72 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 
ceeded completely. He has since tried this process with many 
Echini and small star-fish. The preparation should not be so strong 
as to act sensibly on the surface of the crust, as in that case he found 
that the spines would fall off. 
On Pentacrinus Europseus and a Species of Beroe taken in Dublin 
Bay. By R. Ball. 
Specimens of these were exhibited to the Meeting. The Beroe 
has been examined by Mr. R. Patterson of Belfast, who finds it to 
be a new species of the genus Pleurobrachia of Fleming. It has 
been also taken in Larne Lough, Antrim. 
Account of a Toad found alive imbedded in a solid Mass of New Red 
Sandstone. By T. L. Gooch, Resident Engineer on the London 
and Birmingham Railway. Communicated by Mr. Sturge. 
The following is an abstract of the statements contained in this 
communication. 
In the excavations for the London and Birmingham Railway, in 
the Park Gardens at Coventry, the earth was opened to a depth of 
eleven feet on the 16th of June 1835; the section presented soil 
eighteen inches, mixed sand and clay three feet, masses of red sand¬ 
stone, somewhat severed by ‘ backs’ and fissures, but requiring the 
use of iron bars, and occasionally powder. One of these masses, near 
the bottom of the excavation, having its three dimensions eighteen, 
fifteen, and five inches, being lifted and thrown towards a wagon, 
fell on the ground and broke nearly through the centre ; the divided 
parts lay about an inch asunder. One of these fragments having 
been thrown into the wagon, a Toad w r as observed in a cavity or 
cell in the face of the remaining fragment, and was projected thence 
in consequence of the workman kicking the stone. The other frag¬ 
ment of stone being reapplied to its fellow, it was found that an 
oval cavity existed in the centre, which had no visible communica¬ 
tion to the surface. 
The cavity of the stone in which the Toad is said to have been 
imbedded was lined with a thin black deposit; on one side of the 
cavity, which was more rounded than the other, this deposit was 
most visible. 
The colour of the Toad was at first bright brown ; in ten minutes 
it had grown almost black: it seemed oppressed, and gasped fre¬ 
quently ; was rather under the usual size, but plump, and apparently 
in good condition, but seemed to have been injured on the head. It 
was replaced in the hollow of the stone, the crack having been stopped 
with clay, and died in four days. 
The Rev. Dr. Drummond stated that, from observations lately 
made by him, the Gordius aquations seems to be viviparous. 
