766 report — 1884. 



the Trias. Future discoveries will probably bring to light intermediate forms 

 between these orders and the typical Dinosaurs. 



The Crocodilia have some strong affinities with the Dinosauria, especially with 

 those of the order Sauropoda. The extinct genus Bdodon of the Triassic, for 

 example, resembles Diplodocus, particularly in the large antorbital vacuities of the 

 skull, the posterior position of the external nasal aperture, as well as in other 

 features. 



The Rhynchocephala, represented hy the genus Hatteria, have several important 

 characters in common with the Dinosauria, and, as the former is evidently an 

 ancient type, it is probable that a real affinity may exist between these two groups. 



That birds are closely related to Dinosaurs, there is no longer any question. 

 In addition to the various characters which these groups have been known to 

 share with each other, two more may be added in consequence of discoveries made 

 during the past year. The genus L'eratosaurus, a carnivorous Dinosaur from the 

 Jurassic of the Rocky Mountains, recently described by the author, has the pelvic 

 bones cobssified, as in all known birds, living and extinct, except Arehceopteryx . 

 The same reptile, moreover, has the metatarsal bones firmly united, as in all adult 

 birds, with possibly the single exception of Arehceopteryx ; while all the known 

 Dinosauria, except Ceratosaurus, have both the pelvic and the metatarsal bones 

 separate. The exception in each case brings birds and reptiles near together at 

 this point, and their close affinity is now a matter of demonstration. 



10. On the Rudimentary Hind-Limb of the Toy Whale, Megaptera longi- 

 mana. By Professor J. Struthers, M.D. 



The author said the humpbacked whale was extremely rare on the British coast. 

 One had been seen often spouting for some weeks in December in the Firth of Tay ; 

 it was mortally wounded, and finally towed ashore dead, near Aberdeen. It was a 

 male, forty feet in length. After it had been exhibited for a couple of weeks at 

 Dundee he had partially dissected it. Having been preserved, it was further 

 exhibited, and he had only completed his dissection immediately previous to 

 coming out. The presence of a rudimentary thigh-bone had been discovered in 

 this species many years ago by the late Professor Reinhardt of Copenhagen. The 

 thigh-bone was composed entirely of a cartilage of conical shape, in length five and 

 a half inches on the right side, four inches on the left ; it was incased in fibrous 

 tissue, and rested loosely on the pelvic bone without artificial surface. Looking at 

 the anatomical facts, and comparing them with those in the other species he had 

 referred to, the conclusion which must be arrived at was that the thigh-bone in the 

 humpbacked whale was a rudimentary structure: a vestige of a more complete 

 fimb possessed by ancestors from which it was descended. The skeleton of this 

 whale would, he hoped, be placed in the Dundee Museum, before the Association 

 met in Aberdeen next year. 



11. Note on the occurrence of Bacteria on the Surface of Coins. 

 By Professor Louis Elsberg, A.M., M.D. 



In the early part of this year Professor Paul F. Reinsch, of Erlangen, well known 

 as a student of algae, published in the German periodical 'Flora ' (No. 9, 1884) a 

 description of two new species of algae found in the incrustations on the surface of old 

 coins, and named by him respectively Chroococcus monetarum and Pleurococcus 

 monetarum. He also announced that he had discovered on pieces of money that had 

 long been in circulation innumerable bacteria. These he described as ' rod-shaped 

 bacteria (oscillaroid forms), with oscillating motion (vibrio), and spiral motion 

 (spirillum), and spherical bacteria (micrococcoid forms), with their peculiar oscilla- 

 tory dancing motions.' He said, ' Sometimes all these forms occur on one coin; but 

 in most cases either spherical or rod bacteria predominate, the first constituting 

 most frequently the main mass. Spirillum is found more rarely, but on careful 



