264 



15th April, 1880. — On the Mollusca of the , Challenger' Expedition 

 (part 5), by the Rev. E. Boog Watson was read. The author observes 

 that temperature even more than mere depth seems an important condition 

 in molluscan life, while both prove barriers to distribution, though great 

 length of time naturally helps escape from these barriers. Where barriers of 

 depth and temperature do not check distribution there is no limit to univer- 

 sality of distribution, and such is the case with certain existing species; still 

 there is no trace of special lasting and progressive change. Some 35 species 

 are described whereof nearly all are new forms^ and they respectively belong 

 to the families Solenoconchia, Trochida, Rissoellidae, Litorinidae, and Ceri- 

 thiidae. — Prof. F. Jeffrey Bell read a note on an abnormal (Quadriradiate) 

 STpecivaen o{ Ambli/pneustes formosus and afterwards Mr. Chas. Stewart ex- 

 hibited and made Remarks on another but differently abnormal specimen of 

 the same species. Prof. Bell after fully describing the specimen in question 

 observes ; — that with more or less reason some naturalists have looked on 

 the possession of other than five rays as a character of some specific value 

 among the Asteridae and Ophiurida, and have considered that on account of 

 its greater rarity among the latter it is of greater value as a mark of distinc- 

 tion; but such a view must be taken with considerable limitation. The pen- 

 tamerous arrangement of parts in the regular Echinoidea is there only dis- 

 turbed in one example ; information and specimens are, however, at hand to 

 show how this may have happened. The rarity of any divergence from the five 

 part division, in face of the numerous variations which occur in the Echino- 

 dermata will doubtless become more and more important as a factor in deter- 

 mining the genealogical history of the group. — A series of microscopic 

 sections of pearls exhibiting many irregularities in structural detail were 

 shown by Dr. J. Muri e and their peculiarities explained. — J. Murie. 



IV. Personal-Notizen. 



N e c r I g. 



Am 25. Januar starb zu Penzance im Alter von 70 Jahren Mr. Edw. 

 Hearle R o d d , Advocat, der sich große Verdienste um die Kenntnis der 

 Ornis von Cornwall und den Scilly Inseln erworben hat. 



Auf der Insel Montserrat, West-Indien, in Olveston Hall, starb, 34 Jahre 

 alt, Mr. John Edmund S tur g e, welcher mit großem Erfolge die Ornis jener 

 Insel zu erforschen begonnen hatte. 



In der Nacht vom 3. zum 4. Mai starb zu Odessa Wlad. Schmanke- 

 witsch, Lehrer der Naturgeschichte an der Odessaer Realschule. Er war am 

 15./27. Juli 1839 geboren, war nach Beendigung seiner Studien an einem 

 Seminar in Podolien als Lehrer thätig, wurde 1866 in Odessa immatriculirt 

 und erlangte 1870 den Grad eines Candidaten der Naturwissenschaften. Vom 

 Jahre 1871 an hat er mehrere, besonders auf niedere Thiere bezügliche Ar- 

 beiten veröffentlicht. Unwohlsein und Kränkungen seines reizbaren Ehr- 

 gefühls in seiner amtlichen Stellung führten ihn leider zum Selbstmord. 



Druck von Breitkopf und Härtel in Leipzig. 



