a Onl 
. Sune 23, 1870] 
to being rare. 
» 
“ 
“ 
dance of flints, not only in the present beaches all round Corn- 
wall, but in the raised beaches. It would be a comparatively 
easy but valuable task to ascertain the relative abundance of 
flints at various points. It would be of still more value if any 
one would dredge in the Channel, and ascertain whether there 
were any submarine outliers of gravel from which the flints could 
be derived. Lastly, he would suggest an inquiry into the mega - 
lithic monuments of Cornwall. The origin of the ‘* Hurlers” 
at Liskeard and the ‘‘ Merry Maidens” at Penzance was un- 
known, and it would be interesting to collect anything relating 
to them which tradition yet retained. 
CAMBRIDGE 
Philosophical Society, May 30.—The president (Professor 
Cayley) in the chair. New Fellow elected, F. S. Barff, M.A., 
Christ’s College. Communications made to the Society.—1. By 
Professor Miller, F.R.S. : On the Invention of the Camera 
Lucida by Wollaston. 2. By Mr. H. G. Seeley, F.G.S. (1) 
On the Frontal Bone in the Ornithosauria; with additional 
evidence of the structure of the hand in Pterodactyles from the 
Cambridge Upper Greensand. (2) Note on a new species of 
Plesiosaurus from the Portland Limestone. 
DUBLIN 
Natural History Society, June 1.—W. Andrews, M.R.I.A., 
in the chair. Dr. A. W. Foot read some notes on the different 
insects captured by him during the present spring. He remarked 
on the lateness of the season and on the paucity of insects 
coming to sugar ; and in giving a list of insects taken at Kilkenny, 
expressed the hope that a large number of local collections would 
be made throughout Ireland, stating that if such were sent to the 
Museum of the Royal Dublin Society, they would be arranged 
in the cabinet of Irish insects in that collection, and thus in 
time material for a catalogue of [rish insects be obtained. Mr. 
A. Andrews took the chair, while Mr. W. Andrews read a paper 
on the Crustacea of the West Coast of Ireland.. While it was his 
intention at an early meeting of the next session of the Society to 
give a complete list of all the Crustacea met with by him on this 
part of Ireland, including the minute forms, he wished for the 
present to mention the occurrence there of three species of 
Nehalia, of Pagurus levis, P. ulidianus, the latter with oya, of 
Piluninus hirtellus, Portunus longipes, this latter quite new to 
Ireland, and met with at the entrance to Dingle Bay in fifty 
fathoms of water, and ona shingly bottom, and of a species of 
Galathea which he regarded rather as a A/unida, He had taken 
an immense number of rare minute Crustacea, also many Echino- 
derms, such as Zchinocyamus pusillus living, Spatangus pur- 
pureus, Ophiura alba, and young LEchinus lividus, or at least 
something very like it, at fifty fathoms depth. Further notices 
of all these species he would reserve for another occasion. 
Professor Macalister remarked on the interest of the paper, and 
said that from the sample of it given now, the paper promised 
for next session will be of great value, many of the species alluded 
Professor Macalister exhibited a specimen of 
Ommastrephes from the Cape of Good Hope, which if not one 
of Le Sueur’s species, was probably undescribed. A vote of thanks 
was then passed to the Royal Irish Academy for so kindly accom- 
modating the Society with the use of their house during the past 
session, after which the chairman adjourned the Society until the 
first Wednesday in November next. 
Royal Geological and Royal Zoological Societies, 
June 8.—John Barker, M.D., in the chair. The Rev. M. H. 
Close read a paper ‘‘ On some Corries and their Rock-basins in 
Kerry ;” the object of which was to demonstrate, if possible, 
what is still denied by some, the considerable erosive power of a 
corry glacier. On account of its smallness (its mean diameter 
being only 550 ft.) the well displayed basin in massive unfaulted 
rock, in the.mountain hojlow called Coom Keagh, a well-known 
glacier site near Dingle, peremptorily disclaims all the explana- 
tions hitherto suggested for such physical features, save that of 
glacial action. ‘he water in the basin is 42 ft, deep, and the 
mean height of the rock-barrier above the water is 10ft. The 
glacier must have removed at least 52 ft. of rock from the site 
of the basin, and doubtless more, since the rock basin is due 
only tu the difference between the erosion at its middle part and 
at the rock barrier. The Rev. Professor Haughton and 
Professor Hull took part in the discussion on this impor- 
tant paper.—Professor R. H. Traquair, M.D., read a paper 
*“*On the scales of Calamoichthys calabaricus.” He described 
the external hard parts of this fish, including the scales, fin- 
rays, and those’ cranial bones which have external ‘ganoid” 
NABURL: = 
155 
surfaces, in this supplementing as well as somewhat correcting 
the description of Dr. Smith. Especial attention was given to 
the scales ; their whole surface is covered with closely-set punc- 
tures, rather irregularly placed towards the centre and anterior 
superior angle, but assuming a regular arrangement in concentric 
and also radiating lines on the posterior inlerior part of the scale. 
The microscopical structure of the scale corresponds with what 
is seen in /’lyplerus. The scales are of an osseous substance, 
with numerouslacunz. Vascular canals enter from the attached 
surface, and then form a complex network which communicates 
by minute branches with the punctures in the external aspect. 
The form of the scales on different parts of the body was also 
alluded to, and some deviations observable on some specimens 
from the usual regular arrangement of the scales in oblique bands 
were also described.—Professur Macalister, M.D., then read 
some letters addressed to the late Dr. Croker respecting a singu- 
lar mode of reproduction of the Marsupials. The writers were 
Mr. Williams, M.R.C.S., and Mr. G. T. Lloyd, of Geelong ; 
and after asserting that all the knowledge at present existing on 
the subject of the reproduction of the kangaroo was erroneous, 
proclaimed as an important discovery that the young kangaroo 
was developed from a httle mass of mucus which exuded at cer- 
tain seasons from the nipple of the mother. ‘The Chairman, in 
calling for a discussion on this correspondence, stated that the 
actual transit of the young animal from the uterine cavity to the 
maternal pouch had never yet been proved. [We cannot refrain 
from expressing our regret that the members of two learned 
societies could be found to listen to such absolute nonsense as was 
contained in these letters, and that a professor of zoology in an 
ancient university, himself a distinguished anatomist, could be 
persuaded to be the medium of presenting it to such or any 
audience. As to the remarks of the Chairman, who we think 
ought to have stopped the reading of the letters, need we say that 
they are in contradiction to the facts observed by the late Karl 
Derby’s father, or by the present Professor Owen. ]—Professor R. 
Ball read an interesting letter from a friend in Bristol referring to 
the birth in the Zoological Gardens of that city of a second 
litter of four tiger cubs. Of the first litter of tour, only one 
survived ; and of the present litter all the cubs were more or 
less malformed and delicate. In Dublin the tigress has never 
had any offspring, while the lionesses have been most prolific, 
and their cubs are uniformly perfect and healthy. Ihe societies 
then adjourned to the next session. 
Royal Dublin Society, May 23.—Prof. Dyer in the chair. 
Prof. R. Ball, M.A., read *‘ An Account of Experiments on the 
Mechanical Efficiency of the Differential Pulley-block and Epi- 
cycloidal Pulley-block.”—Dr. T. Emerson Reynolds read a paper 
“On a Series of Mineralogical Tables.” 
Royal Irish Academy, May 23.—The Rev. J. H. Jellett, 
B.D., president, in the chair, Dr. R. M‘Donnell read a paper 
**On a New Theory of Nervous Action, as regards the Propaga- 
tion of Sensation along Nerves.” This memoir will be published 
in the Transactions of the Academy.—A paper by Mr. Hardinge 
was read, ‘*On an ancient seal of the diocese of Ossory, and 
on some coins found near the Boyne.” —The following were de- 
clared duly elected members of the Academy :—A. FitzGibbon, 
C.E., E. Hutchins, and John Kelly, of University College, 
Calcutta. 
BERLIN 
Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences, March 14.— 
Prof. Dove read a communication on the diffusion of heat in the 
Polar Sea, and on the cold of the early part of the present year, 
the latter accompanied by tables. 
March 31.—Prof. Helmholtz communicated a memoir by M. 
N. Baxt onthe velocity of transmission of excitation in the 
motor nerves of man, containing the results of several series of 
experiments. —Prof. Hofmann read a paper on substituted mela- 
mines, in which he described the following compounds—tri- 
methylmelamine, triamylmelamine, and triphenylmelamine. He 
confirmed his previous supposition that the substituted melamines 
are not the direct products of the desulphuration of the sulphur- 
compounds of urea, but that this formation is preceded by that 
of the substituted cyanamides. Prof. Hofmann also com- 
municated a memoir by himself and M. Otto Olshausen on the 
isomers of cyamuric ether, in which the authors describe the 
cyanzetholine of Cloéz, and a series of experiments on the pro- 
duction of the cyanuric ethers of the methylic, ethylic, amylic, 
and phenylic series.—Prof. W. Peters read a paper on the 
affinity of the Céexodactyli to the chinchillas and other groups of 
