3176 Zoological Society. 



whether by a chemical solvent, by absorption, by ciliary currents or by rotatory motion. 

 My observations, dissections, and experiments, set at rest all controversy in my own 

 mind. Between twenty and thirty of these creatures have been at work in lumps of 

 chalk, placed in sea-water in a finger-glass and a pan, at my window, for the last three 

 months. This Pholas makes its hole by grating the chalk with its rasp-like valves, 

 licking it up when pulverized with its foot, forcing it up through its principal or bran- 

 chial siphon, and expelling it in oblong nodules. The crypt protects the Pholas from 

 Conferva?, which, when they get at it, grow, not merely on the outside, but even within 

 the lips of the valves, preventing the action of the siphons. In the foot there is a ge- 

 latinous style or spring, which, even when taken out, has great elasticity, and seems to 

 be the mainspring of the motions of the Pholas. — John Robertson ; 48, Queen's Road, 

 Brighton, June 6, 1851. 



'■'Shower of Snails. — An extraordinary scene was witnessed at Bradford, about twelve 

 miles from Bristol, on Saturday week, when that village was visited by a heavy shower 

 of snails. They might have been gathered by bushels." — Stroud Free Press, May 23. 

 What a curious thing it is, that all the showers of frogs, snails, and other things, which 

 are as regularly reported in the papers as Siamese-twin calves and monstrous turnips, 

 should, like the wonderful cures performed by Morison's Pills and Holloway's Oint- 

 ment, always occur in out-of-the-way places, where nobody seems to take the trouble to 

 investigate them. Now as to the above " shower " of snails. — Where did it come 

 from ; did any one see it fall ; did it cease quickly, or was it of long continuance ? 

 Did any one preserve a single specimen out of the " bushels " that fell ; or were they 

 so broken, as might be expected, that no whole ones could be found ? And if any 

 were preserved, of what species are they ? What sort of weather was it when this 

 molluscous visitation happened ; in what sort of a cloud-chariot did it come ; was 

 there much wind, and from what quarter ? It is very desirable that these questions 

 should be answered ; and among the numbers of persons who must have seen the 

 " shower," and its residuum of " bushels " of snails, surely some one can be found 

 who can reply to them. — J. W. Douglas ; 2, Eton Grove, Lee, June 6, 1851. 



Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 



Evening Meeting, Mag 13, 1851. — J. E. Gray, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. 



Mr. Gould communicated a paper by Dr. Nicholson, on a new species of Francolin 

 discovered by him in Arabia. This bird, which appears from Dr. Nicholson's draw- 

 ing to be most probably worthy of generic distinction, was provisionally characterized 

 under the name of Francolinus ? 



The Secretary read a paper by Dr. Davy, communicated by Mr. Spence, which gave 

 a detailed account of his observations on the eyes of the mole from actual dissection. 



Mr. Gray communicated the description of a new species of Bulimus, by Mr. 

 Ernest Devicke, who had himself discovered it in the neighbourhood of Valparaiso. 



Mr. Lovell Reeve added some remarks upon this species, of which he had also pre- 

 pared a description. 



Mr. Cuming communicated an account of forty-nine new species of Miton from 

 his own collection, drawn up by Mr. Arthur Adams. 



The Meeting then adjourned to the 27th of May. 



