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is well known that they form the forests which are found 

 in the northern regions of Europe, but do not attain a 

 great height in our climate, but they have nearly the 

 fades of the Filaos to which by their leaves they bear 

 some ressemblance. Some other curious observations have 

 been made on the conformation of the human hands and 

 the relative length of the fingers. With certain indivi- 

 duals, the index is longer than the annular, whilst the 

 reverse is found to be the case with others. With others 

 the two hands are not similar. It is not a question of 

 great importance, that is perhaps true, but it has raised 

 a long discussion both in England and in Italy. 



Mr K. Mobius whom we had the pleasure of seeing 

 three years ago, with the German expedition sent out to 

 observe the Transit of Venus, and on whom we conferred 

 the title of honorary member, devoted himself during his 

 stay to the study of the maritime fauna of Mauritius. He 

 published the result of his researches on his return to 

 Germany at a meeting of naturalists in Hamburg — he 

 pointed out the incomparable richness (these are his own 

 words) of the Fauna of the reefs of Fouquets^ island, of 

 all parts of the intertropical regions, the richest in the 

 special objects of his researches. 



Dr Mobius also published a List of fishes, among 

 which he discovered several species still new after the 

 numerous discoveries which have been made. 



There is another learned man for whom the Society 

 possesses the highest esteem, but whom wo have not the 



