OcToBER 26, 1899] 
WAT URE 
631 
The morphological papers on Friday were as follows :— 
(1) J. J. Lister, on Astrosclera willeyana, the type of a new 
family of calcareous sponges. This remarkable new sponge was 
brought home by Dr. A. Willey from Lifu in the Loyalty 
Islands. It has a continuous calcareous skeleton formed by the 
union of numerous polyhedral spicules to form a branched mass, 
between which run the soft parts with the system of canals. 
There are very minute ciliated chambers, and the ciliated cells 
do not appear to have the usual collars. 
(2) Prof. Johnson Symington, on the morphology of the 
cartilages of the monotreme larynx. The thyroid cartilage of 
the monotremes (Ornithorhynchus and Echidna) agrees with 
that of the higher mammals in consisting of a single cartilaginous 
mass, but differs in the details and relations of its anterior and 
posterior cornua. Both the ontogeny and the phylogeny of the 
mammalian epiglottis support the view that it is a single median 
structure, and not, as Gegenbaur supposed, the result of fusion 
of two lateral elements. 
(3) N. Bishop Harman, the palpebral and oculo-motor ap- 
paratus in fishes. Seventy species of fishes were examined. 
The simplicity or complexity were not found to agree with 
differentiation in phylogeny, nor with any scheme of classification, 
nor in relation to habitat. The source of the complex muscu- 
lature of the eyelids of Selachians was traced to the branchial 
musculature of the spiracle, and this was further shown by the 
inverse ratio existing between the condition of spiracle and 
nictitating membrane. In those fish in which the latter is at its 
highest development the spiracle is absent, and wzce versd. The 
condition of the orbital sac, of the supporting rod of cartilage, 
of the eye-muscles, and of other neighbouring structures in the 
eyes of various groups of fishes was discussed. 
(4) Prof. R. J. Anderson, on the pelvic symphysial bone of 
the Indian elephant ; and a few notes on rhythmic motion. 
(5) C. Dawson and S. A. Woodhead, on the crystallisation 
of beeswax, and its influence on the formation of the cells of 
bees. 
On Saturday, when some of the zoologists from the French 
Association visited the Section, a few papers on marine biology 
likely to prove interesting for joint discussion were taken. Mr. 
W. Garstang brought forward a first report on the periodic in- 
vestigation of the plankton and physical conditions of the 
English Channel during 1899. These investigations have been 
carried out at regular quarterly intervals during the year, from 
a steam-tug ; and the observations were made at certain fixed 
localities along lines between Plymouth and Ushant,. from 
Ushant towards the 100 fms. line, and off the entrance to the 
Channel. Observations of the water temperature (with deep- 
sea reversing thermometers) at various depths, and of the 
salinity (with Mill’s water-bottle) of the water were taken ; and 
collections of plankton were made with an effective closing 
tow-net specially devised by Mr. Garstang to replace the pump 
and hose method, which had proved unsatisfactory. This new 
net, and also that of Dr. C. G. J. Peterson for the quantitative 
estimation of plankton, were on exhibition and with the rest of 
the apparatus were shown working. Mr. Garstang’s investiga- 
tions in the Channel are not yet completed, and two further 
series of observations are still to be made. The record so 
obtained will be of high value in both marine biological and 
hydrographical inquiry. Prof. Lankester and others took part 
in the discussion, and one of the visitors, Baron Jules de 
Guerne, explained the somewhat similar observations he had 
been making from the Prince of Monaco’s yacht Princesse Alice, 
and described the closing nets he employed. The reports 
upon the Naples and Plymouth biological stations were also 
submitted. 
On Monday the following papers were taken :— 
(1) J. Graham Kerr, the development of Lepidoszven para- 
doxa ; and a note on the hypothesis of the origin of the verte- 
brate paired limbs. Mr. Kerr had been sent by the University 
of Cambridge with an expedition in search of Lefidoszven to the 
rivers and swamps of Gran Chaco in Paraguay ; and he gave 
an interesting summary of the life-history of this important type. 
(2) Dr. J. F. Gemmill, on negative evidence regarding the 
influence of nutrition in determining sex. Dr. Gemmill shows 
that certain fixed species of marine animals are under very 
different conditions of nutrition from the very earliest period, 
according as they are high or low on the shore, and yet the pro- 
portions of the sexes remain unchanged—indicating that in such 
forms nutrition has no effect in determining sex. 
(3) F. P. Morena and A. Smith Woodhead, exhibition of 
NO. 1565, VOL. 60] 
and remarks on a skull of the extinct Chelonian A/zolanza from 
Patagonia, along with an exhibition of newly-discovered Veomy- 
/odon remains from Patagonia—a most interesting and important 
exhibit of these remarkable remains. 
(4) G. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton, the fur seals of the Bering 
Sea. An account of their habits and condition. 
The rest of the afternoon was occupied with reports of Com- 
mittees, which will be noticed below. 
On Tuesday, Sir John Murray reada paper on Dr. Peterson’s 
experiments in the Cattegat, with the marking and measuring of 
plaice in order to determine distribution and growth, and on 
plaice culture in the Limfjord. By transplanting young fish from 
the North Sea into the richer feeding grounds of the shallow 
fjord, it was found that from April to November they increased 
to five times their original weight. The cost of transportation 
was one-sixth of a penny per fish, and the price obtained for a 
fish so fattened was 4d¢.—a notably successful attempt at eco- 
nomic fish culture. 
Mr. W. Garstang gave an account o. his experiments at 
Plymouth on the artificial rearing of young sea-fish, In this 
Mr. Garstang has, so far, been very successful ; and has suc- 
ceeded in rearing about 50 per cent. of his larvae through their 
critical stages to the complete adult organisation. They are fed 
on plankton, and are kept in ‘‘ plunger” jars with not more 
than five larvee to a gallon of water. 
Dr. James Murie gave an account of the Thames Estuary : its 
physico-biological aspects as bearing upon its fisheries. These 
papers gave rise to some discussion on marine fish-culture. 
Prof. McIntosh, finally, gave a paper on the occurrence of the 
grey gurnard (77ig/a gurnardus, L.), and its spawning in in- 
shore and offshore waters. He shows by a monthly examination 
of the statistics that this important fish does not begin to move 
into the inshore waters for spawning purposes until after 
February, and attains its maximum in May. [Ile does not 
consider that a maximum as late as August in some years can 
be taken to indicate a second spawning migration, as supposed 
by the Scottish Fishery Board. Spawning goes on from April 
to September. 
The Reports of Committees submitted to the Section were as 
follows :— 
(1) The Naples Zoological Station.—The British Association 
table has been occupied by Dr. H. Lyster Jameson, who givesa 
summary of his work upon the anatomy of certain Gephyrea and 
allied vermiform organisms. The usual statistics and other 
information in regard to the station during the year are also given. 
(2) Investigations at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory.—This 
contains two short papers, one on the embryology of the 
Polyzoa, by T. H. Taylor, and the other on the rearing of 
larvee of Echinidze, by Prof. MacBride. Mr. Taylor’s observ- 
ations were made on the larve of Aowerbankia, which he 
successfully carried through their fixation and metamorphosis on 
strips of celloidin. MacBride found at Plymouth that the larvee 
of Echinids would only live in pure water brought from outside 
the breakwater. He discusses the difficulties, and the conditions 
necessary for successful rearing of larvee. 
(3) Zoology and Botany of the West India Islands.—This is 
the final report, and consists of a list of the publications of the 
Committee. The material which still remains unworked out has 
been presented to the British Museum. 
(4) Zoology of the Sandwich Islands.—This ninth report 
shows what has been published by the Committee during the 
year, and gives the plans for further exploration in the Islands 
in conjunction with the Honolulu Museum. 
(5) Bird Migration in Great Britain and Ireland.—The labour 
of working out the numerous records obtained from lighthouse- 
keepers is still being continued by Mr. Eagle Clarke, and a 
conclusive report is not yet possible. 
(6) Zoological and Botanical Publication.—The Secretary or 
the Committee is in correspondence with editors of academical 
and periodical publications, and the results will be reported on 
at a future meeting. 
(7) Index animalium.—This great piece of work is still being 
carried on by Mr. Sherborn, who has indexed about 1500 
volumes during the last year. The first section of the Index, 
dealing with 1758-1800, will soon be ready for publication. 
(8) Pedigree Stock Records.—This report is drawn up by 
Dr. Francis Galton, and deals with the production of photo- 
graphs, under standard conditions, of prize-winners at shows 
of pedigree stock, in order to have exact trustworthy records of 
ancestry. 
