398 NOTES A\D MEMORANDA. 



group. No certain indication had yet been detected of the 

 central capsnle, but Mr. Carruthers^ having foinid the struc- 

 ture of starch and other readily perishable substances 

 fully preserved in some fossils, had hopes that the central 

 capsule may have left traces behind in some specimens. 

 Rhizopods of the Radiolarian type, but without the central 

 capsule, had been described by Cienkowskil and especially 

 by Archer. Perhaps amongst them this Palseozoic form may 

 at last be placed. One would expect it to be a fresh water 

 organism, yet it might, as a marine animal, indicate one of 

 those changes of level which were not infrequent in the 

 Carboniferous period. The author had associated with this 

 interesting animal the name of his friend Prof. Traquair, of 

 Dublin, to whom he was indebted for assistance in working 

 out its structure. He proj)Osed to name it Traquairia. 



Sir John Lubbock remarked, that though as Mr. Car- 

 ruthers had stated there was no evidence hitherto of the 

 existence of Radiolarians j^rior to the chalk, yet as they 

 belonged to a lowly organised type their appearance low down 

 in the geological series was only what might reasonably be 

 expected to occur. 



Prof. Thiselton Dyer said that this was one of the most 

 interesting papers which had been brought before the section. 

 When Mr. Carruthera first showed him the specimens, they 

 immediately recalled to his mind the Xanthidia of the chalk. 

 It was abundantly evident, however, from the details of 

 structure which Mr. Carruthers had worked out, that they 

 had nothing to do with those organisms which had been 

 compared with the zygospores of Destnidiea , but Avere more 

 probably resting stages of some animal organism. 



6. Report of the Committee appointed for the purpose of Pro- 

 moting the Foundation of Zoological Stations in different parts 

 of the World, consisting of Prof. RoUeston, Dr. Sclater, Prof. 

 Huxley, Prof. AVyville Thomson, INIr. E. Ray Lankester, and 

 Dr. Dohrn. — The Committee beg to report that, as stated in 

 the report of the last meeting, the Zoological Station at 

 Naples will be ready and in working order at the beginning 

 of January, 1873, the progress of the construction being such 

 as to enable Dr. Dohrn to make this assertion. 



This undertaking has received much official and private 

 assistance, not only from public authorities, but in a very 

 high degree from private persons. The Committee feel 

 obliged to acknowledge especially the extraordinary services 

 rendered by M. W. A. Lloyd of the Ci-ystal Palace Aquarium 

 in giving every assistance to Dr. Dohrn in as far as technical 

 difficulties are concerned. 



