202 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



cretions or " cystoliths " existing in some of the cells. It was a 

 question whether these concretions were really composed of 

 crystals of carbonate of lime. He thought that they might be 

 regarded as cellulose or some gum-like material deposited upon a 

 cellulose stem. 



A scientific evening was held in the Hall of King's College on 

 December 10th, when a number of interesting objects were 

 exhibited, 



January Iffi, 1874. 



A paper was read in continuation of the Rev. W. H. Dal linger 

 and Dr. Drysdale's "Researches into the Life-History of the 

 Monads." They described the development of a very simple form 

 of monad, — oval with a single flagellum, and not exceeding ^(/^ ^th 

 of an inch in diameter. One mode of increase was by multiple 

 fission. An ordinary egg-shaped monad passes through a series 

 of mutations of form till it settles as a minute sphere. A white 

 cruciform mark suddenly appears, and is succeeded by others at 

 right angles to the first. A rapid interior action ensues, and at 

 length the whole body of the sarcode is divided into a large 

 number of long bodies packed closely together, which separate as 

 flagellate monads. Conjugation is also observed. There is a much 

 smaller number of larger rounder monads, distinguished by their 

 granular aspect, which seize and absorb the common form. The 

 result is a still condition in the form of a sphere. This eventually 

 opens, and a fluid is poured out, or what appears like it; no 

 sporules can be seen. The result of this, however, is the growth 

 of minute specks, which we can only "suppose to come from 

 invisible germs ; and from these forms grow like the parents, and 

 the circle is by them re-entered. 



A paper was read on " The Origin and Development of the 

 Coloured Blood-Corpuscles in Man" by Dr. H. D. Schmidt, of 

 New Orleans. 



The author had the rare opportunity of examining a human 

 ovum which was not less than three weeks and not more than 

 three months old, immediately after expulsion. It did not exceed 

 2i centimetres in diameter, and when opened contained a balloon- 

 shaped vesicle, the umbilical vesicle, and a mass of cells and 

 nuclei, representing the embryo. On cutting into the wall of the 

 vesicle it was found to contain many blood-corpuscles, in various 

 stages of development, moving through smaller or larger canals. 

 Most of the corpuscles resembled fully developed human 

 corpuscles, but some larger ones appeared to be breeding or 

 mother-corpuscles, and contained blood-embryo disks within them. 

 Many of them had on their surface certain regularly formed 

 concave depressions, indicating the place where young- corpuscles 

 had been detached. The process of multiplication consisted in 

 the separation from the mother-body, and near its surface, of a 

 small globular portion which represents the embryo blood- 

 corpuscle. This enlarges and makes its way to the surface, where. 



