252 MEETINGS. 



with a varied collection of local proverbs and scraps of folk- 

 lore, explaining the use and application of many curious words 

 and idioms used in the Guernsey patois. The President read 

 an excellent paper (Part I.) written for the Society by Mr. 

 Hornell, of Jersey, on the Marine Worms of the Channel 

 Islands, dealing chiefly with the strange and unaccountable 

 habit known as " commensalism," of which many remarkable 

 examples were given. 



Monthly Meeting held on January 11th, 1893, Mr. E. D. 

 Marquand, President, in the chair. 



The minutes of the previous meeting having been duly 

 read and confirmed, Mr. G. E. Derrick read the following note : 

 " A deposit of limpet shells was dug through in a field at the 

 town side of the corner formed by the Fort Road and the lane- 

 leading to the Damouettes. A circular pit was sunk at the 

 back of the field for cess-pools of houses about to be erected 

 there, and at five feet below the surface a bed of shells, almost 

 all limpets, was cut through. The bed was 3 feet broad, 

 apparently about 6 feet long, and 4 inches thick. Both pits 

 passed through it, but it did not extend to the further side of 

 either of them. 



" The bed rested upon the undisturbed rock, a vein 

 6 inches thick being immediately underneath it in one place. 

 The earth covering it was pure earth, i.e., it contained no 

 artificial matter, bricks, mortar, or rubbish ; in it was one blue 

 stone completely disintegrated, falling to powder on being 

 touched; it seemed foreign to the neighbourhood. There 

 were one or two spots of black earth, but no signs of burnt 

 wood. In fact, there was nothing to prove the age of the 

 covering material. The shells themselves were soft, easily 

 picked to pieces, and were very similar in appearance to those 

 at Richmond." 



The President then read a chatt}^ paper entitled " Holly 

 and Mistletoe," in which, as being appropriate to this season, 

 he referred to the customs and superstitions connected with 

 these two plants, and their employment for purposes of de- 

 coration during the festivities of Christmastide. An interest- 

 ing conversation ensued, in which many of those present took 

 part. 



A suggestion was brought forward by the President that 

 an endeavour should be made to collect short biographical 

 notes on Guernsey scientists, or others who had at any time 

 contributed towards a better knowledge of the natural history 

 and antiquities of the island, with a view to the publication of 



