editions of several of the Mormon works were to be printed in the style of phonetic spelling so well advocated by our townsman, Mr. Withers. Mr. Orson Pratt, a mathematician of no mean eminence, who has made phonotypy a study, was sent over to superintend the work, and types were bought, when the sudden death of President Brigham Young caused the return of Mr. Pratt, and the matter was for the present at a stand. Mr. Marples stated that great as were the advantages of the phonetic spelling, his love for the old masters of English literature was such that he hoped no radical change would be made while he lived. Mr. J. N. SHOOLBRED, B.A. and C.E., then read a paper on "Tides in the Irish Sea and in the River Mersey." Ladies were invited to this Meeting. NINTH ORDINARY MEETING. ROYAL INSTITUTION, February 18th, 1878. JOHN J. DRYSDALE, M.D., PRESIDENT, in the Chair. Messrs. B. H. Hilton, W. Russell, R. Nicholson, Geo. Taylor, Jno. Bouch, and Dr. Symes were elected Ordinary Members. Mr. T. J. MOORE made the following communications:The receipt of a complete skeleton of the European Bison, presented to the Free Museum in exchange by Dr. Steindachner, Honorary Member of the Society, and Director of the Imperial Zoological Museum of Vienna. These Bisons are now living only in a strictly preserved district in European Russia and in the Imperial Zoological Gardens at Vienna. * See page 359. A letter from Miss Gatty, Corresponding Member, announcing that Mr. Busk, F.R.S., had written to inform her that of nine undetermined specimens of Polyzoa, presented to the Museum by Associates of the Society and submitted to him, seven proved to be new to science. A letter from Mr. E. Dukinfield Jones, Corresponding Member of the Society, dated São Paulo, Brazil, January 8, 1878, announcing satisfactory progress in collecting and recording the metamorphoses of Lepidoptera, some of which are among the most beautiful to be found in the New World. The following extract relates further observations on the larvæ and larvæ cases of a supposed species of Moth, belonging to the family Bombycidæ, figured and noted by Mr. Dukinfield Jones in the last volume of Proceedings of the Society (vol. xxxi., p. lxxx. and plate) : "On Christmas Day I made a magnificent bag, having found a place where every bush of the right sort had several fine specimens of the Hammock Caterpillar. I went about amongst the bushes for about two hours, in which time I had got over a hundred of these most wonderful insects. I found several already permanently fixed, ready for changing to the pupa state, though the larva was still unchanged, but the majority were in a most active condition. It has been most interesting watching their habits. I find I was not quite correct in the position of the suspended case in the sketch I made you. It should be nearly perpendicular, instead of horizontal. The upper opening is thus protected from rain by the curved end. "I am making a full-sized drawing of the insect in its various positions. It is certainly the most remarkable caterpillar I have ever come across. Its movements are so rapid as to remind one very forcibly of some much higher class of animal, and it has a comical air about it that is irresistibly ludicrous. The extent to which it can stretch itself out of the case is marvellous. Though the entire length of the case is only about four-and-a-half centimetres, and the length of the caterpillar, when drawn up inside, only three centimetres, I have constantly seen them reach six centimetres from the case when searching for a point to secure their lines to. They turn round in the case and come out at either end with equal facility. A curious habit they have is making a low musical sound when annoyed. It is very faint, and can only be heard by holding the case close to the ear, but the vibration can be distinctly felt by the fingers. The sound is intermittent, not continuous." Mr. STEARN described some experiments he had been recently making in telephonic communication, chiefly with respect to the effect of branch lines connected with a main line. Mr. G. F. CHANTRELL exhibited the original copies of Captain Hutchinson's Tide Tables, mentioned in the paper on the "Tides in the Irish Sea and in the River Mersey." Mr. B. L. BENAS then read a paper on "The Proverbs of European Nations."* Ladies were invited to this Meeting. TENTH ORDINARY MEETING. ROYAL INSTITUTION, March 4th, 1878. JOHN J. DRYSDALE, M.D., PRESIDENT, in the Chair. Messrs. David Radcliffe and Alfred E. Tanner elected Ordinary Members. * See page 291. Mr. STEARN exhibited a Phonograph, which he briefly explained to the Members. The Rev. T. P. KIRKMAN, M.A., F.R.S., presented two papers on "The Enumeration and Construction of the 9-acral 9-edra," and "The Construction of the Poly-edra,' "* and described their purport in a short address. The Rev. Dr. WM. STERN then read a paper on "Moses Mendelssohn."+ Ladies were present at this Meeting. ELEVENTH ORDINARY MEETING. ROYAL INSTITUTION, March 18th, 1878. JOHN J. DRYSDALE, M.D., PRESIDENT, in the Chair. Mr. George Beall, F.R.G.S., was elected an Ordinary Member. Mr. PICTON brought under the notice of the Meeting the following somewhat romantic episode in the history of Liverpool, which is little if at all known : A VERITABLE "CLAIMANT." In the Liverpool Directories of 1796 and 1800 will be found the name of "Nathaniel Sherwood, 18, John Street, driver of the Duke's Boat Coach." Thereby hangs a tale as follows: Early in 1783, a young man, whose looks and manner were above his apparent station, arrived as a stranger in Liverpool. He called himself Nathaniel Sherwood. He procured a carriage and a pair of horses, which he plied * See pages 177 and 217 See page 333. in the streets as a hackney coachman. He was civil and sober, prudent and prosperous. After the completion of the Duke of Bridgwater's Canal, in 1772, passenger boats were put on, to convey travellers from Manchester to Stockton Quay, near Warrington. From Stockton Quay a coach transmitted the passengers to Liverpool. On account of its meeting the canal boats, it was familiarly called the "Boat Coach." This coach was horsed and driven for many years by Nathaniel Sherwood, whose bright cheerful face was recognised everywhere on the road. He married, and had children. He gradually grew into a considerable proprietor, and bought and sold horses extensively, until having gone into Wales, in July, 1802, for the purpose of purchasing horses, he was accidentally drowned. Where he came from he never disclosed. All that could be learned was that his father's name was William; that he had a brother of the same name, and two sisters, after whom he respectively named his two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary Anne. We must now turn to a distant part of the country. There was, and is, in the county of Cornwall, a respectable family named Simons, having landed estates, both in Cornwall and Devonshire. The head of the family, in the latter part of the eighteenth century, was William Simons, who had two sons, William and Nicholas, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary Anne. He settled his estates on his eldest son, William, and failing him on his heirs male, with remainder to his daughters equally. Nicholas was articled to an attorney at St. Austell. He conducted himself with propriety, and was a favourite with his master. He formed an attachment, however, with a young woman at St. Austell, a milliner's apprentice. The connection was strongly disapproved both by his father and his master, which led to great unpleasantness, and finally a promise was extorted from him that he would break it off. This was in 1782. In November |