478 Miscellaneous. 



and will be produced by the parent from the mouth in its own simi- 

 litude. From the several details, Sir John remarked that it may be 

 deduced, first, that two different modes of propagation carry on the 

 race of Actinia ; one whereby the embryo, a shapeless corpusculum, 

 endowed with locomotion within the parent, is produced symmetri- 

 cally by the mouth, but is then deprived of the power of motion, 

 or nearly so ; the other, whereby a fragment buds externally from 

 the base, thus generating after the fashion of the Hydra tuba. Second, 

 that the Aplidium verrucosum, a compound Ascidia, is originally an 

 inert ovum, next an embryo endowed with an active locomotive fa- 

 culty, and in the third stage is converted into an animal of a form 

 absolutely different, riveted to one spot. Third, that the Zoophytes 

 of certain genera pass through intermediate stages towards perfec- 

 tion, of which that stage exhibiting them endowed with the faculty 

 of locomotion is not the first. 



Dr. Trail then made a verbal communication concerning the traces 

 of the (so-named) Cheir other ium occurring in the New r Red Sand- 

 stone in Cheshire, near Liverpool, illustrated by specimens, casts, 

 and engravings. This communication gave rise to an animated dis- 

 cussion, in which Dr. Trail, Professor Jameson, Mr. Stevenson, and 

 Dr. Greville took a leading part, and in which on the one side 

 doubts and scepticism were expressed as to the evidence satisfacto- 

 rily establishing the unequivocal traces of the foot-marks of any 

 quadruped whatever. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



ON THE FUR SEAL OF COMMERCE. 



In the December Number of the ' Annals,' Mr. J. E. Gray has 

 noticed my paper * on the " Fur Seal of Commerce " which appeared 

 in October last f. Mr. Gray considers that the figure and informa- 

 tion given are insufficient to recognise the animal, and requests 

 me to extend my description, that he may be enabled to ascertain 

 whether the Fur Seal is the same with his Leptonyx Wedellii, which 

 he described in 1837 from two specimens presented to the British 

 Museum by Capt. Fitzroy. 



With regard to my allusion to the figure, it was introduced in a 

 note, and not in the body of the paper, as a compliment to a very 

 deserving artist ; and until Mr. Gray has seen the drawing, and com- 

 pared it with a specimen of the Fur Seal either alive or dead, we 



* Page 309 of the piesent volume. f p. 81. 



