REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. 33 



" An Explanation of the Claxheugh Section," which is a 

 remarkable and conspicuous clifF-section of the Magnesian 

 Limestone on the south bank of the Wear near South Hylton. 

 Afterwards a translation from the German, by Mr. Deacon, of 

 an interesting paper by Adalbert Seite on the " Flight of the 

 Albatross," was read. Mr. A. Meek gave a short account of 

 his researches on the Growth of Muscle Fibre. As is usual at 

 these meetings a general discussion followed the reading of 

 each paper, and the meeting was concluded by a vote of 

 thanks to the Mayor for his kindness in presiding. 



The Second Meeting was held on Tuesday, November 29th, 

 the Mayor again kindly presiding. A very interesting paper 

 was read by Mr. H. S. Sutherland on the Marsupial Mole, 

 Neoryctes typhlops, and the country it inhabits in the more 

 remote and wilder regions of South Australia, illustrated by an 

 example now in the Museum captured and brought home by 

 Mr. Sutherland, who was one of the first discoverers of this 

 remarkable and rare Marsupial recently added to the peculiar 

 Fauna of Australia. Mr. D. Rosie exhibited a small collection 

 of Geometer Moths with their larvae and pupas. 



The Third Evening Meeting took place on Tuesday, January 

 31st, 1899, the Mayor as usual presiding. Mr. Ritson read 

 the Hancock Prize for 1898, " On a Ramble in West Durham," 

 and Mr. Nicholson read his Essay on " An Entomological 

 Ramble in the Hexham District," with an exhibition of the 

 Insects captured. Mr. D. Rosie read a short paper " On the 

 Preservation of the Larvae of the Lepidoptera by Inflation," 

 with several of the examples so preserved. Mr. H. S. Suther- 

 land exhibited a Collection of Lepidoptera and other Insects 

 from Japan. 



At the Fourth Evening Meeting on February 28th, the 

 Mayor, Councillor George Harkus, presided, and the Rev. 

 Arthur Watts, F.G.S., gave a very interesting account of the 

 Geology and Fossils of Franz Joseph Land, illustrated with 

 examples of the rocks and fossils communicated to him by a 

 friend who had been a member of a recent expedition to these 

 remote Arctic Islands. A short conversation followed, and 



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