104 J. Wood-Mason — * Investigator * Crustacea. [Aug., 



Read a letter from the Snperintendent, Government Central Mnse- 

 nm, Madras, forwarding a specimen of a Viraraya Gold Coin (Fanam) 

 found in the Calicut Taluq and acquired under the Treasure Trove Act. 



The Natural History Secretary (Mr. Wood-Mason) exhibited 

 Lyreidus Channeri, a remarkable new blind Brachyurous Crustacean from 

 the depths of the Bay of Bengal and said — 



Four species of true Brachyura were dredged up from depths 

 exceeding 100 fathoms during the past season by H. M.'s Indian Marine 

 Survey Steamer 'Investigator.' They belong to the genera Amathia, 

 JEthusay Encephaloides (new genus allied to Collodes, Stimpson), and 

 LyreiduSj of which the last named is especially interesting on account 

 of the rudimentary condition of the eyes. These organs are unequally 

 reduced : the cornea of the left being of the normal form and extent, but 

 opaque and devoid of all traces of facets, as in Munidopsisy Orophorhyn- 

 chus, Nephropsis, and other blind forms of the deep sea, while that of 

 the right is entirely aborted, its place being only indicated by a small 

 smooth spot marked out by the transparence of a lead-coloured pigment 

 similar to that which is seen through the integument around the base 

 of the left eye. This interesting brachyuran, which is at once distin- 

 guished from the Japanese and American species by having the antero- 

 lateral margins of the carapace armed with two pairs of long and 

 slender spines, was trawled up from a depth of 285 — 405 fathoms, 

 bottom temperature 48° — 50° Fahr., in the ' Swatch of no Ground', off 

 the mouths of the rivers Ganges and Brahmaputra. 



The Philological Secretary, exhibited copy of the following 

 Persian inscription from Sherpur, sent by Mr. J. Anderson, Magistrate 

 of Murshidabad. 



o.^t Ia^ j*^i j^ }jd &^<i.s^^ (^-^i^ 



i£^m \As^ ^JLx ^^ A3 j^a. ISLc ^ jf 



isj^ f ♦ rA «A.^ 



God the most high has said, " Every creature which liveth on the 

 earth is subject to decay ; but the glorious and honourable countenance 

 of thy Lord shall remain for ever." 



