GLASGOW SOCIETY OF FIELD NATURALISTS. 105 



31sT August, 1875. 

 Mr. James Allan, Vice-President, in the chair. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



By Mr. R. H. Paterson. — The rare fungus Coprinus Hendersonii, 

 and a collection of fac-similes of ferns and club-mosses printed 

 from the plants themselves. He also mentioned that he had found 

 the fungus Saprolequia ferax growing on a fresh-water snail, 

 Limnea peregra. This is a curious example of what may be called 

 an amphibious fungus, as it is quite indistinguishable from Sporen- 

 donema muscce, the fungus which grows on and is supposed to 

 cause the death of the common house-fly. 



By Mr. Alex. Macindoe. — The following plants from the neigh, 

 bourhood of Maryhill : — Lychnis githago, Linum usitatissimum, 

 Cichorium intyhus, and Sisymbrium sophia. 



EXCURSION. 



Kilsyth Glen. — In the absence of Mr. D. Gregorson, the chair- 

 man gave an account of this excui-sion. The Green Spleen wort 

 {Asplenium viride), had been found in considerable abundance ; also 

 all the plants peculiar to the district. 



PAPER READ. 



By Mr. W. J. Milligan on " The theory of Spontaneous Genera- 

 tion." After reviewing various analogies which might lead us to 

 look favourably on the theory, he went on to look at the subject 

 in its chemical aspect, and to point out that many oi'ganic sub- 

 stances had been formed synthetically from the simple elements, 

 and that thus there could be no break between organic and inor- 

 ganic chemistry. Pie then gave an account of the latest experi- 

 ments of Bastian and others, and said that it had been undeniably 

 proved that organisms had appeared in sealed flasks which had 

 been exposed to a temperature of 230 deg. Fahrenheit. Those 

 who deny that life can originate de novo, at one time asserted that 

 a temperature of about 140 deg. Fahrenheit was sufficient to 

 destroy all animal or vegetable life ; but they now content them- 

 selves with affirming that the germs must be able to resist a tem- 

 perature of 230 deg., whereas all the experiments of Dr. Child 



p 



