F.G.S., F.R.A.S., J. Sibley Hicks, L.R.C.P., Josiah Marples, Malcolm Guthrie, J.P., John W. Hayward, M.D., Alfred Morgan, Baron L. Benas, Robert Nicholson, Principal Rendall, M.A., Henry Longuet Higgins, Rev. W. Stern, D.D., Professor Oliver J. Lodge, D.Sc.

The Associates of the Society were re-elected.

Professor John MacCunn, M.A., was unanimously elected an Ordinary Member.

A vote of thanks to the donors of books and transactions presented during the past Session was unanimously passed, on the motion of Dr. NEVINS, seconded by Mr. ISAAC ROBERTS, F.G.S., F.R.A.S.

It was next moved by Mr. ROBERTS, seconded by Mr. R. C. JOHNSON, F.R.A.S., and carried unanimously, "That a set of the Society's Proceedings be presented to University College, and that the College be placed on the list of institutions receiving presentation copies of the Society's publications."

The PRESIDENT then delivered an Address on "The Unity of Life."*

FIRST ORDINARY MEETING.

ROYAL INSTITUTION, 16th October, 1882.

EDWARD DAVIES, F.C.S., F.I.C., PRESIDENT, in the Chair.

Professor Herdman, D.Sc., was unanimously elected an Ordinary Member.

Mr. JOSIAH MARPLES exhibited some dried flowers used in Athens as wicks for night lights.

The Rev. H. H. HIGGINS read a short paper on an “Am

monite from the Inferior Oolite, near Turvey, Bedfordshire."+

Professor HERDMAN communicated some "Notes on the Marine Zoology of the Coast of Mull," which formed the introductory portion of a paper, to be hereafter completed, upon work done during the summer of 1881 and 1882, on the Invertebrate Fauna of the seas around the island of Mull. The methods of investigation were dredging and tow-netting in the Sound of Mull and off the west coast between Mull and Coll, and shore collecting at various points along the east, north, and west coasts of Mull and upon Inchkenneth. The Fauna, as a whole, was found to be a very rich one, and very similar to that of the Clyde district. Then followed some remarks upon the more rare, interesting, or characteristic animals, which are better deferred until the publication of the complete lists.

Mr. FRANK ARCHER exhibited specimens, preserved in spirit, of Funiculina quadrangularis, an elongated Coralline, several feet in length, dredged by himself and Mr. Darbyshire, near Oban, which were intended for presentation to the Free Public Museum.

Mr. F. P. MARRAT next contributed some information on "Links between Examples of Specific Forms in the Shells of the Genus Oliva," and exhibited a case of specimens from the Free Public Museum to illustrate his remarks.

Mr. T. J. MOORE exhibited some nests of the Antennarius or Chironectes, the diminutive Frog Fish or Marbled Angler, recently presented, with various other specimens, to the Free Public Museum by Capt. S. Griffith Jones, of the barque "Hermine."

In an accompanying note Capt. Jones states that "on the 18th of April, 1882, latitude 22° 30′ N., longitude 41° 40′ W., we collected from the Gulf weed, and passed a great number of nests of the Marbled Angler. I think that they belonged to these fish because each contained one or more of them. The size of the nest was as large as a cocoa

nut, and quite round. Some had no entrance left; others had a tortuous passage through. Small crabs were busily devouring the ova. The nests held together by an interlacing of thread-like filaments, which at first I took to be ravellings of sail canvas, but on examination I found that it was composed of a great many very minute silky fibres, or filaments, like spider web. The eggs seemed fastened to these threads by the same kind of fibre. Some of the eggs were empty, others still contained the embryo, the pulsations of which were discernible with the first joint of a telescope, the only magnifying power at hand."

Mr. MOORE stated that the late Professor Louis Agassiz had described with great enthusiasm his first capture of the Frog Fish and its nest at the commencement of his voyage in the "Haslar"; and that Capt. Mortimer, Associate of the Society, had once brought a living specimen to the Museum.

Mr. MOORE also exhibited a specimen, recently added to the Museum, of Dorcopsis luctuosa, a species of Kangaroo, from the S.E. of New Guinea, discovered and described by Signor L. M. d'Albertis, the distinguished Italian Naturalist and Explorer. (See Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1874, p. 110.)

Mr. RICHARDSON, the Curator, exhibited some rare plants from the Botanic Gardens, including the Prickly Comfrey from the Caucasus, the Kola Nut Tree from tropical Africa, the Pitcher Plant from New Holland, and Side Saddle Flowers from South Carolina.

SECOND ORDINARY MEETING.

ROYAL INSTITUTION, 30th October, 1882.

EDWARD DAVIES, F.C.S., F.I.C., PRESIDENT, in the Chair.

Messrs. Henry N. Hindley, John B. Clarke, Alexander Zicaliotti, W. J. Thomson, R. S. Brook, and John Maxwell MacMaster were duly elected Ordinary Members.

A paper was read by Mr. JOSIAH MARPLES on "The Last Dauphin of France."*

THIRD ORDINARY MEETING.

ROYAL INSTITUTION, 13th November, 1882.

EDWARD DAVIES, F.C.S., F.I.C., PRESIDENT, in the Chair.

Messrs. Frederick Rose, L.D.S. Eng., Philip S. Levy, Willoughby Gardner, William Wightman, John Monroe McKenzie, and the Rev. William Paton were duly elected Ordinary Members.

Mr. R. C. JOHNSON, F.R.A.S., read some "Notes on the Comet," illustrated with diagrams.

Mr. BIRCHALL read a short note on "The German Empire of the Middle Ages."

Mr. R. MCLINTOCK read a paper on "The Nibelungenlied."+ Previous to this Ordinary Meeting an EXTRAORDINARY MEETING was held, the PRESIDENT in the Chair.

The Meeting was held on the recommendation of the Council, which reported that the crowded state of the Library and the difficulty of finding further accommodation in the Royal Institution, rendered it necessary to take into consideration further means of provision.

The following resolutions were proposed by the HON. SECRETARY, and seconded by the HON. LIBRARIAN, on behalf of the Council:

1. "That all Publications and Proceedings of Societies, except such sets as are retained by the Council, be

* See page 25. † See page 109.

PROCEEDINGS.

presented to University College at the end of each Session."

2. “That the Council be empowered to deal with the Books now in the Library on the principle of the foregoing resolution."

A long discussion followed, which was terminated by the carrying of the following amendment, moved by Dr. NEVINS, seconded by Mr. A. H. MASON:

"That the resolutions be referred back to the Council

for re-consideration, with a request that they may

be brought before the Society at some future Meeting."

FOURTH ORDINARY MEETING.

ROYAL INSTITUTION, 27th November, 1882.

EDWARD DAVIES, F.C.S., F.I.C., PRESIDENT, in the Chair.

Messrs. Charles T. Whitmell and Henry A. Tobias were duly elected Ordinary Members.

Mr. HUNTER exhibited some samples of young potatoes which he had grown inside older ones, and from which they had derived their sole nourishment.

The Rev. THOS. P. KIRKMAN, M.A., F.R.S., presented a communication " On Polyedra whose Summits are all Triedral, and which have neither Triangle nor Quadrilateral."*

Dr. NEVINS read the following extracts from letters and newspapers from the Cape of Good Hope, showing that the Comet's appearance had first been reported in that locality, where it was known, in honour of its discoverer, as "Finlay's

* See page 49.