166 Miscellaneous. 



of Carbonate of Lime. — Mr. G. Pirn exhibited specimena of Spumaria 

 alba, wliich appears to be unusually abundant this year, as he has 

 received it from Dr. E. P. Wright and Mr, R. M. Barriiigton, Fassaroe, 

 and had heard of it from near Gorey, &c. The chief point to which 

 attention was directed was the remarkable incrustation of carbonate 

 of lime, consisting of exceedingly minute needle-shaped crystals 

 which, lying very frequently more or less at right angles to each 

 other, gave a somewhat cruciform appearance, and were collected 

 into dense matted tufts. Some doubt existing as to the substance 

 being carbonate of lime, Mr. Pim subsequently carefully tested it with, 

 acetic acid and oxalate of ammonia, with which it gave the charac- 

 teristic reaction. The needles seldom exceed -0005 in length by 

 •0001 in width, and are often much less. 



Transverse /Sections of Halcampa chrysantheJlwn were exhibited 

 by Prof. Haddon illustrating the arrangement of the muscular bands 

 of the twelve mesenteries, and demonstrating tlie existence of a pair 

 of very small secondary mesenteries in the alternate mesenterial 

 chambers. The oesophagus is ciliated, there are a pair of deep 

 sagittal oesophageal grooves, which are provided with long cilia, and 

 five obscure lateral furrows. 



Kew Alcyonaria. — Dr. E. Perceval Wright exhibited a series of 

 sections through the polyp (decalcified) of Callozostron mirabile, 

 showing the absence of any marked siphonoglyph, the peculiar 

 unfolding of the tentacles, and, at the base of the polyp, the ramifying 

 netAvork of vascular canals. — He further exhibited mounted sec- 

 tions of a new genus and species of the group of the Isida3, in which 

 the external spicules were like those of a Primnoa. The colony 

 formed a reticulated network. The branches started from the hard 

 joints, and these in the younger twigs were very beautifully orna- 

 mented with rows of irregular spine-like processes. The soft joints 

 were ver}' small. The species stands as Acanthoisis jlabellum, 

 Wright et Studer. 



Micrococcus form ('I) on Piper-leaves. — Mr. Archer exhibited some 

 Pi/y<?r-leave8 (given him by Mr. Pim) showing on their lower sur- 

 face what appeared to be a form of Micrococcus, forming here and 

 there a thin scurfy stratum. If this were referable to that genus 

 it would be a somewhat singular nidus. The leaves did not appear 

 to be injured. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Notes on the Stomatopoda. By W. K, Brooks. 



Tavo species of Stomatopoda are common at Beaufort — Squilla 

 empusa and a lAisiosquUla which, so far as I am aware, has never 

 been described. The swimming-larvae of both species are very 



