75 



applied himself to investigate the mosses of the district, 

 has enabled him to enrich onr local Flora with a list of 

 200 species. 446 species are described in the " Bryologia 

 Britannica," published by Mr. Wilson, in 1855. 



I have not thought it desirable to particularise the 

 stations for rare or curious plants, such information being 

 more appropriately given in the local Flora by Dr. 

 Dickenson, published in the "Proceedings" of this 

 Society. 



SEVENTH ORDINARY MEETING. 



Royal Institution, 25th February, 1858. 

 The Rev. H. H. HIGGINS, M.A., Sen. V.P., in the Chair. 



Dr. Thomson exhibited and explained Mr. Turner's 

 ingenious apparatus for detecting burglars. 



Mr. Byerley exhibited a piece of wood cut from timber 

 floated ashore oif New Brighton, completely covered with 

 barnacles ; also a piece bored by the teredo navalis, con- 

 taining fine specimens of the worm. 



The following paper was then read : — 



ON THE MORAL DIGNITY OF THE SHAKSPERIAN 

 DRAMA. 



By J. T. FOARD, ESQ. 



The contemplation of any of the vast and magnificent 

 architectural monuments bequeathed to us by distant ages, 

 appears naturally to provoke inquiry into the necessities 

 and motives which gave them birth. In presence of the 

 Pyramids, nf fho ruins of " the hundred-gated " Thebes, 



