15 



during its growth the concentric raised lines oî a Saxidomus valve upon 

 which it was attached. The insects are not very abundant, they are represen- 

 ted in the collection mainly by a few wood beetles, myriopods [lulus^ Pohj- 

 desmus), and a species of Termes. — Mr. Calkins reported on the Proto- 

 zoa and Coelenterates of Puget Sound and of the Alaskan Bays. The Proto- 

 zoa and Coelenterates collected during the summer by Mr. Calkins belong 

 chiefly to the group Flagellata for the former, and to the Leptomedusae for 

 the latter. In addition, there are 9 species of Hydroids — a large number con- 

 sidering the very limited representation of this group in the western waters. 

 Twelve or fourteen species of Actinians and about the same number of 

 Sponges, and several Scyphomedusae complete the list of Coelenterates. — 

 Mr. Bash ford Dean reported on the Chordates and Protochordates of the 

 Collection. The Ascidians are represented by about a dozen species, Fishes 

 by upwards of forty. The most important part of his work had been the 

 collecting of embryos and larvae of Chimaera [Hydrolagus Colliei) and a 

 fairly complete series of embryos of Bdcllosiomum^ including upwards of 20 

 stages from cleavage to hatching. Of Chimaera upward of eighty egg cases 

 had been dredged in a single day, but in every case these were found to be 

 tmpty. The eggs were finally obtained at Pacific Grove, California, from 

 ehe gravid and were incubated in submerged cages. It was in this locality 

 that the eggs of Bddlostontum were collected. — C. L. Bristol, Secretary. 



2. Linnean Society of New South Wales. 



October 28th, 1896. — 1) Australian Te.rmitidae. Partii. By Walter 

 W. Froggatt. The author discusses the classification of the Family, and 

 proposes its subdivision into four Subfamilies based upon the characters of 

 the neuration of the wings. A synopsis of the genera is given ; and three 

 genera with eleven species are described as new. — 2) Note on the Occur- 

 rence of Palaeozoic Radiolaria in New South Wales. By Professor David, 

 B.A., F.G.S. With the exception of the Opal rocks, which contain nume- 

 rous spherical casts, possibly of Radiolaria, all Radiolarian Rocks at present 

 known in New South Wales are of Palaeozoic Age, and occur on two geo- 

 logical horizons, namely. Carboniferous (? or Devonian), as in the red jaspers 

 of Barraba and Bingera, and the claystones and cherts, etc., of Tamworth; 

 and Devonian or Silurian as at Jenolan Caves, in which locality the Radio- 

 laria are best preserved where the rocks are in contact with eruptive dykes. 

 The author is led to the conclusion that these Radiolarian Rocks are not 

 necessarily of deep sea origin. In Palaeozoic times in New South Wales the 

 develo|)ment of Radiolaria both vertically and horizontally was very exten- 

 sive. — 3) Note on Traces of Radiolaria in Pre-Cambrian Rocks near Ade- 

 laide. By Professor David, B.A., F.G.S., and Walter Howchin, F.G.S. 

 The recent microscopic examination of calcareous and cherty rocks of un- 

 doubtedly Pre-Cambrian age from South Australia has shown that these 

 rocks, not previously known to be fossiliferous, contain abundant remains 

 of Radiolaria. These are best preserved in a greenish siliceous limestone 

 near Brighton, Adelaide, chiefly in the form of casts, partly chalcedonic, 

 partly replaced by silica, but invested in places with a black network whose 

 intimate structure is hard to determine. A considerable variety of forms 

 seem to be present, of which some appear certainly to belong to the Poru- 

 losa. Many of them are of large size, as much as Y12 inch in diameter. — 



