vita," the root of the palm, cocoa palm, tamarind, &c. Mr. Turner expressed his opinion that in Antigua, and no doubt in the neighbouring islands, where similar specimens are obtained, the process is still going forward, as he has himself seen specimens of wood in various stages of petrifaction; and the same phenomenon may be noticed occasionally in a single specimen. The fact applies both to dicotyledonous plants, and to monocotyledonous ones.

Dr. DICKINSON exhibited the fruit of the Acacia Cornigera, Linn., also those of the Nelumbium Speciosum, and several specimens of Martynia, Bignonia, Palms, &c., and explained their peculiar adaptation for the preservation or dispersion of their seeds.

The PRESIDENT exhibited a specimen of the Otis Undulatus, in the first year of its plumage.

Mr. JOHNSON exhibited a specimen of Coal, with coniform points, which interlaced with each other.

Mr. McANDREW handed round some very rare specimens of Marine Zoology, of which he gave the following account:

In laying before the Society a few specimens of British Marine Zoology, I shall avail myself of the opportunity to give, very briefly, some particulars of my proceedings in the pursuit of that branch of Natural History, during the past summer. My excursions have extended to the south as far as Scilly, and northward to Zetland. My dredge has been used at all depths, from the shallowest to nearly 150 fathoms : and I noted such facts touching the distribution of animal life, and the nature of the sea bottom, as may possess interest on account of their bearing upon geology.

In Zetland I was joined by Professor E. Forbes, and it is to him that natural history will be mainly indebted for the results of our joint labours, which I flatter myself will not be considered unimportant.

During the time that he was with me, about a month, he described and figured from life, not fewer than a hundred animals, the greater proportion of which are entirely new, and the remainder had been only imperfectly or erroneously described before. Of the species new, at least to Britain, about thirty consist of Medusa and the allied genera. Of Mollusca provided with shells we have added about fifteen species to the British Fauna, beside procuring alive several of extreme rarity, and of which the animals were previously unknown. We have likewise discovered numerous Zoophites, including at least two genera new to our seas; two or three Echinodermata, with probably some Crustacea and Worms which have not yet undergone examination.

With regard to the specimens to be laid before you, they are not numerous, most of my new acquisitions being away for further examination and comparison. The Zoophites are in the hands of Dr. Johnston, of Berwick, who is preparing a new edition of his work upon that order. The Crustacea are sent to Professor T. Bell, to whom they will be of service for his work in process of publication.

Nerea Cuspidata inhabits both the Mediterranean and Norwegian Seas, but it is extremely rare as a British species. I have procured it in Loch Fyne, at Oban and Zetland. The specimen before you is from the first-named locality, at thirty fathoms depth, and I believe it to be much larger than any other that has been met with, either British or foreign. Two other species from the same habitat, are both quite new, and, as yet, without specific names. Nucula Pygmæa, a minute species, not previously known, is as recent, and the more interesting from the circumstance of its being a prevailing fossil of the most recent tertiary or Pleistocine deposits. I have only met with it in one locality, near the south entrance to the Sound of Skye, in thirty fathoms water.

The next is a new Trochus from the fishing banks west of Zetland, found at fifty fathoms depth.

A small Zoophite, called Turbinolia Milliaria, now in its recent state, is especially interesting to geologists, from its being a characteristic fossil of the older Tertiary (Red Crag,) and supposed to possess a tropical character. A perfect specimen, which I procured alive, is deposited in the Government Museum of Economic Geology. It is from the coast of Cornwall-found in thirty fathoms water.

On a former occasion I exhibited to the Society an imperfect specimen of the Pavonaria Quadrangularis. I have now the pleasure of submitting to you several individuals preserved soft, of various sizes, the largest measuring above forty-eight inches in length. This extraordinary zoophite is, when alive, extremely phosphorescent, and, it is a remarkable circumstance connected with it, that till discovered by myself, above a year ago, near Oban, the only account of it was by a naturalist of the last century, Pallas, who described it from an imperfect specimen taken in the Bay of Naples. Although sufficiently abundant in one particular locality, I have never met with it elsewhere.

When I had last the honour of addressing the Society, I called the attention of its members to the best means of preserving objects, and the preparations, and particularly

to the solutions recommended by Mr. Goadby for that purpose. I have since made some trials of them, but regret to say that my experiments have not been very successful. The conclusion to which I have come is, that each may be useful, but that experience is required in order to know the cases in which they may be successfully applied. For the preservation of certain objects, I have found a solution of creosote more effectual than any of the other fluids in use, alcohol included. The Pavonaria on the table are an instance of its application. It has the advantages of simplicity and cheapness, being composed by adding to pure water as much creosote as will dissolve in it, which is only between one and two per cent. If some of the chemists, members of the Society, could be prevailed upon to turn their attention to the subject, I am persuaded that they might confer upon science a most important benefit, by discovering means of preserving objects of natural history and anatomical preparations in greater perfection than has yet been accomplished.

Dr. INMAN read a paper upon some of the Geographical and other peculiarities of Australia.

The AUTHOR began his observations by descanting upon the causes which had hitherto obstructed discovery in this great continent. These were the almost entire absence of navigable rivers-the general want of fresh water in the interior of the country—and the low levels of its gigantic plains, which were subject to the most tremendous inundations during the rainy seasons. The most prominent of the geographical peculiarities of the Australian continent were the lowness of its mountains, and their comparative nearness to the sea. In the south, at one part, the shore was formed by a huge unbroken precipice, six hundred miles long, and in others the summits of the hills were seen within about fifty miles from the coast, the highest points of which were not more than seven thousand feet above the level of the sea. As might have been anticipated, the character of the hills was different in different parts, being granitic in the south, sandstone in the west and south-west, and basaltic in the north and north-west. Metallic ores had been found in abundance in the first, but the two last were barren.

As a natural consequence of the vicinity of the mountains to the coast, the rivers were short and small, navigable only for a short distance, and during uncertain periods. From the hygrometric peculiarities of the climate, they were subject to the most extraordinary changes; and it was not unfrequent to see a torrent, as broad, deep, and

impetuous as the St. Lawrence or the Mississipi, where only a few days or hours before there had been nothing but a dry and apparently deserted water-course. Floods during the rainy season were frequent and appalling, the waters often rising from thirty to fifty feet above their usual level. This arose from the immense quantity of rain which fell in a short time, and from the steepness of the hill-sides, which prevented much being absorbed by the thirsty earth. In the broad valleys of the interior the inundations were not so deep as in the narrow ones, though far more extensive.

In the interior, the country consisted chiefly of extensive plains, many hundred miles in extent, whose level was in many instances a few feet only above that of the sea. These were but imperfectly covered with vegetation, and singularly deficient in water during the greatest part of the year, rendering the course of adventurers passing over them dangerous in the extreme.

The uncertainty of the rains, and the general flatness of the surface of the country, produced their natural effect upon the course and bed of the rivers. Those in the narrow valleys, where the fall from the high regions was considerable, and where the surrounding hills were steep and extensive, were, when full, deep and impetuous, their channels being constantly worn down by the action of the torrent. Those in the more level ground, where there was scarcely any fall, were broad and usually shallow, an inundation immediately overflowing the banks, and thus preventing any inordinate attrition; and when at last they had reached their lowest level, they spread themselves over a wide extent, and thus became most easily acted on by atmospheric and other agencies.

It was at one time a curious problem-What became of those rivers which flowed into the interior of the country? Did they go into some vast inland sea or central swamp? Or did they disappear entirely by evaporation, &c,? Explorers had set out to determine this; and though there had been at first some discrepancy in their accounts, the true state of the case came out at last. It appeared that during the rainy seasons the rivers seemed to empty themselves into a vast sea, which proved to be nothing more than an extensive inundation; and during the dry seasons they appeared to terminate in a gigantic swamp, which was in reality nothing more than the earth kept constantly soaked by water permeating it. From these swamps little water drained away, the whole of that from the south-eastern side of the island

being barely sufficient to fill the Murray river-the remainder being dissipated by evaporation.

Some idea might be formed of the inland lakes by the description given of Alexandrina, which, though it covered an area of 1500 square miles, was nowhere more than eight feet deep.

Two large rivers had been found to empty themselves into the Gulf of Carpentaria, and had been navigated about three hundred miles inland. It was uncertain, however, whether they were not filled at the time by "freshes."

Opposite Van Dieman's Land the rivers were not subject to any important changes, as neither droughts nor floods prevailed in that part to any extent.

The climate of the country was allowed by all observers to be beautiful in the extreme-agues, fevers, and other diseases, the result of marsh miasmata, were almost unknown. The heat, however, was most severe, being often as high as 160° in the sun, and 130° in the shade. This, necessarily, produced most rapid evaporation, but notwithstanding this the dew point was usually very high. As there were no snowy mountains, by which the excessive heat of the atmosphere was reduced, it usually happened that long intervals occurred between the falls of rain, and that these were far more heavy than in more temperate climates. The quantity which fell in the course of a day was almost incredible here, but it rarely happened that the average yearly amount was greater than that of Europe.

The most interesting of Australian peculiarities were those connected with animal and vegetable life. The forest trees were entirely different from those found elsewhere, not only in general appearance but in every other characteristic. The most prominent was the fact, that both sides of their leaves were equally dull-the stomates being as abundant on the upper as on the lower surface. This took away considerably from the beauty of the woods, and was always the first thing which attracted the attention of the European settler.

The birds were likewise peculiar-the majority being Paroquets. Though abundantly noisy, they had no taste for music, and were useful chiefly in leading travellers to water, which they did by collecting, and screaming, in immense numbers round every pool. The Emu-in some respects resembling the Ostrich was the largest known, and was much prized for its flesh, and the sport it afforded

the hunters.