On the British Weevers, the Bib, and the Poor- Cod. 441 



tat " nor tlie " depth " will be mentioned, and tlie same with 

 the ^' locality." For, in the first place, all calcareous sponges 

 are marine; in the second place, most of the specimens that 

 I have discovered among Mr. Wilson's collections have, as a 

 matter of course, been ii«accompanied by their " depths," on 

 account of their insignificant size ; and, lastly, the '' loca- 

 lity " being either " Port Phillip Heads " or " Western 

 Port," about 15 miles further to the west, their neighbourhood 

 may be considered the same from a natural-history point of 

 view. 



With these preliminary remarks let us proceed to the 

 description of all the specimens of Calcareous Sponges 

 that .1 have been able to find in Mr. Wilson's collections 

 generally, beginning with that structure which seems to me 

 most simple, viz. Clathrina cavata, and ending with the 

 most complicated, viz. Teichonella prolifera. 1 have no 

 further classification to offer, and therefore must refer the 

 reader to the works of Hiickel and PolejaefFfor this purpose, 

 as before mentioned, my own being regarded as only a 

 contribution to the subject. There are forty species, of 

 which many are represented by several specimens, some of 

 which are of considerable size, viz. 6 to 71 in. in their longest 

 diameters, and all in a good state of preservation — far ex- 

 ceeding in every way what is to be found on the British 

 coasts. 



[To be coutinued.] 



XLI. — On tlie British Weevers, the Bib, and the Poor- Cod. 

 By Prof. M^NTOSH, M.D., LL.D., F.R.S., &c. 



Two species of weever * have been described by most authors 

 Avho have treated of the fishes of our own and continental 

 countries, viz. the greater and the lesser weever. So far as 

 previous and present examinations, however, can guide me, 1 

 am inclined to think there is a very close relationship between 

 them ; indeed it is possible that the one is only a young stage 

 of the other, and that certain distinctions, such as the absence 

 of spines above the orbit in the smaller form and its greater 

 depth in proportion to its length, disappear with age. It is 

 well known, indeed, that noteworthy modification in outline 

 occurs during the growtii of several fishes. Moreover, in the 

 large form (greater weever) there is considerable variation, 

 for instance, in the semi- membranous prolongation of the free 

 * Trachinus draco, L. (greater weever), and T. vipera. 



