Ixxxvi. PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



yellow fever, with a very marked decrease in that terrible 

 scourge. The address of the President of the Zoological 

 Section of the British Association dealt with the Polyzoa, a group 

 of small, but not microscopic, aquatic animals living in colonies 

 in cells something like coral, and often found covering stones, 

 &c., below high water mark. He especially considers their 

 avicularia, which are beak-like organs of varied form, used, he 

 believes, for purposes of defence of the colony. Though 

 discoveries of new species in any group in this country are 

 necessarily rare, yet in less worked parts there is still much 

 remaining unknown, as in the case of 107 species of Annelid 

 worms from the West Coast of North America, where 47 were 

 new to science. Experiments in Iceland waters show that plaice 

 travel along the coasts direct to the warmer Atlantic waters towards 

 the S.W., where they spawn in winter and spring, the eggs and 

 fry being carried by easterly currents in spring and summer to 

 the west, north, and east coasts successively. Immature cod did 

 not migrate, but remained stationary for one or two years. A 

 large number of very small Barbadoes fresh water fish called 

 " Millions " (Girardinus poecilloides) have been given to the 

 Zoological Gardens. They are believed to prevent malaria by 

 destroying gnat larvae, and are to be tried in other countries. A 

 valuable contribution to the knowledge of the useful and harmful 

 qualities of birds has been published by the Board of Agriculture, 

 being founded on the observations of the contents of the 

 stomachs of a large number of birds of different species, thus 

 avoiding the speculation which generally forms the greater part 

 of the foundation for such opinions and giving reliable data. 

 The majority are shown to be useful, the damage done being 

 slight compared to the destruction of noxious insects and weeds, 

 whilst there are a very few for which their beauty or their song is 

 their only recommendation. An interesting note on 24 out of 

 300 chickens killed by crows shows that a far larger proportion 

 of the self-coloured than of the pencilled ones suffered, probably 

 owing to the protective quality of the markings. A specimen of 

 Eversmann's Warbler (Phylloscoptu borcalis], a species new to 



