Proceedings of Societies. 41 



ducts, crowded with biliary resin, the excessive development 

 of fat cells, and other morbid conditions, were clearly shown. 



Mr. Wickson stated that he had recently found insects in large 

 numbers on some laurel trees in the Experimental Gardens at 

 the State University. At first sight they appeared to belong to 

 the Aphidae, but a closer inspection showed them to be neurop- 

 terous insects of the genus Psocus, which embraces some sixty 

 species. They are very active in the larval and pupal stages, as 

 well as in the perfect form. They live in groups, usually oh the 

 under side of the leaves. A microscopical examination shows 

 them to have free mouth-parts. The compound eyes are exquis- 

 itely beautiful and many other points m their anatomy are of 

 great interest. From the fact that the laurel leaves upon ' which 

 these little creatures have made their appearance in such num- 

 bers, are very badly infested with scale, Mr, Wickson thinks it 

 quite possible that these species of Psocus may be a natural 

 enemy of the scale insect, finding its food in the eggs or young 

 of the latter. Experiments are now being carried on with a view 

 to testing the correctness of this conjecture. 



November 24th - — Mr. Wickson stated that recent experiments 

 had shown quite conclusively that the recently-observed insects of 

 the genus Psocus, found on scale-infested laurel trees, would not 

 attack the scale insect itself. 



Specimens of an Australian Polyzoan, Bicellaria ciliata, were 

 shown by Mr. Howard, who also exhibited an alga \ (Trichodes- 

 mium, Sp.) found floating in immense quantities in the Pacific. 

 The alga consists of red-like filaments transversely striated, 

 and of a light-olive green color. The average length and diam- 

 eter are respectfully 015 and .0003 of an inch. One -peculiarity 

 of growth is that the filaments arrange themselves in bundles of 

 about twenty-five to fifty. This minute plant forms a considerable 

 part of the food of the right whale, and is in fact known to many 

 mariners as "whale-feed." The process of spore formation does 

 not seem to have been observed as yet. 



Some fine examples of insects preserved in amber and in fossil, 

 copal were shown by Prof. Hanks. 



Dr. Montgomery exhibited a number of interesting slides, 

 illustrative of the minute structure of the eye. Alum-carmine 

 had been used as the staining agent, and the nuclei of the various 

 cells were thereby very clearly defined. 



A * Holman Life Slide,' containing an unusually rich collection 

 of pond organisms, was shown by Mr. Payzant. Germinating 

 gonidia of Vaucheria, many Desmids and other algae, Arcellae, 

 Amaebae and other Rhizopods and innumerable infusoria, were 

 observed. Noteworthy among the latter were several examples 

 of a species belonging to the beautiful genus Epistylis. As the 

 individuals each showed a peculiar band or collar just below the 



