441 



NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 



Mr. Baker exhibited the plants described in his paper. Also, 

 ■on behalf of Mr. C. E. Finckh, of the Technological Museum, a 

 specimen of a comparatively rare fish, Monocentris japonicus, 

 Houtt., caught by a fisherman at Newcastle. 



In regard to the fish exhibited by Mr. Baker, Mr. Ogilby 

 pointed out the presence of luminous discs, which he believed 

 were of use as traps; he also remarked that no articulation of the 

 scales so as to form "a coat of mail" existed in Australian 

 specimens, such as is attributed to Monocentris japonicus. The 

 presence of two separate dorsal fins removes this genus from the 

 Berycidoi, and its nearest ally is the rare deep-sea Anomaloju^ 

 with which it agrees also in the presence of luminous glands and 

 of membranous interspaces between the bones of the cranium. 



Mr. H. Deane showed some excellent photographs of fossil 

 plants, to which further reference will be made on a future 

 occasion. 



Mr. Brazier sent for exhibition six specimens of Helix verniicu- 

 lata, Miiller, obtained alive by him on July 13th, 1897, on the 

 buffalo-grass in the Waverley Cemetery. This is the first Austra- 

 lian record of this introduced European species, whose home is 

 France, Spain, Italy, itc. 



Mr. W. S. Dun exhiVjited, on behalf of the Geological Museum, 

 a very fine natural section oi Receptaculites from Portion 117, 

 Parish Warroo, County Murray. The section shows that this 

 basin-shaped sponge had a transverse diameter of about 5^ in., 

 a comparatively large size for the genus. The thickness of the 

 sides is "SS in.; the spicules are stout, up to -06 of an inch in 

 diameter. The summit and basal plates and also the large axial 

 canal of the spicules are to be seen. The species is widely 

 separated from B. australis, Salter, and is a new species. 



