ON THE LIFE CONDITIONS OF THE OYSTER. 367 



We may add that the green oysters containing copper are found in 

 some localities where there can be no question of copper mines or old 

 copper from ships' bottoms. We venture to suggest that the pigmentation 

 may be due to a disturbed metabolism whereby the normal copper of the 

 body becomes stored up in certain cells. 



We desire to continue this work. Our investigation is drawing to 

 a conclusion, but there are still some points we hope to settle, such as 

 the origin of the copper and the conditions determining its deposition. 

 The colouring matter in the other kinds of green oysters also requires 

 reinvestigation. We desire, then, that the Committee should be 

 reappointed for one year more, with the addition of Dr. Kohn, who has 

 rendered us valuable service on the chemical side, and with a grant to 

 meet the expenses of the investigation. 



Index Animalium. — Report of a Committee, consisting of Sir W. H. 

 Flower (Chairman), Mr. P. L. Sclater, Dr. H. Woodward, Eev. 

 T. K. R. Stebbing, Mr. R. MacLachlan, and Mr. F. A. Bather 



(Secretary), appointed to superintend the Compilation of an Index 

 Animalium. 



The object of this Committee is to prepare, and ultimately to publish, an 

 index to every name, whether valid or invalid, that has ever been applied 

 as the generic or specific denomination of an animal, recent or fossil. 

 The work of compiling the Index is carried on by Mr. C. Davies Sherbom 

 at the British Museum (Natural History). 



The Committee has decided to deal first with the names occurring in 

 literature published between the years 1758 and 1800 inclusive, since this 

 section of the literature is the most important for questions of priority. 

 Within these limits Mr. Sherborn has during the past year prepared a 

 list of the literature to be searched. 



Since the last Report was drawn up 982 volumes and tracts have 

 been indexed, and about 10,000 species listed. In addition Mr. Sherborn 

 has prepared a separate index of the names of animals in the tenth and 

 twelfth editions of Linnaeus's ' Systema Naturse,' since it was considered 

 by the Committee that the publication of this would be a useful prelimi- 

 nary step of much value to naturalists. 



The Committee begs to remind zoologists that the Index, in the form 

 of a card catalogue, now containing about 140,000 references, can be re- 

 ferred to in the library of the Geological Department of the British 

 Museum (Natural History) any week day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. 



A detailed account of the methods and progress of the work was 

 published in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society ' for 1896, pp. 

 610 614, and was reprinted in the 'Geological Magazine' (n.s., Dec. iv., 

 vol. iii. pp. 557-561, Dec. 1896). A notice of this and an appeal for the 

 support of zoologists was published in ' Natural Science ' for June 1897 

 (vol. X. pp. 370-371). 



The value of this work to zoologists (including palaeontologists) and 

 the satisfactory progress that the grant of 100?. by the Association has 

 rendered possible justify the Committee in recommending its reappoint- 

 ment, with the addition of Mr. W. E. Hoyle, and in asking for a renewal 

 of the grant. 



