1897- NOTES AND COMMENTS. ii 



which it may be remembered we have found it necessary to censure in 

 other branches of systematic zoology. Here for the first time the 

 introduction of new species is accompanied by descriptions and figures 

 of the internal parts as well as of the external form, in a manner 

 similar to that employed by such English and Continental mala- 

 cologists as Simroth, Lessona, PoUonera, Godwin-Austen, CoUinge, 

 and Scharff. The present instalment treats of Ariolimax and a new 

 genus Aphallarion. Two species of the former genus are figured and 

 described, and descriptions given of varieties and insufficiently known 

 forms. The genus Aphallarion is constituted for a new species, 

 A. huttoni, from California, which, although very like an Ariolimax both 

 externally and internally, differs in the complete absence of a penis 

 and retractor muscle, agreeing in this feature with the condition which 

 obtains in Avion and Prophysaon. 



The Ariolimax from Costa Rica in the British Museum, described 

 as a sub-species by Cockerell, is treated by the present authors as 

 probably a good species " on account of its locality (if correct), but a 

 diagnosis is still wanting." Perhaps Mr. Cockerell might retort that 

 it is only a " full diagnosis " that is wanting. That may be ; but how 

 many forms there are in our valuable national collection of which we 

 have as yet nothing more than a preliminary description ! how many 

 varieties which may be good species, or species which may be only 

 varieties ! And these remarks do not apply to slugs alone. 



All Smoke and no Fire. 



The informal smoking evening of ,the Geological Society, to 

 celebrate the displacement of gas by electric light, to which we 

 alluded in our last number, was not quite such a success as had been 

 hoped. The President was unable to attend, owing to an indisposi- 

 tion from which he has since recovered, and very few of the Fellows 

 themselves were present. The President, however, had sent down 

 some excellent photographic lantern slides illustrating points in the 

 geology of Devonshire and Cornwall, and these were explained by 

 Mr. W. W. Watts. Perhaps, as Fellows only were admitted to this 

 meeting, we should not be in order in giving a lengthy account of the 

 proceedings. Fortunately, it is unnecessary to dwell upon the magic 

 lantern entertainment on the Holy Land which Prof. Hull might have 

 borrowed from the S.P.C.K. to amuse the Fellows with; but we 

 may allude to the successful attempt made by Mr. Teall to project 

 actual rock-sections upon the screen. The exhibits, too, were neither 

 numerous nor, with one or two exceptions, particularly exciting. Dr. 

 Wheelton Hind exhibited the specimens of Carhonicola described in 

 the monograph recently reviewed by us, also a series of goniatites 

 intended to show the differences in the cephalopod fauna of the Car- 

 boniferous shales and limestones. Professor Grenville Cole sent up 

 specimens illustrating his paper on the igneous intrusions of Port 



