3 
Oct. 27, 1879] 
NAIURE 
ay 
families of Gasterefoda were given, and the large groups or 
orders were similarly passed in review. The remarkable con- 
‘trast between the distribution of the species of Holostomata 
and Siphonostomata was pointed out, the former being very 
largely developed in each of the three great divisions of the 
stratified rocks, while the other and more highly organised 
order is absent from the paleeozoic, has only a few species in 
the Mesozoic, but is largely represented in the cainozoic forma- 
tions. The distribution of the species without reference to 
generic family or ordinal divisions showed that the maximum 
number occurs in middie Eocene strata, from which beds 420 
species have been described. The total number recorded in 
the paper exceeds 3000, but a great number of these are re- 
current. The author insisted, in concluding, that as the 
recognised formations were of different values, as they had 
been unequally explored, as many formations were wanting in 
Britain, as the organic remains in the different formations had 
not been subjected to a uniformly rigid scrutiny, and as the 
British area, compared with the whole world, was so small, 
only the most general conclusions could be drawn from this 
_ investigation as to the progress of life on the globe. 
On the Glacial and Fost-Glacial Beds in the Neighbourhood of 
Llandudno.—Mr. H. F. Hall. The necessity for a more exact 
definition of boulder clay, and for discarding a name which is 
made to include a series of beds formed under very different con- 
ditions, was insisted upon. The section at Llandudno exhibited 
a base bed formed by the action of an ice-cap covering the whole 
land down to the sea level, which ground together the different 
materials of the bed. The overlying beds lie unconformably on 
this base bed, and show land and water conditions connected 
with a much more genial climate. From the section, the author 
concluded that colour is no criterion for deciding as to the base 
bed, as it varies in each district with the underlying rock ; that 
the materials of the base bed are obtained from the rocks of the 
neighbourhood ; that this bed was the result of the pressure and 
passage of land-ice disintegrating the surface of the land which 
it capped ; that to this bed, which is invariably denuded and 
has the superposed beds lying unconformably upon it, the name 
**Boulder-clay”” should be restricted ; and that the red clay, 
over the sands and gravels which overlie the base bed, is variable 
in colour and constituents, showing a change which produced ex- 
tensive denudation in more northern regions, the materials being 
spread over the sea bottom mixed with pebbles and boulders, 
which fel{ from melting or stranded icebergsand ice-flows. The 
author said there wasa hope of being able to co-relate the beds of 
the eastern districts with those he had described. 
Remarks on the Fossits from the Railway Cutting at Huyton.— 
Mr. W. Carruthers. The great value of this collection, made by 
the Rey. H. Higgins, depended as much upon the comparatively 
limited number of species met with as on the fine state of pre- 
servation in which they occurred. It was possible to arrive at 
considerable— in some cases absolute—certainty as to the different 
parts of the same species. Of the four species of Ca/amiites, the 
materials existed in the specimens from Huyton for reconstruct- 
ing the entire plant of at least one. The roots, long considered 
to be a distinct plant under the name Pinnu/uria, were present 
in great abundance. It had a delicate fistular stem of the type 
described by Professor Williamson at a previous meeting of the 
section, but of great size. The scars of the fallen branches were 
shown in several specimens as well as the foliage, which was 
preserved in the early bud condition, as well as in its fully deve- 
loped state. Several fruits showing the structure of the cone, 
described by the author under the name Vo/kmannia binneyi, 
but with differences that were at least of specific value. A cone 
having the structure of that described by Professor Williamson 
probably belonged to Ca/amites longifolius, with the foliage of 
which it was associated, in these beds. Specimens of Sphemo- 
Phyllum were exhibited and referred to Ca/amites. The light 
thrown on the structure of Zepidodendron by the specimens was 
then dwelt on, and especialiy two undescribed cones—one long 
and slender, with a single sporangium on each scale, the other 
short and having two sporangia on each scale. The stem 
and foliage of Fladel/aria—a palm-like lycopodiaceous genus— 
occurred among the fossils, as well as several species of beauti- 
fully-preserved ferns. Two specimens of insect remains had also 
been found—the one by Messrs. Clementshaw and Smith, young 
gentlemen whose interest in natural science was due to the re- 
vival of those studies in our great schools, and whose personal 
efforts had greatly contributed to its advancement at Rugby. 
Professor Williamson contended that the interpretation he had 
given on a former occasion of the structure of the stems of 
Calamites was more in accordance with the hundreds of speci- 
mens he had examined than those just expressed ; but, in reply, 
Mr. Carruthers maintained, on structural grounds, the correctness 
of the views he had expounded. 
Section D.—B1oLocy 
Department of Zoology and Botany 
The Secretary read a paper by Dr, J. E. Gray, F.R.S., On the 
Whatlebone Whales of the Southern Hemisphere. The author 
remarked that formerly the number of Cetacea was believed to 
be very limited, and that each species was supposed to have a very 
extensive geographical distribution. At one time, even, the 
hunchback of the Cape of Good Hope was supposed to be the 
same species as the whale of the North Sea. The author gave 
a list of the true whales, or Balzenidz, the huamp-batked whales, 
and the Physalidz. Five species of the first group were de- 
scribed, three of the second, and one of the last group. Refer- 
ence was also made to three apparently different forms of Finne 
whales, known only from having been seen swimming. 
Dr. Cunningham read a paper Oz the Terrestrial and Marine 
Fauna of the Strait of Magellan and Western Patagona. 
Professor Van Beneden read some notes “ Sux les Parasites ?— 
One frequently finds described under the title of ‘‘ Parasites” 
animals which do not demand more than a place to live on, 
and do not live at the expense of their neighbour, such, for 
example, as the Adamsia by the side of the Pagurus. Some or 
these do not completely enjoy their liberty, as the Coronula on 
the whale. This type I would designate under the name of 
Oikasitz, whereas those which are perfectly free I would 
designate as Coinosite. The true Parasites may also be 
divided into groups: those that have no communication with 
the exterior are the Xenosita, these, like the Cysticercus, 
are possibly only transitory forms : others, haying arrived 
at the end of their journey, live in the open passages of 
organs, occupying themselves with reproduction, and these I 
would designate Nostocitz ; and lastly, those which appear to 
stray by the way, without a hope of arriving at the end of their 
journey, and indeed only by chance returning to the good road, 
such as the vesicular and agamic worms which frequent the flesh 
of carnivores, I would call Planositae. 
Professor Van Beneden exhibited a specimen of a species of 
Echinorhynchus, apparently new, lent to him for exhibition by 
Dr. John Barker of Dublin. 
On Brackish-water Foraminifera.—Mr. H. B. Brady. The 
author described a form of Foraminifera from a fresh-water 
pond, some five or six miles from the sea, and while de- 
scribing in addition a large number of new species from 
brackish water, he also alluded to the fact that he had met with 
some Foraminifera whose tests had withstood the action of acids. 
Without wishing positively to assert the absolute presence of 
chlorophyll granules, as occurring in some species, he might yet 
mention that he had found traces of it in the test of some of the 
forms he had examined. 
On a stock-form of *he parasitic Flat-worms.—Mr. E. Ray 
Lankester. This worm was found parasitic in 7udifex rivu- 
Jorum from the Thames. It had the form of a fluke with 
very mobile head, no alimentary tube, a very elaborate vascular 
system, and simple generative organs. A small mobile tail was 
attached to one end of the worm at the opening of the vascular 
system. This tail was only paralleled by that of the Cercarie 
or larvae of Flukes. A worm known as Caryophylleeus, which 
lives in carp and tench, was stated to be exactly like the new 
worm in respect of its mobile head, wrongly held to be the tail 
by Emile Blanchard. The tailed form Uroscolex, Mr. Lankester 
considered to be the larva of Caryophyllaus, and hence we have 
in this simple worm a representative of the common ancestors of 
all the Trematods and Cestoids. Mr. Lankester said he was in- 
formed by Professor Van Beneden, that last year Caryophyllceus 
had been shown to have a six-hooked embryo. 
On Worms from Thames mud.—Myr. E. Ray Lankester, 
The author showed that the tons of red worms which are 
the only non-microscopic tenants of the foul parts of the 
Thames at London, consist of three distinct species, and 
a natural hybrid between two also occurs, as he demon- 
