REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
317 
in the chair. Minutes of last meeting read and confirmed. Election 
of new member: Mr. T. H. Everton, of Parish Offices, Edmund 
Street; proposed by Mr. W. R. Hughes, seconded by Mr. W. B. Grove, 
carried unanimously. Exhibits:—Mr. Waller, on behalf of Mr. 
Pumphrey, a carnivorous slug, Testacella haliotidea (common in 
France); Mr. Bagnall, for Miss Gingell: Ath fra grans, Ag. hypnophilus, 
Mycena tenuis , Ag. geotropus, Ac., moss, Pterogophyllum lucens. Mr. 
Hughes, for Miss Gingell, from Dursley, specimens of locally called 
Gibraltar rock, amygdaloidal Trap (vesicular). Mr. W. B. Grove, 
from Sutton, Ag. Jlavidus. A paper was read by Mr. A. Browett on 
the “ Bath Oolite and the Method of Quarrying it.” An interesting 
discussion followed, in which Messrs. Waller, Chase, Marshall, and 
Hughes took part. On the motion of Mr. Waller, seconded by 
Mr. Marshall, a cordial vote of thanks was unanimously given to 
Mr. Browett for his paper. Mr. Wagstaff exhibited some drawings he 
had made of Polycystina, from the Barbados earth sent by Professor 
Harrison ; he also exhibited a slide of Polycystina which he had 
prepared for the microscope.— Sociological Section. - Supplementary 
Meeting, November 22nd. Mr. W. R. Hughes, F.L.S., in the chair. 
Seventeen members present, including Mr. Alfred Hayes, formerly 
Secretary to the Section. Professor Poynting delivered his exposition 
of the three chapters of Mr. Spencer’s “ First Principles,” entitled 
“ The Indestructibility of Matter, the Continuity of Motion, and the 
Persistence of Force,” in which he stated Mr. Spencer’s views with 
great force and clearness, but disputed the soundness of his premises, 
and maintained, that, in the absence of experiment, Mr. Spencer’s 
conclusions could not be arrived at by a priori reasoning, and that the 
experimental method was of primary and not of secondary importance. 
An animated discussion followed in which most of those present took 
part. 
BIRMINGHAM MICROSCOPISTS’ AND NATURALISTS’ 
UNION.—October 22nd. Exhibition of “polarised” objects. A 
series of objects was shown, including pure and impure cocoa (the 
latter being adulterated with potato starch), jaw of mackerel, palate of 
Troclius , and a number of objects by Mr. J. Edmonds, with his auto¬ 
matic rotating selenite.—October 29th. The President in the chair. 
Mr. H. Insley gave a lecture on “ Coal and How Mined.” After 
describing at some length the conditions under which a profuse 
vegetation grew and became water-logged and mineralised, the speaker 
showed with the aid of a lantern a number of photographs, chiefly of 
the Hamstead Colliery, those of the underground workings having 
been taken with magnesium light. They illustrated the difficulties 
and dangers under which coal was mined, and the various contrivances 
used to give greater security to life. A vote of thanks to the lecturer 
closed the meeting.—November 5th. Annual Meeting and President’s 
Address. The following reports were read : the Secretary’s, reviewing 
the work of the year as being very satisfactory; the Treasurer’s, that 
he had a balance of £3 3s. 2d. in hand ; and the Curator’s ; these were 
received and adopted. On the proposition of Mr. O. Hutchinson, 
seconded by Mr. J, W. Neville, Mr. T. H. Waller, B.A., B.Sc., was 
unanimously re-elected President for the ensuing year. Mr. Waller 
having suitably replied, delivered his address. He said we might 
advantageously consider what is the object of a society of this kind, 
and how it could most suitably be followed. His sympathy was not 
with those who after beginning the study of Natural History spread 
