92 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
Vosmaer, Marshall, the author, and others, with continually in- 
creasing success up to the present time. A sufficient account of 
the Bibliography of the Spongida is pesented in this paper to en- 
able those interested to find any desired information upon the 
subject, a matter of no small difficulty at present. 
_ (2.) “The Scyphomeduse of the Southern Hemisphere,” by R. 
von Lendenfeld, Ph. D. Part 1. 
The Scyphomeduse or “ Jelly-fish ” appear to be more numerous 
in the Southern than in the northern hemisphere. Of the 210 
known species, 104 have already been tound in the former, and as 
the animals of that hemisphere are not nearly so well known as 
those of the Northern, the number of Southern species must 
doubtless be much greater than that mentioned. Only 26 of the 
104 Southern species ere Australian, but this apparent poverty of 
the Medusz of our shores, is due to the limited investigation that 
has been made, In this paper all the species of this hemisphere 
are described. 
(3.) ‘‘ Notices of some new Fishes,” by William Macleay, F.L.S., 
&c. Four species are here described. Two of them, Platycephalus 
longispinis and Urolophus bucculentus were taken in. the trawl in deep 
water outside the Heads of Port Jackson. The third, Petvoseirtes 
Wilsoni, was found by Mr. J. D. Wilson, at the North Shore; and 
the fourth, Athivinosoma jamiesom. was a small fresh-water fish from 
the Bemer, one of the head waters of the Brisbane River. 
(4.) “*On the improvement effected by the Australian climate, 
soil, and culture on the merino sheep,” by P. N. Trebeck, Esq. 
In this paper Mr. Trebeck traces the changes and improvement 
which wool has undergone in Australia since the first introduction 
of German and Silesian sheep. Samples of the wool of all the 
periodsand flocks alluded to, were exhibited. Mr. Trebeck concludes 
his paper by stating his opinion, that the whole of the country on. . 
our western watershed was eminently suitable for the Merino sheep, 
and that we only required the fostering assistance of an intelligent 
Government to keep in the front ranks of the wool producing 
countries of the world. 
Among numerous other objects exhibited, was a specimen of 
the plant in flower of Swaimsonia Greyana, shown by Mr. Whittell. 
The specimen was grown at Petersham, near Sydney, from seed 
collected by Mr. Whittell in the Albert District, where the plant 
seldom attains a height of more than five feet, but the specimen 
exhibited was fully nine feet high. Plants of this genus in various 
parts of this colony are found to be poisonous to sheep and other 
stock that feed upon it. Mr. Whittell also exhibited specimens of 
Lagria vufescens, a beetle which was very numerous this year in the 
orchards of the Ryde District, where it had been very destructive 
to fruit. 
The President announced that the Council of the Society had 
been presented by a member ofthe Society with £100, accompanied 
with a request that it should be offered as a prize for an essay on 
“The Life History of the Bacillus of Typhoid Fever.” The Council 
has assented to the proposal, and advertisements to the effect will 
be immediately inserted in the most prominent scientific publica- 
tions throughout the world. The essay will be received by the 
Society not later than 31st December, 1884. The intention and 
wishes of the donor of the prize will be best given in his own 
