276 



Proceedings. [no. 6, new series, 



Mr. Elliot exhibited to the Meeting, specimens of the curious 

 genus Sagitta, the precise position of which in the Animal King- 

 dom has not been determined, some, as Huxley, regarding it as 

 approaching the Annelidae, others, as the late Professor G. Forbes, 

 considering it more closely allied to the Molluscs, while a third 

 party are inclined to view its nervous system as exhibiting an affi- 

 nity with Crustacea. 



These were received from Captain Toynbee of the Gloriana, 

 with a number of minute Pelagian shells also shown to the Meet- 

 ing. Mr. Elliot regretted that the departure of the Gloriana pre- 

 vented Captain Toynbee from exhibiting the numerous beautiful 

 drawings, executed during his Voyage, of microscopic marine ob- 

 jects, indicating many new forms of Crustacea, Tunicata, Acale- 

 phce and Molluscs, which he would otherwise have done. He had 

 hfowever transmitted through Mr. Elliot for presentation to the So- 

 ciet}% a MS. Translation from the German of some portions of 

 Vogt's letters on Zoology, relating to these families, which he had 

 found of use in his own researches. It was resolved that these 

 papers should be printed in the Journal. 



Mr. Elliot also read letters to his address from Messrs. Herman 

 and Robert Schlagentwait, the former giving an account of the 

 progress made in completing their calculations and arranging their 

 collections, the latter proposing some Rules for the Orthography 

 of Indian Names which they have proposed adopting in their forth- 

 coming Publications. 



The printed list of the Materials forwarded with their letters, 

 contains 43 Volumes, the result of their own labors, and 38 Vo- 

 lumes of Observations communicated by others, " a most precious 

 portion of which they add, particularly distinguished for their ac- 

 curacy, is from your Presidency." 



The Title of their work as fixed by the Court will be " Results 

 of a Scientific Mission to India and High Asia," and will consist 

 of about 9 Volumes with 50 Plates, chiefly containing positive 

 scientific matter, one Volume only being devoted to general des- 

 criptive Memoirs in the form of Humboldt's Views of Nature, and 

 all personal adventures being excluded. 



