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MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES. ISI 
teresting discussion, and there are also a few additions to the 
author’s tormer statements. 
5. ‘“* Remarks on the Coincidence of the Eruption in the Straits 
Settlements and the Red Sunsets,” by R. von Lendenfeid, Ph.D. 
In this paper, the author, while recognising the presence of 
dust in the upper regions of air as the cause of the red sunsets, 
and maintaining the intimate connection of these phenomena with 
the great eruption of Krakatoa, does not admit that this dust is 
of volcanic origin. On the contrary, he regards it as cosmic or 
meteoric dust moving in clouds through space in obedience to the 
planetary laws, and in this instance impinging upon the terres- 
trial atmosphere somewhere above Krakatoa. This cloud, 
though consisting of matter in a state of minute subdivision, had 
nevertheless sufficient mass to draw towards it not only the ocean 
water, as evidenced by the protracted period of low water at 
Lyttelton, N.Z., but also so to move and lift the hquid magma, 
which underlies the solid crust, that an eruption at the weakest 
point thereof should necessarily follow. The cloud, in fact, which 
causes the red glow in the evening skies, was the actual cause, and 
not the effect, of the Krakatoa outburst. 
Mr. Macleay said that by the last mail from San Francisco, he 
had received from the author, Professor Garman, of the Museum 
of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., a pamphlet, contain- 
ing a description and illustration of a shark of a very remarkable 
form. ‘The fish was 5 feet long, with a diameter of less than 4 
inches, the head was like that of a snake, the mouth large and 
terminal, the teeth resembling those of a snake, and it had only 
one dorsal fin placed opposite the anal. Mr. Garman proposes for 
this Sea Serpent-looking Shark the name of Chlamydoselachus angm- 
meus, and thus characterises the family Chalamydoselachide. ‘‘ Body 
much elongate, increasing in size very little anteriorly. Head de- 
pressed, broad. Eyes lateral, without nictitating membrane 
Nasal cavity in skull separate from that of mouth, Mouth anterior. 
Snout broad, projecting very little. Cusps of teeth resembling 
teeth ot serpents. Spiracles small, behind the head. One dorsal, 
without spine. Caudal, without pit at its root. Opercular flap 
covering first branchial aperture, free across the isthmus. Intestine 
with spiral valve.” The only specimen known, a female, was pur- 
chased from Protessor H. A. Ward, and is said to have been 
brought from Japan. 
Mr. Macleay said he wished to rectify as far as he was 
able at present some unaccountable omissions in the Supplement 
to the Catalogue ot Australian Fishes, just published in Part I, of 
Vol. XI., of the Proceedings. These were— 
Lophotes Gunther, Johnston. Proc. Roy. Soc., Tasmania, 1882. 
Atherina Tasmamensis, Johnston. Proc. Roy. Soc., Tasmania, 
1883. 
Olistherops Brownt’, Johnston. Proc. Roy. Soc., Tasmania, 1883. 
Mr. Macleay exhibited for the Rev. T. Wyat Gill a small 
beetle from New Guinea—the firefly of the country— found about 
40 miles East of Port Moresby. It was of the same family as the 
fireflies of Southern Europe, the Lampyvide, though probably anew 
species. Baron Macleay observed that he had noticed in New 
Guinea many other species of this tamily producing light in the 
same manner, | 
