298 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Terebratula caput-serpentis, Crenella decussata, Lase@a rubra, Saaxicava 
rugosa, Puncturella Nouchine, and Embolus rostratus were already known 
to inhabit the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. No less than nine out of the 
fourteen species are’ coralline crag fossils. The author finds that the 
present series of shells tends to corroborate views that he had already 
expressed, namely, that certain species of Mollusca which are common to 
the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans might have originated in high 
northern latitudes, and have found their way to Japan on the one side and 
Europe on the other, by means of a bifurcation of the great Arctic current. 
Captain St. John's independent opinion and observations tend to strengthen 
this idea. 
The Secretary read, for Capt. W. P. Armit, “‘ Some Notes on the Presence 
of Tachyglossus (== Echidna) and Ornithorhynchus in Northern and North- 
Eastern Queensland.” It is here shown that the Echidna occurs at 
Bellenden Plains, situated some thirty miles N.E. of Cardwell in about 
18° S. lat., which appears to be the most northern limit yet recorded in the 
Australian continent. Captain Armit has met with the Ornithorhynchus 
150 miles west of Georgetown on the road to Normanton. It also occurs 
on the Leichardt River, so that its northern limit would appear to be the 
same, z.e. about 18° S. lat. 
Dr. J. Murie, in a note, called attention to the above-mentioned Echidna 
skull which had been forwarded for comparison. It agreed in all par- 
ticulars with that of Echidna histrix and that supposed to be specifically 
distinct,—to wit, H. setosa,—these forms now being generically distin- 
guished as Tachyglossus. At a glance it could be seen to differ markedly 
from the new genus and species of Hchidna (Acanthoglossus Brujinii, 
Peters and Doria) found in northern New Guinea and lately described in 
detail by Professor Gervais. 
The abstract of a paper, “ On the Shell of the Bryzoa,” by Arthur W. 
Waters was taken as read. 
The main points of a paper, entitled “ Observations on the White Whale 
(Beluga leucas) exhibited at the Westminster Aquarium ” were given orally 
by Dr. J. Murie. These notes chiefly related to the times and manner of 
breathing, certain outward peculiarities, visual organ, and movements 
of body and tail in its progression round the tank, and other subsidiary 
topics physiologically and functionally considered. Respiration in and out 
of the water are not quite identical, nor in either element is there perfect 
regularity in the intervals of respiration. A flow of blood, supposed by 
some to be of a menstrual character, was shown to have resulted from con- 
gestion of the right kidney. ‘The fcecal excrement presented peculiar cha- 
racters, possibly, however, dependent on the liver being out of order, and 
long fasting ; for the specimen in question does not seem to have partaken 
of food (or this only very slightly) after capture. A fungus (Saprolegnia 
