Ihe Naturalist. 



term *' protoplasm," the basi^ of 

 life, the constituent of all cells, 

 had been much used. An axiom 

 had been promulgated that plants 

 are capable of uniting the ele- 

 ments carbon, nitrogen, hydro- 

 gen, and oxygen, to form proto- 

 plasm for their cell growth, but are 

 not able to use protoplasm itself 

 without it first being decomposed, 

 while animals require protoplasm 

 itself for their nourishment, and 

 are not able to use its constituent 

 elements. This axiom was satisfac- 

 tory until the recent publication of 

 of Mr. Darwin's " Insectivorous 

 Plants," in which he proves that 

 Drosera and many other plants feed 

 on animal food, such as flies, &c., 

 and therefore on protoplasm as 

 such (detaihng several of Darwin's 

 experiments)~thus showing that we 

 are still without a rigid definition 

 to distinguish animals from plants. 



Meeting, September 11th. — A 

 goodly number of members were 

 present. Mr. T. H. Bartlam named 

 an extensive collection of botanical 

 specimens, and also called attention 

 to the specimen of Rubus exhibited 

 by Mr. Mosley at the last meeting 

 of the Society. He said that to him 

 there was a great objection to con- 

 sidering it as a hybrid between a 

 bramble and a thorn, inasmuch as 

 one flowered several months before 

 the other. In answer to Mr. Tin- 

 dall, he pointed out that the pollen 

 had the power of fertilization, and 

 the difference of fruit was no objec- 

 tion at all. He (Mr. Bartlam) con- 

 sidered it far more likely to be a 

 cross between a bramble and Sam- 

 bucus nigra, var. dissectum, which 



plant grows close beside the bram- 

 ble in question. — Mr. Tindall 

 showed a piece of cannel-coal can- 

 taining shells of the genus Cucullia 

 from West Ardsley. — The president 

 named some beautiful specimens of 

 preserved larvse sent to him by Lord 

 Walsingham, and some exhibited by 

 Mr. Mosley. They were Emmelesia 

 decolorata, Trichiura Cratcegi, Dilo- 

 ha cmruleocephala, and Hadena 

 thalassina. Mr. Porritt also called 

 attention to the new cabinet the 

 Society had purchased, and Mr. 

 Mosley was instructed to prepare it 

 for the specimens. — Mr. J. Yarley 

 read a paper on " The Migration 

 and Instinct of Birds." He showed 

 the accuracy with which birds cal- 

 culate the time for their departure 

 from one place to another ; the 

 peculiar manner of feigning lame- 

 ness ; their various habits prior to 

 a change in the weather ; their 

 difierent habits at certain times of 

 the year ; the adaptation of their 

 bills, feet, and wings to their 

 difierent modes of life ; their nest- 

 ing, &c. ; and particularly called 

 attention to a wild duck's nest 

 which he, along with others, had 

 found some years since at Sherwood 

 Forest, situated in a tree five or six 

 yards from the ground. Some dis- 

 cussion followed, in which Messrs. 

 Porritt, Mosley, Conacher, and 

 others took part, after which the 

 meeting closed. — S. L. Mosley, 

 Prov. Sec. 



The Leeds Naturalists' Field 

 Club and Scientific Association. 

 —187th Meeting, Sept. 1st, 1875, 

 Mr. Henry Pocklington, F.R.M.S., 

 president, in the chair. Mr. Chas. 



