botanical or zoological; indeed, his memory for the names of natural objects was alike envied and admired. I come now to speak of the declining years of Mr. Nuttall's life. Retiring in disposition, his intercourse, even with his friends, was not characterised by an abundant flow of conversational remarks, yet on certain occasions, chiefly when by some incident reminded of his early explorations in the wilds of America, he would kindle with animation, and speak fluently and even eloquently. I remember bringing to him a little wild flower, with the name of which I was at that time unacquainted. 'Ah!' said he, 'I have not seen that plant for more than thirty years; it is Chrysosplenium oppositifolium;' and he then related how he had found it in America, and went on to name a large number of other flowers found in similar situations, though, as he said, he bad not seen any of them for more than a quarter of a century. Thus even up to the time of his last illness his memory was as fresh and vigorous as it had been in the prime of life.

"Nor was he less remarkable for a truly philosophical and conciliatory spirit. Being himself a member of the Church of England, he appreciated that which was good wherever he might find it. Circumstances very frequently brought into contact with him the ministers and members of a Primitive Methodist chapel; with their peculiarities Mr. Nuttall was far from sympathising, yet he recognised them as striving to do good amongst the very poor and illiterate population of the neighbourhood, and both treated them and spoke of them with uniform consideration and kindness.

"His charity, too, was self-denying. Possessing an ample income, he was frugal almost to excess, scarcely allowing himself the comforts and lesser luxuries required by his advanced years; whilst at the same time the stream of his liberality towards those whom he considered to be deserving of it was never stiuted.

"Shortly before his end, which was attended with much resignation and serenity, he declared, in few but earnest words, his firm belief in the truths of revelation, and said that in them he found both peace and hope. He was buried in the churchyard of Christ Church, Eccleston, Prescot.

"So terminated the life of my much venerated friend. Honoured and esteemed by his neighbours, his name will long be familiar throughout the scientific circles of Europe, and indeed of the world.

"I remain, DEAR SIR,
"Yours truly,

"RAINHILL, Sept. 28th, 1859."

"HENRY H. HIGGINS.

The Treasurer reported last year the investment in a bond. of a portion of the Society's surplus funds. He will report to you a continuance of prosperity.

The Society has met this year at an earlier period than usual, and with the exception of an interval at Christmas, it will continue its fortnightly meetings till the end of April. This alteration in the time of meeting was made by the Society last session.

Towards the close of the last session the council had under their consideration the giving of occasional soirées in the apartments of the Society, and at the last sessional meeting a communication was made to the Society recommending one or more of these meetings, and asking that the council might be authorized to make the arrangements. It will be your pleasure to grant this to the new council, which act will be implied by your adoption of this Report in so far as it bears upon this question.

In accordance with the laws of the Society, the council have recommended for election the following:

James Thomas Foard, George Highfield Morton, F.G.S., the Rev. John Robberds, B. A., Frederick Price Marrat, and John Birkbeck Nevins, M.D.

(Signed) THOMAS INMAN, President.

DAVID P. THOMSON, Hon. Sec.

ROYAL INSTITUTION, Oct. 3rd, 1859.

Mr. BYERLEY, the Treasurer, then submitted the balance sheet, which had been duly audited, and read his statement of accounts, which was unanimously passed.

The Rev. Henry H. Higgins, M.A., was elected President for the next triennial period.

A cordial vote of thanks was accorded to Dr. Inman, the retiring President; and the Society then proceeded, by ballot, to elect a Council for the present year.

The members chosen were Dr. Inman, Professor Archer, Mr. Byerley, Dr. Thomson, Dr. Edwards, Mr. Redish, Mr. Higginson, Mr. Duckworth, C. Collingwood, M.B., the Rev. John Robberds, Dr. Nevins, Mr. Foard, Mr. Morton, and Mr. Marrat.

The following were elected Vice-Presidents: Dr. Inman, Professor Archer, and Dr. Edwards. Mr. Byerley was re-elected Treasurer, and Dr. Thomson, Honorary Secretary.

ORDINARY MEETING.

The Society having resolved itself into an ordinary meeting, Dr. COLLINGWOOD placed upon the table a species of cuttle-fish, Eledone cirrhosus, obtained alive from the Rock Ferry slip. These animals, which were very difficult to be kept alive for more than four and twenty hours, were not unfrequently taken in deep water outside the river by the fishermen, but the locality whence this specimen was obtained was very remarkable. He also exhibited some very

rare Nudibranchs, which had been taken by Mr. Moore at Hilbre Island, on Monday last. These were a white specimen of the giant of the tribe, Tritonia Hombergii, and one of T. plebeia, deep sea species, both of which, however, had been before captured by himself at Hilbre. But the most important were the two species of the genus Antiopa, the history of which was not a little remarkable. In 1844 M. Verany named a species of Nudibranch which inhabited. southern Europe, Janus Spinole, but as the name Janus was already used to designate a genus of insects, Messrs. Alder and Hancock, in their elaborate work, renamed it Antiopa. A remarkable crest between the dorsal tentacles, added to the lamellated tentacles, and branched cells of the papillæ, appeared to warrant a separation of this animal from the genus Proctonotus, which it much resembled. They therefore called it Antiopa splendida, and perhaps it was, without exception, the most beautiful of that beautiful tribe. It inhabited the Mediterranean and south coasts of Europe and England, and was added to the Liverpool fauna by himself during the present summer. Until 1851 it was the only species of Antiopa known, but in that year a new species was discovered at Hilbre Island by Mr. Byerley, which was figured by Alder and Hancock, and called by them Antiopa hyalina. Mr. Byerley found another in 1854, and a third was then upon the table, taken by Mr. Moore at the same spot. It possessed the crest and tentacles of A. cristata, but in other respects came nearer to the Proctonotus. Here, then, in the same vessel were the two species of this remarkable genus-the one (A. cristata) having a singularly wide range, and being one of the few Nudibranchs we possess in common with the Mediterranean Sea, and the other (A. hyalina) having been hitherto nowhere seen except upon that little isolated rock at the mouth of the Dee, called Hilbre Island.

The following communication was then made:

ON THE ELEPHANTS USED IN WAR, BY

THE CARTHAGENIANS.

BY RICHARD BROOKE, Esq., F.S.A.

On the 10th of January last, I was induced to draw the attention of the members of this Society, to a point of considerable interest. From what country did the Carthagenians procure the elephants, which it is admitted by historians, they were in the habit of using in war?

We know from history that the Greeks under Pyrrhus, King of Epirus, used elephants in battle with the Romans, 279 years before our Saviour's birth, and that the Romans during the time of the Empire, commonly used these animals for purposes of state or magnificence; and in my opinion there cannot be any fair doubt that both the Greeks and Romans obtained them from Asia. The last time, as far as I am able to discover, that the Romans encountered elephants in battle was in the year of our Lord 627, when Gibbon * informs us, that in the Persian army opposed to the Emperor Heraclius, there were 200 elephants; and that after his victories over the Persians, he entered Constantinople in triumph, in a chariot drawn by four elephants.

With respect to the country from whence the Carthagenians obtained them, there may be some difficulty in coming to any certain conclusion. I have never yet met with any author who has ventured to assert, that the natives of Africa, either ancient or modern, had ever domesticated African elephants, or trained them to be useful in battle. Previously to our meeting of the 10th of January last, I was not aware of any writer who had thrown out a suggestion, similiar to the one

* Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. vi, p. 227–230.