Miscellaneous. 263 
therefore, establishes a singular approximation between two other 
great classes of Echinodermata, the Ophiuride and the Stelleridea.— 
Comptes Rendus, July 10, 1882, p. 61. 
A Word respecting Mr. Distant’s Notes on Kuploea Castelnaui. 
By A. G. Burzer. 
It was not my intention to take further notice of Mr. Distant’s 
observations respecting this species ; but his assertion that I charged 
the Secretary of the Linnean Society with cutting out inverted 
commas from my MS. compels me to make some reply, if only to 
state what I really did say. 
I told Mr. Distant that, to the best of my belief, I had inserted 
inverted commas in some of my papers* in which the date of the 
* second volume of the ‘ Novara’ was quoted, and that, so far as I could 
recollect, such was the case in my paper published in the ‘ Linnean 
Transactions ;’ as to any mention of the Secretary of the Society, 
I can only say that Mr. Distant’s memory must be misleading him. 
Mr. Distant is surely aware that not a few entomological papers 
have been antedated, not in consequence of a tendency to mendacity 
on the part of those who have thus unfairly claimed priority, but 
simply from their maintaining that the distribution of a few proof- 
sheets is equivalent to publication; he forgets, moreover, that in 
his defence of one entomologist, he impugns the veracity of others. 
Lastly, I must disclaim any dissatisfaction with Mr. Distant’s 
preference of the name #. Castelnaut to that of L. phebus; I only 
object to his stating that I used my name in preference to Felder’s, 
knowing that the latter had priority. I regret that in a work, 
admirable in every other respect, the author has gone out of his way 
to make an assertion so unfounded. 
On Crenothrix Kiihniana (Rabenhorst), the Cause of the Infection of 
the Waters at Lille. By M. Aur. Grarp. 
The reddish colour, bad taste, and unpleasant odour presented at 
times by the water of the Emmerin springs which supply the town 
of Lille have long been noticed by the population of that town; but 
in the spring of this year the infection assumed alarming proportions. 
On the 22nd of April the water was absolutely unusable ; and from 
that time every somewhat copious rainfall was followed by a longer 
or shorter period of more or less intense infection. During these 
periods the water carries on its surface a ferruginous red scum which 
can easily be collected by stretching cloths across the stream. Fer- 
ruginous deposits also form in the reservoirs and in certain parts of 
the distributing channels. These on certain days were so abundant 
that the horses refused to drink the water which was offered to them, 
A microscopic examination showed that the cause of the infection 
was a Schizomycete, Crenothriv Kuhniana, Rabenh., the filaments 
of which become charged, in contact with the water exposed to the 
air, with a precipitate of sesquioxide of iron, then putrefy, and com- 
municate a most disagreeable flavour to the ‘water, 
ea my paper on Hestva I used a note of interrogation with the date 
67. 
