they were so numerous as to preclude the attempt to do more than briefly mention the more important items.
The Microscopical display was unusually large and interesting. There were some seventy microscopes in use, including some kindly lent by Mr. T. W. Watson, Mr. E. Wheeler, and Mr. F. Enock, of London, and they were so excellently disposed at such convenient stances that all were easily accessible by the many visitors. Commencing with the living objects illustrating Pond Life we have to enumerate the following:—Freshwater Polyzoa—Alcyonella fungosa, Frecdericella sultana, and Paludicella Ehrenbergii; Melicerta ringens, (the building rotifer,) and Epistylis natans, exhibited by Mr. Thos. Bolton; Lophopus crystallinus, by Rev. Dr. Deans, Conochilus volvox, and Actinosphærium sol, by Mr. T. J. Slatter; Hydatina senta, one of the largest of the British rotifers, by Mr. H. C. Forrest; and Hydra vugaris and Hydra viridis, showing the reproduction by budding, by Mr. J. Levick.—Then there were among many mounted objects Angninaria spatulata, (Snake's head Coralline,) and section of Pearl, exhibited by Mr. W. H. Pearson; Plumularia setacea, with tentacles expanded, Membranipora pilosa, and Alcyonidium hirsutum, with tentacles expanded, by Mr. A. W. Wills; larval forms of Crab, and Sertularin with tentacles expanded, by Mr. W. Graham; Star-fishes and Sea-urchins, (illustrations of structure.) young Oysters, and Entozoa, illustrating the Trematoda, Cestoda, and Nematoda, by Mr. W. R. Hughes; spines of Echinus, by Rev. Dr. Deane; Dog's Tongue,—section showing the glands and villi, Dog's Foot-pad,—section showing arterial vascularity, and Human Intestine,—section showing villi injected, by Mr. F. W. Spiller; Palate of Cuttle-fish, by Mr. C. Pumphrey. Mr. F. Enoch, of London, (an old member of the Birmingham Natural History Society,) showed a number of insects, mounted whole, without pressure, by an entirely new process, which has taken Mr. Enoch some years to bring to perfection. These insects retain all their natural form; some show their internal muscular structure; in these can be seen every minute muscle, and the purpose for which it is intended can he clearly traced out; others, such as tongues of various insects, are prepared so as to retain all the natural form, colour, and characteristic markings without any distortion whatever, thus rendering the preparations of the utmost value to the student. We may specially mention Stylops Spenii, parasite of the wild Bee; Polynema ovulorum, the Fairy fly, (its larva is born and matured within the egg of the Cabbage butterfly;) Atypus Sulzeri, English trap-door spider. Stylops Spencii, in the act of emerging from body of wild bee, was also exhibited by Mr. J. Potts, Mr. Edmund Tonks exhibited Spinnerets of Spider. Mr. E. Wheeler, of London, exhibited 1,200 microscopic objects, (no two alike,) representing every department of microscopy. His elaborate groups of Diatoms, Foraminifora from "Challenger" dredgings, Polariscope objects, Möller's Typen-platten, Webb's Micro-engravings, anatomical specimens, opaque objects, Geological objects, and the Colorado Beetle, proved most attractive.
We come now to illustrations of Vegetable Life. Of Freshwater Algæ there were Spirogyra nitida, Musocarpus scalaria, Zygetina lutescens, and Staurocarpus gracilis, showing formation of spores by conjugation; Batrachospermumn alpestro and vagum, and Draparnaldia plumosa, all exhibited by Mr. A. W. Wills; Volvox globator, (living specimens showing the rotation.) by Mr. Leviek and Dr. W. Hinds; spores of Equisetum, showing the contraction of elastic filaments by moisture and their expansion on drying, by Mr. W. B. Grove. Protonema of mosses, showing germination of spore; section of Mnium subglobesina, showing male and female flowers of moss; Peristomes of mosses; sections of leaves of holly, grass, and fern;
