president's address. 247 



The Second Evening Meeting was held on the 8th of Feb- 

 ruary. The following papers were read : — 



1. " On Siliceous Casts of Corals from the Refuse of Chemical 

 Worhs on the Tyne, by Mr. H. B. Brady, F.L.S." 



2. "Remarks on the Report of the Commissioners appointed to 

 enquire into the State of the Sea Fisheries, by the Bev. B. F. 

 Wheeler." 



3. " On BiatomacecB discovered between Tynemouth and Hartley, 

 by Mr. T. B. Barkas." 



After the reading of this paper Messrs. Mawson and Swan 

 exhibited, by means of the Oxyhydrogen Lantern, some micropho- 

 tographs of Diatoinacese, and other objects, which had been pho- 

 tographed by Dr. Maddox, of London. The microphotographs 

 were wonderfully beautiful, exhibiting the various objects in such 

 a perfect manner, that the finest sculpture of the Diatoms was 

 seen enormously magnified by means of the lantern. 



4. "Natural History Notes, 1 ' by Mr. John Hogg, F.B.S." 

 Eight new members were elected. 



The Third Evening Meeting was held on Thursday, March 

 22nd. The room was well filled with members, and the follow- 

 ing papers were read : — 



1. " On a recently opened Bone Cave at Ryhope, by Messrs. 

 J. "W. Kirkby and GK S. Brady." This paper will be published 

 in the Transactions. The discussion which ensued drew forth 

 from the Bev. "W. Greenwell an extremely interesting account of 

 a cave which had been discovered at Heathery Burn, near Stan- 

 hope. Mr. Greenwell promised to lay before the Society on a 

 future occasion an extended account of this cave ; but meanwhile 

 he gave a few particulars respecting the result of his investiga- 

 tions up to the present time. It would appear that this cave had 

 been the habitation of a family consisting of seven persons. The 

 bones had been sent to London and had been partially examined 

 by Brofessor Huxley, who considered them to belong to the ordi- 

 nary type of people who inhabited our country before the Boman 

 occupation : unfortunately, the human remains had subsequently 

 disappeared in a most remarkable manner. Besides the skeletons 



