l3o Proceedings of the Natural History Society 



were collected by Dr. Lyall in the same localities. One is the 

 Euphorbia splendcns, (Boj.), now distributed in several of the 

 gardens of Mauritius, and of which a variety with yellow 

 flowers, from Madagascar, was made known to the Society by 

 Dr. Lyall. The other is the Poinciana rcgia, (Boj.) which also 

 lias been introduced into Mauritius. Both arc described and 

 figured by Dr. Hooker of Glasgow, in his late publications. 



Mr. Lienard (Father) read a detailed description of a fish of 

 the Island of Mauritius, belonging to the genus Plcuroneclis, 

 and distinguished by certain of the rays of the pectoral fins, 

 which arc as long as the animal itself. A figure of this fish, by 

 Mr. Lienard, jun. accompanied this description. The fisher- 

 men of the island rank this fish among the soles. 



Mr. J. Desjardins read the second part of his analysis of the 

 Zoology of the voyage of l'Uranie, giving an account of its 

 notices of iuvertebrated'animals, and especially of the Polypes 

 and Polypiers, which occupy so prominent a place in the 

 Natural History of the Mauritius. He also communicated an 

 account of the hail which fell at Camp de Masque, in the dis- 

 trict of Flacq, on the 8lh Feb. last. The hailstones were of 

 the size of small peas, and several plants had their leaves torn. 



A letter was read from Professor Quoy of Paris, full of 

 scientific details. The following occurred among other ex- 

 pressions, seconding what had been advanced in the analysis 

 above-mentioned, of the Zoology of the voyage of l'Uranie, 

 " overthrow then this popular opinion of coral being a vegetable; 

 you who reside in the island have, for this purpose, greater 

 facilities and more influence than we who are visitors." 



A letter from Dr. Smith at Algoa Bay, announced that the 

 analysis .of the labours of the Society, and the articles com- 

 municated to the Society, would be published in the South 

 African Quarterly Journal. 



A letter from Mr. M. Saimor of Bourbon, announced that 

 the volcano of that island had been making powerful eruptions, 

 by two distinct craters, in the months of November, December, 

 and January; but though there had been a considerable accu- 

 mulation of smoke, and there had appeared during the night, a 

 glow such as had not been observed for a long time, yet no 

 flow of lava had occurred, as had been reported at St. Dennis. 

 _ Mr. Telfair, President, communicated several detailed no- 

 tices, which Mr. Cameron had transmitted to him from Mada- 

 gascar. They related to Minerals; and particularly to an 

 aerolite or meteoric stone, which had fallen' on the coast of 

 Mozambique. > Mr. Cameron announced, that Ranavalon Man- 

 zaka, Queen of the Ovas, had set apart the sum of £60 sterling 



