WQ Proceedings of Philosophical Societies. [J as. 



On Thursday 22d Dec, Mr. Travers's paper was continued. 

 He gave his reasons for censidering the iris as muscular, and that 

 by means of it t!ie pupil is adjusted to different distances. 



The Society adjourned over two Thursdays, on account of the 

 approaching holidays. 



LINN^AN SOCrETY. 



On Tuesday, December 6th, a paper by James Johnson, Esq. 

 was read, giving an account of some fossil bones found in the cliiF 

 near Lyme, Dorsetshire. This cliff abounds in belemnites, nautili, 

 and the remains of other sea animals. The bones in question 

 have been supposed to belong to the crocodile ; but Mr. Johnson 

 gave his reasons for considering that opinion as ill founded. He 

 thinks they constitute the bones of a new and unknown species of 

 amphibious animal. He is of opinion that the animals whose 

 remains are found here lived and died upon the spot. 



A communication from Mr. Sowerby was also read, On the 

 Spiral Tubes of some Fossil Shells belonging to the genus Anomia 

 of Linnaeus and' Terrebratula of Lamark. These shells occur in 

 limestone and he thinks the spiral tubes will furnish characters 

 sufficient to constitute them a new genus. 



M. Vieillot's paper begun at the last meeting was continued. 



On Tuesday December the 20th M. Vieillot's paper was con- 

 tinued. , ., . 1 1 c • 



Specimens of flax and hemp were exhibited to the Society, 

 prepared by machinery invented by Mr. Lee, without water steep- 

 ing or dew' retting. The specimens were beautiful. The advan- 

 tages of the plan are that the produce is greater and better; and 

 the green part of the plant is preserved, which furnishes very good 

 food for cattle, and is an excellent manure. The seed also is 

 preserved. 



WERNKRIAN SOCIETY. 



At the Meeting of this Society, on Saturday the 12th of Novem- 

 ber there was read a paper by the Rev. Dr. Fleming of Flisk, 

 On'the fossil Species of Orthocera found in Britain. The Doctor 

 has paid much attention to petrifactions : and he here described no 

 fewer than ten species of orthocera, all of them found in strata 

 belontjin'i" to *he independent coal formntion in the county of Lin- 

 lithirow.'' Tuo cf these orthoceratites have already been figured 

 bv th^ late Rev. Mr. Ure, in his History of Rutherglen and Kil- 

 bride- the rest were now for the tirsr time described ; and the de- 

 sciiptions were iiiustrated by beautiful and correct drawings.^ The 

 secreiaiv presci.ied two communications from Mr. Scoresby, jonior, 

 of Whilby. of great int( rt-st to the meteorologist; being journals 

 ■keut duri''^'" voyages to Davis's Straits, in the years ISl.'J and 1814, 

 in which Mr. Scorcbljy notes the latnude and longitude; the tem- 

 nerature gencvaHv giving the mean of three daily observations; the 

 direction and strength of the winds ; the aqueous and other meteors; 



