620 Reports and Proceedings — • 



Limestone. Finally it dies a natural death, being carried off by 

 atmospheric or other agencies. 



Further on M. Dollfus gives the laws of Hgeckel, applying them 

 as far as possible to his theory as well, which, owing to their nature, 

 is easy ; and with the exception of the third he succeeds in making 

 out a kind of analogy. He concludes with some broad reflections 

 on the progress and future of Geology. 



We cannot, however, agree with the author either in his main 

 point, or in several minor questions, which occur in the course of his 

 book ; though its perusal has afforded us much pleasure. — B. B. W. 



:r,:e:po:k,ts j^istid ZFZR-ooiEiEiDiOsrGrS. 



Geological Society oe London. 



Opening Meeting, Session 1875-76. — November 3rd, 1875. — 

 John Evans, Esq., V.P.E.S., President, in the Chair. — The following 

 communications were read before the Society : — 



1. " On some new Macrurous Crustacea from the Kimmeridge 

 Clay of the Sub-Wealden Boring, Sussex, and from Boulogne- sur- 

 Mer." By Henry Woodward, Esq., F.R.S., F.G.S. 



The first species described by the author belonged to the fossorial 

 family Thalassinidas, six species of which belonging to four genera 

 are now found on the British coasts. The known fossil species are 

 from the Chalk of Maestricht, the Green sand of Bohemia and Silesia, 

 the Chalk of Bohemia, the Greensand of Colin Glen, near Belfast, 

 and the Upper Marine Series of Hempstead, Isle of Wight. All 

 these are referred to the genus Callianassa, which also includes the 

 species from the Kimmeridge Clay described in this paper. The 

 fossil is seen in profile on several sections of the core, and has the 

 enlarged hands of the fore-limbs more nearly equal in size than in 

 the living species of Callianassa; the carapace and segments of 

 the abdomen are smooth, and the latter are somewhat quadrate in 

 profile, contracted at each extremity, and not pointed, and the caudal 

 plates are oval. For this Crustacean the author proposes the name 

 of Callianassa isochela. 



The second species described belongs to the genus Mecochirus, 

 distinguished by the great length of the fore-limbs, which is equal 

 to that of the whole body ; the oldest known species of which (M. 

 olifex, Quenst.) is from the Lower Lias of Wu'rttemberg. It was 

 obtained, together with Lingula ovalis, from the Kimmeridge Clay 

 of Boulogne, by Mr. J. E. H. Peyton, after whom the author pro- 

 poses to name it M. Peytoni. In this species the fore-legs are very 

 finely punctate, and measure 75 millims. in length. The rostrum is 

 somewhat produced, and the carapace, which is finely granulated, 

 measures 30 millims. in length. The antennae are long and slender. 

 The abdomen measures 45 millims., and the epimeral borders of the 

 segments are falcate. The species is intermediate in size between 

 M. socialis, Mey., and M. Pearcei, McCoy, which the author regards 

 as distinct. He also refers to M. Peytoni a pair of fore-limbs ob- 

 tained from the Sub-Wealden boring. 



