110 PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 
able communication by Dr. Francis Day, a well-known authority on all 
that relates to the fishes of the region in question. He laid down the 
following propositions, and by facts endeavoured to substantiate them :— 
(1) That there are fishes in Asia which normally respire atmospheric air 
direct; (2) that these fishes possess respiratory organs having a lung-like 
function, and which is distinct from the gills; (3) that they are essentially 
amphibious, inasmuch as the accessory organs receive venous and return 
arterial blood into the general circulation without passing through the 
branchie or gills; (4) that this accessory respiratory sac is certainly not 
homologous with the swim-bladder of fishes, but is most probably so with 
the respiratory sac of amphibious reptiles. He gave numerous instances of 
forms which respire air direct, and can live for long periods after their 
removal from water, being but little affected by a bandage being placed 
round their gills preventing the use of these organs. He observed that in 
the Saccobranchus both a respiratory sac and a swim-bladder co-exist—the 
one along the muscles of the back, the other more or less enclosed in bone 
but possessing a pneumatic duct. The migrations of fishes at the com- 
mencement of monsoons are due to two causes—breeding purposes and a 
search for food. The aérial respiration of certain amphibious fishes he 
regards as a provision to enable those forms to migrate through moist grass 
and muddy channels. As soon as the rains set in and vegetation starts 
afresh, insects, worms, land mollusks and other invertebrates are revivified, 
and with this the fish restlessly seek change of locality and diet, in their 
search for quarters where these abound. As regards the sudden appearance 
of fish supposed to have fallen from the clouds, these are occasionally met 
with in a semi-decomposed state, and are doubtless carried by whirlwinds 
and storms from shallow waters into mid-air, whence they fall again in most 
unlooked-for situations. In other innumerable instances the apparently 
inexplicable profusion of fish in moist spots away from water is accounted 
for by the remarkable retention of vitality possessed by the mud-loving 
species, which emerge from torpidity into active life as soon as the waters 
return. 
The Jelly-fish have lately been made the subject of study by Mr. J. G. 
Romanes, who read a second notice “On Varieties and Monstrous Forms 
of Meduse.” He expressed surprise that among the group of Jelly-fish, at 
least the naked-eyed groups, with their low grade of organization and 
proneness to exhibit phenomena of budding or germination, examples of 
monstrous and misshapen forms are comparatively rare. In those cases 
met with by him, especially in the common Aurelia aurita, the deviations 
from the normal type always occurred in a multiplication or suppression 
(i.e., abortion) of entire segments. This affects the segments of the 
umbrella in a remarkably symmetrical manner, whilst the ovaries and 
manubrium, to a certain extent, may or may not be implicated. 
