4 



short papers of a miscellaneous character. Mr. Bower dealt 

 with recent advances in methods of measuring Gravitation ; Miss 

 Davies pointed out some of the geological features of our beach 

 and cliffs ; D. Ellis directed our attention to the micro-organisms 

 upon which so much of the scientific attention of the day is 

 focussed ; and in conclusion the vexed question of " The Valency 

 of Nitrogen " was discussed by W. H. Barker. 



Our first gathering in Lent Term was upon Jan. 25th. Miss 

 O'Brien showed how " Aquatic Plants " are refugees driven back, 

 by severe competition for the possession of the land, into the 

 water, the primary home of both animal and vegetable life ; and 

 further, how they have become structurally modified, and thus 

 adapted to their new surroundings. S. T. Parkinson followed 

 with some account of the Mosses and Hepatics so well represented 

 in our district. Careful and artistic blackboard illustration was 

 a feature of this meeting, as of several others. 



An evening having been given to our Marine Fauna earlier in 

 the session, the turn of "Our Ponds and Ditches" came upon 

 Feb. 8th. Prof. Davis, in an Inaugural Paper, treated of fresh- 

 water forms in general, while two short papers on special groups, 

 viz., Botifem and Entomostraca, were contributed by Miss Hughes 

 and by Howell Davies respectively. The Clarach ditches 

 furnished most of the illustrative material, which was displayed 

 under the microscopes. 



Biological themes having had so far rather a full share of 

 attention, on Feb. 22nd the Society met in the Chemical 

 Theatre to listen to Dr. Snape's lecture on "Alchemy." The 

 quaint mysticism with which the mediaeval alchemists — some- 

 times rapt enthusiasts, sometimes conscious impostors — invested 

 their search for the "Philosopher's Stone" and the "Elixir of 

 Life," were amusingly described, due credit being given to these 

 pioneers of the retort and crucible for the real benefits which 

 science gleaned from their labours. 



A miscellaneous programme awaited those who attended the 

 last meeting of the session upon March 14th. In the first 

 instance, Dr. Brough led the way to entirely new regions by 

 introducing the subject of " Sleep — Natural and Artificial." A 

 rabbit, a fowl, and a cray fish were introduced to illustrate his 

 remarks. P. J. Grubb, in a paper upon " Mars," gave us up-to- 

 date information regarding that planet ; while H. M. Atkinson's 

 paper upon "Modern Explosives" was practically illustrated 

 without undue casuality. 



Besides the paper which has been the pike de resistance of the 

 evening, some other routine business has been gone through at 

 each meeting. With a view to having brought under our notice 

 any points of interest engaging the attention of the scientific 

 world at large, recorders were appointed for Inorganic Chem- 

 istry, Organic Chemistry, AgTiculture, Botany, Zoology, Physics, 



