scientific Societies. 147 



proteid reactions, and, since it is dissolved in a peptonising fluid, there 

 can be no doubt of its being a true proteid, and not a kind of starchy muci- 

 lage as is usually supposed. The " stoppers " of Ballia also yield proteid 

 reactions; but, inasmuch as they resist gastric digestion, the substance 

 cannot be a true proteid, and may perhaps be allied to lardacein. Mr. 

 Moore maintained the view of Russow, Strassburger, and others (that 

 callus is deposited upon the sieve) to be correct in the case of the vegetable, 

 marrow, since a peptonising fluid clears the sieve plates and leaves them in 

 their pristine condition, which would not be the case if callus were formed 

 by a swelling up of the sieves. 



A discussion followed, in which Dr. F. W. Oliver, Dr. D. H. Scott, Prof. 

 Reynolds G.een, and Mr. George Murray took part. 



March 20. — Mr. W. Carruthers, F.R.S., President, in the chair. 



Mr. G. F. Scott Elliott was admitted, and Mr. H. E. Milner elected a 

 Fellow of the Society. 



After reading the Minutes of the last Meeting, the following Resolution 

 was moved from the chair and unanimously adopted : — " On the occasion 

 of a gift, from Mr. Crisp, of a handsome oaken table for the Meeting-room, 

 the Society desires to record its deep sense of the valuable services rendered 

 by that gentleman, not only as Treasurer, but by numerous acts which are 

 not generally appreciated because they are practically unknown to the 

 Fellows." 



Prof. P. Martin Duncan, F.R.S., exhibited several specimens of 

 Desmophyllum cristagalli, obtained from an electric cable at a depth of 

 550 fathoms. Though showing great variation in the shape and nature of 

 the wall, the specific characters of the septa were maintained. The core 

 extending as a thin lamina far beyond the peduncle, had no connection with 

 the septa. A section of Caryophyllia clavus showed theca between the 

 septa, and a section of Lophohelia prolifera exhibited a true theca extending 

 beyond the septa. 



Mr. E. B. Poulton exhibited some Lepidopterous larvae, showing the 

 variation in colour induced by natural surroundings ; and some lizards in 

 spirit, from the West Indies, showing the pineal eye very distinctly. 



Tn continuation of a former paper on the external morphology of the 

 Lepidopterous pupa, Mr. Poulton gave a detailed and interesting account of 

 the sexual differences observed in the development of the antennae and 

 wings. 



Prof. G. B. Howes read a paper on the intestinal canal of the Ichthy- 

 opsida, with especial reference to its arterial supply. He described certain 

 arteries hitherto unrecorded, and some variations he had found in them in 

 the Frog and Salamander. The artery known in the Elasmobranchii as 

 the inferior mesenteric was shown to belong to the superior mesenteric 



