Monthly Microscopical) PROGRESS OF MICROSCOPICAL SCIENCE. IG 
wise be suffering unimaginable misery, those experiments were perfectly 
justifiable. 
Is there such a thing as Spontaneous Generation ?—This is a very 
serious question, and one which we fear cannot be answered definitely 
in the present state of science. Nevertheless Professor Huxley, in his 
opening address to the British Association at Liverpool, attempted to 
answer it, and gave a very able and remarkably clear account of the 
history of the whole process, and of the various efforts that have been 
made in its support and against it to within the last few years. We 
cannot, however, see that he has done justice to some who have laboured 
well in defence of spontaneous generation, or who have at all events 
lately done much to oppose the view which Professor Huxley has taken. 
We hope to have further information in time for our next number. 
Meanwhile we may mention that a paper supporting spontaneous gene- 
ration was read at Liverpool by Dr. G. W. Child, and that a paper 
against was read at the same meeting by Mr. Samuelson, but that 
neither of them dealt fully or fairly with the matter. 
A New Mode of Studying Capillary Circulation—The views of 
Professor Burdon Sanderson and Herr §. Stricker on this subject were 
communicated to the British Association at the Liverpool meeting. 
We regret that no report of the paper was given in the public press, 
so far as we have been able to see. 
The British Association in Edinburgh in 1871.—We are glad to see 
that Edinburgh has been chosen for the meeting of the Association 
next year. Sir Roderick Murchison said it was the third time the 
Association would meet in Edinburgh. He did not believe there was 
any place in the world in which the sciences to which he was attached 
—geography and geology—could be so admirably illustrated as in 
Scotland, and it gave him great satisfaction to think that they would 
have at Edinburgh a number of eminent men of science. Mr. Cowan, 
late M.P. for Edinburgh, seconded the motion, which was carried 
unanimously. On the motion of Lord Houghton, seconded by Mr. 
Gassiot, it was then unanimously decided to hold the meeting of the 
Association in 1872 at Brighton. On the motion of Professor Stokes, 
seconded by Mr. Spottiswoode, Sir William Thompson, F.R.8., London, 
and professor in the University of Glasgow, was unanimously appointed 
president-elect. The vice-presidents and other officers having been 
elected, it was resolved that the next meeting of the Association be 
held about the middle of August, on such days as the council may 
agree to fix. 
The Structure of Fossil Corals.—A very valuable paper, entitled the 
“ Report of Committee on Fossil Corals,” was read at Liverpool. The 
author, Mr. J. Thomson, exhibited several specimens and slices and 
sections fully illustrating his views. 
The Facts of Succession in relation to a Theory of Continuity.—The 
Department of Anatomy and Physiology was occupied at the British 
Association with the paper by Dr. Spencer Cobbold, F.R.S., on this 
subject. After dealing at some length with the opinions of men like 
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