152 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



In the unavoidable absence of the author, a paper by Mr. A. Ratters, 

 describing three new Marine Algre from Berwiek-on-Tweed, was then read 

 by the Botanical Secretary, Mr. B. Daydon Jackson, who exhibited the 

 drawings made to illustrate the paper. After some critical remarks from 

 the President, Mr. Halting pointed out the indirect influence of the Gulf- 

 stream in causing a deposition of northern sea-weeds upon the north-east 

 portion of the English coast, where some of the species described had been 

 found. 



The meeting then adjourned to April 5th. 



Zoological Society of London. 



February 21, 1888.— Professor W. H. Flower, C.B., LL.D., F.R.S., 

 President, in the chair. 



Mr. A. Thomson exhibited a series of insects reared in the Insect House 

 in the Society's Gardens during the past year, and read a report on the 

 subject. 



Prof. G. B. Howes read a note on the azygos veins of the Anurous 

 Amphibia. The author described an individual specimen of Rana tern- 

 poraria in which the azygos vein (prerenal portion of the posterior cardinal) 

 had been retained on one side, its relations differing in important details 

 from that observed by Hoehstetter in Bomhinator. By way of supple- 

 menting that author's work, he bad examined examples of a few genera not 

 dealt with by Hoehstetter. He recorded the presence of these veins in the 

 only specimen of Discoglossus dissected, and in one of five individuals of 

 Alytes obstetricans — facts which lent additional support to the views of Cope 

 and Boulenger of the lowly affinities of the DiscoglossidcB. He had failed 

 to detect these vessels in the Aglossa : while he regarded their total absence 

 in Pelobates and Pelodytes as fresh evidence of the Pelobatoid rather than 

 the Discoglossid affinities of the last-named genus. 



Mr. A. Smith-Woodward read the second part of his palseontological 

 contributions to Selachian morphology. The author described appearances 

 of an open lateral line in a cretaceous genus ScyUiides, supported by half- 

 rings, as in the Chimaeroids. He further noticed the pelvic cartilage of the 

 cretaceous Cyclobatis, pointing out and discussing the enormous proportions 

 of the iliac process. 



Mr. Oldfield Thomas gave an account of the Mammals obtained by 

 Mr. G. F. Gaumer on Cozumel and Ruatan It-lands, Gulf of Honduras. 



A second paper by Mr. Thomas contained the description of a new and 

 interesting annectent genus of Muridce, based on a specimen which bad 

 been in the Talis Museum for some years. This was supplemented with 

 remarks on the relations of the Old- and New-World members of the 

 family. 



