PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 345 
others mention its being carnivorous, and spinning a silken web like that of 
a spider, but which he believes to be for protection from its enemies, while 
he doubts its carnivorous habits, regarding it as probably a vegetable feeder. 
He then entered into the subject of systematic position, structure, distri- 
bution, number of species, concluding with a detailed description and 
zoological remarks on those now known. He observed that the larva of a 
species of Embia has been noticed in fossil amber. The living forms inhabit 
both hemispheres at spots wide apart. None are known from Australia. 
_ Mr. G. Busk verbally explained the more important points in the suc- 
ceeding paper, viz., “Observations on British Polyzoa,” by the worthy 
field-naturalist, Mr. C. Peach. The latter has faithfully described and 
delineated a number of forms of this marine family, some of which he 
considers as new to science, and of other known genera and species he 
adds much information regarding their habits and history. For instance, 
Scrupocellaria scruposa he finds has tubulous wool-fibre-like roots, armed 
with spines, by which it attaches itself to certain sponges, &c., a fact 
which appears to have been overlooked in all works on British Zoophytes, 
though Mr. Busk, in his ‘ Catalogue of Marine Polyzoa,’ has adverted to 
S. Macandrei from the coast of Spain and S. ferow from Bass’ Straits 
as possessing “radical tubes hooked.” LEschara stellata and Discopora 
meandrina, both dredged by Mr. Gwyn Jeffreys off Shetland in 1864, 
Mr. Peach considers as new species. 
A short, partly descriptive, paper by Mr. Edward J. Miers, “‘ On Species 
of Crustacea living within the Venus’ Flower-basket (E'uplectella) and in 
Meyerina claviformis,” was laid before the meeting. Among the late 
Dr. J. 8S. Bowerbank’s collection of Sponges recently acquired by the 
British Museum authorities was a bottle containing Crustacea from within 
Alcyonellum speciosum, from Zebu, Philippines, ninety-five fathoms. The 
existence of Crustacea within some of the vitreous sponges has been long 
known; nevertheless a technical account of the species so imprisoned 
has been hitherto somewhat defective. Mr. Miers’ account of Spongicola 
venusta, De Haan, of Aga spongiophila, Semper, and of Cirolana multi- 
digitata supply this want. 
Several interesting botanical papers were read and discussed, viz., 
Dr. Maxwell Masters, “On the Morphology of Primroses;” the Rev. G. 
Henslow, ‘‘ Note on the Numerical Increase of Parts of Plants;” Mr. 
Marcus Hartog, “On the Floral Development and Symmetry in the 
Order Sapotacee ;” and “A Notice of the Lichens of the ‘ Challenger’ 
Expedition,” by the Rev. J. M. Crombie. 
June 21, 1877.—The Rev. G. Henstow, M.A., F.L.S., in the chair. 
Dr. John M‘Donald, Gothic House, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, was duly 
elected a Fellow of the Society. 
2Y 
