3oo 



[Proc. B.N.F.C. 



dendrites ; crystalline activity evidenced in repeated parallel and 

 twin-grouping accounted for all the varied forms of these peculiar 

 growths. 



The lecturer said that he had produced artificial dendrites of 

 tin, lead, copper, gold, chloride of lead, hydrated oxide of iron, 

 and cuprous oxide. The lecture was illustrated by a series of 40 

 very beautiful lantern slides. 



An animated discussion took place at the close of the lecture, 

 the following members taking part : — Messrs. R. Welch, M.R.I. A. ; 

 A. R. Dwerryhouse, D.Sc, F.G.S. ; W. J. C. Tomlinson, W. Gray, 

 M.R.I. A. ; and John Brown, F.R.S. Mr. Strachan's reply brought 

 the meeting to a close. 



"AN EVENING WITH THE DIATOMACEjE." 



A well-attended meeting of the Geological Section was held 

 in the club-room in the Museum, on 26th January — Mr. W. J, 

 C. Tomlinson presiding. 



Mr. Joseph Maxwell, J. P., gave a very interesting "lecturette" 

 on " The Diatomacece." Mr. Maxwell defined diatoms as minute 

 microscopic alga, and in the course of his remarks referred at 

 length to (a) — Their place in nature, whether animal or vegetable, 

 stating the various arguments on each side — as the result of 

 the best modern research these most interesting organisms are 

 classed in the Vegetable Kingdom, (b) — Their abundance. They 

 are distributed everywhere. The smallest pools and ditches 

 contain them in greater or less numbers. They multiply in 

 prodigious manner. They inhabit both fresh and salt water, 

 and are to be found in every degree of latitude. Their fossil 

 forms compose strata of great extent, and play a far more 

 important part in building up the earth's crust than the gigantic 

 saurians of past ages. Among noteworthy deposits may be 

 mentioned those in Richmond Va., Algeria, Norway, Bohemia, 

 Wales, and at Toomebridge in Ireland, (c) — Their minute size. 

 A cubic inch would contain over 41 millions of an average size. 



