68 Miscellaneous. 



Plagusia squamosa, Nautilograpsus minutus, Lambriis massena, 

 Pisa armata, Etimsa mascarone, Dorippe Itinata, Pagurus striatus, 

 Diogenes varians, Onatliophyllum elegans, and Palfemon treillianus. 



The author considers that the Bay of Marseilles forms a very 

 important geographical centre. The invertebrate faunas which it 

 possesses present a mixed character, containing boreal and tropical 

 species. This proves the existence of wide open communications 

 during the Tertiary epoch, on the one hand with the boreal pro- 

 vinces through the Bay of Biscay and the south of Spain, on the 

 other with the equatorial Atlantic. — Comptes Rendtis, December 5, 

 1887, p. 1132. 



On tJie supposed Penpheral Processes of the Clionse. 

 By M. E. TopsEKT, 



In the calcareous walls of the galleries of the Clionce numerous 

 greenish-yellow or green filaments are found ramifying in the 

 thickness of the perforated stones and shells, becoming slightly dilated 

 here and there, and anastomosing or intercrossing in all directions. 

 These have been described by M. N. Nassouow * as processes of the 

 mesoderm of Cliona stationis, Nass., and he supposes them to indi- 

 cate the points of activity of the perforating sponge. The author 

 remarks that a priori this function seems very improbable, and on 

 investigation he found that the filaments may be entirely wanting 

 ill shells attacked by Cliona, while they abound in old imperforate 

 shells. He identifies the filaments with those of the vegetable para- 

 sites which have been long well known as perforating the calca- 

 reous parts of aquatic organisms, and suggests that when associated 

 with Cliona the plants in question have simply availed themselves 

 of the passages formed by the sponge to penetrate readily into the 

 interior of the shells. — Comptes Rendus, December 12, 1887, 

 p. 1188. 



On the Formation of Vegetable Mould hy the Action of certain 

 Animals. By Dr. C. Keller. 



The authors investigations, made under the tropics, and espe- 

 cially in the island of Madagascar, strikingly corroborate the disco- 

 veries of Darwin in this domain lying on the confines of biology and 

 geology. Earthworms in point of fact have a most important 

 action in the preparation of humus, and in Madagascar the prin- 

 cipal part is performed by a colossal worm a metre in length, 

 (rcophagus Danvinii. In the coast region, as also in the mangrove- 

 forests, the i)art of the earthworms in this work is fulfilled by 

 (Crustaceans, especially crabs, — Session de la Soc. Belvetique des Sci. 

 Nat., Aout 1887 ; Bill. Univ., Nov. 15, 1887, p. 429. 



* " Zur Biologie und Anatomie der Clione," in Zeitschr. fiir wiss. Zool. 

 Bel. xxxix. (1883). 



