SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 437 



backing to the east on the night of Sept. 3rd, and blowing a fresh breeze 

 from that quarter on the 4th and 5th, with heavy rain commencing to fall 

 on the afternoon of the 4th, and lasting without intermission for twenty- 

 four hours. On the 5th all the hedges near the coast were full of small 

 birds, including Pied Flycatchers in considerable number, Redstarts, White- 

 throats, Garden Warblers, &c. I have only to add that Mr. Howard 

 Saunders and Dr. R. B. Sharpe kindly examined and identified the bird 

 for me, and it was subsequently exhibited at a meeting of the British 

 Ornithologists' Club on Oct. 21st. — G. H. Caton Haigh (Grainsby Hall, 

 Great Grimsby). 



MOLLUSCA. 



Distribution of Worm-eating Slugs.— I am desirous of obtaining 

 living specimens of worm-eating slugs (Testacellce), so as to add to the records 

 I have of the distribution of these animals in the British Isles, and which 

 I hope to be soon in a position to publish. I take this opportunity of 

 thanking correspondents for the trouble they have taken in procuring 

 examples of slugs, and of expressing my gratitude to those editors who 

 so kindly made known my wants last year. — Wilfked Mark Webb 

 (" Ellerie," Crescent Road, Brentwood, Essex). 



SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES, 



Linnean Society of London. 



Nov. 5th, 1896.— Dr. Gunthek, M.A., F.R.S., President, in the chair. 



Messrs. A. B. Freeman Mitford and William Tyson were elected, and 

 Messrs. Vernon H. Blackman and Percy Groom were admitted, Fellows of 

 the Society. 



Dr. Morris, C.M.G., exhibited specimens and slides illustrating the 

 occurrence of raphides in the bulbs of the common hyacinth of gardens 

 {Hyacinthus orientalis and varieties). Forms of eczema were said to have 

 been produced while handling and cleaning these bulbs. Although the 

 fact was familiar to gardeners, the cause did not appear to have been clearly 

 traced. Experiments and observations at the Jodrell Laboratory at 

 Kew, had shown that both dry and moist scales were capable of pro- 

 ducing considerable irritation in certain cases when applied directly to the 

 skin. There was little doubt that the raphides were the prime agents. 

 These needle-shaped crystals (composed of oxalate of lime) varied from 

 T Joth to 2oo tn °f an * ncn in length, and were arranged in close bundles, 

 easily dispersed by rubbing the dry scales. In the growing plants they 

 were doubtless protective, as snails, for instance, avoided hyacinth bulbs, 

 but attacked others growing close by. Roman hyacinths (var. albidus) 

 were understood to cause greater irritation than other varieties. 



