385 



to have a complete collection of the animals of these 

 islands. 



Dr. Weinland proposed a new division of the five spe- 

 cies of flying fish found along the coast of North Amer- 

 ica, which have hitherto all been referred to the genus 

 Exocetus. 



In the common species E. exiliens, the ventral fins are near- 

 est to the anus, and the longest; the same is true of E. novebora- 

 censis ; in E. furcatus, and E. comatiis, the ventrals are very 

 long ; in E. mesogaster, the ventrals are very short, about one 

 fourth as long as the pectorals, and placed anterior to the middle of 

 the body, between the anus and the pectorals ; the shape of the 

 lower jaw is also angular. He would arrange the species thus : 

 Exocetus exiliens, and E. novehoracensis ; Cypselurus furcatus, 

 and O. comatus ; for mesogaster, he would make a new genus 

 Halocijpselus. He thought that the fliglit of the exoceti was not 

 a mere mechanical, parachute-like suspension of the body, but 

 more nearly akin to the true flight of birds than has been gen- 

 erally supposed. 



Prof. Agassiz described a new species of Skate from 

 the Sandwich Islands, for which he proposed to consti- 

 tute a new genus, under the name of Goniobatis. 



He gave the distinguishing characters of Myllobatis, Rhinoptera, 

 Aetohatis, and Zygobatis, which he divided into two sub-families 

 of MyliobatincB and Aetobatince. In tlie new genus Goniobatis, 

 the palate is broadest behind, and the plates are obtusely angular, 

 with their rounded edges forward. The A. Jlagellum of the 

 Indian Ocean and Red Sea, with plates forming an acute angle, 

 he would place in his new genus Goniobatis ; and to the present 

 species, with rounded nasal lobes, he proposed to give the name 

 of G. meleagris. 



Dr. Storer described and exhibited a drawing of a new 

 species of Zeus. 



He remarked that Valenciennes, in the 20th volume of his 

 " Histoire Naturelle des Poissons," describes four sjiecies of this 



PROCEEDINGS B. S. N. H. VOL. VI. 25 OCTOBER, 1858. 



