SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SOCIETIES. 
2. “ Ditropidus and Allied Genera (Coleoptera, Chryso melide,”  liy 
Arthur M. Lea, F.E.S. 
The paper contains descriptions of one new genus and 39 new species of 
leaf-eating beetles. 
3. A Review of Chiton crispus Ry. (Order Polyplacophora) and its 
allies, with descriptions of three new species,’ by Edwin Ashby, 
F.L.S., M.B.O.U. 
This paper is the result of the examination by the author of many thou- 
sands of specimens of this group of most variable Ischnochitons. 
The series dealt with range from North of Brisbane in Queensland round 
the coast to Esperance Bay in Western Australia. And from the southern side 
of Bass Straits round the Tasmanian coast to the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. 
An attempt has been made to assign the limits of their respective 
habitats, and to define their distinguishing characteristics. A concise summary 
of these latter is given in the form of a table at the close of the paper. 
4. * An Observation on the Toning of Photographic Silver Images,” by Arthur 
KR. Riddle. 
Among the exhibits were a. plant Chara (stonewort) grown from a spore 
that had been kept dry in a tobacco tin for 12 years, and a tadpole, the develop- 
ment of whose legs had been accelerated by the administration of a dose of 
thyroid extract. Both these were shown by Mr. A. G, Edquist 
ROYAL SOCIETY OF TASMANIA. 
At the September meeting the following papers were read:— 
1. Nototherium Mitchelli, The Apendicular skeleton, including the mamus 
and pes (hitherto unknown), by H. H. Scott and Clive Lord. 
The paper dealt in detail with the osteological formations of the feet of 
the Nototheria. ‘These have never previously been described, although there are 
many separate bones in museum collections which have heen relegated to the 
venus. After describing in detail the various characteristics of these, and other 
portions of the specimen under review, the authors append various recapitulative 
notes on their studies to date. In the course of these they point out that their 
aim has been to show that the rhinoceros type was not absent from the fauna 
of Australia in ages past.’ True to the structural type of the country, the 
animals retained the marsupial habit, simply grafting on to it the results of 
that evolutionary trend that has culminated in other lands in the Perissodactylan 
lengulates. Just how many groups Australia could boast of we cannot say, but 
apparently two at least were well segregated at the time extinction overtook 
the race. One of these, the Megacerathine group, manifested more development 
along the fighting trend than did the second or Leptocerathine group did; this 
is noticeable chiefly in the alterations to the nasal bones for the attachment of 
the horn, the extra strengthening of the neck, the general enlargement of the 
whole skeleton to maintain a suitable poise, the dilation of the skull walls to 
provide extra air cells to deaden shock and to combine lightness with strength. 
America is said to have elaborated seven groups of rhinoceros-like animals. It 
remains for the future to say what number actually existed in the Australian 
Zoogeographical province. As far as we know we have fairly and impartially 
weighed every fact of importance recorded by any or all workers in this par- 
ticular branch of palontology, and the final result has been the seyeral views 
expressed in our short series of papers of which the present constitutes No. 4. 
At a later stage we hope that circumstances will permit the whole question to 
be dealt with in the form of a monograph. © 
For the scientific use of the skeleton of Nototherium Mitchelli we are in- 
debted to Mr. K. M. Harrisson, of Smithton, who generously placed the specimens 
at our disposal for the purpose named. Mr, Harrisson has also presented the 
whole of the remains to the Tasmanian Museum, Hobart, with # view to their 
future exhibition in that institution. 
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