166 REPORTS. 



CHELTENHAM NATURAL SCIENCE SOCIETY.— March 21st, 1878.— 

 Dr.T. Wright, M.D., F.R.S.E., President, ia the chair.— F. Day, Esq, F.L.S., 

 F.Z.S., &c., delivered au address on " Freshwater Fishi^s." He entered into the 

 various questions — What is a Fisli ? How does it live, move, and coutiuue its 

 kind ? Where do we find the first traces in the globe we inhabit ? The 

 importance of tracing out geological distribution ; and, lastly, how fish have 

 influenced human manners, customs, and commerce ? By diagrams he explained 

 the main divisions of the animal kingdom, and showed the several classifications 

 that had been made from time to time, stating that the latest, dividing them into 

 three, viz.. Mammalia, Sauropsida, and Ichthyopsida, appeared to be the least 

 objectionable. He trave a very interesting account of some recent experiments 

 made with the Salantaitdar to prove that, though now it is normally born an air 

 breather, it can be converted back again into what seems to have been its 

 original form — one of the Amphibia having gills. He described the exterior 

 skeleton of various fishes, their mode of progressing through the water by their 

 fins, and how very strangely in some forms these become modified. He next took 

 the scaleless forms, which he described. He then referred to the interior 

 stmcture of fishes, noting the swim-bladder in its two distinct forms, both of which, 

 by aid of specimens, he fully explained ; then to the respiratory organs, giving 

 the result of experiments that had been made to prove that some could not exist 

 without air, ijarticulavly the Walking Fish, (Ophiocephalidaj,) and the length of 

 time others could remain out of the water. He next reviewed the breeding of fishes. 

 He exhibited some eggs taken from the mouth of male fishes. He referred to the 

 fact that some species of frogs also carry the eggs in their mouths or pouches, 

 not only until the young are hatched, but are old enough to take care of them- 

 selves ; and as many as fifteen little tadpoles have been found in the pouch of 

 the BMnoderma Darwiidi. He closed his remarks on this part by reference to 

 the inter-breeding of fish, particularly amongst Carp and Herrings, and the 

 dift'erence that existed in such hybrids, adding that this fact deserved very 

 attentive consideration, as new forms may be thus brought into existence, or 

 that some of our genera do not deserve such a name, in fact may be but varieties, 

 further remarking that if fishes of two genera can inter-breed, and the offspring 

 is not barren, but can again inter-breed with one of the parents, he could 

 scarcely imagine but that such a proceeding would rapidly efface the distinctive 

 marks. He next took some of the senses, omitting hearing, sight, smell, and 

 taste. He showed how fish have feelings and emotions, quoting observations of 

 Dr. Cantor on the Fighting Fish of Siam, (Macropodus imgnaxj and the case of 

 our own little Stickleback. He then referred to the geological features of his 

 paper, and how there was a time when fish apparently did not exist. He showed 

 that their distribution, and the appearance of the same species at distant 

 places, were matters that would much interest the Geologist, and would 

 tend to prove upheaval of parts of the Earth's crust. He con- 

 cluded a very able and interesting paper by touching on the part 

 fish may have played in early days in developing commerce, and furthering 

 religious institutions particularly in India and Egypt, and how in later daysit 

 became a Christian emblem. Major Barnard, llev. W. Symmouds, and others 

 joined in the debate on the paper, to all of whom Mr. Day replied. The Rev. W. 

 Symmonds also asked if the president would not give a paper on Fossil Fishes at 

 some future day. This he agreed to do, and, after a cordial vote of thanks to Mr. F. 

 Day for the paper, the proceedings terminated. April ISth. — Dr. T. Wright, M.D., 

 F.R.S.E., in the chair. Auditors were re-elected, and F. D. Longe, Esq., P.G.S., 

 read a paper on " The Relation of the Crust to the Interior of the Earth," a 

 resume of which will appear in a future number of the " Midland Naturalist." 



DERBYSHIRE NATURALISTS' SOCIETY.— May 7th.— The Rev. W. H. 

 Painter read a paper on " Fossil and Recent Cephalopoda." The species more 

 frequently met with upon the coasts of England, the Cuttle-fish, (Sepia 

 qfticinaUsJ the Squid, (Loliijn vnhjarisj and the Poulpe, (Octojnix vnUjarisJ 

 having been alluded to, with their weapons of defence and offence, Mr. Painter 

 described the arms and suckers of Oiiiichofcufhis BartUmi'ii found in the West 

 Indies, and compared them with those belonging to English species. The 

 Cephalopods are divided by Prof. Owen into two orders, founded on the gills, 

 (Irtmchkc) — Dibranchiata, and Tetrabranchiata, the latter of which comes first iu 

 geological time. Several genera were mentioned as occurring in the Cambrian 

 Period, and specimens were exhibited of Pkraijmoceras ventricosum, Oithoceras 



