312 British Association for the Advancement of Science. 



■ Rev. L. Jenyns exhibited a series of specimens of the square- 

 tailed shrew, {Sorex tetragotiurus, Herm.) and also a specimen 

 of the chestnut shrew, [S. castaneus, Jen. ) which was, in his 

 opinion, a distinct species. 



Mr. Gray made some observations on the boring of Pholades. 

 The action of these animals in boring rocks he was inclined to 

 consider mechanical. 



Sir Wm. Jardine read the report drawn up at the request of the 

 Association on the present state of our knowledge of the Salmo- 

 7iidm of Scotland. 



Mr. Allis, of York, read a paper on the Toes of the African 

 Ostrich, and the numhei^ of phalanges in the toes of other birds. 

 Mr. A. had not been able to find the rudiments of a third toe, 

 alleged to exist in the Ostrich. He further stated, that Cuvier had 

 erroneously given the number of phalanges of the toes of the fol- 

 lowing birds. In the Cassowary, which had 3 toes, the real num- 

 bers are 3, 4j and 5. In the Ostrich 4 and 5. The Caprimulgus 

 has the outer and middle toe, having 4 phalanges each. The 

 Swift has only 3 phalanges, except in the hallux. The Hum- 

 ming-bird has the full number of phalanges in all its toes. 



Dr. Charlton showed a specimen of Tetrao Rakkelhan of Tera- 

 ninck, and endeavored to substantiate the old theory, that this 

 bird is nothing but a hybrid between the hen capercailzie and 

 blackcock. 



Dr. Handyside, of Edinburgh, presented a paper 07i the Ste?m- 

 optixinece, a family of osseous fishes, including a minute descrip- 

 tion of a new species, the Sternoptix ccBlebes. 



The next paper was on the distribntion of the terrestrial Pul- 

 monifera in Europe, by Edward Forbes. 



A notice of the annual appearance of sojne of the Lestris tribe 

 (Arctic Gulls) on the coast of Durham, was communicated by 

 Edward Backhouse, Esq., of Sunderland. 



Mr. Owen stated some of the results of his investigations made 

 in procuring materials for his 7'eport on the Marsupiata. The 

 report was drawn up under three heads. 1. The zoology of the 

 Marsupiata. 2. Their relation to other Mammalia, and 3. The pe- 

 culiarities of their reproductive economy. He concluded with 

 some geological account of the bones of these animals. 



Mr. Yarrell gave a description of a new' species of Smelt, caught 

 in the bay of Rothsay, which he denominates Osmei^us Hebri- 

 dicus. 



