Linncean Society. 285' 



The following Crustacea were also captured : — 



Inachus doryrhynchus. Pagurus cuanensis. 



tenuirostris. levis. 



Pisa tetraodon. Munida Rondeletii. 



Gibbsii. Galathea squamifera : on the 



EbaUa Pennantii. shore. 



Ilyas coarctatus. Palsemon squilla. 



Portunus pusillus. Capsella phasma. 



Acheus Cranchii. Idotea tricuspidata. 



Pilumnus hirtellus. Oniscus oceanicus. 



Pinotheres pisum. Praniza ceerulata. 



Besides the above lists, I have specimens of many other ani- 

 mals which I propose to add in another paper, not having been 

 able to name some of them very satisfactorily at present; and 

 also a list of Sponges. 



PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 



LINNJEAN SOCIETY. 



June 17, 1851. — Robert Brown, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



Read a Letter from Thomas Forster, Esq., M.B., F.L.S., dated 

 from Bruges, May 21st, 1851, and addressed to the Secretary, con- 

 taining some observations " On the present season in relation to 

 the Migration of Birds and other Natural Phsenomena." 



Dr. Forster commences his letter by referring to a passage in 

 White's ' Natural History of Selborne,' where it is remarked that 

 the Swallow-tribe, and particularly the Martins, must suffer great 

 devastation in the course of their winter migrations, inasmuch as, in 

 certain seasons " the numbers of single birds which return in the 

 |*pring bear no manner of proportion to those who retire in autumn." 

 for. Forster's Journal, now of forty years' standing, shows that this 

 ' disproportion is greatest in late springs, particularly when accom- 

 |f panied with much wet and windy weather. The present season has 

 been especially remarkable. After a winter the mildest ever re- 

 membered in Belgium, the spring was cold and showery, and nearly 

 all the periodical phsenomena were later than usual ; while many 

 tribes of plants suffered severely from some obscure atmospherical 

 influence, apparently referable to the same class of causes which 

 produce epidemics in the human subject and epizootics among 

 animals. The Hyacinthus plumosus died off in most gardens, and 

 also the Muscari racemosus. As soon as the flowers showed them- 

 selves the stock began to wither and in a few days died away, whole 

 beds going off in the same way. Great numbers of Tulips perished 

 in the ground ; the leafing of trees was very lute ; and the Mulberry 

 had not at the date of the letter shown any signs of budding. The 

 Swallow {Hirundo rustica) arrived on the 1 8th of April, and had 



