 the Quekett Microscopical Club,' from that club. Davies's work ' On 

 the Preparation and Mounting of Microscopic Objects,' from the Pre- 

 sident. Johann' Nave ' On the Collection and Mounting of Algse, 

 &c.,' from the President. 



Messrs. W. H. Beeby, J. S. Crowley, and W. T. Loy, were elected 

 members of the club. 



The following members exhibited objects with their microscopes : — 

 Messrs. H. Long, J. W. Flower, F. W. Gill, J. T. Johnson, K. 

 McKean, F. West, jim., G. Manners, J. D. "Wood, H. Long, and 

 C. W. Hovenden. 



Beighton and Sussex Natural History Society. 



April 13th. Ordinary Meeting. Mr. T. H. Hennah, Vice-Pre- 

 sident, in the chair. — Messrs. W. Jackson, W. H. Eoss, and H. Saun- 

 ders were elected ordinary members. 



Mr. Wonfor announced the receipt of the 7th Annual Eeport of 

 the Lewes Natui-al History Society, and the April nimiber of the 

 ' Quekett Club Journal,' from the secretaries, and " Mitten's South 

 American Mosses " (' Linnean Society's Jom-nal ') from Dr. Addison. 

 Votes of thanks to be given to the donors. 



An interesting communication from Dr. Stevens, of St. Mary Bourne, 

 " On certain Tyjies of Flint Implements' found in Hampshire," was 

 read, and a vote of thanks passed to Dr. Stevens. 



Mr. Wonfor then read a paper " On What is Coal ? " in which, 

 among other interesting matter, he pointed out that the true vege- 

 table origin of coal was not only determined by observing the con- 

 ditions under which it occurred, but by the fossil remains associated 

 with it, and by the results of microscopic examination. These showed 

 that coal was simply vegetable matter, altered and comj)ressed. 



The vegetation which helped to form coal was characterized by an 

 almost absence of that kind of wood now found in our forest trees, 

 and by a preponderance of ferns, calamites, and club-mosses, very 

 few of which retained their foiiu sufficiently to admit of a satisfactory 

 demonstration of what they were really like, though fern fronds, more 

 or less mutilated, detached roots and stems, occasional cones, fruits, 

 fragments of flowers and fructification helped to determine some of 

 the orders of plants. 



