winged fishes, Ptericthys and Coccosteua, No reptiles had 
been discovered in the Devonian rocks, nor any animal 
organisms lower than zoophytes. Mr. Stoddart illustrated his 
paper with a number of the fossils he described, and Major 
Austin exhibited several also, as well as a sketch and map 
of the junction of the Devonian and Cambrian rocks in the 
county of Waterford, 
Zoological Section, Feb, S.—Dr, H. Fripp, president, 
in the chair, Mr. H, K. Jordan, F.G.S., exhibited a series 
of Helix Virgata, a new variety, of a dusky colour, for which 
he proposed the name H. Virgata, var. tenebrosa. Also, a 
series of Helix rufescens, var. depressa, a rare shell, found 
at Paignton, South Devon, and lately on Durdham-down. 
The president then showed and explained a large number of 
very beautiful microscopic preparations, illustrating ana- 
tomically the minute structure of tbe eyes of fishes. The 
crvstalline lens, choroid coat, and pigment cells, the iris and . 
ciliary processes were thus minutely examined, and especial 
attention was drawn to the peculiar arrangement of blood- 
vessels in what was commonly called the choroid gland, the 
function of which Dr. Fripp had endeavoured to explain in 
his recent paper read at the general meeting of the society 
in January. The separation of the arterial trunk soon after 
entering the eye into an immense number of exceedingly 
minute capillaries running parallel to each other and most 
closely packed, was well seen, and the subsequent reunion of 
these into a so-called venous, but, strictly speaking, arterial 
sinus, whence the blood was distributed to nourish the 
tissues of the eye, was clearly demonstrated. 
Entomological Section, Feb. 13.— No report of this 
meeting has been received. 
Chemical and Photographic Section, Feb, 15.— 
Mr. P. J. Worsley, B.A., F.C S., president, in the chair. Mr. 
J. R. Rogers introduced a discussion upon specific heat. 
After some preliminary remarks upon the varying capacity 
of bodies for heat, and the meaning of the term specific 
heat, he raised the question whether there was any relation 
betereen the specific heats and atomic volumes of bodies, and 
pointed out that with many gases, if the numbers repre- 
senting their specific heats, equal volumes being compared, 
were divided by the numbers representing their specific 
heats, equal weights being compared, the quotient was 
either the atomic weight of the substance, or bore a simple 
relation to it. Mr. Rogers then suggested as a possible 
theory of the constitution of matter the hypothesis that the 
ultimate atoms of bodies were hollow spheres, with heat 
contained in them, and that the capacity for beat of the 
substance depended upon the thickness of the films of these 
hollow spheres. A short discussion ensued, during which 
Mr, Beattie, Mr. Noble, Mr. Carpenter, and the president 
addressed the meeting, Mr. W. L. Carpenter then exhibited 
and explained an adaptation nf the spectro^cope to the 
microscope, first suggested bv Mr. Sarby, with which he had 
made several observations. He described the mode of using 
the combined instruments, as well as other ways of applying 
the two together, and promised to show some of the effects 
produced by it at the next meeting of the section. 
T. H. YABBICOM, 
F. ASH MEAD, 
S. H. SWAYNE, 
A. NOBLE, 
WM. LANT CARPENTER, 
Hon. Reporting Secretary. 
