182 THE CON^'EESAZIONE. 



thoy wore so numorous as to j)rcclucle the attempt to do more tlian briefly 

 mention the more important items. 



The Microscopical display was unusually large and interesting. 

 There were some seventy microscopes in upe, including some kindly 

 lent by Mr. T. W. Watson, Mr. E. Wheeler, and Mi-. F. Enock, of London, 

 and they wore so excellently disposed at such convenient distances that 

 all were easily accessible by the many visitors. Commencing with the 

 living objects illustrating Pond Life we have to enumerate the 

 following : — Freshwater Polyzoa — Alcyonella fungosa, Frederieella sul- 

 tana, and Paludicella Ehi-cnbergii ; Melicerta ringens, (the building rotifer,) 

 and Epistylis natans, exhibited by Mr. Thos. Bolton ; Lophopus 

 crystaUinus, by Eev. Dr. Deane ; Conochilus volvox, and Actinosphasrium 

 sol, by Mr. T. J. Slatter ; Hydatina senta, one of the largest of the 

 British rotifers, by Mr. H. E. FoiTost; and Hydra vulgaris and Hydi'a 

 viridis, showing the reproduction by biidding, by Mr. J. Levick. — Then 

 there were among many mounted objects Anguinaria spatulata, (Snake's 

 head Coralline,) and section of Pearl, exhibited by Mr. W. H. Pearson ; 

 Plumularia setacea, with tentacles expanded, Membrauipora pilosa, and 

 Alcyonidium hirsutum, with tentacles expanded, by Mr. A. W. Wills ; 

 larval forms of Crab, and Sertularia with tentacles expanded, by Mr. 

 W. Graham; Star-fishes and Sea-urchins, (illustrations of stracture,) 

 young Oysters, and Entozoa, illustrating the Ti'ematoda, Cestoda, and 

 Nematoda, by Mr. W. K. Hughes ; spines of Echinus, by Eev. 

 Dr. Deane; Dog's Tongue, — section showing the glands and villi. 

 Dog's Foot-pad, — section showing arterial vasciUarity, and Human 

 Intestine, — section showing villi injected, by Mr. F. W. Spiller ; 

 Palate of Cuttle-fish, by Mr. C. Pumphrey. Mr. F. Enock, of 

 London, (an old member of the Birmingham Natural History Society,) 

 showed a number of insects, mounted whole, without pressure, by 

 an entirely new process, which has taken Mr. Enock some years 

 to bring to perfection. These insects retain all their natural form ; 

 some show their internal muscular structure ; in these can be seen every 

 minute muscle, and the purpose for which it is intended can bo clearly 

 traced out ; others, such as tongues of various insects, are prepared so aa 

 to retain all the natural form, colour, and characteristic markings 

 without any distoi-tiou whatever, thus rendering the preparations of the 

 utmost value to the student. We may specially mention Stj'lops Spencii, 



Earasite of the wild Bee ; Polynema oviilorum, the Faiiy fly, (its laiwa is 

 orn and matiu-ed within the egg of the Cabbage butterfly ;) Atypus Sulzeri, 

 English trap-door spider. Stylops Spencii, in the act of emerging fi-om 

 body of wild boo, was also exhibited by Mr. J. Potts. Mr. Ednmud 

 Tonks exlubited Spinnerets of Spider. Mr. E. Wheeler, of London, 

 exhibited 1,000 microscopic objects, (no two alike,) representing every de- 

 partment of mici'oscopy. His elaborate groups of Diatoms, Foraminifera 

 from " Challenger " di'edgings, Polariscope objects, Moller's Tyjion-platten, 

 Webb's Micro-engravings, anatomical specimens, opaque objects Geologi- 

 cal objects, and the Colorado Beetle, proved most attractive. 



Wo come now to illustrations of Ycgetablo Life. Of Freshwater 

 Alga; there were Spirogyra nitida, Mesocarpus scalaris, Zygnoma 

 lutescons, and Staurocarpus gi'acilis, showing formation of spores by 

 conjugation ; Batrachospermum alpestro and vagum, and Drapai'naldia 

 plumosa, all exhibited by Mr. A. W. Wills; Volvox globator, 

 (living specimens showing the rotation,) by Mr. Levick and Dr. 

 W. Hinds ; spores of Equisctum, showing the contraction of elastic 

 filaments by moisture and their expansion on di-ying, by Mr. W. B. 

 Grove. Protonema of moss, showing germination of spore ; section of 

 Mnium subglobosum, showing male and female flowers of moss ; 

 Peristomes of mosses ; sectiouB of leaves of holly, grass, and fern ; 



