ZOOLOGY. 



By Prof. Theodore Gell. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Zoologists continued during the year 1882 the lines of investigation 

 followed in the past, and the methods of modern science have been 

 applied to the investigation of various mooted questions in Morphology 

 and Taxonomy. Some valuable works have been published on sys- 

 tematic Zoology, and of these several are worthy of special mention on 

 account of the completeness with which the classes treated of have been 

 brought up to date. Such are Mr. Saville Kent's "Manual of the Infu- 

 soria," Professor Verrill'a "Eeport on the Cephalopods of the north- 

 eastern coast of America," Mr, G. A. Boulenger's catalogues of the 

 Batrachia Salientia, Gradientia, and Apoda in the collection of the 

 British Museum. On account of the genej|"al interest attached to the 

 groups thus elaborated, the results of the investigations recorded in 

 these volumes are detailed at some length. 



Another subject of popular interest that has received unusual atten- 

 tion the past year is the natural history and especially the natural and 

 artificial propagation of the oysters. Much light has been thrown on 

 the life history of that important mollusk, and it can be foreseen that 

 man may greatly assist nature and thereby benefit himself by due atten- 

 tion to those details which science has shown to be necessary for suc- 

 cessful ostreaculture. 



The line of zoological stations which may be said to have been inaugu- 

 rated by the establishment of that at Naples, now so well known, less 

 than ten years ago, seems destined soon to girdle the globe. 



A station has been established at Sydney, New South Wales, chiefly 

 through the efforts of Baron Miclucho-Maclay. Among other contribu- 

 tions, the Royal Society of New South Wales has made a grant therefor 

 of £25 for the year, and assistance is expected from the Eoyal Society 

 of Victoria and the Australian Biological Association. The station will 

 be open to "biologists of the male sex" of all nations on the payment of 

 a small weekly sum, which is to meet the expenses of service, &c. 



The past year may also be considered as memorable for the great mor- 

 tality that occurred among the marine animals along the shallower part 

 of a belt " (in 70 to 150 fathoms) where the southern forms of life and 



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