234 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Prof. F. Jeffrey Bell gave an account of the Echinoderms collected 

 during the voyage of H.M.S. 'Penguin' and by H.M.S. ' Egeria,' when 

 surveying Macclesfield Bank. The collection, which had been made by 

 Mr. P. W. Bassett Smith, Surgeon, R.N., with the co-operation of Mr. J. J. 

 Walker, Chief Engineer, was very extensive, and contained examples of 

 many new species, some of which were of a very remarkable character. 



Mr. Ernest W. Holt, Naturalist to the Marine Biological Association, 

 gave an account of some of the results of his recent studies in teleostean 

 morphology made at the Marine Laboratory at Cleethorpe. Mr. Holt spoke 

 first of some specimens of the Ling, Molva abyssorum, Nilsson. The 

 regular occurrence of this fish off the Faroe Islands, and its occasional 

 capture on the coast of Iceland, were now recorded for the first time, the 

 species having been previously observed only on the Scandinavian coasts. 

 The specimens, six in number, all of considerable size, were described 

 in detail, and the species was carefully compared with the allied form, 

 M. vulgaris (the Common Ling). Mr. Holt next proceeded to describe the 

 " recessus orbitalis," an accessory visual organ of the Pleuronected Fishes. 

 The organ in question was stated to be a highly elastic saccular process of 

 the membranous wall of the orbital cavity. It had been found to occur in 

 all the Flat-fishes examined, viz. the Halibut, Long Rough Dab, Brill, 

 Plaice, Flounder, Lemon-Sole, Dab, and Common Sole, and was believed 

 to occur in all Flat-fishes with well-developed eyes. Finally, Mr. Holt 

 spoke of an adult specimen of the Common Sole with symmetrical eyes, and 

 discussed the bearing of this specimen on ambicoloration. The specimen in 

 question, about 15 inches long, was perfectly normal in external con- 

 figuration, except that the left eye had retained its position on the left 

 side of the head, and was nearly opposite to the right eye. Antero- 

 ventrally it had been somewhat overgrown by the skin. The coloration 

 was normal, the right side being brown, and the left side white. 



A communication was read from Mr. St. George Littledale, containing 

 field-notes on the Wild Camel of Lob Nor, as observed during his recent 

 journey across Central Asia. 



Mr. Oldfield Thomas gave an account of a collection of mammals from 

 Oman, S.E. Arabia, which had been transmitted to the British Museum 

 by Dr. A. S. G. Jayakar, among which were examples of a new Hare, Lepus 

 omanensis, and of a new Goat of the genus Hemitragus, proposed to be called 

 jayakari, after its discoverer. Altogether seventeen species were repre- 

 sented in this collection, from a locality of which very little was previously 

 knowu. — P. L. Sclater, Secretary. 



