34 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



SUMMAEY 



OF OUBBENT BESEARCHES RELATING TO 



ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY 



(principally Invertchrata and Cryptogamia), 



MICROSCOPY, &c., 



INCLUDING ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM FELLOWS AND OTHERS* 



ZOOLOGY. 



A. GENERAL, including Embryology and Histology 

 of the Vertebrata. 



Sudden Destruction of Marine Animals.t — Professor T. Kupert 

 Jones accounts for the manner in which large numbers of marine 

 animals have in past ages suddenly perished in their own element and 

 been entombed : 1. (fishes) by either unusual or periodical influx of 

 fresh water from the land ; 2. by volcanic agency ; 3. by earthquake- 

 waves ; 4. by storms; 5. (fishes) by suffocation, when massed together 

 in frightened shoals, or when burrowing in sand aud mud and acci- 

 dentally buried by other sands and mud ; 6. (fishes) by being driven 

 ashore by fishes of prey ; 7. (fishes and molluscs) by too much and 

 too little heat in shallow water ; 8. (fishes and molluscs) by frost ; 9. 

 (fishes) diseases and parasites ; 10. (fishes and molluscs) miscellaneous 

 causes : disturbance of equilibrium of living and dead organisms, 

 ferruginous springs, poisons, lightning, &c. ; 11. marine life surviving 

 in fresh-water lakes. 



Apparent Bird-tracks by the Sea-shore.+ — Mr. T. Meehan calls 

 attention to what appeared to be the track of a three-toed bird in the 

 sand, near low-water mark, at Atlantic City. They were generally 

 regarded by observers as bird tracks. While looking at them, he 

 noted that there were no birds about to make such recent tracks, and 

 also that the tracks would have to be made in every case by a bird 

 facing the water, which, in the nature of things, would be improbable. 

 While reflecting on this, he noted on the face of the smooth receding 

 waves, spots where the water sparkled in the light, and he found this 

 was caused by little riplets as the wavelet passed down over the half- 



* The Society are not to be considered responsible for tbe views of the 

 authors of tbe papers referred to, nor for the manner in which those views 

 may be expressed, the main object of this part of the Journal being to present a 

 summary of the papers as actually published, so as to j)rovide the Fellows with 

 a guide to the additions made from time to time to the Library. Objections and 

 corrections should therefore, for the most part, be addressed to the authors. 

 (The Society are not intended to be denoted by the editorial " we.") 



t GeoL Mag., ix. (1882) pp. 533-40. 



X Proc. Acad. Nat. Sol. Philad., 1882, pp. 238-9. 



