and a good many of the new species brought to this country by M. Chabrillac have been described by Fairmaire and others in the Transactions of the Entomological Society of France. The contributions to the entomology of the Andes, in the neighbourhood of Quito, sent to this country by our correspondent Professor Jameson, have been partially recorded by Dr Baly and myself, and a number of small species from Panama have been described by Count Motschoulsky.

Dr Leconte, a worthy son of a worthy sire, has taken entire possession of North America. He is the chief, indeed almost the only, entomological author now working in America; but he is a host in himself. He has reviewed most of the difficult families in the United States; his revisions, in fact, being singularly able monographs, evolving the most original views. He has thus gone over the Cicindelida, Carabidæ, including the Amara and Bembidia, the Hydrocantharide, the Palpicornes, the Buprestida, the Elaterida, the Lamellicornes, and the Longicornes of North America. He has, along with Dr Harris and Melsheimer, brought out the catalogue of species of Coleoptera in the United States, and has lent his hand in every quarter of the States to the advancement of zoological knowledge. I am here restricted to speaking of his doings in relation to the Coleoptera; but, were the time fitting, I might enlarge on his services in regard to almost every class of animals, from the Vertebrata downwards. In the Coleoptera, at an early period, we have from his pen descriptions of numerous species from California; we have descriptions of species from Texas; we have descriptions of species from Lake Superior-part of the report by Agassiz on that district; we have descriptions of species collected during the expedition sent to report upon the routes proposed for the railway across the Isthmus of Panama-many the product of his own collections, for I believe his labours as a field entomologist are not less than his talents and acumen as a closet naturalist. All this work has been done within the last few years, and it is still going on. We may hail Dr Leconte as one of the first living entomologists; and when we remember how comparatively scant a sympathy he has in his own country, the homage we pay him will only be the more hearty. Thanks to the Smithsonian Institution, we shall have most of Dr Leconte's works in our library.

A portion of North America, possessing special interest from its resemblance to a part of the opposite continent of Asia-I mean the Salt Lake region as compared with the Caspian district-has lately been somewhat opened. M. Lorquin, an able French entomologist, has made collections in that district, and they have reached Paris, and are in the hands of M. Boisduval, the lepidopterist. It is the Lepidoptera to which he chiefly restricts himself, and it is to them he specially refers in a notice of the collection given by him to the Entomological Society of France. He says, Among these insects, many, although specifically new, have the aspect of those of the mountains of Europe, and especially of Siberia; several even are identical with some of our species."

66

Dr Asa Fitch, chiefly known as a zealous hemipterist, has lately brought out, under the auspices of the State Government of Pennsylvania, a work on the noxious insects of that State; among which the habits of some Coleoptera are described. The care, accuracy, and perseverance shown in this work are very remarkable.

Such is a hasty and imperfect account of what has been doing in the science of Entomology (department Coleoptera) for the last three years; for its imperfections I now crave your apology. Imperfect, however, as it is, I think the impression which it must leave upon our minds is one of awe and amazement at the inexhaustible prolificness of Nature, and something also of admiration for the courage with which puny Man has set

himself to the apparently interminable task of deciphering and recording such a towering pile of indigest materials.

The thanks of the Society were unanimously voted to Mr Murray for his services as President, and for his interesting and valuable address.

The following Communications were then read :

I. Report of the Committee on Marine Zoology (with special reference to the presence of the Whitebait (Clupea alba) in the Firth of Forth). By GEORGE LOGAN, Esq., W.S., Convener.

Mr George Logan read a report from the Committee on Marine Zoology, which, after a detail of the general proceedings of the committee for the past season, stated that, in sweeping the beach near Seafield with a small Seine net, during the months of August and September, whitebait (Clupea alba) had been taken in considerable quantity; that specimens so caught had been closely compared with the sprat or garvey (Clupea sprattus), and with the herring (Clupea harengus), and the distinctive markings coincided in every respect with those stated by Dr Parnell in his article on the Ichthyology of the Firth of Forth, published in the "Magazine of Zoology and Botany" in 1837; and that, further, the assertion of Parnell was confirmed-correcting the statement of Yarrell to the contrary-that the tongue, and roof of the mouth of the whitebait are furnished with teeth. Specimens of the three species of Clupea were exhibited, and even a cursory view showed differences in their general appearance, although, scientifically speaking, such superficial characteristics are not to be depended upon in the absence of specific and abiding distinctions. The whitebait is much more silvery, has altogether a softer and more delicate appearance than the sprat and herring, and is much flatter or more depressed in the body. The sprat is fuller, rounder, and much deeper in the body, is not so silvery, and has not the same delicate appearance. The herring is much longer and thinner than either, has a longer head and a larger eye, and is still darker in colour than the sprat. The reporter concluded by submitting to the Society that there needed be no further ques

tion that the whitebait of Parnell and Yarrell existed at present in the Firth of Forth, in many localities in great abundance; and that, if properly fished with suitable apparatus, it would probably be found very generally distributed in the estuary. The reporter added, that when sweeping with the net in an east wind, or any wind blowing upon the shore, no whitebait appeared; and that, on the contrary, during the prevalence of winds from the shore, they were always present. A marked peculiarity was observed in regard to the herring, which was absent in the whitebait and sprat, viz. a constant effusion of blood from the mouth and gills, and this occurred without fail in hundreds of specimens examined.

In reference to this report, Dr M'Bain and Mr Bryson remarked that much credit was due to Professor Dick in calling the attention of the public to the large supply of whitebait to be obtained on the coast near Kinghorn and Burntisland; and through the energy of the Professor, nets had been obtained and premiums had been offered for the encouragement of the Fishery.

II. A Specimen of the Canada Goose (Anser Canadensis), shot on Duddingston Loch, was exhibited by R. F. LOGAN, Esq.

This bird was quite perfect, without artificial marks of any description, and was watchful and wary, remaining always about the middle of the lake. It was of large size.

III. Extracts of Letters from Dr Livingstone's Expedition to the River Zambesi, Africa. By ALEXANDER BRYSON, Esq.

Mr Alexander Bryson read extracts from letters received from Dr Livingstone and other officers of the Zambesi expedition by a friend in Glasgow, describing the valley of the "Shire," and giving some particulars of the natives, besides stating that the steamer which had been sent from Liverpool had turned out a complete failure in every respect; but the information contained in these letters is in substance the same as that which appeared in the report of the meetings of

the Royal Geographical Society of London. In a note to one of the letters Dr Livingstone says: "A Mr Wilson of Glasgow served us most conscientiously with provisions; everything was of first-rate quality, and I should feel pleased if you would thank him for me. Wilson is a good fellow, whoever he is, and I would not go by him on any account on another occasion." Mr Bryson remarked, that had Franklin's expedition been supplied by such a purveyor, in all human probability they would have been spared, as it was now proved beyond doubt that their lives were sacrificed by the accursed cupidity of the contractors, who supplied them with putrid provisions. Mr Bryson concluded by moving that a memorial to the Lords of the Treasury be prepared, urging the Government to send a more suitable vessel to the Zambesi, which was unanimously agreed to.

Wednesday, 25th January 1860.-WILLIAM RHIND, Esq., President, in the Chair.

The following gentlemen were elected the Office-bearers for the Session 1859–60 :

Presidents-William Rhind, Esq., Thomas Strethill Wright, M.D., Alex. Bryson, Esq.

Council-George Logan, Esq., W.S., Professor Balfour, James M'Bain, M.D., R.N., John Coldstream, M.D., Andrew Murray, Esq., John Cleland, M.D,

Secretary-John Alexander Smith, M.D.

Assistant-Secretary-James Boyd Davies, Esq.

Treasurer-William Oliphant, Esq.

Librarian-Robert F. Logan, Esq.

Library Committee-Patrick Dalmahoy, Esq., W.S., W. H. Lowe, M.D., John Anderson, Esq.

Robert Brown, Esq., 15 Buccleuch Street, and the Rev. Robert Hunter, late of Nagpore, were elected Members of the Society.

The following Donations to the Library were laid on the table, and thanks voted to the donors:

Transactions of the Botanical Society, Vol. VI. Part II., 1859.—From the Society. The Canadian Journal, No. XXIV., November 1859.From the Canadian Institute, Toronto. Patent Office Reports, U.S.A.;

Arts and Manufactures, 1856, 3 vols.; Agriculture, 1856, 1 vol.-From the United States Patent Office. Smithsonian Report for 1857; Defence of Dr Gould by the Council of the Dudley Observatory, Albany, 1858. -From the Smithsonian Institution, U.S.A. Reply to Statement of the Trustees of the Dudley Observatory. By B. A. Gould, M.D. Albany, 1859. From the Author.

Memorial to Government on behalf of the Livingstone Expedition.

Mr Andrew Murray reported that in accordance with the resolution of a previous meeting, a memorial had been drawn up and forwarded to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, praying that immediate assistance be granted to the exploring expedition in Africa under the command of Dr Livingstone; and he was glad to state that the assistance required had since been granted by the Government.

The Communications read were as follows:

I. On the Reproduction of a Medusa, belonging to the genus Lizzia. By Professor EDWARD CLAPAREDE, Geneva. Communicated by Dr T. STRETHILL WRIGHT.

d

M. Claparède stated that he had captured, in September last, in Lam lash Bay, a number of floating eggs. On examining these eggs he found in each a true medusa, with four radiating gastrovascular canals, an eight tentacles-four short and four long, the long ones corresponding to the radiating canals. A careful search was rewarded by the discovery of the animal which had produced these eggs, a twelve tentacled medusa of the genus Lizzia; the bulbs, which in the embryo gave rise to the longer tentacles, being in the adult each furnished with two of these appendages. The peduncle was laden with eggs; of these eggs some exhibited a germinal vesicle and spot, others well-developed medusæ, but in none was the stage of segmentation of the yolk observed. The question was, whether the bodies in question were eggs or buds? It was true that no males of this form of Lizzia were found. But the males might be more rare than the females, or, as Dr Strethill Wright had observed in one case, might have a form different from that of the female. The structure of the bodies was that of true eggs. The canals of the medusæ

which they contained had no communication with those of the parent, differing in this respect from the canals of the budding medusas of Sarsia. The buds of Sarsia, moreover, did not exhibit the germinal vesicle and spot. The author stated that the reproduction of medusæ, without the occurrence of a fixed hydroid stage, had been observed by Gegenbaur and Krohn, but in these cases the embroyos had to undergo important alterations in form before presenting the characters of the parent. M. Claparède considered it possible that reproduction in Lizzia might also take place with the intervention of the planuloid and hydroid stages.

Mr A. Murray congratulated the Society on its good fortune in having commenced a correspondence with so distinguished a naturalist as M. Claparède; and proposed that the thanks of the Society should be transmitted to him for his important communication, which was unanimously agreed to.

Dr Strethill Wright considered M. Claparède's paper of the highest importance. Its author, it was true, had not traced the gradual development of the ovum into a medusa, nor had he seen the segmentation of the vitellus, but Dr Wright had convinced himself that in a majority of