36 



Aquatic JLitt 



An adult Southern Soft-shelled turtle 

 has the carapace of a dull brown with- 

 out any markings. Its head is of the 

 same color, with brown, indistinct bands 

 running forwards to join anterior to the 

 eye. Its plastron is of a delicate creamy 

 white and thoroughly immaculate, while 

 it sometimes exhibits scratches or other 

 adventitious lines and blotches. 



Ditmars, who has had the opportunity 

 to examine a great many of this species 

 of Amyda, says that "specimens not fully 

 grown have an olive or pale brown cara- 

 pace, marked with dull, black spots, or 

 dots, disposed in rings. On each side of 

 the head and neck is a yellowish band ; 

 this extends forward through the eye and 

 unites with its fellow on the top of the 

 head, a short distance in front of the 

 eyes. The character evinced by these 

 bands is important in distinguishing the 

 species from the Spiny Soft-shelled 

 Turtle, on the top of the head of which 

 the bands unite way forwards — at the 

 base of the proboscis." 



In many localities these turtles are 

 known as "flap-jacks" on account of their 

 flattened form and the pliable margins to 

 their carapaces. 



An Odd Trunkfish 



(Concluded from page 33) 

 the eye. These horns are normally 

 straight or very nearly so, but in the 

 specimen figured, one of the horns was 

 sharply bent inward. The photograph 

 was taken from life by P. H. Pope, and 

 the unusual specimen was collected at 

 the Bermuda Biological Station in July, 

 [916, by Dr. W. J. Crozier, then 

 Director of the station. 



Society News 



The first annual meeting of the London 

 Aquarium Society was held on January 

 2. W. T. Webster was elected president : 

 J. R. Shattock and W. R. Temple, vice- 



presidents. Seventeen new members 

 were admitted. 



The president read the annual address 

 and dealt with the conception of the 

 Society and its objectives. He appealed 

 to the Society to establish a reputation 

 and to live up to it, and to dispel any 

 idea that the body should be considered 

 as a few people enraptured with a "gold- 

 fish in a globe." 



Mr. B. T. Child sent for exhibition a 

 fine specimen of a Dutch tench. The 

 meeting expressed its opinion that the 

 importation of such fishes for breeding 

 purposes would lead to an improvement 

 of our stock, and this particular speci- 

 men was promptly secured by one of our 

 members for that purpose. Mounted 

 diatoms, and living Daphnia and rotifers 

 were exhibited under microscopes by the 

 president and Mr. Sheldrick. — Hon. Sec. 



The annual meeting of the Brooklyn 

 Aquarium Society was held on January 

 20, in the Auditorium of the Pacific 

 Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. 

 The following were elected to office for 

 the ensuing year: President, Dr. Freder- 

 ick Schneider; vice-president, John C. 

 Donovan ; secretary, J. H. Shenk ; treas- 

 urer, A. L. Wright ; member of Board of 

 Directors, Dr. J. H. Finney; auditing 

 committee, C. J. Heede, H. A. Van Cott 

 and R. D. Bright. — J. H. Shenk, Secre- 

 tary. ^ 



At the annual meeting of the Essex 

 County Aquarium Society, the following 

 officers were elected : President, Rev. B. 

 J. Coltorti ; z'icc-president, E. C. George ; 

 treasurer. Dr. William Bachmann ; sec- 

 retary, Dr. J. S. Yoegtlen. 



The society holds its meetings on the 

 first and third Fridays at the Newark 

 Turn Yerein, 186 William street, New- 

 ark, N. J. Members of other societies 

 and those who are interested in aquarium 

 nature-study are invited to attend. — J. S. 

 Yok.oti.kn, Secretary. 



