594 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



the tube with advancing age got filled up with mucilage, until only- 

 just room enough was left for the creature to move up and down (see 

 pp. 345-6 and p. 512). 



Mr. Badcock's note was read as to a criticism by Professor 0. 

 Biitschli of his paper on Acinetina (this Journal, III. (1880) p. 561), 

 which had appeared in the 'Zoologischer Jahresbericht' for 1880 

 (p. 173). Professor Biitschli, in remarking on Mr. Badcock's compa- 

 rison of the finely ciliated newly-born Podophrya quadripartita to 

 Megatricha partita, referred to the latter as a Rotifer (!), being appa- 

 rently surprised that such a comparison should have been made. At 

 first Mr. Badcock was puzzled to know how the reporter could have 

 fallen into such a mistake, but it had since occurred to him that the 

 explanation was to be found in the fact that there were Rotifers 

 named Megalotricha, and although these were very large Eotifers, 

 while Megatricha is one of the most delicate of all the Ciliata, it was 

 most probable that this was the origin of the mistake. 



Mr. Wilson thought it was strange that Professor Biitschli, who 

 was a very eminent authority on the Protozoa, should not have been 

 familiar with Megatricha, as appeared to be the case. Many of the 

 reviews in the ' Zoologischer Jahresbericht ' were, however, obliged to 

 be hastily done, and some excuse must be made on that account, as 

 well as for the fact that the reporters had to deal largely with papers 

 written in foreign languages. 



Professor Abbe's paper " On the Eelation of Aperture to Power," 

 Part II., was laid before the meeting by Mr. Crisp, who said that as it 

 was a very long communication, he had prepared a resume, which pre- 

 sented the leading points in a condensed form suitable for being read 

 to the Meeting. This he was proceeding to do, when 



Mr. Beck, interposing, said he thought that as the paper was an 

 important one, and required a good deal of consideration, a resume of 

 it would be of very little use to them. He would suggest, therefore, 

 that the paper should be printed, and that when it had been before 

 them in extenso, an evening should be specially devoted to its con- 

 sideration and discussion. 



The Chairman (Mr. Glaisher, in the absence of the President), on 

 the contrary, thought that it would be very useful to have an abstract 

 of the paper read. 



Mr. J. Mayall, jun., also thought it very desirable that the 

 Society should be in possession of Professor Abbe's views, without 

 having to wait until the next issue of the Journal. 



The Meeting having indorsed this view, Mr. Crisp read a resume 

 of the paper (see p. 460). 



The Chairman said that the paper was obviously one of very con- 

 siderable importance, and he had great pleasure in proposing that 

 the warm thanks of the Society should be presented to Professor 

 Abbe for it. 



Mr. Stephenson seconded the suggestion, and said that, having 



