ae ey 
134 
> PD ea eR” a ™ oI 
NATURE 
~ 
Annelids very generally, but with apparently arbitrary 
exceptions, 
é. In the vascular system of certain Leeches, but not of 
all (Nephelis, Hirudo). 
c. In the vascular system of certain Turbellarians as an 
exception (/o/ia). 
d, In a special vascular system7(distinct from the general 
blood-system) ofa marine parasitic Crustacean (undescribed), 
observed by Prof. Edouard Van Beneden. 
e. In the general blood-system of the larva of the Dip- 
terous insect, Chironomus. 
Ff. In the general blood-system of the pulmonate mol- 
lusc, Planorbis. 
g. In the general blood-system { of ,the Crustaceans, 
Daphnia and Cheirocephalus. 
Diffused in the substance of muscular tissue. 
a. In the voluntary muscles generally of Mammalia, and 
probably of birds, and in some muscles of reptiles. 
4. In the muscles of the dorsal fin of the fish /7ippocam- 
us, being generally absent from the voluntary muscular 
tissue of fish. . 
c. In the muscular tissue of the heart’ of Vertebrata gene- 
rally. 
Bs In the unstriped muscular tissue of the rectum of man, 
being absent from the unstriped muscular tissue of the ali- 
mentary canal generally. 
e. In the muscles of the pharynx and odontophor of Gas- 
teropodous Molluscs (observed in Lymneus, Paludina, Lit- 
torina, Patella, Chiton, Aplysia), and of the pharyngeal 
gizzard of Af/ysia, being entirely absent from the rest of the 
muscular and other tissues, and the blood of these Molluses, 
with the single exception of Planorbis, cited above (2 /). 
f. In the muscular tissue cf the great pharyngeal tube of 
Aphrodite aculeata, being absent from the muscular tissue 
and from the blood in this animal, and absent from the 
muscular tissue generally in other animals. 
4. Diffused in the substance of nervous tissue. 
a. In the chain of nerve-ganglia of Aphrodite aculeata. 
Zoological Society, Dec. 3.—Viscount Walden, F.R.5., 
president, in the chair. The secretary read a report on the ad- 
ditions that had been made to the Society’s collection during the 
months of October and November, amongst which were particu- 
larly noticed a Nippon Ibis (/4is ippox), and other birds, pre- 
sented by R. Swinhoe, H.B.M. Consul at Ningpo, China.— 
Mr. P. L. Sclater exhibited a nest of the Tigereta (AZilvudus 
zyrannus), containing one egg of that bird and nine of the para- 
sitic Molothrus bonariensis, which had been sent to him by Mr. 
W. H. Hudson, of Buenos Ayres.—Mr. H. E. Dresser exhi- 
bited a series of skins of eagles of Europe and India. After a 
careful investigation Mr. Dresser had come to the conclusion 
that three good species had hitherto been included under the 
name of the Imperial Eagle, four under that of the Spotted 
Eagle, and two under the name of the Tawny Eagle. Mr. 
Dresser pointed out the various plumages and localities of these 
species.—Prof. Owen, F.R.S., read a paper on the osteology of 
the Marsupialia, being the fourth of his series of papers on this 
subject. The present communication contained a description of 
the trunk and limbs of the Wombats (Phasco/omys).—A commu- 
nication was read from Mr. R. B. Sharpe, entitled ‘* Contribu- 
tions to the Ornithology of Madagascar.’’—A communication 
was read from Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S., onthe Fossane of Mada- 
gascar (Fvssa @’ Audentonii), of which animal the British Museum 
had recently received specimens.—A second communication 
from Dr. Gray contained notes of a Terrapin from British 
Columbia, which had been presented to the British Museum 
by J. K. Lord, as the Actinemys marmorata of Agassiz.—A 
communication was read from Sir Victor Brooke, Bart., giving 
the description of a new species of antelope from the river 
Gambia, living in the Society’s menagerie, which he proposed to 
call Nanotragus nigri-caudatus.—A communication was read 
from Dr. A. Giinther, containing notes on a hitherto unpublished 
drawing in the Buchanan-Hamilton collection, representing 
Barbus beavani, Three short communications were read from 
Mr. Andrew Garrett, of Tahiti, in which he gave descriptions of 
two new species of Szparatista, two new species of Caecum from 
the Viti Islands, and a new species of Scissurel/a from the 
Panmotu Islands. 
Geological Society, Dec. 4.—Prof. P. Martin Duncan, 
F.R.S., V.P., in the chair.. ‘‘ On the Tremadoc Rocks in the 
Neighbourhood of St, David’s, South Wales.” By Henry 
~» 
Hicks. The author stated that Tremadoc rocks occur in three 
distinct places near St. David’s—namely, in Ramsey Island, at — 
the north end of Whitesand Bay, and over a considerable tract 
of country about five miles east of St. David’s. They rest con- 
formably on the Lingula flags, and are about 1,000 feet thick in 
Ramsey Island. The author noticed the fossils found in these — 
deposits, nearly all of which are of new species, and stated that 
the paleontological evidence proves sthese rocks to be nearly 
allied to, if not identical with, the lower part of the Tremadoc 
rocks of North Wales. 
Wales seem to be represented at St. David’s by the so-called 
Arenig rocks which overlie the deposits described in the present 
paper.—*‘ On the Phosphatic Nodules of the Cretaceous Rock 
of Cambridgeshire.” By the Rev. O. Fisher. The author 
stated that this paper was founded upon one read by him before 
the Society in May last, but subsequently withdrawn, in conse- 
quence of his obtaining information which necessitated a ch: 
of opinion upon certain points. The new portion related chiefly 
to those nodules which had been regarded as belonging to 
Porospongia or Scyphia, the fenestrated structure shown in sec- 
tions of which the author now identified with the structure of 
Ventriculites, as described by Mr. Toulmin Smith, the whole 
arrangement, and especially the presence of an octahedral figure 
at the nodes where the fibres of the framework intersect one 
another, being in favour of this determination. _ The author de- 
scribed the peculiarities of these octahedra, and dwelt particu- 
larly upon the fact that these sections of phosphatic nodules 
showed clearly that the fibres are really tubular, and not, as 
Toulmin Smith supposed, solid.—‘‘ On the Ventriculitidz of 
the Cambridge Upper Greensand.” By W. Johnson Sollas. 
A collection of supposed sponges found in the Cambridge Upper 
Greensand had been in part referred to the genera Scyphia and 
Porospongia, and in part left unidentified, An examination of 
sections of these forms by the microscope had revealed all the 
details of Ventriculite structure ; and a careful comparison with 
Mr. Toulmin Smith’s descriptions and specimens had resulted in 
the identification of those examined with four of Mr. Smith’s 
species; thus Scyphia fessellata was shown to be equiva- 
lent to Ventriculites tessellatus (or, more correctly, V. texturatus), 
Porospongia ocellata to V. cavatus, and other unnamed forms to 
V. quincuncialis and V. mammillaris respectively, The occur- 
rence of ventriculite-structure in coprolitic material presents a 
favourable opportunity for a fresh inquiry into its nature; ac- 
cordingly the author described the minute characters of the 
hexradiate elements of which the skeleton is composed, and the 
combinations of these hexradiates with one another. Abnor- 
malities occur sometimes by the hexradiates becoming hepto- 
radiate or pentaradiate, and sometimes by some of their rays 
bending quite away from their normal course. The whole of 
the skeleton fibre is distinctly tubular. Since the Ventriculite 
fibres have now been found fossilised in chalk, flint, and calcic 
phosphate, there can be little doubt that they were keratose, 
and not siliceous in their nature. If this be so, we have a diffe- 
rence between Nitrea and Ventriculitidee of ordinal value at 
least, and we must look for allies to the Ventriculites among the 
horny sponges. Verongia resembles Ventriculites in the single 
hollow cavity of its fibre and the non-spiculate character of its 
skeleton; Darwinella offers a resemblance in its hexradiate 
horny spicules, and Sfongionelia in the regular arrangement of 
its fibres. These three genera are indices of the directions in 
which the Keratosa tended to vary. At a very early period 
great variation occurred among the Keratosa, which already, at 
the time of the Weisse Jura, had evolved such highly symmetri- 
cal specialised forms as the Ventriculites ; these, with their con- 
temporary variations, such as Verongioid forms, lived on in 
great numbers throughout the Mesozoic period, with the close of 
which the Ventriculites altogether disappeared; and their 
nearest allies dwindled down to the dwarfed and rare genera 
Verongia, Darwinella, and Spongionella. 
Chemical Society, Dec. 5.—Dr. Frankland, F.R.S., &e. 
president, in the chair, The orst two papers read were *‘ On 
Hypophosphites” and ‘‘ Onthereducing power of Phosphorous and 
Hypophosphorous Acid and their Salts” by Prof. C, Rammels- 
berg.—A communication by Prof. A. H. Church, entitled ‘* New 
Analyses of certain numeral Arseniates and Phosphates” followed, 
giving his results of the examination of the minerals, Fluon- 
apatite, Arseniosiderite, Childerite, Uhlite, Tyrolite, and 
Wavellite.—‘‘ On the condition of hydrogen occluded by palla- 
dium as indicated by specific heat of the charged metal” by 
W. C. Roberts and C, R. A. Wright, D.Sc. This interesting 
[ Dec. 19, 1 872 
The Upper Tremadoc rocks of North 
‘ } “* cee 
i a ae a ee ee he Ne 
j 
