ON THE MARINE: BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY, PLYMOUTH. 185 
grows forward and becomes closely apposed to the hydroccele, leading 
easily to the belief that the two are organically connected. 
So far only have my investigations extended. I trust this winter to 
be able thoroughly to investigate the metamorphosis. I may add one 
interesting observation which I was able to make on the habits of the 
adult Ophiothrix fragilis. The characteristic radial plates in the dorsal 
skeleton of an Ophiurid have hitherto reached an explanation. When a 
number of specimens just brought in were placed in a limited quantity of 
water they were seen to alternately raise and depress these ossicles, with 
the result that the dorsal surface was alternately raised into a conical 
form and depressed. Qn dissection it was found that the radial plates 
articulated with one of the vertebre in each arm, and on each side of the 
articulation there were muscles by whose aid the movements were pro- 
duced. The object of the movement is no doubt respiratory. Since both 
genital burse and stomach are attached by bands to the dorsal surface of 
the test, they must necessarily be expanded by the upward movement, and 
must collapse with the downward, causing an alternate inflow and expul- 
sion of water. The ordinary respiration of an Ophiurid results from the 
action of the cilia lining the genital bursa; so that these movements may 
be compared to the forced respiratory movements of the ribs in man as 
opposed to the action of the diaphragm. 
Tn conclusion TJ should like to express my obligations to Dr. Allen 
and his able assistant, Mr. Smith, for their untiring efforts in aid of my 
work. 
Index Generum et Specierum Animalium.-—Report of the Committee, 
consisting of Dr. Henry Woopwarpb (Chairman), Dr. F. A. 
BatuHER (Secretary), Dr. P. L. ScuaTer, Rey. T. R. R. STEBBING, 
Dr. W. E. Hoyue, and the Hon. WALTER ROTHSCHILD. 
SATISFACTORY progress has been made by Mr. Davies Sherborn in the 
recording of literature from 1801 onwards. Among other works now 
indexed up to 1850 may be mentioned the ‘Annals and Magazine of 
Natural History,’ the ‘ Academia Cesarea,’ and the ‘ Neues Jahrbuch fur 
Mineralogie.’ Various tracts dealing with the collation of difficult books 
have been issued, and a reprint of the descriptions of new species of birds 
drawn up by Pallas for ‘ Vroeg’s Catalogue,’ 1764, has been published by 
the Smithsonian Institution, under Mr. Sherborn’s care, from the unique 
copy in the Linnean Society’s Library. The search for rare books still 
continues, and any such acquisitions are made available for public use 
by transference to one or other of the accessible libraries. Special thanks 
are due to the Italian Government, the University of Padua, and Pro- 
fessor Dante Pantanelli, for enabling the Committee to examine the 
‘ Tavola alfabetica delle conchiglie adriatiche’ of Stefano Andrea Renier 
(1804). Help of this nature, as well as valuable criticism, is continually 
forthcoming from home and abroad, and the general interest taken in the 
published volume (1758-1800) is highly gratifying to Mr. Sherborn and 
satisfactory tu this Committee, which, in this connection, desire to thank 
especially Mr. L. B. Prout and Mr. C. W. Richmond. 
The Committee desire to be reappointed, with the addition of Lord 
Walsingham, and trust that the grant will be restored to the previous 
amount—namely, 100/. 
