cation of this principle, especially urging its trial in 
manufactories, workshouses, &c., and concluded with a few 
suggestions for its application on a larger scale, pointing 
out especially the difference between this plan and the old 
cesspool system. 
Considerable discussion ensued upon this paper, in the 
course of which much valuable information was elicited. 
Mr. W. P. King endeavoured to show that the system had 
long been roughly used in Stafford, Cheltenham, Man- 
chester, (Sic., where the results were not favourable; but it 
appeared from other speakers that ashes were employed 
there, which, being almost entirely silex, or sand, bad no 
deodorising properties, Mr. F, Ashmead considered this 
scheme the best yet proposed for the utilisation of sewage, 
saying that he had frequently used peat charcoal with 
success, the supply of which was limited, while earth was 
to be had everywhere. He also spoke of the cause of the 
state of the houses, drains, &c., in St. Jnde's, where no cess- 
pools existed. Mr. W. L. Carpenter spoke of his experience 
of the practical working of the system at the Park-row 
Certified Industrial School, where the manure had been 
applied with great advantage in the garden, and urged the 
desirability of a fair trial of it by members present. 
Specimens and drawings of the mode of applying the prin- 
ciple to private houses were exhibited by Messrs. White 
and Co., of London, and a quantity of the manure remained 
in the room during the meeting without the slightest odour 
being perceived. 
Dr. Henry Fripp then read a portion of his paper on the 
structure of the eye in the Cephalopod MoUusca. He com- 
menced by some excellent general remarks upon the advan- 
tage of the pursuit of philosophic anatomy, gradually 
bringing the student to see the wondrous unity of design, 
the perfect attainment of infinitely varied results, and the 
absolute singleness of purpose evidenced in creation, and 
then he observed that though the society was strong in 
several branches of science, there was an absence of 
labourers in Comparative Anatomy and Zoology, which he 
greatly regretted, as there was ample room for the labours 
of the observing pioneer in preparing materials for the more 
disciplined investigator by the careful collection of well- 
ascertained facts. Herein lay the great advantage of,com- 
bination, such as was afforded by the sectional and general 
meetings of the Society, and Dr. Fripp urged upon the 
Zoological section the necessity for united action. He then 
made some observations upon the senses generally, and 
particularly upon vision, remarking that the eye, considered 
as an instrument constructed for the transference ef rays of 
light through organic tissues, was essentially the same in 
design and arrangement throughout all classes of animated 
beings, and its construction was ever subservient to 
the physical laws which governed the relations of ligLt, 
whatever might be the particular adaptation required for 
any given ammal. "When we met with animal structures 
which appeared to oppose thtse relations, we might be sure 
that the investigation was incomplete, or the facts 
misinterprfcted ; and this was apparently the case in 
the special instance brought forward. Dr. Fripp then 
read a description of the anatomy of the eye in the cuttle- 
fish tribe in Professor Rhymer Jones's text book, and 
slated that his own observations, differing widely 
from those details, itnded to clear up an acknowledged 
difficulty in ihe interpretation of the structures described. 
He was only able, however, from want of time that evening, 
10 indicate the chief points, and not to demonstrate them 
fully. It was stated that this eye had no cornea, or iris ; but 
the author exhibited the latter, and showed that the struc- 
ture )f the skin was essentially corneal. Professor Jones 
said that there was no choroid coat between the retina ar.d 
the sclerotic, and that in front of tbe retina there was an 
incomprehensible opaque black pigment. Dr. Fripp consi- 
dered this front lajtr as the true retina, made up of the 
characteristic rod and stave structure, the pigment being no 
arranged that every nerve was isolated, the Cephalopod eye 
