256 Miscellaneous. 



December 18, 1889.— W. T. Blanford, LL.D., F.R.S., 

 President, in the Chair. 

 The following communication was read : — 



" On the Occurrence of the Genus Girvanella, and remarks on 

 Oolitic Structure." By E. Wethered, Esq., F.G.S. 



The Author referred to his previous work, wherein he had shown 

 that Oirvanella is not confined to Silurian rocks, and that as a rock- 

 forming organism it is more important than was supposed, occurring 

 in the Gloucestershire Pea-grit, and also in the Coralline Oolite of 

 Weymouth. He now dealt more in detail with its occurrence (1) in 

 the Carboniferous Oolitic Limestone; and (2) in the Jurassic Oolites. 



In the Carboniferous Limestone of the Avon valley, oolitic lime- 

 stone occurs on four horizons, in three of which the Oolites rest on 

 dolomite. In none of these three cases are there signs of Girva- 

 nella. From beds partly Oolitic, and not resting on dolomite, he has 

 been able to determine two new species. The Oolite not associated 

 with dolomite is less crystalline, and the original structure is better 

 preserved. 



In referring to G. pisolitica, he discussed whether Girvanella is 

 most allied to the ' Challenger ' Foraminifer, Hyperammina vagans, 

 or to Syringammina fragilissima. Traces of the organism occur in 

 the Clyjjeus-grit. but none are quoted from beds of the Great Oolite, 

 nor from the Portland Oolite. The Author had already shown that 

 the pisolites in the Coralline Oolite of Weymouth were not concre- 

 tions, but forms of Girvanella. Excluding these, he showed that the 

 spherules are of four types, of which one is the ordinary oolitic 

 granule, while each of the others suggests the presence of Girva- 

 nella. 



The characters of the genus, as seen under the microscope, were 

 indicated, and four new species were described. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Note on a Young ^ecime^i of Zoarces viviparus. 

 By Ernest W. L. Holt, Marine Laboratory, St. Andrews. 



On the 4th Jan. a female viviparous blenny extruded between 

 forty and fifty young in the tank-room. Such of the young as were 

 examined at the time measured, within a narrow margin, 2 inches. 

 On the 25th Jan. several were measured, but, owing probably to 

 the meagreness of the food-supply, little or no increase of growth 

 was observable, the length varying from 2 to 2^ inches. To this, 

 however, there were two exceptions. One measured 1| inch, the other 

 only 1 T V inch ; the former appears normal in every respect except 

 size, the latter is darker than the rest and exhibits a downward 

 bend of the notochord about i inch from its posterior end. The 



