REPORTS. 23 



Dog-fish, Scyllium canicula, showing umbilical sac, and specimen of prawn, 

 showing the way in which it casts its skin. Mr. Waller read a paper on 

 Obsidians and Pitchstones, showing several specimens, illustrative of the various 

 structures observed in them. General Meeting. — December 2nd. — Mr. R. W. 

 Chace exhibited a fine stuffed specimen of the Avocet, Rceurviro&tra avocetta, 

 shot near Storuoway, and which he had received in the flesh. Mr. J. 0. W. 

 Barratt exhibited specimens of Stentor MTdleri. Mr. Doeg, of Evesham, sent for 

 exhibition specimens of the rare Rotifer, Tubicolaria najas or Melicerta tyro, 

 wbich had appeared iu his aquarium, having been probably introduced with 

 some willow roots from the banks of the River Avon, at Evesham. Mr. J. W. 

 Cotton sent for exhibition a crystal of Fluor Spar, containing a bubble floating 

 iu a fluid, occupying a large part of its centre. Mr. H. W. Jones read a paper by 

 Mr. W. Southall, F.L.S., on Ervum ervilia, the Bitter Vetch, showing the 

 poisonous effects which it has upon pigs, wben eaten dry, but 

 after being soaked iu water it loses its poisonous properties. It is 

 not poisonous to all animals, however, as sheep eat it with impunity. 

 Biological Section. — December 9th. Mr. J. E. Bagnall contributed Ophrys 

 aranifera, var. fucifera, Sisyrinchium Bermudiana, Stratiotes aloides, and other 

 rare plants ; also specimens of Anacharis Alsinastrum, collected as a rare plant 

 in 1847 by Rev. A. Bloxam, in Leicestershire. Iu refei-ence to this last, Mr. R. M. 

 Lloyd remarked that the original plants were apparently longer in the internodes 

 than those of the present time, a difference which Mr. Bagnall attributed to 

 difference of habitat, plants inhabiting deep water having longer internodes than 

 those dwelling iu shallow. Mr. W. G. Blatch exhibited a remarkable specimen of 

 Euplectus minutissimus, one of the Coleoptera, new to Great Britain, and found 

 at Repton, in blood refuse, by Mr. Gurneys and Rev. W. W. Fowler, by the latter 

 of whom it is described in the current month's number of the " Entomologist's 

 Magazine." Mr. T. Bolton exhibited Stentor Barretti, from the Edgbaston 

 Botanical Gardens. In reference to a peculiar caterpillar from Australia, 

 exhibited some time back to the section by Mr. Simcox, and presenting the 

 appearance of being carved out of wood, Mr. R. M. Lloyd stated that he had 

 found that this appearance was caused by a fungoid growth which attacks 

 the animal, and gradually substitutes a wood-like growth for its tissues. 

 Microscopical General Meeting. — December 10th. Mr. T. Bolton exhibited 

 beautiful specimens of Loplwpus crystallinus, taken from underneath ice at 

 Chester by Mr. Shepherd. It is remarkable that this Polyzoon is more abundant 

 in winter than in summer, and usually dies down about August. Mr. H. W. 

 Jones exhibited a fish which is uow generally supposed to be the female of 

 Callionymus lyra, the Yellow Sculpiu or Gemmaceous Dragonet, but which was 

 formerly described as a distinct species under the name of C. dracunculus, the 

 Sordid Dragonet. Mr. H. E. Forrest called attention to a notice iu the " Journal 

 of the Royal Microscopical Society," page 901, of a new Moneron, described and 

 figured by M. Schneider, under the name of Monobia coyiflutns. He said he had 

 little doubt that it was identical with the animal found by Mr. Bolton, Mr.Levick, 

 and himself, in Barnt Green Reservoir last year, and exhibited a drawing, made 

 by himself about a year ago, for comparison with the plate in the "Journal." 

 The Rev. H. Platten exhibited Zeiss's l-15th immersion objective, which resolved 

 the markings on Navicula rlwmboides very clearly. Mr. J. Levick read a very 

 interesting paper on Dendrosoma radians, (which will appear in the next number 

 of this magazine,) in which the author for the first time works out its life history. 



BURTON-ON-TBENT NATURAL HISTORY AND ARCH&OLOGICAL 

 SOCIETY.— December 9th. At the usual Monthly Meeting, the Rev. J. M. 

 Mello read a paper on " The Ascent of Man." We hope to be able to induce the 

 author to favour our readers by allowing us to print it in a future number. 



NOTTINGHAM LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.— 

 December 5th. Gilchrist lecture—" Vegetable Nutrition, and Insectivorous 

 Plants." By Professor W. C. Williamson, F.R.S.— December 12th. Gilchrist 

 lecture — " Life History of the Simplest Animalcules," by Rev. W. H. Dallinger. 

 — December 18th. E. Carpenter, Esq., M. A., lecture on "Abraham Lincoln." — 

 Natural Science Section. — October Sth. " The Age of the Penine Chain," by 

 E. Wilson, Esq., F.G.S., (which appears at pa;e 1 of present number.) — October 

 22nd. General microscopical evening. — November 12th. " The Origin of the 



