PEOCEEDINGS OP SOCIETIES. 113 



into the appearance of fine granular matter, exactly resembling albu- 

 men coagulated by beat. The outward diflfusiou of tbe acid may 

 then be detected, under a bigb power, by tbe gradual formation 

 of a cloud of fine jjarticles and by a peculiar faint line wbicb marks 

 tbe boundary of tbe acid. At tbe same time masses of fine fibre are 

 formed in the central wbite granular matter, and between it and tbe 

 boundary of tbe acid ring, but never beyond. 



This method of producing coagulation and fibrillation, and tbe 

 fact of tbeir production by a current of electricity, led tbe wi-iter to 

 consider tbe question as to wbetber or not tbe formation was a purely 

 electrical pbeuomenon. 



Tbe evidence adduced — to sbow tbat coagulation and fibrillation 

 were merely chemical phenomena, and tbat, though produced by a 

 current of electricity, they were but secondary effects of that current, 

 due to the decom2)osition of the fluid — was, 



Istly. That the arrangement of the coagulated or fibrillated matter 

 is not in accordance with electrical laws, which it should be if an 

 electrical phenomenon. The writer stated tbat by the aid of tbe 

 galvanometer a current of electricity could be detected on the addi- 

 tion of acid to albumen ; but argued that there was no necessary 

 connection between the ciu-rent and the fibrillation, as the union of 

 acids and alkalis always produces a current, whether the liquid be 

 coagulable or not. 



2ndly. That if coagulation and fibrillation were electrical, then 

 such phenomena, when produced by other means than electricity or 

 acid, ought to give rise to an electrical current. The writer stated 

 that he had made careful experiments with the galvanometer and 

 found that such was not tbe case. 



Srdly. That if coagulation and fibrillation were pm-ely electrical, 

 then such phenomena (and esj)ecially fibrillation, which is a continuous 

 act of growth), taking j)lace within the magnetic field, ought to pro- 

 duce the fibrillated matter in some definite direction according to the 

 lines of magnetic force. The writer stated that he had performed 

 exj)eriments by means of an electro-magnet, and under the microscope, 

 but could not perceive that the arrangement of the fibrillated matter 

 was at all influenced by magnetism, and hence concluded that these 

 phenomena could not be regarded as, in any sense, electrical. 



Mr. Tatem exhibited a series of tests of Difflugia acantliopJiora 

 from Bulmershe Lake, and lately, for the first time in this neighbour- 

 hood, detected there. It appears to be a very variable species ; not 

 only wxre the examjiles shown more globular than D. acantliopliora is 

 described to be and figured by Pritchard, but the spines vary also 

 very much in number, direction, and position. The testa may have 

 three, four, five, two outcurved sjiines, a single stout, straight central 

 spine, or may be altogether spineless, in which last condition tbe 

 species has improperly received the name of D. areolata. 



May 2nd. — Mr. Tatem, in the absence of Dr. Shettle, and at bis 

 request, read an extract from the 'Athenfeum' of April 1st, 1871, 

 which stated tbat M. Becquerel, sen., had laid on the table of tbe 

 Academy of Sciences, of Paris, a MS. work, in which the author had 



