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La Mortola, Vintimiglia, Italy, bringing with him a rich exhibit of 
fresh fruits and curious seed-pods, etc., from his own gardens. He 
himself gave information about these charming sub-tropical fruits, 
and at the end of the evening many ladies and gentlemen had reason to 
thank him for distributing the pods, citrons, etc., as mementos. 
Sprays with flower and leaf, or leaf and fruit, were justly admired. 
The following list will help the botanist to understand the beauty and, 
to English eyes, the rarity of the spectacle : Citrus benjamin, the 
Bergamot orange; C. myrtifolia, the myrtle-leaved orange ; <'. lumia 
and C. medic a v. cedrato, citrons ; C. decumana v. pompelmos, the 
forbidden fruit; C. decumana v. santa-sabina, the historical orange, 
described in the Bharmacoyraphia, p. 112; Solatium betaceuni (eatable); 
S. cilia turn ; Ficus repens, the climbing fig ; Encephalartos altensteini, 
a Cycad from the Cape; Eucalyptus ylobuhis, the blue gum; six 
varieties of Oucurbito pepo, gourds ; Banksia yrandis and B. marcescens, 
the “ bottle brush,” from Australia; Gossypium herbaceum, cotton ; 
flower-buds and seeds of Eiucalyptus lehmanni ; and seed-pods only of 
Martynia proboscidea, the “Wait-a-bit” thorn; of Pithecoctenium 
muricatum (fam. Ritjnoniaceae) a double-valved husk, covered with 
blunt spines, holding innumerable, closely packed, winged seeds, with 
a curious hinged “septum” lying between the valves; and of 
Oanavalia endformis ; and fibre of Ayave riyida, the sissal hemp of 
commerce. Ornithology and Zoology.— Messrs. A. F. and W. M. 
Bayne and F. S. Cottell exhibited eggs of hawks, owls, nightjar and 
kingfisher, and a collection of those of the Corvidie (crow family), 
showing striking colour variation. Around the library had been 
arranged several large cases of birds and mammals. Mr. F. J. 
Hanbury’s cases contained, besides others, terns, corncrake, sheldrake, 
black rat, shrews, and pole cats, shot in Norfolk, a species now nearly 
extinct in Britain; Mr. J. A. Clark: cinnamon blackbirds, little 
auks, ringed guillemot, turnstone, kingfisher, ringed dotterel, smew 
(S and J ), great crested grebe, and long-eared bat, etc.; Dr. 
J. S. Sequeira: ruff and reeve, knot, redshank, dunlin, great 
northern diver, laughing jackass or great Australian kingfisher, 
sirral cat from Java (a musteline mammal), and porcupine ant-eater, 
Echidna hystric (caught by himself in 1856, at Bendigo, Australia), 
an egg-laying mammal; Messrs. Watkins and Doncaster: bramblings; 
and Mr. J. Riches : Picus minor, the lesser-spotted woodpecker. 
Microscopical.— Two tables were set apart for the display of the 
infinitely minute, and the microscopists were besieged, this phase of 
natural history being always popular, and the manipulators having 
provided a most beautiful assortment of living or mounted objects. 
Special thanks are due to the energy and assiduous attention of Mr. 
Wm. Burton, M.Q.C., and the society are also indebted to the 
following gentlemen, who made this department so successful: Messrs. 
A. Bacot, A. W. Dennis, G. K. Dunstall, S. Edwards, F. J. Hanbury, 
W. IT. Jackson, P. S. King, H. H. May, C. Nicholson, J. A. Simes, 
FI. J. Turner, C. and W. West, and Dr. J. S. Sequeira. There could be 
seen under the best conditions of help from experts: — Pseudo-neuroptera : 
larva of Ephemera, or day-fly ; Lepidoptera : hairs of larvie of Phoro- 
desma smaraydaria and Porthesia chrysorrhoea : Entomostraca: Diaptomus 
castor and Daplmia ptde.c, the water-flea ; freshwater polypes : Hydra 
viridis ; Rotifers : Melicerta nnyens , M, coni fern, and Stephanoceros 
