I874-75-] Il S 



the microscope, and, indeed, the whole moss has usually a very- 

 elegant and fairy-like appearance. If, in addition, the polarising 

 apparatus is used, the foliage presents various shades of vivid 

 colours, chiefly green, red, and blue ; the nerve and border of the 

 leaf being usually of the latter colour, resulting from the large por- 

 tion of silica contained in all mosses. The colour of the teeth of 

 the peristome under the polariscope becomes much intensified. 

 Besides their spores, some mosses have other organs of reproduction, 

 called gemmae, of which Mr. Knight had a specimen mounted for 

 the microscope, as well as specimens of the antheridia and archego?iia f 

 before spoken of. Drawings of the peculiar fructification of the 

 Killarney fern and the Filmy fern were shown, also of the sporangia 

 of the former, of the Osmunda regalis, and Blechmim boreale. The 

 cellular structure of plants and the appearance and contents of the 

 vegetable cell were explained, and reference made to some of the 

 smaller alga, as diatoms, red snow, &c. The method of preparing 

 and mounting mosses for the microscope was fully detailed. After 

 a few remarks commending the study of botany as a pleasant re- 

 creation for the young, Mr. Knight concluded by expressing his 

 obligations to Mr. S. A. Stewart for the great assistance he had 

 given in the preparation of the paper; to Mr. J. Creeth, for the 

 loan of specimens ; and to Mr. F. W. Lockwood and Miss Mary Bell, 

 of Newtownards, for the excellent drawings which they had so kindly 

 done for him. 



On 10th March a paper was read by Mr. William Swanston 

 on " Graptolites, with special reference to those found in County 

 Down." 



The reader commenced by giving a brief review of the conflict- 

 ing opinions of the early palaeontologists, showing the puzzling 

 character of these curious fossil organisms. He then directed the 

 attention of the meeting to the various localities in the County 

 Down where they occur, and alluded to some vain attempts that 

 had been made to find coal in the Silurian rocks of that county, 



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