493 



NOTES AXD QrEPJES. 



"Sir, — Would there not be some considerable advantage in bringing the works of 

 the Palfeontographical Society before the notice of your readers ? Many persons, 

 I am sure, are not aware of the existence of that excellent society, and would 

 become subscribers if they knew the titles of the monographs now completed, and 

 in progress. Many, too, would be willing to purchase particular volumes, if they 

 were informed that they were at liberty to do so. I leave, however, the subject in 

 your hands, and remain, your obedient servant, Thoz^ias Wiltshibe E-ectory 

 Bread-street Hill." — We think a notice of the Palteontographical Society a legiti- 

 mate object, and we shall shortly act iipon the suggestion of our correspondent, as 

 too much publicity cannot be givento the many excellent memoirs already published. 



To Extract IMolluscous Animals from their Shells. — " The only trouble is 

 with spiral shells, such as in Gasteropods. Slide them gently from a piece of paper 

 into hot water, so as not to crack the shells : let them boil a few seconds, then 

 take them out and draw them by the method described below. If the shells are 

 rare, or thick, or delicate, you will eliminate the risk of crack or fracture thus: 

 Put the shells into cold water, boil it, then take the vessel off the fire, and allow 

 it to cool gi^adually, so as to anneal the substance of the shells, before you com- 

 mence operations. To draw out the animal : Take half-a-dozen inches of the 

 finest piano-forte wire, give it two or three helical turns round a cylinder — round 

 a black-lead-pencil does as well as anything; you then have a corkscrew-looking 

 instrument, and with a knife and file you can give it a few barbed notches toward 

 the point. Thus armed, with a little tact and delicacy of grasp, acquired by 

 practice, you gently introduce the spiral wire into the body of the shell, being 

 careful not to send the point through it. and upon withdrawing the wire with a 

 spiral motion, you will extract the animal impaled upon it most satisfactorily. If 

 you find the wire slippery to ho;d, get a grip upon it with a small hand-vice, such 

 as watchmakers use.— Charles Martel." 



Kext Xatueal Histoet Society. — "Dear Sir — I see in the GEOLoaiST 

 this month an account of a meeting of the East Kent Natural History Society. 

 I do not know to whom you are indebted for that report, but as it contains several 

 inaccuracies, and as your Geologist is largely circulated among our members, I 

 take this opportunity of correcting them. Firstly, it is stated, that the associa- 

 tion has been in obscure existence some years ; this society was only inaugurated 

 in April last, and now numbers over 150 members. The meeting at Dover was 

 not one of the annual meetings, but only one of four local meetings which have 

 taken place this year. I enclose a prospectus of the society, and shall be happy to 

 send you any reports of future meetings.— Yours faithfully, George Docker, 

 Hon. Secretary, Stourmouth, Oct., 1858." — We regret the occurrence of the in- 

 accuracies noticed, but we were lead into them both by the language of the 

 communications we received and by the reports in the local newspapers. We 

 know of the existence some years since of a Kent Xatural History Society, the 

 collection belonging to which was formerly at Maidstone, and part is still, we 

 believe, in the Museum of that to^m. and part in the Museum at Dover. It is 

 easily perceived how we v\-ere lead into the idea that it was a resuscitation of this 

 society which had taken place. As a man of Kent, the Editor can but feel the 

 warmest interest in this society, and -will be obliged to the Secretary for the 

 promised notices of its proceedings. 



" Dear Sir, — A short time since the tusk of an elephant was taken out of our 

 cliff. It has mouldered away considerably since its discovery. Many bones and 

 molar teeth of elephants have been taken out of our cliffs at different periods. 

 There have been found, also, remains of Irish elk [Cervm 3Iegaceros), and I have 

 obtained a ear-bone of a whale, out of a large mound of gravel and sand, near 

 Skipsea Brough. I am, dear Sir, &c , Edward Tindale. Bridlington." 



Geology of SoriH Detox, — " Sir, — Can you inform me of any work on the 

 geology of the district around Plymouth, South Devon, besides the Geological 

 Report of Sir H. De la Ijeclio on Devon and Coriiwall — Yoirrs &c., E. S. A." 



