236 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Mr. R. A. Rolfe commuuicated a paper " On the Flora of the Philip- 

 pines, with reference to its probable derivation." Tn this he criticised 

 Mr. Wallace's opinion on the fauna, dififering from him in the belief that 

 the recent flora of the islands indicate that they are truly insular in the 

 essentials of their present Natural History, and have been largely dependent 

 on volcanic origin, rather than that their flora and fauna are alone the result 

 of an early separation from the Asiatic continent with total submergence 

 for an indefinite period. 



Mr. George Brook read a "Preliminary account of the development of 

 the Weever Fish, Trachimis vipera." After mentioning that the eggs 

 had been laid in his aquarium at Huddersfield, where this fish had been 

 kept alive for more than two yeare, he drew attention to the fact of 

 there being a vitelline membrane present in the eggs of this fish as well as 

 in those of the Herring; in contradistinction, therefore, to what is stated to 

 be the case in osseous fishes generally. He also particularly referred to the 

 persistent nature of the segmentation cavity, which is pushed round the 

 yolk-sac concurrent with the development of the embryo from the blastoderm, 

 and that it does not entirely dis^pear until the yolk is absorbed. The 

 circulatory system, according to Mr. Brook's researches, is very late in 

 developing, no blood-vessels appearing until several days after hatching. In 

 illustration of his paper, he exhibited under the microscope preparations 

 showing the segmentation stage, the embryonic shield and commencement 

 of keel, the early embryo third day before closure of the blastopore, and 

 fourth-day blastopore, with Kupffer's vescicle, also at the eighth day, and 

 the newly-hatched embryo. 



The Chairman having put to the meeting the election of Auditors, the 

 following were appointed : — for the Fellows, Dr. J. Millar and Mr. J. Jenner 

 Weir, and for the Council, Mr. T. Christy and Mr. H. T. Stainton. — 



J. MURIE. 



Zoological Society of London. 



il/«7 6, 1884.— Prof. W. H. Flowek, LL.D., F.R.S., President, in 

 the chair. 



The Secretary read a report on the additions that had been made to the 

 Society's Menagerie during the month of April, and called special attention 

 to two Nepalese Hornbills, Aceros nipaleusis; a Gigantic Salamander, Mega- 

 lohatrachus maximus; three examples of the Lesser Bird of Paradise; a 

 fine Mediterranean Seal; and other rare acquisitions. 



Prof. Bell exhibited some specimens of Estheria vielitensis, sent from 

 Malta by Capt. Becher, R.A., and stated that, in answer to his inquiries, 

 that gentleman had confirmed the fact of the males appearing to equal in 

 number the females, as had been stated by previous observers of the members 

 of the genus. 



Mr. G. A. Boulenger read a paper on tiie Reptiles and Batrachians of 



