SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



139 



measures— major diameter, 30 millimetres; minor 

 diameter, 26 millimetres; altitude, 15 millimetres. 



Pltttopylis villedaryi (figs. 60 a and b), from Lang- 

 son and Bac-ninh, Tonkin, was described and figured 

 by Mr. C. F. Ancey in " Le Naturaliste," iSSS, 

 - . i. 2. Mr. Pilsbry has illustrated the 

 armature in " Manual of Conchology," viii. (1S93), 

 t. 43, f. 39, which I have been obliged to copy, 

 having only seen one unbroken specimen of this 

 species. The shell is solid, depressed, disk- 

 shaped, regularly ribbed with minute spiral 

 sculpture above, the ribs being particularly con- 

 spicuous in the wide funnel-shaped umbilicus. 

 There are six and a-half whorls, which increase 

 slowly and regularly, the last descending in front, 

 very convex and subangular around the umbilicus. 

 The aperture is very oblique, somewhat ear- 

 shaped, and the peristome is very much thickened 

 and reflexed, the margins being united by an 

 elevated tongue-shaped ridge on the parietal 



Fig. 60. — PUetopylis villedaryi. (a, original ; 6, after Pilsbry.) 



callus. A stout curved plate is given off from this 

 ridge, rising obliquely (see fig. 603). The parietal 

 armature is composed of a strong vertical plate 

 with two denticles anteriorly, one near the upper 

 and one near the lower extremity, the upper one 

 smaller, the lower one elongated (see fig. 60b, 

 which gives the anterior view of both armatures). 

 The palatal armature consists of seven folds, the 

 first small and thin, near to and parallel with the 

 upper sature; the second, third, fourth and fifth 

 larger, oblique ; the sixth very minute and situated 

 to the rear of the others ; the seventh small, near 

 to and parallel with the lower suture (see fig. Gob). 

 The measurements given are : major diameter, 

 20 millimetres; minor diameter, 17 millimetres; 

 altitude, 9 millimetres. The shell in the British 

 Museum (shown in fig. 60a) measures — major 

 diameter, 19 millimetres; minor diameter, 16J 

 millimetres; altitude, 8 millimetres. 



fylii fhlyarta (fig from Tonkin, was 



described and figured, by Mr Mabille, in " Bulletin 



ranee," iv. (1887), 



t 2, (I r ; 1,'nfortunatcly th<? armature 



does not appear to have been examined by Mr. 



Mabili- illustrate it, 



rna<!<: of it In hit diagnoses, anrl 



to my great regret these important structures 



remain unknown to me. Not having been able 

 to obtain a specimen of this species I have been 

 under the necessity of copying Mr. Mabille's figures 

 and description. The shell is "openly umbilicated, 

 depressed discoid, thin, somewhat solid, scarcely 



Fig. 61.— PIcctopylis phlyaria. (After Mabille.) 



shining, dull whitish under a deciduous, greyish, 

 hairy cuticle, arcuately striated, and seen under 

 a lens to be covered with imbricating lamellae. 

 Spire flat, apex shining, smooth, corneous. Whorls 

 seven and a-half, narrow, convex, rather rapidly 

 and regularly increasing, separated by a deeply 

 impressed suture. The last whorl large, but little 

 wider than the preceding whorl if viewed from 

 above; laterally compressed, obscurely angulated 

 at the periphery, deeply descending in front, 

 tortuous, a little convex beneath. Aperture half 

 round, toothed, the margins connected by a trans- 

 verse parietal lamina, behind which a dentiform 

 callus emerges ; peristome white, thick, reflexed. 

 Major diameter, 15 millimetres, minor diameter, 

 13 millimetres; altitude, 55 millimetres." 

 [To be continued.) 



Plymouth Laboratory. — The first number of 

 Volume v. (N.S.) of the "Journal of the Marine 

 Biological Association of the United Kingdom " is 

 to hand. Accompanying this part is the contents 

 and index of the preceding volume. An important 

 paper is contributed by the Hon. Secretary to the 

 Association, Mr. E. J. Allen, B.Sc, on the Migra- 

 tions of the Mackerel (Scomber scomber). Among 

 other papers is one by Mr. E. W. L. Holt, on 

 " Notes on the Reproduction of Teleostean Fishes 

 in the South-Western District " ; " New or Rare 

 British Marine Polyzoa," by S. V. Harmer, M.A., 

 B.Sc. ; on " Tubularia crocca in Plymouth Sound," 

 by Edward T. Browne; "An Account of the 

 Scientific Work of the Northumberland Sea 

 Fisheries Committee," by Alexander Meek, M.Sc, 

 and other information of a more general character. 

 The Norway pout (Gadus esnuiiitii) is recorded by 

 Messrs. Matthias Dunn and E. W. L, Holt, as 

 having occurred in the English south-western 

 district. Mr. Dunn deserves high credit for 

 adding this station to thi li 1 ol localities lor this 



! j' -it the genus Gadus, They were found by 



following up a train of thought as to the probable 

 1 .1 the numi rous hake (Mi tlua iu i vulgai is), 

 taken beyond theentram e to the Bristol Channel, h 

 was only by examining the contents oi the fire ulj 

 ' aught largi t the disci >v< 1 . was made, 



J hi . little Gadu Is a dee| ea ' h, inp 



at fro: , 1 fathi iir. Though In- 



teresting to n 1 no commercial value. 



