Miscellaneous Intelligence. 387 
ave been presumed to constitute a distinct genus of Tunicata 
inter se, or otherwise to be the larval conditions of higher forms. 
My own observations, however, recorded in the last July number 
of the “ Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science,” have led me 
to believe that they are the free swimming reproductive zooids of 
igher Tunicates, bearing the same relation to them as many f 
n- 
cluded among these were—Fusus contrarius, a common fossil of 
the Norfolk crag recently discovered in the living state in Vigo 
5. Destruction of the Museum of the Chicago Academy of 
Sciences—Among the devastations of the great Chicago fire, not 
in importance was the burning of the Museum of the 
son, the Curator, says, “it collapsed like a bubble in the intense 
heat, as did indeed all other ‘fire-proof’ buildings in the city.” 
Museum contained the largest collection of Crustacea in the 
world, “filling,” as the same letter says, “ more than ten thousand 
Jars,” included the very extensive suite of a species, 
even to the t of all the many new species, gat y Prot 
J.D. Dana oes Wilkes ieplonios Expedition in the Atlantic 
and Pacific Oceans, the basis of his Report of 1,500 pages m 
1855 on that subject ; and also the large collections made by Dr. 
Stimpson himself in his cruise in the Ringgold Expediti 7 
North Pacific, besides his recent collections from the Gulf of 
Mexico, and specimens from various other sources. ere were 
also the alcoholic specimens of other invertebrata, obtained 
ition, and those of Dr. Stim 
re 
-Unfortunatel , the Crustacea dredged up by Mr. de Pourtal 
his late diedigii e itions, these having been sent there fo 
description and a final report. : 
