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cies. There were also two new genera of Bats to be added to the one pre- 

 viously described. — Mr. F. E. Beddard read a paper upon the genus Cli- 

 tellio, which had been recently investigated by him at the Marine Biological 

 Station at Plymouth. The paper contained an account of the anatomy of two 

 species, Clitellio arenarius and C. ater ; the most important fact referred to 

 was the presence of an oviduct, which had only lately been found in the Tubi- 

 ficidae (in the genus Psaminoryctes). The paper also contained some remarks 

 upon the synonymy of the two species, particularly of C. ater, which was 

 probably identical with d'Udekem's Tubi f ex Benedenii and with Zeuger's Pelo- 

 ryctis inquilina. It was also pointed out that C. ater is not congeneric with 

 C. arenarius, but probably belongs to Eisen' s genus Hemitubifex. — Prof. 

 Howes and Mr. D a v i e s read a paper on the distribution and morphology 

 of the supernumerary phalanges in the Anurous Batrachians. The authors 

 described for the first time the primary mode of development of a supernume- 

 rary phalanx. They concluded that the same is in the Anura identical with 

 the interphalangeal syndesmoses, and that the syndesmoses and phalanges 

 are derivatives of a common blastema. In its fully differentiated condition 

 the structure in question was shown to be functional in receiving the direct 

 thrust under the weight of the falling body in saltation ; all the variations 

 in structure being readily intelligible on that view. — The authors discussed 

 the bearings of the facts upon classification and upon the broader question 

 of the morphology of supernumerary phalanges in general. They showed 

 that the facts of development indicated a probable intercalary origin of the 

 latter from the interarticular syndesmoses ; and that the numerical increase 

 of the phalanges in the Cetacea may have been associated with the loss of 

 ungues, somewhat similarly to the way in which the multiplication of seg- 

 ments of the cartilaginous rays in the paired fins of the Batoidei would appear 

 to have been connected with the disappearance of horny fin-rays. The authors 

 also showed that the Discoglossidae alone among the Anura retained for life 

 the undifferentiated syndesmoses, and that this feature testified more forcibly 

 than anything else to their low affinities. They also described a community 

 of structure between the modified syndesmoses in certain Anura and the 

 apparatus of the knee-joint in Mammals, and urged that the facts were such 

 as to necessitate a reconsideration of the morphological value of the latter. 

 — A communication was read from Mr. J. J. Lister, F.Z.S., giving a 

 general account of the natural history of Christmas Island, in the Indian 

 Ocean, which he had visited in 1SS7 as naturalist to H. M. surveying-vessel 

 , Egeria'. Mr. Lister gave a detailed account of the Birds obtained in Christ- 

 mas Island. Of these seven were land-birds, all of which belonged to species 

 peculiar to the island, tough some of them approached their allies in the In- 

 dian Archipelago very closely. — Mr. Oldfield Thomas, F.Z.S., read a 

 paper on the Mammals of Christmas Island, obtained by Mr. Lister during 

 the same expedition. — This was followed by reports on the Reptiles of 

 Christmas Island obtained during the expedition, by Mr. G. Boulenger, 

 F.Z.S. : on the Terrestrial Mollusks, by Mr. Edgar A. Smith, F.Z.S. ; on 

 the Coleoptera, by Mr. C. J. Gahan; on the Lepidoptera, by Mr. A. G. 

 Butler, F.Z.S.; on the other Insects, by Mr. Kirby; and on the Annelida, 

 Myriapoda, and Land-Crustacea, by Mr. R. I. Pocock. — P. L. S dater, 

 Secretary. 



Druck von Breitkopf k Uärtel in Leipzig. 



