by Zoologists as to their place in the Animal Kingdom, and showed 
that although they had been regarded by Cuv^ier, Lamarck, D’Orbigny 
and others, as Mollusca allied to the highly organised Nautili and 
Cuttle Fish, the researches of Dujardin and subsequent naturalists 
abundantly proved that their place was far lower in the system, their 
nearest allies being the Infusorial Animalcules. After referring to 
the beauty and complexity of structure of the shells, contrasted with 
extreme simplicity of organisation of the animals, the paper called 
attention to the abundance of the Foraminifera in our present seas, 
and to their existence in still greater profusion in some geological 
periods, — many beds of rock of great thickness being almost entirely 
built up of their remains. 
April 5— -The Rev. John Kenrick read the first part of a paper 
by the late Rev. Charles Wellbeloved, “ On the Information respect¬ 
ing the state of York, during the 14th and 15th centuries, derived 
from Wills in the York Registry.” It consisted of a series of notes 
with commentaries, made from the Testamenta Eboracensia,” pub¬ 
lished by the Rev. James Raine. The Wills of the Plantagenet, 
Tudor and Stuart reigns are for the most part written in Latin. 
Some are in English, and a few in French; sometimes a part is written 
in Latin and a part in English, or a codicil or inventory in English 
is added to a Latin Will. Even in those written in Latin, English 
terms frequently occur, sometimes very oddly intermingled. The 
wills appear to have been made by professional persons,-—the proctors, 
the parish priest, or some one who obtained his living by writing. 
In the year 1391, William de Kyrkby of York, describes himself as 
scriptor; that he is a layman is evident, as he directs that he be 
buried near his wife in St. Elen’s Church, and leaves his property to 
his two daughters. In the same year, Ellen, the wife of Marmaduke 
Tiiweng, of Coroborough, made a nuncupative will, because no writer 
was at hand. Of these nuncupative wills, two afiecting examples 
occur. In 1346, before joining the forces mustering to oppose David 
of Scotland, who had advanced as far as Durham, Sir William de 
Crathorne went into his parish church to declare his will, in the event 
of his falling in the field. From this expedition he never returned, 
and his widow afterwards appeared before the Commissary of the 
Archbishop, at Cawood, and was admitted to prove her husband’s 
will, by the production of witnesses who deposed that they were 
present in the church when he made it. The other instance is that of 
Sir Ralph Newmarche, of Whatton, who made his nuncupative will at 
