560 PROF. BELL ON THE BRITISH MARINE AREA. [NoV. 15, 



Symbiotes, containing (as labelled): — (1) S (not quite perfect) in 

 copulation with $ imperfect ; (2) three perfect S s ; (3) one very 

 young 2 . The last-named object is not easily to be found in the 

 Canada balsam, it is therefore marked by a red circle. The male 

 and female in the act of copulation, the female being yet in the 

 so-called larval state, are perhaps interesting. 



" With due respect to Prof. Brown's opinion, I beg leave to observe 

 that since my publication Prof. Pflug, Director of the Veterinary 

 Institution at Giessen, and other veterinaries, have expressed their 

 surprise at the necessity of reminding the public of a fact so well 

 known as of Symbiotes being the cause of Fussrande {i. e. grease). 



" From what I find in Stonehenge, ' British Rural Sports,' 2nd ed. 

 1856, and Stephens's ' Book of the Farm,' 2nd ed. 1855, 1 am under 

 the impression that the first stages of the infection (i. e. the dry ex- 

 cretion) are frequently overlooked in England ; but I own frankly that 

 the peculiar liability of cart-horses to grease may easily foster the 

 idea of the existence of a constitutional disease. Evidently these 

 Acari find a comfortable existence only on horses' feet that are 

 covered by a voluminous cutis and furnished with coarse hair. 

 Experience has shown, in the mange of Man, that in such cases 

 of parasitism opposing convictions are not easily overcome. 



" Perhaps artificial infection, by applying the dry excretions, the 

 existence of Symbiotes having been ascertained in them by microsco- 

 pical investigation, to the feet of a sound horse, would be the strongest 

 test. Of the importance of a decision there can be no doubt, I 

 think." 



The Secretary read the following extract from a letter addressed to 

 him by Surgeon-General George Bidie, C.I.E., C.M.Z.S., dated 

 Ootacamund, 8th October, 1887: — 



"I am sending you by this mail, by book-post, a photograph of a 

 male and female Elephant in sexual congress, an incident very rarely 

 seen by human eyes and one which, so far as I know, has never 

 before been pictured by the camera. Both animals belong to the 

 Commissariat Department, and at the time of contact were at 

 Thayetmyo, a Military Station on the frontier of Lower Burmah. 

 The sexual intercourse of the pair of animals was fruitful ; and Capt. 

 L. J. Torrie, who was in charge of the stud, tells me that gestation 

 lasted for about 21 months. The calf when born was of a very pale 

 colour, which led to a rumour getting abroad that a White Elephant 

 had been born. This created a great deal of excitement amongst 

 the Burmese ; and as the mother refused at first to have anything 

 to do with her young one, the native ' milky mothers ' from the 

 bazaars volunteered to draw and give the calf milk from their 

 breasts ! " 



Prof. F. Jeffrey Bell, F.Z.S., read the following observations on 

 the " British Marine Area," prepared by Mr. Edgar A. Smith, 

 F.Z.S., and himself. 



By the courtesy of Professor Haddon, who acted as its Secretary, 



