18(58.] MR.W. H. FLOWER ON BAL^NOPTERA CAROLINA. 187 



" On our way down to the Strait last year, in the course of our 

 voyage between St. Vincent and Rio, a series of soundings were in- 

 stituted for the purpose of endeavouring to find the Jaseur bank, a 

 bank discovered by the 'Jaseur ' in 1825, and, I believe, not examined 

 since then. The latitude of the bank in question is 20' 36" 30'" south, 

 and the longitude 35° 47' west; it is 60 miles from the Victoria 

 Bank and 360 from Trinidade. The search was rewarded with suc- 

 cess, and a sample of its composition at 30 fathoms obtained by 

 means of a Fitzgerald sounding-apparatus. This I examined, and, at 

 Captain Mayne's request, drew up a short note on its nature, which 

 he forwarded to the hydrographer. As, however, I do not know 

 whether my remarks met the eye of any one occupied with science, 

 I may briefly mention the results obtained. The deposit was com- 

 posed exclusively of animal and vegetable organisms, and no frag- 

 ments of any rock or mineral were present. The vegetable organisms 

 consisted of fragments of an incrusted Melibesia, and a small portion 

 of the frond of an Ulna. The animal organisms, which were all 

 dead and maimed, en masse presented a chalky-white appearance ; 

 they consisted principally of great numbers of Foraminifera, most 

 of which seemed to belong to the genus Amphistegina, and nume- 

 rous small portions of delicate corals of various species. A very 

 few shells of MoUusca were present, the only ones discerned being 

 a minute Oliva, a small Lima, a minute Pecten, and a small shell 

 numbered 4 in the rough sketch I send you. The only other animal 

 specimens observed were the fragments of a Serpula, and a spine 

 and portion of the dental apparatus of a small Echinus." 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On the probable Identity of the Fin- Whales described as 

 BaUenoptera Carolines, Malm, and Physalus sibbaldii, 

 Gray. By W. H. Flower, F.R.S. &c. 



The Library of the Zoological Society has, within the last few 

 days, received a very handsomely printed folio work, entitled ' Mo- 

 nographic illustree du Baleinoptere trouve le 29 Octobre 1865, sur 

 la cote occidentale de Suede,' by A. W. Malm, pubhshed at Stock- 

 holm in 1867. It is illustrated by numerous photographs and wood- 

 cuts, and contains an extremely careful and detailed description of 

 the external characters, the skeleton, and many other portions of 

 the organization of the animal. As far as the individual specimen 

 was concerned, nothing appears to have been left undone, that the 

 most painstaking industry could compass, to render the monograph 

 exhaustive, except, perhaps, that some further photographic illus- 

 trations of the vertebral column and of the cranium would have 

 been acceptable. 



As this work will certainly long be regarded as one of standard 

 authority in cetology, it is important that tlie correct appellation and 

 synonymy of the species of which it treats should be determined with 



