td 
MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES. 235 
C.E. The occurrence of large trout—ranging from 2 to 15lbs. in 
weight—in Queenstown Bay, is familiar to visitors and residents 
of Queenstown. These fish, which are quiet and lazy in 
habit, and are apparently fat and well-fed, will not take bait. For 
some years past they have been subject to the attacks of a fungus, 
which occasionally proves fatal to the very large ones. From 
examination made by the author, he concludes that about 25 per 
cent. of the fish seen by him in the bay were fungus-spotted. The 
examination of a specimen weighing 74lbs., which had just suc- 
cumbed to the disease, showed that, while the fungus was present 
on a great many portions of the fish, it was particularly abundant 
in the mouth—from out of which it hung in tufts—and in the 
gills, which appeared to be eaten away by the hyphe. The fungus 
is believed to be Safvolegiia ferax, which is to be found on most 
decaying animal matter in fresh water. The disease is probably 
due in part to the chemical composition of the water, which is 
very deficient in common salt (and perhaps in oxygen), and in 
part to the fact that the fish have been liberated from the Town 
Creek, a stream so small that they cannot ascend it when the 
spawning season comes on. The deep waters of the lake act asa 
barrier on the outside, and thus the fish are confined to a very 
limited extent of water, and their natural functions interfered 
with. The only remedy suggested as being of permanent value 
is the providing of suitable spawning beds in the Town Creek. 
(3) ‘“‘ Notes on the Anatomy and Embryology of Scymnus lichia,” 
by Prof. T. J. Parker. The author stated that the usual range of 
this shark was the Mediterranean and neighbouring parts of the 
Atlantic, the specimen described being the first recorded beyond 
the normal range; it was caught at the Otago Heads. The speci- 
men is an adult gravid female. Attention was directed to the 
following points, among others:—1. The existence of a low ridge 
extending forwards for several inches from the anterior (pre-axial) 
border of the pelvic fin, and probably representing the posterior 
part of the ridge described by Balfour as connecting the pectoral 
and pelvic fins in the embryo. 2. The existence of a ‘lateral 
vein’ having thesame relations as that described by the author 
in the skate (Trans. IN 2, tast.,..vol xm) ; jit receives the veins of 
the pectoral and pelvic fins, and in the hinder part of its course 
runs in the ridge already mentioned. 3. The spiral valve is a very 
perfect example of the kind distinguished by the author as ‘“ type 
C” (Trans. Zool. Soc., 1880). It consists of 27 turns. The wall 
of the intestine exhibits a great thickening of the muscular coat, 
as described in Scyllium. 4. The oviducts have oviducal glands, 
the secretion of which was found in the uterus in the form of yel- 
-lowish shreds; the uteri are wide and their walls covered internally 
with vascular villi. 5. Ten embryos were found in the two uteri ; 
one corresponds in general form with Balfour’s stage I, but in many 
respects is as far advanced as L; another is intermediate between 
M and N; while the Sergi eaS eight correspond pretty closely 
with stage ee 
