66 
NOTICES OF SERIALS. 
of Breathing in Invertebrate Animals; (Kellaart, E. F.) Catalogue of 
Reptiles collected in Ceylon. Proceedings of Societies. Miscellaneous 
Notices. 
No. 75, March:—(Wright, Thomas) Contributions to the Palse- 
tomlogy of Gloucestershire—a description with figures, of some new species 
of Echircodermata, from the Lias and Ooilites; (Blackwell, Y.) Description of 
some newly-discovered species of Araneidea; (Williams, Thomas) On 
Mechanism of Aquatic Respiration, &c., continued; (Gray, Dr. J.) New 
Genus and Species of Seals ( Helioptoca Atlantica) from Madeira; 
(Leighton, Rev. W. A.) Monograph of British Graphidese; (Layard, Edgar 
L.) Notes on the Ornithology of Ceylon, continued. Proceedings of So¬ 
cieties. Miscellaneous Notices. 
Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science. No. VI. 8vo. T. 
Highley. 
January, 1854:—(Boswell, R. S.) Remarks on Actinophrys Sol, sup¬ 
plementary to the Paper in the Microscopical Journal, vol. i., pp. 
25 and 98 ; (Busk) Remarks on the Structure and Function of the 
avicularean and vibracular organs of the Polyzoa, and their value as 
diagnostic characters in the classification of these creatures. After 
describing these curious appendicular organs which are affixed to many 
of the Cheilostomata of Busk, or Celleporina of Ehrenberg, and ra¬ 
pidly reviewing the researches already made into them structure and 
functions, their importance, as affording excellent and available systematic 
characters, is briefly discussed. These organs are divided into two lands 
apparently with distinct functions— avicularia and vibracula; the one, 
probably, prehensile, the other defensive; of those the avicularia are found 
by far the most extensively, being wanting in but few of the genera con¬ 
stituting the Cheilostomatous class of Polyzoa. For the purposes of classifi¬ 
cation, they are subdivided into three classes—1st, pedunculate; 2nd, sessile; 
and 3rd, immersed. The two latter classes run insensibly into each other, 
while the pedunculate form is quite distinct, as it presents an additional 
member in the form of a basal joint. To this form of avicularium the 
term “ birds,” or “ vulture’s heads,” is more properly applied. Examples 
of this form may be found in Bugula avicularia , B. plumosa , and B, 
jlabalata. Another modification of pedunculate avicularium, where it 
assumes the form of a large trumpet-shaped or infundibuliform tube, exists 
in Bicellaria tuba. The pedunculate form of avicularium appears to be 
restricted to the genera Bugula and Bicellaria , though it does not exist in 
