76 



December 11th, 1848. 

 P. EATHBONE, Esq., in the Chair. 



The Eev. E. Bishop, Dr. Marshall, and Dr. Muspkatt 

 were elected Members of the Society. 



Mr. M 'Andrew exhibited a specimen of Ebalia Pennantii, 

 with a large parasite (Alcyonidum gelatinosum) attached to it, 

 also a female Eurinome Aspera, and a beautiful and rare spe- 

 cies of Pasiphae. This animal was not unlike a prawn in 

 shape, but when alive was as transparent as crystal. 



Mr. Waldie exhibited a specimen of Common Salt, in large 

 cubical crystals, having an appearance of fluor spar. It had 

 most probably been crystallised from some impure alkaline 

 solution, containing chloride of sodium. 



Also announced that a Mr. Erost, in America, had professed 

 to have demonstrated, that Steam separated from the water 

 from which it had been generated, did not in its expansion 

 follow the same laws that regulated the expansion of Air on 

 other permanent Gases. It appeared from his experiments 

 that it expanded in a far greater degree, about doubling its 

 volume by being heated four degrees above 212 degrees, and 

 expanding to about eight or ten times its volume when heated 

 to 650 degrees. A patent had been taken out for applying 

 this observation to the arts. The idea was to apply heat to 

 steam after it had left the boiler, and so to increase its expan- 

 sive power. 



Mr. Bloxam read a Paper on " The Fugitive Poetry of th-e 

 present clay!' He commenced by observing that it was not 

 his intention to give a catalogue of those writers, who, having 



