408 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



he had found rhabdoliths in the London Clay very much resembling 

 those with the trumpet-shaped projections, the difference being that each 

 projecting tube bad similar but smaller tubes radiating from it at right 

 angles. All were, however, in the peculiar mineralised condition which 

 prevented them from being easily recognised. Diatoms were common in 

 that formation, but rhabdoliths were more rare, for he had found the 

 latter only in the clay from a well at Queenborough. One other point, 

 he should like to refer to, viz. the spines projecting from some kinds of 

 diatoms. He had often noticed similar projections from Pleurosigma 

 found in the estuary of the Thames. 



Dr. D. H. Scott, F.R.S., said he should like to join with others 

 present in expressing the great pleasure with which he had listened to 

 this communication. He had come to hear Mr. Carruthers, but, however 

 much they regretted his absence and the cause of it, they could not have 

 had a more complete compensation for their disappointment. As regarded 

 the position to be assigned to these organisms, he did not think they 

 seemed to fit on exactly to any known group, but the way in which 

 Mr. Murray had made out their structure was most interesting. The 

 arrangement of the overlapping plates was to his mind a much more 

 natural one than the old idea, which would appear to prevent growth. 

 Nothing would be of more importance than to ascertain what was the 

 mode of reproduction of these organisms. He should like to enquire if, 

 after the study he had made of them, Mr. Murray could give them any 

 idea as to the affinities of these bodies. So far as he was aware, the 

 knowledge of pelagic organisms was still in 11 very infantile condition. 



Mr. Shrubsole enquired whether Mr. Murray considered that any re- 

 lation existed between the coccospheres and the gelatinous bodies which 

 made their appearance every year in the montii of May in the estuary of 

 the Thames in such quantities as to produce the condition known to 

 fishermen as " foul water ? " As May was approaching, he would suggest 

 to some gentlemen who had the means of so doing, that they should take 

 the opportunity of examining these things. 



Mr. Murray said, with regard to the contents of these bodies, not 

 only did he have very little material to go upon, but it was an ex- 

 tremely difficult matter to make satisfactory observations upon such 

 minute bodies upon the high seas. About eighteen months ago, about 

 four miles off the North Foreland, he was towing in rather rough weather, 

 and got rather a large haul, in which he found Coccosphsera pelagica in 

 fine perfection in September. He hoped to be able to obtain some further 

 quantities during next September. He had said nothing about the 

 affinities of these things, because he knew nothing about them ; he was 

 just as much in the dark on this matter as Dr. Scott was. Mr. Black- 

 man and he did their best to try and place them, and they thought they 

 were justified in calling them plants. The " foul water " organism was 

 known as Tetraspora, but he had not as yet had a good opportunity of 

 examining it. Some time ago Dr. Murie brought him a quantity of the 

 slime, but it had been in a bottle for some days. He thought it was 

 most likely to be a primitive form in the group of Flagellata. It was 

 certainly a great nuisance to fishermen in fouling their nets, and that 

 not only on our own coasts, but it was complained of by fishermen so far 

 south as the Falkland Islands. 



