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Show 1868.] MR. W. H. FLOWER ON BALAENOPTERA CAROLINAE. 187 " On our way down to the Strait last year, in the course of our voyage between St. Vincent and Rio, a series of soundings were instituted for the purpose of endeavouring to find the Jaseur bank, a bank discovered by the 'Jaseur' in 1825, and, I believe, not examined since then. The latitude of the bank in question is 20' 36" 30'" south, and the longitude 35° 47' west; it is 60 miles from the Victoria Bank and 360 from Trinidade. The search was rewarded with success, and a sample of its composition at 30 fathoms obtained by means of a Fitzgerald sounding-apparatus. This I examined, and, at Captain Mayne's request, drew up a short note on its nature, which he forwarded to the hydrographer. As, however, I do not know whether m y remarks met the eye of any one occupied with science, I may briefly mention the results obtained. The deposit was composed exclusively of animal and vegetable organisms, and no fragments of any rock or mineral were present. The vegetable organisms consisted of fragments of an incrusted Melibesia, and a small portion of the frond of an Ulna. The animal organisms, which were all dead and maimed, en masse presented a chalky-white appearance; they consisted principally of great numbers of Foraminifera, most of which seemed to belong to the genus Amphistegina, and numerous small portions of delicate corals of various species. A very few shells of Mollusca were present, the only ones discerned being a minute Oliva, a small Lima, a minute Pecten, and a small shell numbered 4 in the rough sketch I send you. The only other animal specimens observed were the fragments of a Serpula, and a spine and portion of the dental apparatus of a small Echinus." The following papers were read:- 1. On the probable Identity of the Fin-Whales described as Balcenoptera Carolines, Malm, and Physalus sibbaldii, Gray. By W . H. FLOWER, F.R.S. &c. The Library of the Zoological Society has, within the last few days, received a very handsomely printed folio work, entitled ' Monographie illustree du Baleinoptere trouve le 29 Octobre 1865, sur la cote occidentale de Suede,' by A. W . Malm, published at Stockholm in 1867. It is illustrated by numerous photographs and woodcuts, and contains an extremely careful and detailed description of the external characters, the skeleton, and many other portions of the organization of the animal. As far as the individual specimen was concerned, nothing appears to have been left undone, that the most painstaking industry could compass, to render the monograph exhaustive, except, perhaps, that some further photographic illustrations of the vertebral column and of the cranium would have been acceptable. As this work will certainly long be regarded as one of standard authority in cetology, it is important that the correct appellation and synonymy of the species of which it treats should be determined with |