164 REPORTS. 
interesting account of his own experiments, the result of which was seen in his 
long and successful maintenance of the Aquaria at Hamburg and at the Crystal 
Palace, and then passed on to a description of the system of circulation and 
aération which is about to be carried out at Aston. He also fully discussed the 
problem of the application to the purposes of the Aquarium of “ artificial” or 
compounded sea-water, and gave particulars of the formula by which it may be 
best prepared. A vote of thanks was cordially given to Mr. Lloyd for his paper, 
which was profusely illustrated by a great number of beautifully executed 
diagrams, drawings, &c. Considerable discussion ensued, in the course of which 
Mr. Jones, the consulting chemist to the Aston Company, gave many highly 
interesting details as to the materials required. to the total amount of fifty tons, 
in the manufacture of the artificial sea-water for the Aston Aquarium, and the 
modus operandi to be pursued in that very important operation. The Chairman 
of the Section (Mr. W. R. Hughes, F.L.S.) presided. 
BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAND INSTITUTE SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 
—April 23. Mr. Josiah Austin read a paper on the vegetable alkaloids used in 
pharmacy. Their occurrence in nature, preparation, and effects on the human 
frame were described; and it was shown how much more satisfactory it is to 
prescribe these chemically pure substances instead of the raw materials, which 
contain such variable amounts of the active principles. Specimens of aconitia, 
atropia, strychnia, morphia, and quinia, with the plants from whence they are 
obtained, were exhibited. 
CHELTENHAM NATURAL SCIENCE SOCIETY, May 22nd.—Mr. Day 
read a most interesting paper on ‘‘Vivisection, and what it has done for Science.” 
EVESHAM FIELD NATURALISTS’ CLUB.—April 17th.—Mr. T. J.Slatter 
in thechair. Mr. A. H. Martin yveported the following appearances of migratory 
birds :—Chiffchaff, April 2nd; Swallow, April 7th; Sand Martin, April 7th. 
Mr. T. E. Doeg read an interesting paper on ‘‘ Some of the Birds of our Neigh- 
bourhood,” illustrated by numerous specimens of their eggs. May 8th—_Mr, F. 
Wright in the chair. Resolved that the first excursion shall be on Saturday, 
May 24th, to Buckland. 
NOTTINGHAM LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.— 
Natura Science Section.—April 18th. Mr. B. Sturges Dodd read a paper on 
‘The Stone and Wood-Penetrating Molluses of our Coasts.” Mr. Dodd 
directed attention to the power possessed by certain bivalve mollusea of boring 
in sand, wood, peat, and stone. The Phoiades are the chief orders to which he 
referred, dated geologically from the Lias period. They were gregarious, and 
five species, all tolerably common, were to be met with on our coasts, inhabiting 
the littoral and coralline zones. They were phosphorescent, and lived and died 
in the holes which they excavated. The boring instinct was manifested at a very 
early stage; the animals being found in wood when so small as to be almost 
invisible. Some authorities stated that successive generations occupied the same 
hole, each individual living between the valves of the shell of its predecessor; 
and nests of five or six shells were sometimes found, one shell within the other. 
The Gastrochaenidae are distinguished by the case in which they are enclosed 
when arrived at maturity. This case appeared to be formed by a secretion of the 
mantle. Several exotic species are known, one boring in coral and another in 
granite. Several hypotheses have been advanced to account for the manner in 
which the Teredo, Pholas, and their allies bore into hard substances. The perfora- 
tions are formed by means of the shells, which act as a sort of auger; the holes 
are made by rasping, by means of silicious particles embedded in the animal’s 
body, currents of water set in motion by means of cilia, or the animals 
secreted an acid, the process being completed by rasping.—May 2nd.—Mrcro- 
scopicAL Mbntinc.—Subject: Geology and Paleontology. Messrs. G. B. 
Rothera and J. Burton exhibited slides under microscopes. Mr, E. Wilson, F.G.8., 
exhibited a collection of fish teeth, obtained by him from Ticknall, and gave a 
description of them.—May 9th. Mr. J. Shipman read a paper on his recent 
Ea a of coal measures, exposed at the surface, in the Trent Valley, at 
urton.” 
