Foreign Members : Prof. Gaston Bonnier. Prof. Victor Fekdinand 

 Brotherus, Prof. Giovanni Battista de Toni, Prof. Loris 

 Dollo, Prof. Paul Maiictial, and Prof. Poland Thaxter, 

 Ph.D. 



The President remarked upon the recent issue of two new- 

 volumes of the Pay Society, which were shown on the table, namely, 

 4 British Orthoptera,' by Mr. Lucas, and the first volume of the 

 'British Charophyta,' by Mr. Groves and Canon Bullock-Webster. 



The following auditors were proposed, and elected by show of 

 hands : — 



For the Council: Mr. E. T. Browne, 



Mr. Stanley Edw^ards. 

 For the Fellows : Mr. T. A. Dymes, 

 Mr. 11. Paulson. 



Br. G. P. Bidder, F.L.S., read three communications on 

 Sponges, of which the following abstract was supplied by the 

 ■author: — 



(1) " The Fragrance of Calcinean Sponges." — Clathrinidas have a 

 noticeable aromatic scent, probably due to the excretory granules 

 which give their bright colours. These granules especially surround 

 the pores. May this be to attract the spermatozoa ? I have not seen 

 the fine-lashed spermatozoa of Polejaeff, but in Sycon have observed 

 a stiff-tailed organism — possibly the result of curious gregarine-like 

 objects produced in cells resembling monocytes. The algfe, which I 

 described as the food of collar-cells, Bendy calls sperm-morulas and 

 the cell-faeces spermatozoa — interpretations which seem improbable. 

 The " sperm-balls " of Claihrina may be the same alga. In Guancha 

 eoriacea I observed the "minute wandering cells" escaping as a 

 cloud ; probably these are spermatozoa. 



(2) " Sgncrypta spongianim " (wrongly assigned to Pandorina in 

 my MS.) I give as a name to the " alga " above-mentioned. I suggest 

 that it is a dangerous parasite, against which Grantia compressa has 

 a successful phagocytosis, but that certain other' sponges are hosts 

 for its Palmetto, stage. 



(8) " Notes on the Physiology of Sponges/' — (A) Ceroids, proposed 

 as a name for the " minute wandering cells."' (B) Cessation of the 

 current in sponges. (C) Differences between Calcinea and Cal- 

 caronea in their porocytal granules and odour. (D) The excreta of 



