342 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



(Filaria papillosa of Rudolphi ; the F. equina of Abildgaard.) 

 Although seldom of fatal import, this Threadworm is often present in 

 the peritoneal cavities of the Horse, Ass, and Mule. In one instance as 

 many as would fill a basket (how large we are not told) were extracted from 

 the thoracic cavity of a Horse by Menges, lungs and all being invaded. 



Two species of Spiroptera are found in Horses, living in the stomach, 

 namely, Spiroptera megastoma (Rud.) and S. microstoma (Sehn), They are 

 both found in the right sac of the stomach. It is not probable that the 

 second species is at all common, but the former is ; neither, as far as can be 

 learned, causes any serious functional disturbances ; but the former, if in 

 large numbers, might easily become dangerous. 



We have received the Annual Report (1899) of the Millport Marine 

 Biological Station. " The station is now in a position to supply sets of 

 beautiful marine zoological specimens at moderate charges to private 

 individuals, as well as to schools and other institutions. As science is now 

 receiving so much attention in school training, it is hoped that such sets 

 may ere long be possessed by every well-equipped school." 



At the request of the Vice-Chairman, Dr. Gemraill, repeated and per- 

 sistent efforts were made during last winter to fertilize the eggs of the 

 Limpet (Patella vulgata, L.), and to rear the young up through all their 

 stages, but without success. Fertilization of the ova was easy enough, and 

 the keeping of the little brown, opaque, free-swimming larvae up till the 

 twelfth or fourteenth day, but at that age they invariably died off, excepting 

 in the case of one culture, in which a few lived till the twenty-first day. 

 From the sixth day onwards the water in the hatching-jars was found 

 swarming with Infusorians, which soon devoured the unfortunate larvae. 

 Similarly, attempts were made, with varying success, on fertilized ova of 

 crustaceans, molluscs, worms, and fishes, as well as on unknown ova 

 obtained from the tow-nets. Failure, when it did occur, was doubtless 

 largely due to the inability to imitate sufficiently the natural conditions of 

 the sea, even by constant gentle movements in the hatching-vessels, and by 

 continual circulation of pure sea-water. With the facilities at command 

 many perfectly normal and healthy batches of Echinus larvae were success- 

 fully hatched out, and the interesting changes in their development carefully 

 watched from day to day. The young of the common Urchin (Echinus 

 esculentuSy L.) is a favourite with students of embryology, as its transparency 

 makes it easy to follow the successive changes in structural development, 

 even when alive and active. Some exceptionally good fertilizations of this 

 echinoderm were obtained early in May by Dr. Thomas H. Bryce, Queen 

 Margaret College, University of Glasgow, from which he has prepared 



