3008 Entomological and Microscopical Societies. 



coast of Brazil, 350 miles. The small island alluded to is only about two leagues in 

 length, and is about seventy leagues distant from the mainland of Brazil. Facts so 

 well authenticated as the foregoing on the flight of insects are very interesting, and it 

 is well that they should be recorded, although at present, the names of the insects 

 which have ventured out so far to sea, or have been driven by necessity to undertake 

 a long flight over such an extent of water, cannot be ascertained. I hope hereafter 

 to procure from Mr. Harrington more information on this point, which I shall have 

 pleasure in communicating to the society. 



The President observed that once when crossing the channel to Dublin in very 

 calm weather, the vessel was surrounded the whole distance by insects of all kinds, of 

 which as most conspicuous he had noticed the common white butterfly, which invaria- 

 bly flew close to the water. 



Mr. Bond stated that the larva of Acherontia Atropos had been unusually common 

 in Cambridgeshire this autumn, and that two had squeaked audibly while yet in the 

 pupa state. 



The President announced that Part 3, of Vol. i., new series, of the Transactions, 

 was on the table.— H. T. S. 



Proceedings of the Microscopical Society of London. 



November 13, 1850. — Dr. Arthur Fabre, President, in the chair. 



Dr. Carpenter made some remarks on Foraminifera, in reference to the paper by 

 Mr. Williamson on that subject, read at the meeting in June last. 



Mr. De la Rue described the construction of a dissecting microscope made by M. 

 Nachet. 



A paper by J. S. Bowerbank, Esq., * On Ciliary Action in the Spongiadae,' was 

 read. 



After some preliminary remarks, in which some observations of Dr. Dobie on the 

 same subject were alluded to, Mr. Bowerbank stated, that wishing to follow out the 

 investigation, he had, in the autumn of the present year, located himself at Tenby, in 

 South Wales, where the sponge, Grantia compressa, examined by Dr. Dobie, is found 

 abundantly. The specimens selected for examination were not more than a quarter 

 of an inch in length, and upon placing one of these beneath the microscope in a 

 closed cell, after a short time the excurrent action commenced and continued steadily 

 for a considerable time, the fecal matter being ejected with much force. On examin- 

 ing the exterior of the same specimen, the incurrent action over the whole of its sur- 

 face was equally well, although less forcibly demonstrated. Having thus succeeded 

 in seeing the continuous entrance and exit of the surrounding fluid, the great saccular 

 cavity was next examined. This was done by carefully opening the sponge from the 

 entrance of the sac to its base, with a pair of fine scissors, cutting through its com- 

 pressed edges. The halves thus produced were mounted for examination in a closed 

 cell as before, with the inner surface towards the eye. The sponge was now seen to 

 be composed of angular cells, constructed of triradiate calcareous spiculae, and packed 

 together like the cells of a honeycomb. They are of the same diameter downwards 

 for the length of about half their own diameter, and then terminate in a perforated 



