iVo/es and Comnicii/s. 



DEGRADED DIATOMS. 



Finally he looks on the ' Pseudo-Raphidese ' as a sort of 

 degraded forms that have adopted a mode of life limited by 

 their growing attached to Alg^e, and consequently have lost 

 their raphe by disuse, and with it their power of movement, 

 the median blank space indicating the position formerly occu- 

 pied by the raphe. Of course this theory involves the trans- 

 ference of the Nitzschias (whose motions are among the liveliest) 

 along with the Surirellas and Epithemias from the Pseudo- 

 Raphideae to the Raphideae. There is very much to be said 

 for this view. It is certain that the most ancient fossil deposits, 

 such as Richmond, Virginia, and Oamaru, New Zealand, consist 

 almost entirely of the discoid forms, while in our modern seas 

 and rivers, the Naviculoid forms constitute the great majority. 



• , ORIGIN OF DIATOMS. " - ' ■ 



It is questionable whether M. Peragallo will find many who 

 agree with him as to the animal origin of diatoms, while ad- 

 mitting that now they belong to the vegetable kingdom ; but 

 this is a difficulty which may probably disappear with further 

 knowledge of these lowly forms of life, which may be said to 

 belong in one sense or another to either kingdom. We regret 

 to be unable to extend the great praise due to the artist for 

 the plates to the printer or proof-reader. The list of corrigenda 

 is a long one, and does not comprise all that there should be.. 



R. H. P. 



THE DONCASTER MUSEUM. 



At the request of the Doncaster Corporation, the Curate r 

 of the Hull Museums recently prepared a ' Report on the Pro- 

 posed Museum at Doncaster,' which has been printed and 

 discussed by the Doncaster Town Council. In it Mr. Sheppard 

 draws attention to the smallness of the space available in the 

 few rooms at Beechfield, which it was proposed to set apart 

 for museum purposes, and urged that the whole of the ground 

 floor should be available. Suggestions were also made as to 

 the scope of the proposed Museum, dealing principally with the 

 desirability of keeping it local in character. It is pleasing to 

 find that practically the whole of the recommendations have 

 been adopted by the Doncaster Corporation, and consequently 

 that lown w^ll shortly have its permanent public Museum. 



Naturalist^ 



