SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 463 



A series of that remarkable beetle, Goliathus giganteus, from West 

 Africa, was shown by Dr. Heath, and Mr. E. M. Holmes exhibited some 

 curious plants from Japan. 



On behalf of Mr. A. W. Waters, a paper was then read " On Mediter- 

 ranean and New Zealand Retipora, and on a fenestrate Bryozoan ; " and, on 

 behalf of Dr. J. Muller, a paper " On Lichens in the Kew Herbarium." 



Nov. 15th. — Mr. C. B. Clarke, F.R.S., President, in the chair. 



Dr. David Prain was admitted a Fellow. 



Mr. J. E. S. Moore exhibited preparations illustrative of his investiga- 

 tions concerning the origin and nature of the achromatic spindle iu the 

 spermatocycles of Elasmobranchs. His results were approximately in 

 agreement with those arrived at by Hermann in regard to the corresponding 

 elements in Amphibia, and more in accord with those of Ishikawa relating 

 to the division of Noctiluca. As to the spindle fibres themselves, it appeared 

 that during the diastral stage of the division they were the optical 

 expression of thickenings in the wall of a membranous cylinder stretched 

 out between the chromosomes. 



The Rev. G. Henslow exhibited some curious iron implements, of some- 

 what varied pattern, used in Egypt for cutting off the top of the Alexandrine 

 fig, Ficus sycamorus, Linn.; the operation being necessary to render it 

 edible by getting rid of the parasitical insect Sycophaga crassipes, Westw., 

 with which it is always infested. The practice was said to be very ancient, 

 being described by Theophrastus, and alluded to by the same word, xviZuv, in 

 the Septuagint version of the Old Testament (Amos vii. 14), in translating 

 from the Hebrew. 



Mr. H. N. Ridley showed some drawiugs of the green larva of a Sphinx 

 moth mimicking a green tree-snake, Trimeresurus wagleri, as well as a 

 cluster of caterpillars mimicking a fruit, all of which were found in Singa 

 pore. He also exhibited a drawing from life of the tan-producing Gambir- 

 plant, Uncaria gambir, in flower. 



Mr. Thomas Christy exhibited some germinating seeds of pepper, 

 showing the testa being carried up by the cotyledons. 



A paper was then read by Dr. D. Prain on the plant yielding Bhang, 

 Cannabis sativa, illustrated by lantern-slides. 



A paper on the proposed revision of the British Copepoda, by Mr. 

 Thomas Scott, was, in the unavoidable absence of the author, communicated 

 by the Secretary. 



Zoological Society of London. 



November Mi, 1894. — Sir W. H. Flower, K,C.B., LL.D., F.R.S., 

 President, in the chair. 



The President read a letter addressed to him by the late Emin Pasha, 

 containing a diary of ornithological observations made during the last part 



