278 NOTES ON BOPYRUS SQUILLARUM. 



of Bopyrus would be totally inexplicable. Thanks, however, to the 

 light thrown on these questions, especially by tbe illustrious author of 

 " The Origin of Species," a new significance is apparent, and as 

 he has shown in that wonderful work, " any change in func- 

 tion which can be effected by insensibly small steps is within the 

 power of natural selection ; so that an organ rendered, during changed 

 habits of life, useless or injurious for one purpose, might be modified 

 and used for another purpose." And again: "Rudimentary organs 

 may be compared with the letters of a word, still retained in the 

 spelling, but become useless in the pronunciation, but which serve as 

 a clue in seeking for its derivation."* 



Bopyrus, so far as the female is concerned, is apparently getting 

 worsted in the struggle for existence. One cannot help thinking that 

 in the distant future its lease of life will not be remarkably long. So 

 much the better for the prawn ! 



BIRMINGHAM NATUEAL HISTORY AND MICRO- 

 SCOPICAL SOCIETY. 



ANNUAL CONVERSAZIONE. 



The Annual Conversazione of this Society was held on November 

 16th, at the Town Hall, Birmingham. It was a great success, not 

 only in regard to the number of the visitors, but also to the character 

 and extent of the display. The class of objects which was admitted 

 differed from that comprised in former exhibitions of the kind in being 

 more closely restricted to the Natural History and Microscopy which 

 form the legitimate bounds of the Society's exertions. The only ex- 

 ceptions to this restriction were the admission of a few objects coming 

 under the head of Archaeology and Art, which, while interesting in 

 themselves, were not sufficiently obtrusive to spoil the effect of the 

 whole. Now that it has been demonstrated that an amount of 

 material, capable of affording instruction and entertainment to a large 

 assembly for more than three hours, can be gathered together without 

 trespassing upon ground which more properly belongs to other socie- 

 ties, it is to be hoped that the course thus marked out will be followed 

 on future occasions. The exclamations of delight which could be 

 heard on every side, as some fair damsel saw for the first time those 

 beautiful creatures, living and moving, which she had heretofore met 

 with only in the dry pages of her school text-books; or as some Bir- 

 mingham manufacturer, who had devoted his life-time to the ledger 

 and the desk, took his first glance into a realm of glory of even the 

 very existence of which he had before no conception ; the crowds 

 which surrounded the favourite exhibits, as, for instance, that which 

 made taking one's turn for a peep at the Amoeba as hard a task as 



< "Origin of BpeoieB," pp. 52, 10. Fourth Edition. 



