LINNBAN SOCIETY OV LONDON. I7 



Mr. E. S. Goodrich, F.R.S., Sec.L.S., gave an account of the 

 development of Hatschek's pit and the ciliated organ on the roof 

 of tlie buccal cavity in Amphioxus from the left anterior ccelomic 

 sac and from an ectodermal preoral pit in the embryo and larva. 

 Following Bateson, he compared the opening of Hatschek's pit 

 with the proboscis-pore of Balanoglossus and water- pore of 

 Echinoderms. Having sketched the development of the hypo- 

 physis and anterior cffilomic sacs or premandibular cavities in the 

 Craniata, Mr. Goodrich pointed out that these cavities have been 

 shown by Chiarugi (1898) and by Dohrn (1904) to form a tubular 

 connexion with the hypophysis in the embryo of Torpedo and 

 Raja. Similar connexions between the premandibular cavities 

 and tlie hypophysis have been described in Eeptilia by Ostroumoff 

 (1888) and by Salvi (1902). Mr. Goodrich then suggested that 

 these premandibular tubes in the Craniata are the original first 

 pair of coelomostomes belonging to the first pair of ccelomic sacs, 

 and represented by water-pores in Echinoderms, and by proboscis- 

 pores in Enteropneusta and CepJialodiscus. The hypophysis of 

 Craniata is represented in Amphioxus by the ciliated organ 

 of ectodermal origin situated in front of the true mouth. 



A discussion followed in which Prof. E. W. MacBride, F.E.S. 

 (visitor), Mr. W. Bateson, E.R.S., and Lt.-Col. Walsh took part, 

 Mr. Goodrich replying. 



Miss Nina F- Layakd, F.L.S., read her paper, "Wooden 

 Scratching-tools made by an African Parrot," illustrating it by 

 specimens and lantern-slides. She observed that it is often urged 

 that a very long period of experinjent was necessary before man 

 finally produced anything so advanced as a Palaeolithic flint tool, 

 and even weapons of an earlier culture are not considered suffi- 

 ciently vague in intention to fit the low intellectual capacity 

 attributed to his earliest representatives. If it should come to 

 be recognised that in the dumb creation there are instances not 

 only of tool-users, but of tool-makers, valuable hints may be ob- 

 tained as to the possible capabilities of the human tool-maker in 

 the initial stages of his art. 



Notes have been taken by the author of the behaviour of a 

 Grey African Parrot, first in choosing out natural tools, such as 

 pointed seeds and quills, for use as poll-scratchers, later in 

 pointing up a match for the same purpose, and finally shaping up 

 wood in such a way as to appear to warrant the bird's claim to be 

 described as a tool-maker. 



The contention is that if it can be proved that the Parrot, 

 requiring an implement that would penetrate the featliers to the 

 scalp, purposely produced a point with this object, then the 

 border-line between the mere tool-user and the tool-maker has 

 been crossed. 



Mr. W. Bateson, the Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, Mr. W. P. 

 Pycraft, Lt.-Col. Walsh, and Mr. T. A. Dymes took part in the 

 discussion, the author replying. 



linn. SOC. proceedings. — SESSION 1916-1917. c 



