56 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



of divergence which render it questionable whether the specimen can 

 be correctly referred to either ; e. g. the head is not small, nor is the 

 abdomen cylindric. 



The specimen is to bo submitted to competent authority to 

 determine whether it may not be generically or specifically new. 



Captain Lang exhibited an arranged slide of Stauroneis acuta in 

 filaments and both aspects, from a gathering near Warwick (sent by 

 Mr. Staunton) ; also diatoms from a gathering by Captain Perry, on 

 the west coast of South America, the most noteworthy being what 

 seemed a perfectly new species of Auliscus, and a group of Aulacodiscus 

 formosus ; one being evidently a newly-formed inner valve of a dividing 

 frustule. He also showed 6 and 8-rayed specimens of Aulacodiscus 

 Kittonii. 



Margate i\ricR0SC0PicAL Club.* 



The members of the Margate Microscopical Club gave their first 

 public soiree at the Koyal Assembly Eooms on Thursday, March 2Gth. 



Owing to illness Prof. Gulliver was unable to attend and give his 

 lecture "On Eaphides and other Plant Crystals." However, Col. 

 Cox, of the East Kent Natui-al History Society, discoursed on 

 " Agates," and explained the gathering and polishing of his beau- 

 tiful collection of British agates, many of which, although very 

 valuable, were found on Hastings and Dover beaches, being prin- 

 cipally derived from the lower chalk formation. 



Mr. Henry Lee detailed the observations made at the Brighton 

 Aquarium upon the " Ova of the Dog-Fisb," including the habits 

 of the fish, the mode of deposition of eggs, duration of hatching, and 

 the nature of the studies now being undertaken by Prof. Huxley and 

 Dr. Kitchen Parker on the nervous development and skull formation. 



The speciality of the evening was the display of living marine 

 organisms, which were very successfully exhibited, and, whilst they 

 charmed and fascinated the eye, nothing could exceed the interest 

 taken by all the large company present in watching the beautiful 

 movements and ciliary action of life. 



It is by no means an easy task to prepare and exhibit to advantage 

 a living object for a soiree, but the following were successfully dis- 

 played : — Membranipora, Bowerbankia, Pedecellina, barnacles, nume- 

 rous eggs of annelids, doris spawn, young whelks and periwinkles 

 on the point of hatching, fish and crab spawn, entomostraca, small 

 crustaceans, &c. 



The Margate Club has only been established three years, and 

 numbers forty members. 



Its principal aim is to study the marine life of the Thanet coast, 

 and, whilst it entertains its fellow-residents with successful gatherings 

 like the present, it also trains men to observe and be acquainted with 

 the various forms of marine life, so that, if the projiosed aquarium, 

 designed uj)on the Brighton scale (although less ornate in appearance), 

 and by the same engineers, be successfully established, few clubs can 

 be more favourably situated for valuable and scientific observation. 

 * Report furnished by Mr. F. B. Kyngdon, Hon. Sec. 



