ZOOLOGY. 787 



that the Tuuicates " represent a side branch of the vertebrate phylum, 

 whose point of origin is near its root." The Apperdicuhuiids are " re- 

 garded as the most primitive representatives of the group ; they give 

 rise to the simple Ascidians; thence there branched off the Solpidoe on 

 the one hand, and the compound Ascidians on the other; the latter 

 gave rise to the social Ascidians, to Botrijllus and to Fyrosoma, while 

 the primitive stock was continued on through Anchonia to JDoUolum.''^ 

 Of course these views are to a large extent hypothetical, and perhaps, 

 or even quite likely, wrong in some details, but so far as they are legiti- 

 mate deductions from a careful and detailed study, are valuable as well 

 as suggestive for further investigation. {J. B. M. 8. (2), v. 5, pp. 231- 

 233.) 



VERTEBRATES. 



General. 



The North American Fish Fauna. — The " Synopsis of the fishes of 

 North America " by Profs. David S. Jordan and Charles S. Gilbert, 

 published early in 1883, has been followed duriug the past year by a 

 " Catalogue of the fishes known to inhabit the waters of North America 

 north of the tropic of Cancer, with notes on the sjiecies discovered in 

 1883 and 1884," by Prof. David Starr Jordan. Since the publication of 

 the synopsis, in 1883, " an active study of North American fishes has 

 brought to light many speoies not included in the synopsis, and has 

 shown various errors in the nomenclature of species already known. 

 The additions are chiefly in the Bassalian or deep-sea fauna of the At- 

 lantic, in the tropical fauna of the Florida Keys, and in the fresh-water 

 fauna of the lower part of the Mississippi Yalley," regions recently re- 

 examined. Professor Jordan has also extended the range adopted in the 

 synopsis so that the new catalogue represents " the present state of our 

 knowledge of the fishe.f'^ound north of the tropic of Cancer in American 

 waters." In the new catalogue, 1,G83 species are adopted, and in addi- 

 tion 187 subspecies are recognized, giving a total of 1,870 species and 

 subspecies. These species are segregated under 587 genera and 157 

 families. Several of the comprehensive genera and families of the syn- 

 opsis have been now disintegrated, more natural and better definable 

 groups being recognized in their j)lace. In a "recapitulation," an as- 

 signment of the species to the various faunas is made. In regard to 

 many of them, such an assignment, in the words of Professor Jordan, 

 is "simply arbitrary, and in this fact lies the chief element of error in the 

 following list. Thus many Arctic shore fishes belong to the Bassalian 

 fauna of New England, while mafiy West Indian species occur north- 

 ward, more or less frequently as far as Caj)e Cod." It must be added, 

 too, that " no species is counted twice, but in each case of the numerous 

 si^ecies which range over several faunal areas, each is referred to that 

 3-rea which is sui)posed to be most properly its home, or to that in which 



