510 SCIENCE. 
a conclusion of importance, because it en- 
ables the biologist to bring his requirements 
as to the time of evolutionary change within 
the limits granted by the physicist. 
The memorable features of the Dover 
meeting, so far as the zoological communica- 
tions were concerned, were undoubtedly Mr. 
J. J. Lister’s account of the newly-dis- 
covered calcareous sponge Astrosclera and 
Mr. Smith Woodward’s exhibition of fossil 
and recent remains of animals from Pata- 
gonia. The sponge, whose structure was 
explained by Mr. Lister, was exhibited 
at the International Zoological Congress 
at Cambridge last year, and completely 
puzzled all who examined it. It was 
brought home by Dr. Willey, along with 
other material, from the Loyalty Islands 
in the Western Pacific. During the past 
year Mr. Lister has subjected the four 
specimens to a minute and thorough ex- 
amination. He finds their structure to be 
undoubtedly that of a calcareous sponge, 
differing, however, in regard toits skeleton, 
canal system, and other points from all 
other sponges extant, but resembling to a 
surprising extent the fossil group of Phare- 
trones, Which are found in strata ranging 
from the Devonian to the chalk. 
Mr. Smith Woodward’s exhibition, on 
behalf of Dr. Moreno, of some newly-discov- 
ered remains of the ground-sloth Neomylodon, 
hitherto supposed to be extinct, was re- 
ceived by the section with great interest. 
The skull exhibited was still invested with 
pieces of flesh and cartilage, which bore 
witness to the freshness of its condition. 
A skull of the great extinct turtle Molania 
from Patagonia was also examined with 
much interest by zoologists, on account of 
the close resemblance which it bears to the 
specimens already known from Queensland 
and Lord Howe’s Island. Mr. Graham 
Kerr’s success in bringing home a com- 
plete series of stages in the development of 
the lung-fish Lepidosiren, gained for him 
[N. S. Vou. X. No: 250: 
the hearty congratulations of the Section. 
Mr. Garstang’s account of the work al- 
ready accomplished by the committee for 
periodically surveying the Plankton and 
physical conditions of the English Channel, 
promised well for the satisfactory comple- 
tion of a most important undertaking, and’ 
the discussion on marine fish culture was. 
of a thoroughly practical character. 
One has to go back to the earlier years of 
the Association to find so excellent a pro- 
gram, from the scientific point of view, as 
that presented by the Geographical Section 
at Dover. The papers on scientific geog- 
raphy were many and the travel papers. 
few, and such of the latter as were pre- 
sented were up to a high standard. The 
address of the President, Sir John Murray, 
gave an admirably clear résumé of the chief 
results which have been attained in the in- 
vestigation of the oceans during the last 30: 
years or so. The concluding portion of his 
address dealt with the subject of Antarctic 
exploration, with special reference to the 
proposed National Antarctic Expedition, 
and the greater part of the following day 
was devoted to a discussion of the same 
subject. The President’s remarks and the 
statements brought forward in the discus- 
sion are generally regarded as expressing 
the views of scientific men as to what. 
ought to be the program of the British 
expedition. There can be no doubt, from™ 
what took place in the Geographical Sec- 
tion, that the feeling among scientific geog- 
raphers is that the expedition should not be 
a mere naval adventure, but that, as far as 
the fupds available allow, the expedition 
should be so organized as to secure the 
largest possible gain to all departments of 
science interested in the Antarctic. It is 
to be hoped that Sir John Murray’s appeal 
for an additional £50,000 will meet with 
a prompt response, as it will then be pos- 
sible to send two ships, and to render the 
program of the enterprise complete all 
