( 469 ) 

 SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 



LiNNEAN SoCIETr OF LoNDON. 



November 3, 1887. — Wm. Carruthers, F.R.S., President, in the chair. 



Mr. J. H. Hart, of Trinidad, was elected a Fellow of the Society. 



The President called attention to the death-roll since the June meeting, 

 specially deploring the loss of Prof. Julius von Haast, N.Z., Dr. Spencer 

 Baird, U.S., and Prof. Caspary, of Konigsberg. 



Mr. H. N. Ridley gave an account of his Natural History collections in 

 Fernando Noronha. The group of islands in question is in the S. Atlantic, 

 194 miles east of Cape San Roque. The largest is about five miles long, 

 and two miles across at broadest part. Although chiefly basaltic, phonolite 

 rocks crop up here and there. The cliffs are steep, but otherwise the soil 

 is fertile; there is an absence of sandy bays on the south side. Generally 

 speaking the specific animal forms differ on the opposite sides of the main 

 island. The indigenous fauna and flora seem to have been much modified, 

 and in some cases extirpated by human agency. Of mammals the Cat 

 is reported to have become feral, and Rats and Mice swarm ; Cetacea 

 occasionally frequent the coast. The land birds comprise a species of 

 Dove, a Tyrant, and a Greenlet {Virio). Sea-birds are numerous, but by 

 no means so abundant as they were formerly, when the island was first 

 discovered. Among the reptiles were found a species of Amphisboena, 

 a Skink [Euprepes punctatus] and a Gecko ; Turtles are also frequently seen 

 in the bays. Batrachians and fresh-water fish are entirely absent. One 

 butterfly, a well known Brazilian species, was plentiful ; but insects, though 

 abundant, were poor in number of species. Two species of Trochus called 

 for remark, as having a southern distribution ; the remainder of the marine 

 shells, and indeed most of the marine fauna and flora, show afiiuities to 

 that of the West Indies. 



Afterwards there was shown a Wasp's nest, which had been constructed 

 on a roof-board at Dovercourt. 



A report was read on the Pennatulida of the Mergui Archipelago, by 

 Prof. A. Milnes Marshall and Dr. J. Herbert Fowler. The collections made 

 by Dr. John Anderson were from shallow water and mud-flats exposed to 

 spring tides. Of ten species two are new, and there are several varieties 

 not hitherto recorded. — J. Moeie. 



Zoological Society of London. 



November 14, 1887.— Prof. W. H. Flower, LL.D., F.R.S., President, 

 in the chair. 



The Secretary read a report on the additions that had been made to the 

 Society's menagerie from June to October, and called attention to certain 



