Microscopical Society. 487 



combining the tabular form for the purpose of noting such observations as more parti- 

 cularly appertain to a kalendar, together with sufficient space in the page, or in the 

 book itself, for recording our little excursions and our notes upon animal life in con- 

 nexion with the surrounding scenery, and the general aspect of nature, whether ap- 

 pertaining to the season or to the passing hour. The pages of this Magazine afford 

 clear testimony to the fact, that many such plans must be known to several of its con- 

 tributors; I would therefore beg to propose that these should be submitted to Mr. 

 Newman, who would perhaps be kind enough to decide on their respective merits, and 

 then to publish the best. Surely it is not presumptuous to expect that much good 

 would accrue to the cause of Natural History in general. By presenting such a poc- 

 ket-book to a friend who is " not in the habit of paying much attention to Natural 

 History," it would ever act as a silent monitor to improve each daily walk in field or 

 woodland, and to record many interesting traits in " the life and conversation " of ani- 

 mated Nature, which would otherwise pass into oblivion. The more interesting notes 

 might be published in ' The Zoologist,' and the list of its subscribers and contributors 

 would be thereby greatly increased. And I will venture to predict that few, after put- 

 ting their hands to this right pleasant task, will, under favorable circumstances, ever 

 fail to carry on the good work. — Id. 



Microscopical Society of London. 



January 17, 1844. — J. S. Bowerbank, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. 



The Secretary, Mr. John Quekett, made some observations upon the structure of 

 some human bones which had been discovered in a bog about 10 feet below the sur- 

 face. When first taken up they were as black as ebony, but on drying the colour had 

 changed to a dark brown. The specific gravity was exactly twice that of water. The 

 most remarkable circumstance connected with these bones, was the fact that the earthy 

 matter had not only penetrated into the Haversian canals, but had made its way from 

 them through the canaliculi into the osseous corpuscles. The specimens exhibited 

 had been boiled in Canada balsam to render them very transparent, and to show the 

 great contrast between the corpuscles which had been filled with earthy matter, and 

 those which were still empty. The same fact had been noticed by Mr. Ince, in the 

 bones of a mummy. The author stated that he had not been able to succeed in fill. 

 ing the corpuscles with injection. 



Mr. Dalrymple alluded to a portion of a skull of a Peruvian, in the Haversian 

 canals of which he had seen not only a single vessel running in the canal, but a num- 

 ber of capillaries on the walls of the canals. Dr. Goodfellow mentioned that he had 

 seen the osseous corpuscles artificially filled by Mr. Tomes. 



Mr. Quekett then made another communication on the arrangement of the blood- 

 vessels in the lower part of the lung of the chameleon, which were so precisely like 

 those in the air-bladder of the eel, that it left no doubt in his mind of the respiratory 

 function of that organ. 



February 15, 1844. — J. S. Bowerbank, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. 



This being the Anniversary of the Society, Reports from the Auditors and from 

 the Council were read, laying before the Society the expenditure, and an abstract of 

 the Proceedings of the Council. After which the Secretary, in the unavoidable absence 

 of the President, read an Address, in which he gave a brief summary of the present 



