LIIsNEAN SOCIETY OF LONUOX. 45 



June 1st, 1911. 



Dr. D. H. Scott, M.A., F.E.S., Tresident, in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the Anniversary Meeting of the 24tli Atay, 

 1911, were read and confirmed. 



Mr. Frederick Eyles, the Eev. Hilderic Friend, INTr. Ernest Lee, 

 Miss Ann Cronin llalket, Mr. John Coney Moulton, Mr. John 

 (irahiun Murray, Mr. Frederick Jolui Freshwater Shaw, B.Sc, 

 Mr. Cliarles Waterfall, and Mr. Malcolm AV^ilson, B.Sc, ^^ere 

 elected Fellows. 



The President announced that he had appointed the following; 

 as Vice-Presidents for the ensuing session : — Sir Frank Crisp, 

 Mr. Horace W. Mouckton, Prof. E. B. Poulton, and Dr. A. B. 

 liendle. 



Prof. W. A. Heiidma:^ gave an account of the recent occurrence 

 (April 1911) of the minute Dinotiagellate AmpTndinium ojtercu- 

 latum, Clap. & Lachm., at Port Erin in the Isle of Man, in such 

 profusion as to discolour the sand between tide-marks in patches 

 extending on some days for many yards. Ampliidinimn opercu- 

 latuni has been recorded from several places on the coasts of 

 Europe and America, but has apparently not been previously found 

 in Britain. 



The Eev. T. E. E. Stebbing and Prof. Dendy contributed eome 

 remarks, and the author replied. 



Dr. A. Smith Woodward gave a general account of tlie Fauna 

 of the Carboniferous Period, so far as it has been discovered in 

 the same deposits as the Carboniferous Flora. I'he Fauna agrees 

 with the Flora in consisting for the most part of highly specialise d 

 representatives of the louer groups, but is singularly modern in 

 some respects. Some of the freshwater and land Mollusca are 

 scax'cely distinguishable from genera still existing. All the 

 Crustaceans are of primitive groups, and some of the most inter- 

 esting are related to Anasj^vhs, which still survives in Tasmania. 

 The Myriapods, Scorpions, and Spiders are similar to those of 

 later date, but a few of the Scorpions retain obvious remnants of 

 the characters of their aquatic ancestors. Limuloids also occur. 

 Insects are numerous, but all belong to the lower groups in which 

 there is no complete metamorphosis, and there are many generalist d 

 types which can scarcely be referred to existing Orders. Cock- 

 roaches are numerous, but have transparent fore-wings. Primitive 

 Dragon-Hies occur, and some of tiiese are the largest known 

 insects, with a span of wings measuring 2 feet. Among Fishes, 

 the spiny AcanthodiaTi Sharks, which are typically Lower Pala'o- 

 zoic, are still found in the Carboniferous Fauna, and are known to 

 have been preyed upon by the higher Fishes. The Pleuracanth 



