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Amphibia, — as in the origin of the branchial afferent vessels almost simul- 

 taneously from the anterior end of the conus, in the manner of union of the 

 epibranchial arteries to form the dorsal aorta, and in the origin on either 

 side of a pulmonary artery from the fourth epibranchial artery ; and in others 

 to that of Elasmobranch fishes — as in the presence of two efferent arteries 

 (an anterior and a posterior) in each arch, in the origin and distribution of 

 the carotid arteries, in the presence of an intraintestinal artery associated 

 with the development of a spiral fold in the intestine, and in the presence 

 of anterior spermatic and oviducal arteries which pass off from the dorsal 

 aorta not far behind the entrance of the last pair of epibranchial arteries. In 

 the venous even more notably than in the arterial system there is a remar- 

 kable mixture of piscine and amphibian characters, with which is associated 

 a lack of symmetry on the two sides of the body : the characters of the car- 

 dinal system, and the presence of a very distinct lateral cutaneous vein, and 

 of a well-developed intraintestinal vein reveal piscine affinities ; while the 

 development of the inferior vena cava and anterior abdominal systems shows 

 that to a certain extent Ceratoclus has developed along lines at all events 

 parallel to those of the Amphibia. This paper also will appear in the forth- 

 coming Macleay Memorial Volume. — Dr. Norton also related a remar- 

 kable instance of antipathy to the smell of fish on the part of a horse in his 

 possession. — Mr. Rainbow exhibited the two sexes of an undescribed 

 Sydney spider [Nephila sp.) the webs of which were said to be strong enough 

 to catch small birds. 



August 31st 1892. — 1) The Range of Placostylus] A Study in Ancient 

 Geography. By C. H e die y , F.L.S. The writer remarked on the essential 

 unity of the Placostylus area as a Zoological Province , embracing the archi- 

 pelagoes of Solomon, Fiji, New Hebrides, Loyalty, New Caledonia, Norfolk 

 Island (?) , Lord Howe , and New Zealand ; a unity explicable only on the 

 theory that they form portions of a shattered continent , and are connected 

 by shallow banks formerly dry land. Deep sea soundings, especially those 

 of the »Challenger« in the Coral Sea, further demonstrate the existence of 

 such a submarine plateau, for which the name of »The Melanesian Plateau« 

 is proposed. Further, the writer contended that the Melanesian Plateau was 

 never connected with, nor was ever populated from, Australia ; that its fauna 

 and flora were originally derived from New Guinea. — 2) Botanical. — 

 3) Jottings from the Biological Laboratory, Sydney University. No. 18. — 

 Three Zoological Novelties. By Professor Has well, M.A., D.Sc. I) The 

 Occurrence of a second species of Phoronis in Port Jackson. Phoronis 

 australis^ remarkable for its large size , and for its curious habit of living in 

 communities of twenty or thirty individuals in the substance of the wall of 

 the tube formed and inhabited by a species of sea-anemone [Cerianthus] , 

 was described from Port Jackson some years ago. A second species, the 

 animals of which are found growing thickly over empty mussel shells, no 

 larger than the European kinds, and with hardly any important distinctive 

 points of difference from P. psammophila , Cori , from Messina , has recently 

 been dredged in the same locality as that inhabited by the larger species. 

 — II) An Alloiocoele Turbellarian inhabiting the underground waters of 

 Canterbury, New Zealand. This is a preliminary note, to be followed shortly 

 by a detailed account, of a very interesting Turbellarian obtained from deep 

 wells in two localities about 100 miles apart, forwarded by Mr. C. Chilton, 



