36 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



endoderm (d), could be distinctly made out in those specimens 

 attached to surfaces of glass. It appears, from the above 

 observations, that the Hydra tuba is not a naked polyp, as 

 hitherto described. 



IV. Specimens of the Lantern Fly of British Honduras were ex- 



hibited by J. A. Smith, M.D. 



These appeared to be the Fulgora laternaria, Linn., and were sent 

 for exhibition by Mr James Banks, Prestonpans. It seemed, Dr Smith 

 said, to be still undecided among naturalists whether these flies were 

 really luminous at times or not. Other luminous so-called fire-flies be- 

 longed to the class of beetles (Coleoptera). It was of importance, there- 

 fore, that the undoubted evidence of eye-witnesses should be produced ; 

 and it was suggested that Mr Banks be invited to write to his corre- 

 spondents in Honduras for information on the subject. 



V. Notes of Fossils from the Old Red Sandstone of the South of Scot- 



land. By John Alex. Smith, M.D. 



A specimen of a fossil plant was exhibited from the Upper Old 

 Red Sandstone of Roxburghshire. It was found last autumn in the 

 Denholm Hill quarry, in the white rock of its upper beds. The plant 

 was apparently a Fucus or sea-weed ; its stem was rather more than one- 

 fourth of an inch in width, and divided dichotomously into numerous 

 branches, covering part of the surface of the stone for about a foot or so 

 in length. The few plants found in this locality had been recently de- 

 scribed by the Rev. Mr Duncan, Denholm, in a sketch of the geology 

 of the district contained in a work on the " History and Antiquities of 

 Roxburghshire," by Alexander Jeffrey, Esq., Jedburgh. Dr Smith 

 believed it was the first time any of these fossils had been exhibited to 

 the Society. He had much pleasure in presenting this specimen to the 

 Natural History Museum of the University. 



Professor Balfour said he had no doubt the plant was a Fucus ; but 

 more than that he could not determine. 



Dr Smith exhibited another fossil remain from the same Upper Old 

 Red, in this instance, of Berwickshire ; it was found in a Red Sandstone 

 quarry, opened some years ago on the side of the Black Hill, near Earl- 

 ston, and was of considerable interest, being the only specimen of a 

 fossil, as far as he could learn, that had ever been discovered there. The 

 specimen is a beautifully sharp and perfect impression of a somewhat trian- 

 gularly shaped group of palatal teeth ; it measures f of an inch in length 



