34 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 
Linnean Socruty oF Lonpon. 
November 21, 1878.—Dr. Gwyn Jurrreys, F.R.S., Vice-President, in 
the chair. 
Messrs. Thowas Davidson, F.R.S. (Brighton), and Frederick James 
Faraday (Manchester), were elected icllows of the Society. 
Only one zoological paper was read, namely, “A Preliminary Report 
on the Mollusca dredged by the Staff of H.M.S. ‘Challenger,’” by the 
Rev. R. Boog Watson, B.A. The mass of material received by the author 
was ackuowledged to have been enormous. The mere arrangement of the 
labelled shells into groups was no ordinary task, remembering that every 
probable species and its locality had to be kept separate, and allied forms 
placed in contiguity for reference and subsequent comparison. Then 
followed the sifting of the dried dredgings, picking ont and assortiug the 
minute, almost microscopic shells, succeeded by the examination of those 
preserved in spirits; sitnultaveously authorities ard types iu museums 
and private collections had to be consulied—all which matters required a 
considerable expenditure of time and trouble. In this way over 2000 
separate lots, including from 1200 to 1500 distinct species, have been 
already gone over and differentiated. This is irrespective of the Brachiopods, 
which Mr. Davidson has undertaken, and the Cephalopods, Pteropods and 
Nudibranchs, which will be worked out by other specialists. The author 
then proceeded to give a detailed account of the Solenoconchia, comprising 
three genera of Mollusca, viz. (1) Dentaliwm, (2) Siphodentalium, and 
(3) Cadulus. The general plan adopted by him is to give, after the 
name and synonym or other reference, the station, date, geographical 
position, depth taken from, and nature of bottom; then a description 
of the animal when available, description of the shell, differences in 
processes of growth, avd general remarks and comparisons. The species 
of Dentalium are eighteen in all; of these eleven are new forms, as 
follows :—D. ageum, D. amphialum, D ceras, D. diarrhox, D. leptoceles, 
D. circumeinctum, D. acutissimum, D. compressum, D. didymum, D. yoko- 
hamense, and D. tornatum; the remainder already known consist of 
D. capillosum, D. entalis, D. longirostrum, D. subterfussum, D. dentalis, 
D.javanum, and D, ensiculus. The D. capillosum, Jeffreys (vide ‘ Valorous’ 
Exped. Report Roy. Soc.), was obtained by the ‘Challenger’ staff off the 
Azores, in globigerina ooze, at 1000 fathoms depth. A new variety of this 
species (var. paucicostatum, Watson), also obtained, has about forty instead 
of sixty-five longitudinal riblets. Of the D. entalis, Linn., three varieties 
were met with—viz. the var. striolatum, Stimps., agile, Sars, and var. 
orthrum, Watson. ‘The first of these was dredged off Halifax, the second 
