196 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



their powerful swimming feet except occasionally. Such a use could 

 hardly have been predicted from structure alone, but became evident 

 when the living animals were closely observed. 



Among the cases of adaptation for life resting on the surface of the 

 mud or other bottom sediment might be instanced Acmithohberis and 

 Latona, both of which exhibited a very peculiar development of the sette 

 bordering the posterior ventral margins of the valves. Here again it 

 would be difficult to guess the significance of these setae without a 

 knowledge of the habits of the living animals. 



Lastly, with regard to adaptations for life on the underside of the 

 surface-film the cases of Scapholeieris and Notodromas could be taken, 

 both of which, although belonging to quite different orders of the 

 Entomostraca, showed peculiar and very similar modifications, such as 

 the flattened ventral area, the dark coloration of the ventral parts of 

 the shell, etc., which would be unintelligible unless the habits of the 

 living animals were known. 



As would have been noticed the illustrations given had all been 

 taken from the group of the Entomostraca, but every specialist would 

 be able to add from his own experience similar cases of peculiar modifi- 

 cations only to be interpreted by a study of the living animals. And in 

 addition to the known cases, there were undoubtedly a much larger 

 number which had yet to be explained by the same means. New 

 methods of collection and observation would no doubt be very helpful 

 in this connexion. At any rate the customary methods of collection 

 which produced jumbled masses of all sorts of aquatic organisms, usually 

 from all sorts of situations, were somewhat crude, and it appeared evident 

 that for the study of the habits of the living organisms the aim of the 

 collector should be to secure his specimens as nearly as possible in their 

 normal natural surroundings. 



Mr. Scourfield then proceeded to refer briefly to the objects 

 exhibited. 



The President said he could not usefully add a single word to the 

 remarks made by Mr. Scourfield, who had dealt with the matter so effi- 

 ciently. He would like to propose, " That a hearty vote of thanks be 

 accorded to the Fellows of the Society and to the Members of the 

 Quekett Microscopical Club who have exhibited specimens, and to 

 Mr. Scourfield for the remarks he has made on the exhibits." 



Carried unanimously. 



The President announced that the next meeting would be held on 

 June 18, and the next meeting of the Biological Section on June 4, when 

 Mr. E. J. Sheppard would make a communication on " Some Original 

 Work on the Eat Flea." 



The business proceedings then terminated. 



