9 
retains the form of the primitive insect stock from which most if 
not all of the present order of insects have diverged in different 
directions, and to a greater or less degree. 
hritz Muller, in his “ Fiir Darwin,” expresses the opinion that 
there were perfect insects before there were larvae or piipje. This 
Sir John doubts, holding that the first stage of the primitive insect 
was an apod fleshy vermiform grub. Sir John also differs from 
iMeinert, who holds that Campodea retains its larval form all its life 
without undergoing any mehimorphosis, while Sir John considers 
that it emerges from the egg in the form of a perfect insect, thus 
escaping any necessity for metamorphosis. 
The difficulties relating to the formation of the mouth in insects 
are overcome in Sir John’s opinion by the intermediate form of that 
organ in Ihysanura, which might develop in one direction into the 
Suctorial, and in the other into the Afandibulate type. 
IMr. Geldart pointed out that two dilliculties seemed to him to 
remain untouched viz., that if the original insect stock had no 
metamorphosis, but emerged from the egg perfect, it was difficult 
to conceive how the process of metamorphosis ever originated ; 
whilst on the other hand, if the normal growth of insects required 
metamoiphosis, it was still more ilifhcult to understand how the 
intermediate stages could ever be lost. 
Botany has been very poorly represented this year. Mr. Corder 
gave us one very short paper on the botanical characters and medi- 
cinal properties of Podophyllum, and a second was read by your 
President on the Fly fungus {Einpusa tnusca.) 
The occurrence of Limidus polyphemus off the coast of Holland, 
has been noticed in a paper read by our Honorary Secretary Mr. 
Southwell, in whicii he calls attention to the fact that this form is 
coeval with the Trilobites. He also described at some length, the 
remarkable structure exhibited iu this singular crustacean. At 
the February meeting, Mr. Southwell read an extract from a paper 
by l\rr. W. A. Lloyd, of the Crystal Palace Aquarium, Avhich dis- 
pelled the mystery of the occurrence of this species so far from its 
normal habitat. 
Jifr. Lloyd, writing to the “Zoological,” for February, 1874 (see 
