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Mr. Hawkshaw read a communication on the footsteps ofthe great animals of the toad species which trod the earth in the time of red sandstones. These animals were once as large as camels, but they gradually dwindled in size, even at that early epoch, as was ably shewn by the author, till the circumstances became so unfit for the propagation of an animal abhorrent to man, as to appear in the present day to have attained a point proximate to total annihilation.

There was not much done in this section. We shall briefly recapitulate the chief results under their proper heads of Mammalogy, in which class, we can merely notice a memoir by Dr. Hodgkin, on the "Races of Men;" and the exhibition of a gigantic pair of the horns of the Wapeti deer. Ornithology—Mr. Couch read a memoir on the migration of birds in Cornwall; and Mr. Blackwall, a list of summer birds observed in Denbighshire. Icthyology—Dr. Richardson read a description of a new genus of fishes, called Machærium Subducens, from Port Essington, in New Holland. The same naturalist read a report on the icthyology of New Zealand, which contained descriptions of seventy-seven species. Invertebrata—Mr. Blackwall communicated a curious notice on the palpi of spiders, in which he stated that the full development of these organs indicates a maturity in male spiders. Mr. Moore exhibited specimens of the parasites of salmon and carp, which led to an interesting discussion. Mr. Peach announced, that the so-called "sea cup," was not the product of the turbo littoreus, but of the purpureus capillus, and that the patella lævis is the young of the patella pellucida. Among the miscellaneous papers belonging to the same class, was the report of the committee on zoological nomenclature. A report also of the committee for the preservation of animal and vegetable substances, which reported most favourably on the solution of the subcarbonate of potash for such purposes.

In this branch of knowledge, interesting papers were read by Professor Royle, on the growth of cotton in India; on the means of promoting the growth of plants, by Mr. Webb Hall; a paper by Mr. Reade, opposed to Liebig's theory of fallows; a notice of an irregular production of flowers in an aloe, at Ham Court, near Bristol, by Professor Daubeny; and the first report from the committee on the growth and vitality of seeds.

Many of the statistical papers led to results of considerable interest and importance. There were among these, five papers on vital statistics, in which Manchester and its cotton-spinners were included; two papers on criminal statistics; three on the statistics of colleges, academies, and schools; two on the loan funds and monts de piété in Ireland; the registers of the collegiate church, Manchester; the statistics of Plymouth, &c.

There were no less than twenty-nine communications read at this section, all of which contained some practical fact of greater or less importance. Besides the report on railway sections, there were also connected with the same subject, a memoir by Mr. Vignolles, on the axles of locomotive engines; and a paper by the same author, on the best form of railway bars, and on the upper works of railways generally ; a memoir by Mr. Nasmyth, on the strength of hammered and annealed bars of iron and railway axles; Mr. Smith, on an improved steam boiler; and Mr. Russell, on an index of speed for steam vessels; a memoir on floating breakwaters, a subject which has assumed a national importance; and one on the application of beton and concrete to the construction of breakwaters; three papers on the strength of materials; another on the ventilation of houses; on a self-acting wear; on the pressure of earth against walls; a memoir by Sir J. Robison, on making street-paving blocks from round timber, now proposed in Paris; a report on the form of ships; and another on iron, as a material for ship building; on a new mode of raising water; on producing artificial threads or filaments for weaving; Mr. Brockedon, on new patent stoppers; Mr. Vignolles, on Clegg's dry gas meter; and lastly, two papers, besides one read at the chemical section, on the interesting subject of the efficacy of plans for abating the smoke nuisance, and the consumption of smoke. There is now in Manchester an especial association for determining the merits of the various plans, which are now forty-two in number, submitted as effectual for this purpose, and its operation has been further assisted by a grant from the British Association.