334 
White, which mimics with much precision the appearance of the 
stones among which it lives. 
He commenced by observing that some tendency existed to 
separate too widely those cases of mimicry where one animal 
imitated another from those in which an animal closely resembled 
either some part of a plant or some inorganic object ; and ex- 
pressed the opinion that these two sets of cases were wholly one 
in kind, the evident object in all being the protection of the 
imitator. 
Describing a visit paid to the vicinity of Grahamstown in search 
of this insect, he observed that it was a work of considerable 
difficulty to distinguish the grasshoppers from the stones, and he 
was engaged for half an hour in careful search over a known 
station of the species before discovering an example. He noted 
the further most interesting fact, that, in certain spots (often only 
a few square yards in extent) where the stones lying on the ground 
were darker, lighter, or more mottled than those generally pre- 
valent, the Trachypetra found among such stones varied similarly 
from the ordinary dull ferruginous-brown colouring in imitation 
of them. 
It was pointed out that the close imitation of the stones was 
mainly effected by the modification of the dorsal shield of the 
prothorax, which is, with the whole thorax, much flattened and 
widened, and is further much produced posteriorly, and has its 
surface roughened or granulated in close resemblance to the sur- 
face of the stones. 
In conclusion, he called attention to the bearing of the case of 
this insect on the question of the origin of species ; and in put- 
ting the alternative whether the peculiar station of the Trachy- 
peira had been specially prepared for it immediately before or 
simultaneously with the creation of the insect, or whether, on 
the contrary, the insect had been very gradually modified by 
natural selection in imitation of the stones for the purpose of 
concealment, he expressed his decided opinion in favour of the 
latter hypothesis. 
Specimens of the insect were exhibited in association with some of 
the stones among which they were captured, and the very close re- 
semblance between stones and insects excited general remark. 
Mr. Trimen observed that in nature the mimicry was more eflec- 
tive, the colours of the dead insects having faded considerably, 
and the shrinking of the abdomen having caused the hind-legs to 
be much more apparent than was the case in living examples. 
Echinoderms.—Prof. Wyvyille Thomson read a paper On the 
Structure of the Crinoids, to which it would be impossible to do 
justice in a brief summary. He proposed to make as primary 
divisions of the family the Astomata and Peristomata. Dr. Liitken 
of Copenhagen remarked on the great interest of the paper, and 
referred to Prof. Wyville Thomson’s earlier and excellent memoirs 
on the development of a species belonging to this family. Ina 
paper On the Paleontological Relations of the Fauna of the North | 
Atlantic, Prof. Wyville Thomson exhibited and described a re- 
markable new genus possibly related to the Diademidz, in the 
corona of which the plates overlapped, and which, when taken | tyibes, yet the inhabitants at the time were one people. 
out of the dredge, rolled about like a soft egg; this was called 
Calveria hystrix. The Pedicellarize were most beautiful objects, and 
the species is one of the most remarkable of all living Echinoids. 
A beautiful recent species called Puzpuratus of the genus Poroci- 
daris wasalso exhibited, as alsospecimensof Brissinga, Pourtalesia, 
and A/izocrinus. A choicer assemblage of rare and remarkable 
forms was probably never before exhibited to Section D, and it 
is not possible to refrain from mentioning that most of them will 
be described and figured in an early number of the Proceedings 
of the Zoological Suciety of London. 
Calenterates.—Dr. Charles Liitken of Copenhagen, in intro- 
ducing to the notice of the department a recent addition to the 
fauna of the Arctic region, said they would know that the pro- 
gress of modern science had given an increased interest and im- 
portance to the knowledge of Arctic forms. Naturalists were 
now busily engaged in looking for the remains of the vegetable 
and animal kingdoms left in the sedimentary deposits from the 
glacial epoch inwhich an immense ice-field had covered a great 
part of the earth. One of the latest discoveries in Scandinavia 
was that of a fresh-water deposit at the bottom of agreat bog, 
containing the relics of a truly Siberian vegetation. 
other band, recent investigations, for which they were in part 
in debted to the British Government and British naturalists, had 
shown that many of the lower animals, hitherto thought only 
to inhabit the Arctic Seas, had a very great geographical distri- 
bution. For a long time the seas of Greenland had been one of 
the principal sources of our knowledge of Arctic life. It was 
On the | 
NATURE 
eee eee 


[ Aug. 24, 1871 
about the only country, with the exception of the most northern 
part of Norway, 
lished a regular colony with a staff of officials, among whom 
there was always to be found one or more who were anxious to 
make their situation profitable to science, and the directors and 
officers of the Museum at Copenhagen always encouraged these 
efforts with the view of collecting at Copenhagen as ample 
material as possible for the study of Arctic life. These efforts 
have been in later times rivalled by those of the Swedish Govern- 
ment, but their own efforts were greatly promoted by the circum- 
cumstance that the profits of the colonisation of Greenland were 
derived almost solely from the revenues got from the rich animal 
life, and that the Esquimaux were very acute observers of that 
nature from which they also derived their whole sustenance. He 
now submitted to the notice of the department a new species of 
Antipathes (A. a@7céica) found lately in the stomach of a Green- 
land shark ; it belonged to a tribe of corals hitherto believed to 
be exclusively inhabitants of the warmer seas, not being pre- 
viously found north of the Mediterranean or South Carolina. 
He was now informed by Prof. Wyville Thomson that species 
of that genus did come to the surface during his late dredging 
expedition in the North Atlantic. This discovery, in addition to 
that of the Lophioid fish described above, indicated that the 
treasures of the Arctic Seas were not yet exhausted, and ought 
| to stimulate further attention to them. Prof. Wyville Thomson 
and others took this occasion to state their admiration at the per- 
fect order and care with which the Scandinavian Museums were 
kept, and their estimation of the great kindness shown by the 
officers of these Museums to naturalists in this country in sending 
over for examination complete series of different forms of Arctic 
life. 
Dredging.—Mr. W. Saville Kent sent anaccount of the 
zoological results of the 1870 dredging expedition of the yacht 
Nornea off the coasts of Spain and Portugal. 
Rey. R. B. Watson gave a very graphic account of the trials 
and troubles he had encountered in dredging at Madeira, and 
appended to his paper a list of the moJlusca met with by him in 
Madeira. 
Mr. A. G. More also submitted to the department some ac- 
count of a recent dredging expedition which he had made to 
Bantry and Kenmare Bays. 
SUB-SECTION. — ANTHROPOLOGY, 
In the anthropological department on Monday, August 7, 
Prof. Turner presided, and there was again crowded attendance 
throughout the day. The first paper was read by Mr. J. S. 
Phene Ov the Manners and Customs of the Early Inhabitants 
of Britain, deduced from the remains of their Towns and Villages. 
He drew attention to two prominent points, the universality of 
the circle, curve, or oval, in all the earliest British remains ; and 
the similarity of the physics of the various localities where British 
remains are still traceable, arguing that though divided into 
In 
alluding to the physical features of their settlements, he pointed 
out that a conical hill towards the east, with a stream between it 
and the settlement, seemed an indispensable condition in selecting 
a place of abode, and where hills did not naturally exist they had 
been formed with great labour, as the Castle Hill at Cambridge. 
He assumed the object of proximity of the hill was for facility of 
worship, and the separation by the stream was indicative of 
purity of sacred separation. He believed that our great cities 
had been founded on these places, chosen by our so-called bar- 
barian ancestors, and quoted Edinburgh, with Arthur’s Seat as 
the place of worship, and Holyrood as the site of habitation, in 
illustration of his views. 
Mr. Phené also read a paper Qn an Expedition for the 
special Investigation of the Hebrides and West Highlands in 
search for Evidences of ancient Serpent Worship, and assigning 
to this worship the shape of many mounds he had examined in 
Scotland. This paper caused an animated discussion, in which 
Mr. Boyd Dawkins remarked that there was no invariable relation 
between the sites of ancient habitation and the neighbouring 
hills, such as Mr. Phené had inferred. The dwellers in Britain, 
before the arrival of the Normans, lived in hut circles, placed 
sometimes on the tops of hills and at others in the bottom of 
valleys, but in all cases they chose a soil though which the rain- 
water could easily pass. “This was obviously the result of their 
not wishing to be flooded by the rains of winter. We know 
next to nothing, he said, of their habits and modes of life, but 
the remains of the animals round their habitations proved that 
within the Arctic Zone, where there was estab- — 

