PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 3438 
depth, 10 inches; girth, 23 inches. This is the largest specimen of the 
common Bream that I ever saw or heard of occurring in England. A fine 
specimen was also caught by Mr. Harper in the River Yare at Thorpe, 
Norwich, on the 23rd June, with an ordinary line and aid of landing-net. 
This fish weighed 8 Ibs., and measured 28 inches in length and 193 inches 
in girth. Both the above were sent me, and are in course of preservation. 
The last-mentioned specimen was a female, and after being landed in the 
boat voided a large quantity of ova.— T. E. Gunn (St. Giles Street, 
Norwich). 
PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 
Linnean Society or Lonpon. 
June 5, 1879.—Prof. Attuan, F'.R.S., President, in the chair. 
Mr. A. D. Michael was elected a Fellow of the Society. 
Prof. W. K. Parker read an abstract of a lengthened memoir “ On the 
Structure and Development of the Skull in the Urodelous Amphibia.” 
In this memoir several common and rare forms are worked out, the 
Spotted Salamander serving as a type. It is noticed that some of the 
so-called ‘‘skin bones” appear early, others of the investing bones appear 
later, and the investing cartilaginous roof of the nose comes after the 
ear-capsule cartilages. Some Woodela show a stapes which notably is 
absent in Ceratodus and Lepidosiren. The transformations of the Anoura 
are carried on in the plastic larva and young to a greater extent than in 
the Urodela. ‘There have not been wanting anatomists,” says Mr. Parker, 
“who, failing from deficient embryological knowledge to sce the meaning 
of this or that part, have trusted to teleological explanations, but teleological 
science belonging to another category of research of thought thus used 
becomes a misleading light—an ignis fatuus. 
The more important portions of a fourth “ Contribution to the Mollusca 
of the ‘ Challenger’ Expedition,” by the Rev. R. Boog Watson, was read by 
the Secretary, in the absence of the author. This deals with the Trochide 
and Turbinide. A new species of Basilissa (B. oxytropis) is also described, 
accident preventing its being included in the previous list. Of the Trochus 
group, the Margarite are many of them remarkable for beauty and for form. 
Of the genus Turbo there are few, but one species is of extraordinary 
beauty. The author states that the list of known species presents no such 
features of interest as to call for its publication at present. Here follows 
the diagnosis and lengthened description of Basilissa (one species), Trochus 
(sixteen species), and Jurbo (three species). All now communicated are 
new to science. Some are from deep water, and shed light on a faunal 
zone uot yet familiar to us. 
