48 



A paper received from Mr. 0rjan Olsen, and coramimicated 

 by the Secretary, contained the description of a new Rorqual from 

 the Coast of South Africa and gave a detailed account of its 

 external characters, biology, and distribution. 



Miss Marie Y. Lebour, M.Sc, presented a paper, communi- 

 cated by the Secretary, in which she described a new species of 

 Trematodes of the genus LechriorcMs, found in the body-cavity 

 of a Dark Green Snake [Zamenis gemonensis) that had died in 

 the Society's Gardens. 



Mr. T. H. Withers, F.G.S., contributed a paper, communi- 

 cated by Dr. W. T. Caiman, F.Z.S., based upon a large series of 

 Cirripede remains from the Cenomanian Chalk Marl in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Cambridge. The greater number of the specimens 

 are referred to two species of the family Pollicipedidfe, and add 

 materially to our knowledge of the phylogenyof the pedunculated 

 Cirripedes. Both forms are remarkable for their advanced form 

 of scutum, in which the umbo is sub-central, and show that the 

 transition of the scutal umbo from an apical to a sub-central 

 position was acquired independently by unrelated forms in distinct 

 lines of development. 



The Secretary, Dr. P. Chalmers Mitchell, M.A., F.R.S., 

 F.Z.S., read a communication on " The Peroneal Muscles in 

 Birds." Dr. Mitchell had dissected these muscles in over 300 

 birds, and believed that he was able to give a nearly exhavistive 

 account of the varieties of form presented by these sti-uctui-es. 

 The paper described the peroneal muscles in Chauna chavaria, 

 and gave a systematic account of the conditions in the difierent 

 Avian groups which could all be represented as derivatives of 

 the Ghaima condition by loss of certain portions and increased 

 development of other portions. It was difficult to interpret the 

 changes in terms of function, family-relationship appearing to be 

 more impoi'tant in this respect than habit. The paper discussed 

 the very few cases of want of conformity between the peroneal 

 maiscles and the place assigned in the best-founded systems of 

 classification. It also dealt with the use of such anatomical 

 characters in systematic classification, and showed that there was 

 a definite relation between specialized conditions of the peroneal 

 muscles and specialized conditions of the Avian structure 

 generally. 



