In the absence of Mr. F. Milner, whose name was down for a paper on Foraminifera, Mr. Stiles introduced a discussion on the subject by reading a few notes on the leading characters of this important group of animals.

After explaining the meaning of the name ‘Foraminifera’ he enumerated & described some of the more common forms, giving an account of their mode of growth, the structure of their shells, and their habitat. He also noticed the chief features of the two classes into which they may be divided. These which are termed respectively Porcelaneous & Vitreous are founded upon certain corresponding characters furnished by the shells in one case being white & square in the others more or less transparent.

Mr. Stiles drew attention to Sponge Sand as containing many beautiful forms of Foraminifera & thereby furnishing excellent material for microscopic study especially for beginners. He also described the method of mounting Foraminifera in Balsam.