218 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
Huxit Micro-PHILOSOPHICAL SocizEtY. 
The fifth sessional course of papers delivered by the several mem- 
bers of this society terminated on March 20th last. These were 
mostly of an interesting character, and the meetings were generally 
well attended. An increasing interest in microscopical research is 
manifest, and several additional applications for membership have 
been made. Several new instruments have latterly been introduced 
from the manufactory of Mr. Cooke, optician, of Hull, of exquisite 
workmanship, compact design, and perfect stability. The society 
in its pecuniary resources may be said to flourish, and withal to 
present every fair prospect of utility and success. 
Au abridgment of some of the papers may be stated as under: 
George Norman, Esq., the President of the society, in intro- 
ducing the subject of diatomaceous deposits, stated his fears that 
in the short time allowed for his paper little more than a discursive 
glance could be given to the subject, and that, perhaps, on some 
future occasion he would bring the subject again before the mem- 
bers. 
The occurrence of Diatomacee in a fossil state is, on the autho- 
rity of Ehrenberg, constant in the chalk rocks. The President 
stated that, so far as his own experience went, no traces had been 
found in true chalk; perhaps, however, in the Paris beds the case 
might be different. 
The possibility of the flint nodules in chalk being the amorphous 
state of former siliceous frustules was next touched upon. The 
most important deposits occur in the pliocene and plistocene for- 
mations immediately following the cretaceous rocks. ‘lhe enormous 
deposits of Maryland, Virginia, and Algiers, were probably to be 
referred to this period. ‘The fresh-water deposits of Finland, Bo- 
hemia, North America, Dolgelly, Toome Bridge, &c., were probably 
of a far more recent date; these were all, at some remote period, 
the beds of former lakes and morasses. The President alluded to 
the extensive deposit he had himself visited at Toome Bridge, in 
the county of Antrim. More recent deposits still are found under- 
laying peat beds, containing diatoms, with few exceptions, identical 
with forms now found living. ‘The very ancient peat beds found 
about twenty-five feet beneath the alluvium of the district of Hull 
and neighbourhood contained very slight traces of Diatomacese. A 
sample taken from a deep excavation at Spring Head had furnished 
very sparingly Pinnularia cardinalis, a species which had hitherto 
never been found recent. The ancient peat deposit and sunken 
forest cropping out of the sands at Hornsea contained also Pennu- 
laria cardinalis, mixed with many recent forms. This great bed 
was probably the bed of a former mere like the existing Hornsea 
Mere. ; 
The President proceeded to state that, in all probability, the site 
of the present Hornsea Mere would, at some future time, furnish a 
