'^yr™S.AlS^''i«69'T PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 119 
Conchologj was represented by Mr. Nelson, who produced a fine 
collection of foreign land-shells; and Mr. Tye, who exhibited a 
number of freshwater shells from various localities in North America ; 
and others. The entomological specimens were good, but small in 
number on account of the unusual inclemency of the weather. The 
zoological comprised Halithcea aculeata from Torquay, sent by Mr. 
W. H. Harper ; a very complete collection of British birds' eggs, by 
Mr. W. Wilson ; an excellent and well-arranged cabinet of insects, 
by Mr. Simpson, &c. 
The interest in the microscopical branch of the Society has been 
fully sustained, and from a large number of specimens exhibited by 
its members the following may be mentioned : — 
By Mr. Bolton, a fine collection of Rotatoria, including Dinocharis 
pocillum, EucJilanis triquetra, Brachionus urceolaris, Synchceta pectinata, 
Limnias ceratophylli, and other species ; by Mr. Graham, Euglenoi, 
active and encysted ; by Mr. Parsons, various species of Vaucheria 
and Batrachospermum, very finely in fructification ; by Mr. Tye, the 
beautiful Polyzoon, Bowerbankia imbricata ; by Mr. Shoebotham, a 
singularly fine series of preparations produced by a new mode of 
manipulation, and including tissues showing the stomata of Ilex 
aquifolium, AgrapTiis nutans, Agave Americana, and many other plants ; 
by Mr. Wills, Vaucheria DUhvynnii, V. ovoidea, V. ornithocephala, V. 
repens, V. sessilis, Closterium acerosum in conjugation, and a remark- 
ably rich gathering of Volvox globator. 
Microscopical Society of Liverpool. 
The sixth ordinary meeting was held at the Eoyal Institution, on 
Tuesday, 1st June, Dr. Nevins, President, in the chair. A lecture 
was delivered by Dr. Thomas Inman, one of the Vice-Presidents, on 
the Natural History and Microscopical Characters of Hairs. Dr. 
Inman first called attention to the utility of prosecuting any micro- 
scopic or other subject of study as far as possible, remarking that 
such investigation' showed that in almost every animal and vegetable 
structure there was general resemblance, but individual difference. 
The tongues of the mollusca were marked in the same way as regards 
plan, but in detail each variety had a tongue so peculiar to itself that 
a doctor might say to it, Show me your tongue, and I will tell your 
name. A similar statement applies to hairs. The observer readily 
distinguishes butterflies and moths as such by their scales, and the 
birds by their feathers ; but a closer observation enables him to name 
the particular genus from which a particular scale or feather comes. 
It would be impossible in a short essay to describe all forms of those 
appendages of the sltin to which the names of scales, feathers, hairs, 
wool, &c., had been given. He therefore would confine himself chiefly 
to a description of the general characters of animal hairs. The most 
simple form of hair was found in butterflies and the insect world. In 
them was to be seen a long hollow pointed cylinder attached to and 
forming part of the skin. This might be compared to the central 
stem of a bird's wing-feather. In some creatures this stem became 
