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SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES, 



Linnean Society of London. 



November 6, 1890. — Prof. Stewart, President, in the chair. 



Mr. Alfred Taylor was elected a Fellow of the Society. 



Mr. E. M. Holmes exhibited and made remarks on some little-known 

 sea-weeds, including Monostroma Blyttii and Capsosiphon aureolus, 

 from Taymouth, and Oscillaria Coralline and Schizothrix lardacea from 

 the Devonshire coast. 



Mr. George Murray exhibited and described the peculiarities of 

 some galls of Rhodymenia, caused by a crustacean. 



Prof. Gr. B. Howes exhibited a specimen of Lima Mans with a bissus 

 "nest," which it had spun in twenty-one days in a vessel of sea-water 

 in which it had been placed. Although constantly watched by day 

 and night the act of spinning had not been observed. 



On behalf of Mr. J. W. Willis Bund, Mr. Harting exhibited and 

 made some remarks upon a South Pacific Petrel, (Estrelata torquata, 

 Macg., which had been shot in Cardigan Bay in December last. 



On behalf of Prof. Martin Duncan, who was unable to be present, 

 Mr. P. W. Sladen exhibited two microscopic preparations of the 

 ambulacral ampullae of Echini, showing that each ampulla is supplied 

 by one offshoot from the main ambulacral water- vessel. 



Mr. Harting exhibited a specimen of the Baltimore Oriole, Icterus 

 Baltimore, obtained in September last at Balta Sound, Shetland. 



A paper was then read by Bev. Prof. Henslow entitled " A Con- 

 tribution to the study of the relative effects of different parts of the 

 solar spectrum on the assimilation of plants." The paper was 

 illustrated by diagrams, and a discussion followed in which the 

 President, Prof. H. Marshall Ward, Dr. D. H. Scott, and others 

 took part. 



Zoological Society of London. 



Nov. 4, 1890.— Prof. W. H. Flower, C.B., LL.D., F.R.S., President, 

 in the chair. 



The Secretary read a report on the additions made to the Society's 

 Menagerie between the months of June and October, 1890, and called 

 special attention to a young bull of the so-called Wild Cattle of 

 Chartley Park, Staffordshire, presented by Earl Ferrers; a Water- 

 Buck, Cobus ellipsiprymnus, from the Somali Coast, presented by 



