868 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Mackarel on which this opinion is founded was captured on the coast of 
Cornwall in April last, and through Mr. Dunn, of Mevagissey, kindly 
transmitted to the author. 
In a note “On the Anal Respiration in the Zoea larva of the Decapod 
Crustacea,” Mr. Marcus M. Hartog showed, from an examination and 
study of the living larvae of Cancer, that the terminal part of the rectum is 
slightly dilated, and possesses a rhythmic contraction and expansion duly 
associated with opening and closing of the anus. A clue to the ultimate 
transference of branchial respiration may perhaps be found in the Ento- 
mostraca, Where in certain forms food is obtained by a current from vehind 
forwards, due to the movement of the setose or flat limbs immediately 
behind the mouth. Prof. Claus has shown that in Daphnia these limbs 
have a respiratory function, while this animal also possesses a well-marked 
anal respiration. 
In a paper ‘On the Genus Solanocrinus, Goldfuss, and its relations to 
recent Comatule,” Mr. P. Herbert Carpenter arrived at the following 
conclusions: —(1) In all the Jurassic and in some of the Cretaceous 
Comatule the basals are the embryonic basals which have undergone no 
further modification than those of many Pentacrinus species. Their 
relative size is reduced, as they do not quite separate the radials from the 
top stem-joint, even when they appear externally, which is not always the 
case, both individuals and species varying greatly in this respect. (2) In 
all the recent Comatule and many Tertiary and Cretaceous species the 
embryonic basals undergo an extensive modification resulting in the for- 
mation of a rosette. In many cases basal rays extend outwards from this, 
and may appear externally; but they are only analogous, and not in any 
way homologous to the true basals of the older Comatule. (8) Most 
Pentacrini have a more or less complete circlet of basals separating the top 
stem-joint either partially or wholly from the radial pentagon. But in some 
few fossil forms there are no external basals, as may also be the case in 
Encrinus. (4) The variations in the development of the basals are useless 
as generic distinctions ; Schliiter, therefore, was perfectly justified in uniting 
Solanocrinus with Antedon. He does the same with Comaster, though from 
Goldfuss’s description of this type it appears to Mr. Carpenter to differ so 
much from all other Comatule that he prefers to regard it as generically 
distinct. 
June 17, 1880.—Professor G. J. Auman, F.R.S., President, in the 
chair. 
The following gentlemen were elected Fellows of the Society :—The 
Rev. H. G. Bonavia Hunt (Trinity College, London), H. N. Moseley (Univ. 
of Lond.), the Rey. A. Merle Norman (Durham), and E, A. Webb (Lurnham 
Green). 
