March 12th, 1907.] PROCEEDINGS. xxvii 



would be due to carbonisation produced by the fluid metal, but 

 still more to the oil employed in the melting and mixing process. 

 Dr. F. W. Gamble read a paper written in conjunction with 

 Dr. F. Keeble, and entitled "The Occurrence and 

 Significance of Symbiotic Corpuscles in the Lower 



Animals." 



The paper described the occurrence of symbiotic coloured 

 corpuscles in the bodies of lower animals. It dealt in detail 

 with a single case, that of the simple Turbellarian worm Convo- 

 luta roscoffensis, and discussed the evidence for describing the 

 green cells of the animals as an " infection " by a flagellated 

 vegetal organism. 



The nature and life-history of this organism were described, 

 and the significance of the association of this organism and of 

 the animal Convolula was discussed. 



At this point the Chair was taken by Dr. W. E. Hoyle, 

 F.R.S.E. 



Mr. Francis Nicholson, F.Z.S., then exhibited some bones 

 of the Great Auk from Funk Island, Newfoundland, and read 

 the following account of them : — 



The bones exhibited on the table are those of the now 

 probably extinct species of bird, the Great Auk, or Gare-fowl, 

 Alca impemiis of Linnaeus. They were presented to the late 

 Sir Francis H. Evans, Bart., about twenty years ago, when he 

 was on a visit to Newfoundland, by a man who had obtained 

 them from Funk Island. This island is a flat granite rock, a 

 little over a mile in length and a quarter of a mile in breadth, 

 which lies about 32 miles from the most eastern headlands of 

 Newfoundland. Its southern, south-eastern, and south-western 

 sides are bounded by cliffs from 30 to 50 feet in height, whilst the 

 remaining northern and north-eastern portions shelve gradually 

 towards the sea. At no point is there anything like a beach to 

 divide the solid rock from the water. 



There are seven bones in this collection consisting of — 1 

 base of skull ; 1 Clavicle; 1 Sacral Vertebrae; 2 right Humeri; 2 



