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(juristes are described as new. Of the remaining two species, Ebalia tuber- 

 culosa and Ibacus alticrenatus ^ only the former has previously been recorded 

 as belonging to our fauna. — 2] Notes on Prosobranchiata. No. 4. The 

 Ontogenetic Stages represented by the Gastropod Protoconch. By H. Leighton 

 Kesteven. — The present contribution is a continuation of the writer's 

 attempts to unravel the puzzles presented by the Gastropod Protoconch. 

 He finds that he is able to define four stages of growth represented, and 

 supposes an "ideal" protoconch to be composed of 1) the "plug" of the 

 primitive shell gland, 2) a portion formed by the veliger, 3) a portion formed 

 during the nepionic stage, and finally 4) a portion formed during early neanic 

 stages. To these component parts he gives the names 1) Phyloconch, 2) Velo- 

 conch, 3) Nepioconch, and 4) Ananeanoconch. The ideal protoconch does 

 occur in life, bout only very rarely. Phyloconchs and Xepioconchs are rare, 

 whilst Veloconchs and Ananeanoconchs are common. The "naticoid^' initial 

 whorl is discussed, and the conclusion arrived as it that it owes its shape to 

 physical laws rather than to inherited characters. The value of the proto- 

 conch as a factor in classification is also canvassed, and it is concluded that, 

 as it is a "variable," it should be only used in conjunction with other factors, 

 and that only where the other features, conchic or anatomic, are negative or 

 unknown is it to be used in deciding a systematic position or generic segre- 

 gation. That is to say, when weighed against such a character as generic 

 similarity of adult chonchic features, only if there be a very fundamental and 

 deep-seated difi'erence between the protoconchs, should their evidence be 

 considered more weighty than the very positive evidence, of the adult 

 shells. — 5) On the supposed Numerical Preponderance of the Males in 

 Odonata. By E. J. Tillyard, B.A. — Reasons are given for concluding 

 that the ratio of the numbers of the sexes in the Dragon-flies or Odonata 

 is a ratio of equality. The idea of the preponderance of the males, suggested 

 largely by the examination of collections , and voiced from time to time by 

 naturalists, has not been confirmed by experience in rearing a large number 

 of nymjDhs of Lestes leda. Allowance has to be made also for the following 

 facts — The males are the more conspicuous, the more brilliantly coloured, 

 and more frequently on the wing; and they love to congregate in marshy 

 spots and along the borders of creeks and rivers; while the females often 

 retire into the bush or hide themselves in the herbage; the female, too, is 

 fond of coming out to feed at dusk. E.Kcept during oviposition, the sexes 

 are in many instances quite separated, and only those collectors who will 

 take the trouble to search in out of the way places, often far from water, are 

 able to obtain a good series of females. — Mr. Froggatt showens specimens 

 of the Vine Moth, Phalaenoides {Affarista] glycine Lewin, and also of a parasite, 

 the Red-legged Ichneumon, Pimpla intricatoria Fabr. The pupae of the Moth 

 were collected in an orchard at Canley Vale. Pupation ordinarily takes place 

 in the ground; but in this particular instance the chrysalides were developed 

 among leaves pressed against the stakes when the vines were tied up; and 

 scarcely a single one had escaped the attention of the parasite. — On behalf 

 of the author, Mr, H e die y exhibited the types of the deep-water Crustacea 

 described in Mr. Grant's paper. — Mr. Hedley also exhibited, on behalf 

 of Mr. Bassett Hull, good examples of Pearl Oyster Spat (probably Melea- 

 grina vulgaris Schumacher) found on pieces of pumice washed up on the 

 beaches nord of Sydney, between 7th February and 31th March, 1904. At 



