691 



Murray thereafter made further remarks on the same, stating that near 

 the Cumbrae Islands immense quantities of yellow gelatinous material con- 

 taining these organisms in abundance were obtained at every haul of the net. 

 He alluded to his own observations of the species being found in long 

 chains in mid-ocean (Narr. Cruise of Challenger), and to Klebs' opinion 

 of Ceratnmi being a gland of unicellular Algae and not a true Infusorian as 

 ordinarily inferred. — Dr. Francis Day exhibited a Salmon Parr 20 months 

 old, raised at Howietown from parents which had never visited the sea. Dr. 

 Day also exhibited some coloured drawings made in Oct. last at Howietown 

 of hybrids raised there. One was a cross between the American Charr and 

 the Loch Leven Trout, another a cross between the American and the British 

 Charr, and a third between the last mentioned hybrid and the Loch Leven 

 Trout; all were fertile. — Mr. F. P. Pasco e exhibited examples of a 

 remarkable mode of growth of the Acorn-shell [Balanus). From the specimens 

 shown it would appear that several neighbouring animals had united their 

 shells to form a tube common to them ; the outer valves of each individual 

 moreover had more or less lengthened and formed a series of irregular sub- 

 sidiary tubes radiating from the apex of the primary one. — Mr. Edward 

 C. Bousfield read a paper on the natural History of the genus Dero. In 

 this he shows that Nais digitata Müll, cannot be identified, and he therefore 

 rejects the specific name. He gives a full account of the habits of the 

 Deros, and the best methods of observing them. He proceeds to 

 show wherein they difi'er from the Naides and describes the chief 

 characteristics of the genus, viz. — The respiratory apparatus at the 

 end of the tau. He gives diagnoses of seven species, four being new 

 to science; all are figured. — Mr. Stuart O. Ridley followed by a paper 

 on the genus Lophoptis with description of a new species from Australia. 

 This latter was obtained by Dr. von Lendenfeld near Sydney N. S. W., 

 and it is distinguished from L. crystallinus chiefly by the great length 

 of the tentacles, which equal that of the body of the polypide, and by the 

 oval non-pointed outline of the statoblast. The new form L. Lendenfeldi 

 is the fourth freshwater Polyzoon recorded from Australia, and the first spe- 

 cies of its genus satisfactorily determined from the southern hemisphere. 

 Staining with borax-carmine brings out certain multipolar nucleated cells in 

 the ectocyst, which appear not to have been previously described in this 

 genus. They perhaps indicate that the ectocyst contains mesodermal elements 

 and hence that it may be something more than a mere epithelium. The 

 characters of the species in question necessitate a modification of the old 

 diagnosis of the genus as regards the shape of the statoblast etc. — J. Murie. 



3. Linnean Society of New South Wales. 



29*^ September, 1886. — 1) A Revision of the Staphylinidae of 

 Australia. By A.Sidney Olliff, F. E. S., Assistant Zoologist, Australian 

 Museum. Part II. This part, containing the members of the sub-family 

 Tachyjjorince, is another contribution to a general revision of the family. 

 No marked Australian forms have been found and the new forms are 

 of the ordinary type. The genera Tachyporus, Tachinus, and Boletohius 

 are added to the Australian fauna. With this instalment is issued the 

 plate (Vn.) which would have accompanied the first part, but for an 



