150 Proceedings of Societies. 
The soil on the summit of these fine mountains is deep, and 
covered with good pasture. Streams of water are numerous, and 
flow throughout the year. From the extent of forest, the resem- 
blance of the Flora to that of Ceylon and the corresponding altitude, 
these hills seem suitable for the cultivation of coffee on a large scale, 
and for colonisation of small communities of Englishmen. 
3. On the Contractions suffered by Sulphuric Acid on being 
mixed with Water. By Dr Lyon Playfair, C.B. 
4. On the Constitution of Anthracene or Paranaphthaline, 
and some of its Products of Decomposition. By Professor 
Anderson. ? 7 
Royal Physical Society. 
27th February.—James M‘Bain, M.D., R.N., President, in the Chair. 
The following communications were read :— 
1. Observations on British Zoophytes and Protozoa. On Atractylis 
coccinea (new species). By T. Srreraizn Wricut, M.D. 
(1.) On Atractylis coccinea.—The subject of this notice was found at 
Inch-Garvie, in August last, growing on the roots of Laminaria sac- 
charina. The poiypary consists of an open network of milk-white fibres 
which closely invest the branches of the root. From this network the 
polyp-stems are given off, each about a quarter of an inch in length, of a 
rich pinkish-cream colour, and bearing at its summit a single crimson 
polyp with a double row of transparent, colourless tentacles. The body 
of the polyp is spindle-shaped, sometimes nearly cylindrical, and consists 
of an endoderm, having its cells laden with granules of a deep rich carmine 
colour, covered by an ectoderm of transparent white. The polyps, like 
others of this class, have the habit of turning themselves inside out, when 
the internal surface of the deep-coloured velvety endoderm is readily 
observed. On such occasions, masses of crimson granular matter are fre- 
quently ejected, which are composed of small globules filled with deep 
coloured fluid. These globules, which in other zoophytes are variously 
coloured in tints of brown, vermilion, orange, purple, and green, have 
had various functions assigned to them, as being the rudiments of a biliary 
element, nutritive centres, &c., but nothing is certainly known of their 
nature. The tentacles are eight in number, four of which are long, and 
held nearly erect, and alternate with the rest, which are shorter and much 
more expanded. The thread-cells of the tentacles,are inconspicuous. 
(2.) On Rhizopod structure.—One of the most interesting and im- 
portant questions of the day to the comparative physiologist is that of 
the constitution of Rhizopod structure. The Foraminiferous or Rhizopod 
animals are before our microscopic eye every day. We see their beauti- 
fully chambered shells imitating some of the most graceful objects of 
nature and art,—the living streams of nearly fluid sarcode, of which they 
are composed, flowing forth from the almost invisible pores of their 
