346 Dr. Richardson on Gasterochisma melampus. 



to me this morning 21 inches long, in which the matured ova 

 can be felt by pressure on the abdomen : I retain it therefore un- 

 injured. This almost brings the time up to the period when I 

 obtained the ova last year, so that it would appear that from 

 January to May, rather than at two distinct periods, these fishes 

 deposit their ova. 



LIL — Generic Characters of Gasterochisma melampus, a Fish 

 which inhabits Port Nicholson, New Zealand. By John Rich- 

 ardson, M.D., F.R.S. &c.. Medical Inspector of Naval Hospi- 

 tals at Haslar. 



Piscis famihse Scomberidarum. 

 Corpus valde compressum, clupeiforme. Cauda gracilis sine cari- 



nis. Venter acutus, alte diffissus et in vagina ejus pinnas ventrales 



thoracicas magnas recondens. 

 Linea laterahs inermis. 

 Pinnae pectoris parvse. Pinnae dorsi contiguae : prima spinis gra- 



cilibus membrana connexis instructa ; secunda pinnaque ani pinnulis 



spuriis comitatae. Pinna caudae bifurca. 



Anus parvus sub finem vaginae ventralis latens. 



Squamae tenerae satis magnae. Pectorale squameum nullum. 



Dentes parvi setacei. 



Radii membranae branchiostegae arctae quinque. 



Apertura branchialis ampla. 



Obs. Species unica adhuc detecta Gasterochisma melampus in Mu- 



seo Britannico hospitatur et a Domino Gray celeberrimo mihi benigne 



communicata. Nomen genericum fissuram ventris denotat. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



Recherckes sur V Embryogenie des Tubulaires, et VHistoire naturelle 



des differens Genres de cette Famille qui habitent la c6te d'Ostende. 



Par P.- J. Van Beneden, Professeur a I'Universite cathohque de 



Louvain. (From the Memoires de I'Academie Royale de Bruxelles. 



4to. Pp. 72. Six Plates.) 



This interesting essay supports the well-earned reputation of its 



distinguished author. It begins with a lucid and candid review of 



what had been previously done by other naturalists towards a history 



of the family ; a doubt of the correctness of some alleged fact being 



sometimes interposed, but more frequently the comment is made to 



reconcile observations which at first view are apparently contradictory 



and subversive of each other. 



We can do little more than indicate the contents. The first 

 chapter treats of the anatomy of the Tubularice. The tentacula are 

 solid and composed of 'cells arranged somewhat after the pattern of 

 tlie cellular tissue of vegetables. They are not organs of prehension 

 as in the Hydree, but are probably subservient to respiration. In the 

 Eudendrium they are the only parts of the polyp which come into 



