supposed to be a fossil tooth imbeded in surrounding matrix. Careful inspection, however, showed it to be one of the spined dermal plates of one of the Ray tribe of fishes, somewhat weather-worn and altered in appearance by burial.
On behalf of Mr. Thomas Higgin there was likewise shown a photograph of the natural size of Chitina ericopsis, and specimens of the same were exhibited under the microscope. Mr. H. J. Carter described the above as a new genus and species of the Hydractiniidæ, in the 'Annals and Magazine of Natural History,' 1873 (4th ser.), vol. xi., p. 13, but hitherto no figure has been given of structural or other peculiarities. Somewhat worn specimens in the British Museum Collection are labelled "Dr. Sinclair and Sir George Grey, New Zealand." — J. Murie.
Zoological Society of London.
May 7, 1878. — F.D. Goodman, Esq., F.Z.S., in the chair.
The Secretary read a report on the additions that had been made to the Society's Menagerie during the month of April, 1878, and called special attention to a Squirrel from Ecuador (Sciurus stramineus), of a species new to the Society's collection, and to a male Beisa Antelope (Oryx beisa), presented by H.H. the Sultan of Zanzibar, and kindly brought home for the Society by Capt. Pasley of H.M.S. 'Simoom,' April 27th.
Mr. T. J. Parker read some notes on the stridulating organ of Palinurus vulgaris which had first been described by Dr. K. Möbius, but on whose observations Mr. Parker offered several criticisms.
A communication was read from Dr. F. Buchanan White, entitled "Con- tributions to a Knowledge of the Hemipterous Fauna of St. Helena, and Speculations on its Origin." In the first part of his paper the author, after briefly noticing what was known with regard to the fauna and flora of that remote and interesting oceanic: island, and mentioning the various theories that had been brought forward to account for their origin, discussed the difficulties of the animals, and argued that they had evidently been derived at a remote period from the Palæarctic Region by way of Madeira, the Canaries, and the Cape de Verde Archipelago. In the second part of his communication, Dr. White described the Hemiptera collected in St. Helena by the late Mr. T.V. Wollaston, during the recent visit of that lamented naturalist to that island. The collection included thirty species, of which five were probably introduced ; one appeared to be indigenous, but seemed identical with a European species, and the remaining twenty-four were regarded by the author as new and peculiar to the island. Seven new genera and one new subgenus were created for the reception of ten of the species, the rest, with one exception, being referred to European genera.
