34C Dr. Ricliardson on Gasterochisnia melampus. 



to mc this morning 21 inches long, in which the matured ova 

 can be felt by pressure on the abdomen : I retain it therefore un- 

 injm-ed. This almost brings the time up to the period when I 

 obtained the ova last yeai*, so that it would appear that from 

 January to May, rather than at two distinct periods, these fishes 

 deposit their ova. 



LIL — Generic Characters of Gasterochisnia melampus, a Fish 



which inhabits Port Nicholson, Neio Zealand. By John IIich- 



ARDSON, M.D., F.R.S. &c., Medical Inspector of Naval Hospi- 

 tals at Haslar. 



Piscis familiye Scomberidarum. 



Corpus valde compressum, clupeiforme. Cauda gracilis sine cari- 

 nis. Venter acutus, alte diffissus et in vagina ejus pinnas ventrales 

 thoracicas magnas recondens. 



Linea lateralis inermis. 



Pinnae pectoris parvse. Pinnae dorsi contiguse : prima spinis gra- 

 cilibus membrana connexis instructa ; secunda pinnaque ani pinnulis 

 spuriis comitatee. Pinna caudae bifurca. 



Anus i^arvus sub linem vaginae ventralis latens. 



Squamae tenerae satis magnae. Pectorale squameum nullum. 



Denies parvi setacei. 



Radii membranae branchiostegae arctae quiuque. 



Apertura branchialis ampla. 



Obs. Species unica adliuc detecta Gasterochisnia melampus in Mu- 

 seo Britaunico hospitatur et a Domino Gray celeberrimo milii benigne 

 communicata. Nomen genericum fissuram ventris denotat. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



Recherches sur V Embryogenie des Tubulalres, et VHistoire naturelle 



des difff'rens Genres de cette Famille qui Jiabitent la cote d'Osiende. 



Par P. -J. Van Beneden, Professeur a I'Universite catbobque de 



Louvain. (From tbe Memoires de I'Academie Royale de Bruxelles. 



4to. Pp. 72. Six Plates.) 



This interesting essay supports the well-earned reputation of its 



distinguished author. It begins wltb a lucid and candid review of 



what had been previously done by other naturalists towards a history 



of the family ; a doubt of the correctness of some alleged fact being 



sometimes interposed, but more frequentl}'^ the comment is made to 



reconcile observations which at first view are apparently contradictory 



and subversive of each other. 



We can do little more than indicate the contents. The first 

 chapter treats of the anatomy of the Tubularice. The tentacula are 

 solid and composed of cells arranged somewhat after tbe pattern of 

 the cellular tissue of vegetables. They are not organs of prehension 

 as in the Hydra;, but are probably subservient to respiration. In the 

 Eudeiidrium they are the only parts of the polyp which come into 



