120 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



besides a large bundle of Comatula. I examined other three of 

 the same species of fish, taken in the same locality a few days 

 afterwards, but found four or five in one only. Ten or twelve days 

 later, I examined several others, but failed to find any Thysanopods, 

 and further examinations a month later were followed by the 

 same results. 



Finding them only in the earlier part of the season, shortly 

 after the bream had begun to make its appearance on our coast, 

 I was beginning to suspect that the breams from which they were 

 taken had just arrived, bringing the crustacean cargo with them, 

 from what distance it might be difficult to say, as forty or fifty 

 miles an hour might be only a very moderate speed for these 

 finny navigators. Fortunately, about the middle of September, I 

 captured a few in the surface net at Cumbrae, proving satisfac- 

 torily that they were at least visitors to our coasts, if not perma- 

 nently inhabiting our shores. 



It is most likely that the apparent rarity of this animal, and of 

 many others, does not arise from their being thinly distributed 

 round our coasts, but rather from our want of the knowledge of 

 their habits. This season it occurred to me to try the surface net 

 after dark, and I was surprised to find many species oi Amphipods, 

 Cumas, Bodatrias, etc., abundant, that I had never met with in the 

 surface-net by day; many of them rare, and several that are 

 likely to be new to the Clyde. I believe this is but one of the 

 many obscure side tracts that are yet lying thickly around us 

 unobserved, and while the sea rolls over her treasures, our pro- 

 gress in reaching them -wall ever be perplexing and slow. 



Mr Young exhibited portions of the stem of a curious crinoid 

 belonging to the genus Platycrinus, in which the anal stem reverses 

 its axis in the course of every six joints from right to left. This 

 form of crinoid stem is very rare in most localities, but is abun- 

 dant in limestone shale at Muirkirk. 



Dr Scouler exliibited specimens of Halichondria ramosa and 

 Atelecydus heterodon from Loch Eribol. 



Mr John Shaw exhibited several interesting mosses, among 

 which were Orthotrichum pumihim, 0. fastigiatum, and 0. Rogeri, 

 from various Scottish localities besides Dailly in Ayrshire — all 

 new to the British flora. 0. fastigiatum, although a very distinct 

 species, had hitherto been confounded with 0. affine, specimens of 

 that moss having been detected by Dr Schimper as representing 



