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in the years 1894 to 1897, while iu search of the eggs ol' the Pearly Nau- 

 tilus. His travels took him to New Britain, New Hanover, New Guinea, Syd- 

 ney, New Caledonia, the Loyalty Islands, and elsewhere. In addition to re- 

 sults connected with the main object of the journey, the author described a 

 number of collateral results which were of special interest. These related 

 largely to animals which occupy a low position in the scale of the animal 

 kingdom, and represent vestiges of what were in all probability predominant 

 types in former ages, such as Balanoglossus^ Amphioxus^ and Peripatus. These 

 creatures were of great interest in respect of their geographical distribution, 

 a subject which was dealt with in the paper. The paper was illustrated by 

 lantern-slides portraying some of the author's captures and the methods em- 

 ployed in procuring his material. — Prof. D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, 

 C.B., read a communication on "Characteristic Points in the Cranial Osteo- 

 logy of the Parrots". The orbital ring, the auditory region, the quadrate 

 bone, and other minor characters were described in about forty genera. 

 Stringops^ in regard especially to its quadrate bone, seemed to be the most 

 primitive form. Nestor was in several respects still more divergent from the 

 rest, though its divergent characters were not necessarily primitive. The 

 Australian Parrots, apart from the Cockatoos, formed a very homogeneous 

 group, and Aprosmictus, Polytelis, and Pyrrhulopsis agreed in osteological 

 characters with the Platycercinae, and deserved accordingly to be removed 

 from the Palaeornithinae with which Salvadori had associated them. Calla- 

 psittacus, which in some respects was typically Cacatuine, resembled in others 

 Melopsittacus and Nt/mphicus, and might form a link between the two Austra- 

 lian families. The forms grouped in the "Psittacinae" were not closely re- 

 lated: Coracopsis was more allied to Eclectus than to Psiitacus, and Dasyptilus 

 was a peculiar and isolated form. The true Lories formed a natural group, 

 probably not far remote from the Platycercinae. Chrysotis and Pionus had 

 distinctive characters , and Pachynus, Caica, and the African Poeocep/ialus, 

 grouped with them by Salvadori, were osteologically very different. Caica 

 resembled Myopsitiacus, though the latter was usually grouped with the Co- 

 nures. Agapornis was very different from the other Palaeornithinae, but 

 Pachynus, Broiogerys, and Poeocephahis showed resemblances to the latter 

 family. — A communication was read from Miss Isa L. Riles, containing a 

 report on the Gorgonacean Corals collected by Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner 

 on Funafuti. The collection contained specimens of two new species, viz. 

 Acamptogorgia spinosa and Villegorgia rubra, and of other species, some of 

 which were of interest as having been described previously only from locali- 

 ties far removed geographically from Funafuti. — A communication was read 

 from Mr. Arthur E. Shipley, F.Z.S., containing notes on a collection of 

 Gephyrean Worms obtained on Christmas Island by Mr. C. W. Andrews. 

 One species of Echiuroid and five of Sipunculoid Worms were treated of in 

 this paper. — A communication was read from Mr. James Yate Johnson, 

 C.M.Z.S., containing notes on the Coralliidae of Madeira and descriptions 

 of two new species, viz. Pleiirocor allium tricolor and P. maderense. — P. L. 

 Scla,ter, Secretary. 



