SO PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES, 
next "exhibited a very large skull and horns of the Elk, brought by Dr. Cox from 
Nova-Scotia, which had the peculiarity of distinction from those found in the 
bogs of Ireland, that the horns were very small in proportion to the head.-—Mr. 
Bucknell exhibited an extensive series of living illustrations of the egg in its 
different stages of incubation until the full development of animal life. This 
subject gave rise to an interesting, scientific, and practical conversation, in which 
several new points in the economy of incubation were pointed out.—The Chair¬ 
man announced that at the next meeting Mr. Goddard would exhibit a series of 
experiments illustrating the polarity of light in animals.—Mr. Ogilby officiated 
as Secretary, having accepted that appointment in the place of the Rev. John 
Barlow, who has resigned. 
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
May 8. —A letter was read from Mr. Atkinson, of Newcastle, accompanying 
a peculiar organic structure imbedded in Carboniferous Limestone, which possessed 
characters so anomalous that it was very doubtful whether it could be referred to 
the animal or to the vegetable kingdom. It was a slender vermiform body, much 
in appearance like a piece of Coral; and whilst some considered it a perfectly- 
organised animal remain, the Chairman thought it most likely to be a portion of 
the root of some ancient vegetable, especially as frequent instances have occurred 
in Africa of trees being rooted up and buried immense depths below the eartffs 
surface by the Sand and winds which prevail in that Continent, and afterwards 
undergoing decomposition, absorbing Carbonate of Lime, so that when dug up 
they much resemble calcareous animal petrifactions.—A communication was next 
read from Mr. Bowerbank on the plastic Clay-formations of the Isle of Wight; 
the writer’s object being to establish their identity with those of the London 
basin; and a third paper was read from Mr. Lyell, V.P., on the relative ages of 
the Tertiary deposits of Norfolk and Suffolk. 
LINNiEAN SOCIETY. 
On the anniversary of the birth~day of Linnaeus, the meeting was held at the 
rooms of the Society in Soho-Square, the Bishop of Norwich, President, in the 
chair, when the annual report of the auditors was read, and Dr. Boote, the 
Secretary, read a biographical list of the members who had died the previous 
year. The members afterwards dined at the Freemasons Tavern, and the Bishop 
of Norwich gave a conversazione in the evening at his house in Lower Brook- 
Street. Amongst various illustrations in Natural History, the most important 
was a portable machine for artificial incubation, from Mr. Bucknell. There 
were exhibited birds in every stage of progression, from the embryo to the 
perfect, living, liberated, and healthful animal. A fresh egg was first broken to 
