SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 473 



Spotted Crake at Scarborough. — A nice specimen of the Spotted Crake 

 was obtained at Scarborough during the early part of October. It was 

 killed by flying against the telegraph-wires, and proved to be in fully 

 mature plumage. This is the second example of this species which has 

 occurred recently in this district. — W. J. Clarke (44, Huntriss Row, 

 Scarborough). 



SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 



Linnean Society of London. 



November 5, 1891. — Prof. Stewart, President, in the chair. 



Mr. W. L. Brown was elected, and Prof. W. F. Weldon was admitted 

 a Fellow of the Society. 



On behalf of a number of subscribers, Mr. Carruthers presented to the 

 Society a half-length portrait in oils of Sir John Lubbock, Bart., M.P., P.C., 

 and F.R.S., a former President, painted by Mr. Leslie Ward; and the 

 remarks which he made on the services rendered to biological science by 

 Sir John Lubbock drew from the latter a graceful acknowledgment of the 

 honour conferred upon him. 



Amongst the exhibitions which followed, Mr. E. M. Holmes showed 

 some new Marine Algae from the Ayrshire coast ; Mr. J. G. Grenfell showed 

 some Diatoms with pseudopodia, illustrating his remarks with diagrams, 

 upon which an interesting discussion followed ; the President exhibited 

 and made some observations on a tooth of the Walrus, which illustrated in 

 a curious manner the periods of growth ; Mr. R. V. Sherring called attention 

 to a large series of framed photographs which had been taken under his 

 direction in Grenada, and illustrated the general character of the West 

 Indian Flora, as well as the physical features of that particular island. 



Mr. J. E. Harting exhibited a specimen of Wilson's Petrel, which had 

 been picked up in an exhausted state in the Co. Down on the 2nd October 

 last, and had been forwarded for inspection by Mr. R. Patterson, of 

 Belfast. Mr. Harting gave some account of the species, and remarked upon 

 the unusual number of Petrels, Shearwaters, Skuas, and other marine 

 birds which had been driven inland to a considerable distance during the 

 recent gales. 



A paper was then read by the Rev. Prof. Henslow, M.A., entitled 

 11 A Theory of Heredity based on Forces instead of any special form of 

 Matter." The author maintained that no special form of matter (as is 

 generally supposed) other than protoplasm is required, the latest discoveries 

 of the organised structure of protoplasm militating against the idea of any 

 other special form of matter. Taking illustrations from the Animil and 



ZOOLOGIST. — DEC. 1891. 2 P 



