108 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Ramsay, of Sydney, first named and shortly described in the ‘ Proceedings 
of the Linnean Society of New South Wales.’ Professor Owen now 
supplements this by a fuller account of its skeleton and exterior conforma- 
tion. Besides noticing the peculiarities in the dentition and skull, Professor 
Owen dwelt on the structural conditions of the hind foot, which, curiously 
enough, presents a modification between that of Potoroos and Kangaroos. 
He then instituted comparisons between these and the feet of the Ostrich 
group (Struthionide ), and speculated on the modifications of the five-toed 
feet revealed by paleontological researches, and as applicable to the 
Hypsiprymnodon and other living Marsupials, &c. 
Professor St. George Mivart gave the abstract of a communication by 
him, entitled ‘‘ Notes touching recent Researches on the Radiolaria:*” In 
this résume of present knowledge of this interesting group of lowly 
organisms, the history, progress, &c., and bearings of the group were duly 
entered into. These remarkable marine surface-swimming and microscopic 
objects he proposed to arrange after the classification adopted by Professor 
Ernest Haeckel, but considerably modifying his arrangement. The primary 
groups Professor Mivart would reduce from fifteen to seven, as follows :— 
1, Discida; 2, Flagellifera; 3, Entosphorida; 4, Acanthometrida; 5, 
Polycistma; 6, Collozoa; and 7, Vesciculata. 
Several interesting botanical papers were next read, and specimens 
exhibited ; among others, “On the Nutrition of Drosera rotundifolia,” by - 
Mr. Francis Darwin, in which he conclusively proves that this plant thrives 
on flesh. 
Mr. J. R. Jackson showed a curious purse-like bird’s nest, formed 
of wool and cotton pod, from South Africa, and forwarded by Sir Bartle 
Frere to Sir J. Hooker for the Kew Museum. 
February 7, 1878.—Professor ALitman, F.R.S., President, in the chair. 
Sir John Lubbock, Bart., read a paper, “ Observations on the Habits of 
Ants, Bees, and Wasps,” being his fifth contribution to the Society on this 
subject. The present notice is confined to Ants. In continuation of former 
experiments, he finds that Ants recognise old acquaintances, and speedily 
attack strangers. Their vaunted intelligence he regards as questionable ; 
for example, in such cases where a thin circle of glycerine bars their access 
to honey which they already have visited by a paper bridge, for when the 
latter is taken away they do not pile up but a few grains of the surrounding 
earth, and thus easily cross the glycerine barrier. Notwithstanding the 
many observers on the habits of Ants, and the plentifulness of the 
nests of these creatures, it is still doubtful how their nests are 
commenced. Sir John’s experiments show that the workers of Lasius 
flavus will not adopt an old queen from another nest. But, on the other 
hand, he has observed that the queen of Myrmica ruginodus has the 
