19 
interesting. Of ferric minerals, the tantalite and columbates are 
almost peculiar to Finland. Tetraphyllin is another mineral, 
tolerably abundant in Finland, but rare elsewhere. From the 
numerous minerals of the Beryl family, contained in the collection, 
it would appear that these constitute a large proportion of Finnish 
minerals, and that they exist there in great variety. As the rocks 
of Finland are chiefly of a granitoid and schistoid character, the 
hornblenclic and augitic groups of minerals are abundant in that 
country. Quartz is found of various colour’s, both massive and 
crystalline, and felspar in its two forms is abundant. Dr. Procter 
alluded to many other minerals, and especially to the occurrence of 
gypsum, meerschaum, and apatite, and finally to the erratic blocks 
and other traces of the great Northern Drift, so abundant in 
Finland. 
Me. Dallas read a few notes on the bones and shells from the 
Gravel of Barnwell, near Cambridge, presented by Mr. J. F. 
Walker. These fossils are found in a gravel pit about 14 feet 
deep, which shows a succession of irregular layers of coarse flinty 
gravel and beds of marl. The coarser gravels consist of chalk 
flints, intermixed with much chalk; the flints are sharp, and have, 
no doubt, been derived from the denudation of the upper chalk. 
The shells and bones are found chiefly in two beds of fine chalk 
marl, situated respectively about 10 and 12 feet below the surface. 
The shells belong to common British species, Succinea putris and 
Bithinia tentaculata being the most abundant. The bones include 
those of both living and extinct species, such as wolf, sheep or 
goat, ox, deer, elephant, horse, &c. 
Apeil 3.—Me. Thompson, of Sheriff Hutton, read a paper by 
Lady Mary Thompson, on the “New Chinese Silkworm” (Bombyx 
Cynthia J , in continuation of a paper on the same subject, communi¬ 
cated to the Society in 1864. Of the silkworms reared in 1864, 
says Lady Mary Thompson, twelve grew to the full size and spun 
large firm cocoons. These remained inert during the winter; they 
were strung on a thread, and hung up in a room of a temperature 
never above 52 degrees. From these twelve it was hoped to raise 
worms enough for carrying on the experiment in 1865. For this the 
following preparations were made. A breeding cage was constructed 
six feet square ; this cage was placed in a spot sheltered from the 
north-east. An Ailantus plant, in a pot, was placed within the cage. 
