THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
163
of us could thus form a brand new stomach at a moment's notice, and order our
poor old worn-out digestive organs to cease to exist ! Boast as we may of our
highly-organised systems, we must acknowledge that these amoebae have one advan-
tage over us. The Foraminifera belong to the same class of animals as the amoeba.
They differ, however, more particularly in one respect, and that is in the possession
of very beautiful shells, which are no larger than small grains of sand, of almost as
much variety and beauty in form as those of the very beautiful molluscs. They
derive their name from the fact that their shells are pierced with minute holes,
through which they can put forth their pseudopodia or arms. This picture is an en-
largement from a photograph taken by myself from a group of Foraminifera, which I
separated several years ago from some mud from Mersea in the manner I have
demonstrated to you. The photograph has been enlarged and touched up for me
by Mr. Gill, to whom I am much indebted for the skill shown in making the
enlarged picture. Diatoms hold about the same position in the vegetable world
which the Foraminifera hold in the animal world. As in the case of some others
of the lower vegetables, they are capable of some apparently voluntary movements,
though not the deliberate movements of amoeba. These simple vegetables have
very beautiful silicious envelopes, so exquisitely marked that from the earliest
days of the microscope they have proved perhaps the most attractive objects. I
will not occupy you to-night with further details, for are not these interesting
organisms described in every general work upon the microscope ? But I will con-
clude with a list of species which Mr. Benham and myself picked out from some
oyster mud in a very short time one evening, which, although very imperfect, will
be useful as showing what a fruitful source of material this oyster mud might be to
the microscopist. Foraminifera—Quinqueloculina seminulum, Rotalia beccarii,
Polystomella striata-punctata, Monionina Crassula and Entosolenia globosa.
Diatoms— Triceratium favus, Isthmia enervis, a Pleurosigma and an Eupodiscus.
Mr. Benham has kindly arranged to exhibit specimens of these forms under the
microscopes later in the evening."
Mr. Walter Crouch said he was very glad that this matter had been brought
before the Club, he believed for the first time, although such abundant material
for a most interesting study existed on our coast. Mr. Crouch exhibited some
drawings of Diatoms and Foraminifera, and alluded to the many interesting obser-
vations which had been made of late years on the structure and life-history of these
beautiful forms.
Mr. W. H. Harwood read "Notes on some of the Rarer Coleoptera found in the
Colchester District," which will be published in the Essex Naturalist.
The President said that all would welcome Mr. Harwood's contribution, on a sub-
ject almost entirely new to the Club's publications, only one note on the beetles of
Essex having previously been communicated. Mr. Harwood's name was known
all over England as a most skilful collector and student of Lepidoptera, and now
that he had turned his attention also to the Hymenoptera and Coleoptera of his
district, they might hope to gain some valuable information as to their riches in
these groups. He sincerely hoped that Mr. Harwood would continue to make
such communications to the Club, showing the excellent work he was doing in the
practical working out of Essex entomology.
Mr. W. Cole read on behalf of Mr. Fitch and himself, "Notes on Results of
Examination of a Red-hill near Burnham, Essex,"3 illustrating it by a set of speci-
mens obtained from a hill at Little West Wick, Burnham Marshes, on the 20th
and 21st of September, 1888. The paper also contained a list of the Red-hills in
3 Dr. Laver has largely added to the number of Red-hills known at the time of reading this
paper, and he is still at work obtaining information from farmers and others on the subject. I
shall be very glad to hear from any member who may know of Red-hills in Essex or elsewhere. It
is of great importance that a large number should be catalogued, in order to afford ample
materials for comparison.—W. Cole.