Miscellaneous. 63 



Neopercis includes four known species, all shore-fishes — one from 

 the Bay of St. Vincent (Australia), N. Ramsayi, Steind., the three 

 others from Japan, i\". se.vfasciata, Schl., aurantiaca, Diid., and 

 multifasciiita, Dtid. 



The Cape-Verd species seems to approach the last-named most 

 closely ; in fact it has to be carefully examined to find distinctive 

 characters. The general coloration agrees ; but in the Cape-Verd 

 species the bands of the body occupy the whole depth instead of 

 ceasing at the lateral line, the nuchal spot is produced on each side 

 upon the opercular plates, and a band bordered with black descends 

 obliquely upon the cheek behind the lower margin of the orbit. 

 The pectoral fins do not notably pass the origin of the anal, the 

 interorbital space is scarcely one third of the diameter of the eye, 

 and the maxillary stops at the anterior margin of the orbit. 



The species is named Neopercis atlanticd, and its presence among 

 the African islands is the more singular because not only all the 

 other species of Neopercis, but the more numerous representatives of 

 the genus Percis, are known only from the warm or temperate parts 

 of the great Pacific Ocean or the Indian seas. — Comptes Rendus, 

 I^ovember 2J, 18S7, p. 1032. 



On the Pelagic Fauna of some LaTces in Auvergne. 

 By M. J. EicnAKD. 



Last summer the author investigated the pelagic fauna of the fol- 

 lowing five lakes in the region of Mont Dore : — Paviu, Chambon, 

 Guery, Montcineyre, and Bourdouze. He generally worked at depths 

 between 2 and 3 metres, but sometimes lower, down to 11 metres. 

 He obtained twenty species belonging to the groups of Cladocera, 

 Copepoda, Rotatoria, and Cilioflagellata. 



The distribution of the species in these five neighbouring lakes is 

 irregular, which may be explained by the difficulties in the way of 

 the dispersion of pelagic animals. Thus Ilyalodaphnia cucidlata, 

 Sars, var. apicata, Kurz, occurred only in Lake Chambon, and Poly- 

 phemus pedicid us, De Geer, was met with only in Lake Pavin. 



A remarkable species, regarded as characteristic of mountain-lakes, 

 Holopedimn gibberum, Zaddach, occurred in immense numbers in 

 the lake of Guery at a height of 1240 metres. It was also found, 

 but less abundantly, in Lake Montcineyre, the most southern point 

 reached by this species*. 



In the neighbouring lakes Montcineyre and Bourdouze several 

 species common to both occurred only in small numbers, being 

 stray littoral species, namely : — Sida crystaUina, 0. F, Miill., Alona 

 affinis, Leyd., Acroperus leucocephalus, Koch, and Chydorus sphce- 

 ricus, Jurine. 



Besides these few examples of very restricted dispersion, there are 

 many cases of wide distribution : thus, Daphnia longispina, Leyd., is 



* It was found recently, and for the first time in France, by MM. DoU- 

 fus and Moniez in the lake of Gerardiner. 



