TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 137 
were collected chiefly in a district of Persia, about thirty miles N.E. of 
Tabriz, and were transmitted by Mr. Robertson, a Scotch gentleman, 
employed by the late Shah in the capacity of mining engineer. Mr. 
' Wilson observed, that the interest of this collection arose from two 
sources ; first, from the occurrence of several singular forms of new and 
rare species; and secondly, from the occurrence of many species well 
known in the southern and eastern portions of Europe, but with the 
progress of which, in a still more southerly direction, we had been 
hitherto unacquainted. Mr. W. had always been of opinion that the 
elucidation or completion of the history of previously known species 
was equally interesting and important as the discovery of new species, 
and he regarded the occurrence in this collection of so many of the 
insects of southern Europe as a valuable fact in the history of those 
species. Several African insects may also be observed, such as the 
Ateuchus sacer, or sacred beetle of the Egyptians, a species so often 
found sculptured on the symbolical monuments of that nation. On 
the whole, however, so far as can be judged from this collection, the 
aspect and character of Persian entomology seem to present a strong 
affinity to that of the southern parts of Europe. 
A letter was received from M. J. F. Brandt, Director of the Zoolo- 
gical Museum of St. Petersburgh, accompanying printed extracts and 
notices of his recent zoological labours. In this communication, M. 
Brandt notices that his investigations in Myriapoda lead him to rank 
them as an order of the class of insects, and not as an independent class 
of animals, and to divide them into mandibulate and suctorial tribes. 
Of the genus Julus of Linnzus, M. Brandt has arranged in the Museum 
of the Academy of St. Petersburgh forty species ; he notices the mid- 
dle part of the lower labium as affording excellent characters for speci- 
fic, subgeneric, or even generic distinctions ; the joints of the antennz, 
the hind margin of the penultimate body-ring, the oval scale, the 
pediferous laminz, also afford useful aid, and in the specific distinc- 
tions the first dorsal ring is not to be disregarded. 
M. Brandt is especially desirous of obtaining specimens of British 
Myriapoda for comparison, and in exchange for the Russian species. 
Being also engaged in the study of the group of Cormorants (Carbo), 
he requests similar aid from members of the Natural History Section 
of the British Association in respect to this group of birds. 
Mr. Adair exhibited specimens of Patella aneyloides found on the 
coast of Arran. 
On Pelonaia, a new genus of Ascidian Mollusca. By 
Joun Goonpsir and E. Forsss, F.L.S. 
The authors have lately met with two undescribed marine animals, 
which are referable to a new genus of Ascidians. One of these was 
