75 



Mr. Turner exhibited liowers of the early purple orchid, 

 Orchis iiiascula, which he had met with abundantly in the 

 North Kent woods. 



A long series of lantern slides, the property of the South 

 Eastern Union of Scientific Societies, illustrating the 

 British Orchids was exhibited, and the accompanying 

 lecture read by the Secretary. 



The subject matter dealt with the peculiar and distinctive 

 structure of orchidaceous plants, and the methods of their 

 growth and fertilisation. Among the species described and 

 illustrated in more or less detail were : — Orchis mascula, 0. 

 latifolia, 0. maculata, 0. pyramidalis, Gymnadenia conopsea, 

 Habenaria bifolia, H. chlorantha, Aceras anthropophora, Ophrys 

 apifera, O. aranifera, 0. muscifera, Epipactis latifolia, and 

 Cephalanthcra grandiflora . 



MA Y 2ii,th, 1900. 



Mr. W. J. Lucas, B.A., F.E.S., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. F. M. B. Carr exhibited the eggs of Tnrdiis umsicus 

 (common thrush). Two eggs without spots were taken 

 from a nest found at Sandling, Kent ; the other two eggs 

 in the nest were spotted in the usual way. Two with 

 purple spots were from Hythe, Kent ; the remaining egg in 

 the nest was similar to these two. Four other examples, 

 which were pretty ordinary, were from Maidstone, Grove 

 Park, Hythe, and Jevington. 



Major Ficklin reported having seen a moorhen's nest with 

 seven eggs, built on a bough partly in the water, quite open 

 to the view of anyone passing. 



Mr. Knock had seen a pied blackbird for two successive 

 seasons near his house in North London. The head and 

 shoulders were white. 



Mr. F. Noad Clark exhibited a sawliy and cocoon found 

 in deal staves used for making barrels. The cocoon was 

 from Mr. Humphreys, of Northwich, and was received by 

 him in September, i8gg. " The insect, which emerged on 

 May ist this year, was soft, and gradually hardened. The 

 wings appeared full grown about May 6th, and the body 

 was then black, with white bands." The cocoon was a most 

 remarkable and delicate network of thin fibres. 



Mr. Knock gave a series of interesting notes, illustrated 

 with admirable lantern slides, on various incidents in insect 



