1888-89.] 
Chairman’s Opening Address. 
15 
section, though it includes Robertson, Reid, David Hume, Fergusson, 
and Adam Smith, scarcely contributed to the pages of the Trans- 
actions at all. Nay, even the elevation of Sir Walter Scott to the 
presidency in 1820 did not bring about any literary revival, and it 
does not appear that the author of Waverley ever contributed a 
paper. The literary section had practically ceased to exist in 1808, 
and was finally abolished as a distinct class in 1827. I find that 
between 1882 and 1887, while there were a few interesting papers 
on social questions, only three were read which can truly be said to 
be literary. It is no disparagement to any one to say that in the 
sphere of physical and natural science he may hear papers read 
which are of too technical or abstruse a nature to he interesting to 
him, hut literary papers seem to he generally attractive, perhaps 
from their very rarity, and from the pleasant variety which they 
give to our meetings. I would fain hope, considering the original 
constitution of the Society, that though it has no longer a distinct 
literary class, literature may not altogether disappear from the 
meetings. Be this wish fulfilled or not, there seem to be abundant 
sources from which we might get valuable contributions from the 
domain of science, and I trust that this Session will he in all respects 
one of prosperity. 
On Pseudalius alatus , Leuckart, collected by Mr Robert 
Gray in the Arctic Seas, and other species of the 
Genus. By Dr O. v. Linstow. Communicated by Dr 
John Murray. (With a Plate.) 
(Read December 3, 1888.) 
Dr J ohn Murray was good enough to send me numerous speci- 
mens of Pseudalius alatus , obtained in the summer of 1888 by Mr 
Robert Gray, on the coast of Greenland, from Monodon monoceros. 
This Nematode has been only once described— by Leuckart,* hut 
that at a time when the methods of investigation were still imper- 
fect. My results are thus essentially different from his. Leuckart 
called the species Strongylus alatus , and noted as its habitat the 
cranial cavity of Monodon monoceros. 
* Arch. f. Naturgeschichte, Bd. xiv., 1848, pp. 26-28, pi. ii. fig. 3. 
