86 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



crescent of short spines at the base of the rays close to the 

 disc. 



Mr Eobertson at same time exhibited a small crustacean, 

 Hippolyte pusiola of Kroyer {H. Andrewsii of Kinahan, and H. 

 Barlii of Sp. Bate), for the identification of which he had been 

 indebted to the kindness of the Rev. A. M. Norman. It was 

 taken at Cumbrae, on a sand and gravel bottom from ten to fifteen 

 fathoms deep. H. pusiola is very like H. Cranchii, and may be 

 readily mistaken for that animal, but is easily distinguished from 

 it by having the apex of the rostrum simple instead of bifid. 



Mr Robertson also exhibited a little auk {Mergulus alle), 

 which had been captured at Millj^ort, and forwarded to him 

 by Mr Levack, one of the society's corresponding members. 



Mr John Young made some remarks on the genus Camarophoria, 

 a small groujD of bivalve shells, found as yet only in the Permian 

 and Carboniferous formations, and stated that in Scottish strata 

 they were so extremely rare that until the last few weeks only 

 one specimen had been known, a single example, Avhich was found 

 in the limestone of West Lothian by the late Professor Fleming. 

 Mr Young has lately identified three other specimens of these rare 

 shells from the main limestone, Campsie, the species being C. 

 crumena, in which he was fortunate in developing tlie internal 

 characters on which the genus is founded. He also referred to 

 another small species, C. glohdina, discovered by Mr James 

 Thomson, one of the society's members, at Brockley, near 

 Lesmahagow. 



The Secretary exhibited a slab from the Westbarns clay- 

 field, near Dunbar, containing numerous remains of a recently 

 discovered fossil star-fish {Ophiolepis gracilis), described as a 

 new species by Professor Allman of Edinburgh. The slab 

 excited some interest — the sjDecimens of the star-fish being in 

 excellent preservation. In the brickfield at Westbarns, they are 

 found in great numbers ; in a single horizontal bed, Avhich extends 

 about a 100 yards, as far as yet exposed, they are all of one species, 

 and appear to have died suddenly, none of the rays being separ- 

 ated from the disc, or in any way mutilated. In dimensions, the 

 specimens varied from one to four inches. Mr Gray mentioned 

 that among the many thousands of these star-fishes, there did not 

 appear to be a vestige of any other organism, a fact which leads to 

 many curious speculations. 



I 



