selves, from 1624 to 1654, of the sea coast provinces, from the Maranhao to the San Francisco, many of the Indians were slaughtered, and the survivors driven inland. Then came the Brazilian Mamelukes, of whose doings in Paraguay we have the following expressive narration from Martin Dobrizhoffer;-" The Mamelukes are a set of people, born of Portuguese, Dutch, French, Italians, and Germans cohabiting with Brazilian women, celebrated for skill in shooting and robbing, ready for any daring enterprise, and thence distinguished by the foreign name of Mamelukes. (They were in fact the Bedouins of the desert, or the Roman brigands.) It was their constant custom to carry off the Indians, led by the fathers to the freedom of the children of God, into the hardest slavery. In the space of one hundred and thirty years, ten millions of Indians were slain and carried into captivity by the Mamelukes of Brazil, and more than one thousand leagues of country, as far as the river Amazon, was stripped of its inhabitants. From a letter by the king of Spain in 1639, it appears that in five years, three hundred thousand Paraguayan Indians were carried away into Brazil and sold as slaves."

There is one incident in this war, upon which I desire to touch here. More than a year ago, it was tried to raise a feeling of Christian indignation against Lopez for his reputed attempt to force women into the army. Gentlemen, Lopez is a man for whom I have not the slightest sympathy; I believe he is as much to be blamed for this war as any one else; but I believe there are few Englishmen who have not an admiration for the many incidents of courage unto death that have been shewn by the Paraguayans, men and women, since the war began. Amongst these, none is more remarkable than that of which we read in the Buenos Ayres newspaper, the Patria, that "among the dead Paraguayans in the action of the 8th of May last, in the Gran Chaco, was

found an old woman, dressed in man's clothes, shot by the side of a young man also killed, whose head she was holding in her withered hands, and who doubtless was her own son. The latter was clutching his rifle with one arm, and the other twined round the neck of the old woman. The picture must have been a sad and a pathetic one." From several other incidents like this, that came to my knowledge, I am inclined to think that the women who joined the army came as volunteers.

How much the ethnological view of the difference of races has, in my opinion, to do with the perpetual warfare in South America, may be seen by any one consulting the thirty-second chapter of the book which I hold in my hand, my last contribution to the literature of the countries wherewith Her Majesty's government honours me in the connexion, and which I have the pleasure of presenting through you, Sir, to the Library of the Literary and Philosophical Society.

In conclusion, I shall be most happy to answer any questions within my knowledge, whereupon I may not have touched in this paper; for the courteous attention to which I have to return to you, Mr. President, and to you, gentlemen, my best thanks.

THIRD ORDINARY MEETING.

ROYAL INSTITUTION, 16th November, 1868.

J. A. PICTON, F.S.A., VICE-PRESIDENT, in the Chair.

Mr. T. J. Moore brought before the Society the following objects:

Stuffed specimens of two rare species of tree porcupines, from Bahia, lately presented to the Free Museum by Mr. George Bell, who made some remarks upon their habits.

A collection of fish, crustacea, and insects; made at Port Adelaide, South Australia, by Mr. Edward Phillips, and brought for naming by Mr. T. B. Robson, of New Brighton.

Also some bird-skins, from Tongatabu and the Fiji Islands, collected by Mr. Robson, the most remarkable of which was an imperfect specimen, apparently, of a species of pigeon, with salmon-coloured body and yellowish head, the native name of which was Buli ndamu.

Mr. Moore also exhibited a young chameleon, a few days old only, one of a brood born alive, in the possession of Lady Cust, the parents of which had since produced another brood, also born alive; in addition to this, Mr. Moore also exhibited some living chameleons, and an egg just laid by one of them; also a specimen in spirit, showing the eggs in sitú.

Mr. Higginson also exhibited some chameleon eggs, in illustration of his views thereon,

E

Mr. T. J. Moore pointed out, what he had no doubt the Society would be pleased to hear, namely, that the volume of the Report of the Smithsonian Institution for 1866, copies of which had just arrived, contained a reprint in full of a paper "On Vitality," by the Rev. H. H. Higgins, read before the Society, and printed in their Proceedings for 1864; and to which an appendix, supporting Mr. Higgins's views, was added by Dr. Henry, Secretary of the Institution.

The Rev. H. H. Higgins then read a paper on "Science Teaching in Schools," which was followed by a lengthened discussion, in which Messrs. Nevins, Sephton, Birch, and the Chairman took part.

EXTRAORDINARY MEETING.

ROYAL INSTITUTION, 30th November, 1868.

The REV. HENRY H. HIGGINS, M.A., VICE-PRESIDENT, in the Chair.

The Minutes of the last Extraordinary Meeting having been read and signed,

The Honorary Secretary read the alterations in the laws, as recommended for adoption by the Council.

It was then proposed by Mr. Unwin, and seconded by Mr. Picton, "That the alterations as now read be passed a first time," which was agreed to unanimously.

FOURTH ORDINARY MEETING.

ROYAL INSTITUTION, 30th November, 1868.

The REV. HENRY H. HIGGINS, M.A., VICE-PRESIDENT, in the Chair.

Mr. Moore exhibited a remarkably fine mass of coral, obtained in six fathoms water, in Annesley Bay, by Captain Donald, ship Preston, and presented by him to the Free Museum.

The following paper was then read;