546 



it presented. He also noticed a hyaloid membrane of great 

 tenuity which surrounds the base of the tentacular plume, 

 and extends upwards for about the fourth of the length of 

 the plume, being adherent to the tentacula, and constituting 

 a kind of calyciform appendage to the base of the crown. 



He mentioned the existence of this calyciform membrane 

 in Plumatella and Cristatella, but would not speak positively 

 as to its presence in Alcyonella ; from Paludicella it is cer- 

 tainly absent, a fact which, along with several others, tends to 

 approach this elegant zoophyte to the marine Ciliohrachi- 

 ates. 



Dr. Allnian also alluded to a singular valve-like organ 

 with which the mouth is furnished, exactly similar to that 

 found in Plumatella, and described by the Author at the late 

 meeting of the British Association. This organ he has also 

 detected in Cristatella. 



Through the external tunic of the polypidom will be 

 found scattered, numerous silicious particles of no definite 

 figure, and the Author considered himself justified, from the 

 observations which he had made upon the fresh-water 

 zoophytes, to come to the general conclusion that in the 

 corneous polypidom of these animals, silica replaces the cal- 

 careous deposits of the marine species. 



February 26. 

 ROBERT BALL, Esq., Treasurer, in the Chair. 



The Secretary read a paper by the Rev. Dr. Hincks, 

 " On the Defacement of Divine and Royal Names on Egyp- 

 tian Monuments." 



An attempt is made in this paper to specify the several 

 occasions, on which the principal defacements of Egyptian 



