In February 1909 Mr John Thompson, Hull, forwarded to me for identification, along with species of Hydroids, specimens of a “Pedicellina,” which he was unable to identify with any known British form. These specimens proved to be of particular interest; and although a first consignment was dead on arrival in Edinburgh, Mr Thompson was successful in obtaining additional specimens, which, having travelled safely, were kept under observation in a living state for a week, when they were preserved for more detailed examination. Cocaine was found to be the most successful narcotising agent.

In following out the life-histories of some of the water-beetles I have been struck by the remarkable differences in habits and in structure between the members of a family, for instance, between Hydrophilus and Hydrobius, two fairly closely related genera of the Hydrophilidæ. The description of the life-history of Hydrophilus as given by Miger, Lyonnet, and others will, only to a small extent, apply to Hydrobius, although the suggestions which I am able to make with regard to certain facts in the life-history of the latter may throw light upon somewhat similar facts in the life-history of the former.

It is held by many that the body temperature shows certain fixed diurnal and seasonal variations which cannot be accounted for by the action of the various influences, such as muscular exercise, ingestion of food, sleep, etc., which are known to affect the rate of heat production and heat loss. These variations are believed to be associated with corresponding changes in the tissue activities, and to a large extent to be independent of environmental conditions.

In my paper on “The Meteorology of the Weddell Quadrant and Adjacent Areas”(Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin., vol. xlvii. p. 103) data referring to temperature, pressure, cloud, and wind force were given for the stations of Ancud and Point Gallera on the coast of Chili. Since the above paper was communicated to the Society the reduction of the observations taken thrice daily at the Chilian coastal stations has been proceeded with, the observations utilised being published in extenso in the annual volumes issued since 1899 by the Maritime Department of the Republic of Chili. On the completion of the analysis of the tri-daily wind observations at Ancud and Point Gallera some features of considerable interest presented themselves, the most marked being the pronounced monsoonal character of the winds at the latter station—a condition which, as we will see later, holds good between the parallels of 33° and 40° of south latitude along the Chilian littoral. Table I. shows the monthly percentage frequency of the winds at Point Gallera. a lighthouse situated in lat. 40° 01' S. and long. 73° 44' W., for the seven years 1899–1905.

In the course of an endeavour, which was successful only after a number of years, to obtain specimens for the purpose of identifying the species of Strophanthus that produces the smooth seeds which had been chemically and pharmacologically investigated by one of us several years ago, the follicles, flowers and other parts of a number of different species of Strophanthus were obtained from Africa. Among them, S. sarmentosus was represented, and in the course of time a sufficient quantity of seeds of this plant was collected to allow an examination to be undertaken of their chemistry and pharmacology.

This paper discusses the effects of errors in linear and angular measurements on the accuracy of surveys.

It is necessary to state at the outset that, as the investigation is based on the theory of probability, the conclusions drawn are only advanced in the hope that they will serve as guides in practical surveying, and must not be taken as of rigid precision. Perhaps it is superfluous to state that there is no method of determining beforehand the error which will accumulate in any survey ; the utmost that can be done is to assign some mean value to the error which will serve as a useful criterion to which actual errors can be referred.

The present paper is based on the study of a suite of fossils collected in 1898 by Dr W. S. Bruce, during a cruise with Major Andrew Coats in the Barents Sea, on board the yacht Blencathra.

The fossils were found in situ in a cliff at the extremity of Cape Cherney, a promontory situated on the west coast of Southern Nowaja Semlja, in Iat. 70° 49' and long. 56° 37'. Contrary to what often obtains in the case of materials collected by explorers, they are all from the same bed, a fact which greatly increases the value of the collection, as there is thus no possibility of a mixing of forms from different horizons.

Through the courtesy of Dr W. S. Bruce, the leader of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, and of the late Professor D. J. Cunningham, the skeletons of the seals collected in the Antarctic during the voyage of the Scotia have been placed in my hands for study, and I wish to express my gratitude to these gentlemen for their great kindness in placing all the necessary requirements at my disposal. I also wish to state that Dr Bruce has given to the Museum of the University of Edinburgh a choice of the various skeletons, which, together with the specimens already obtained, will form a comprehensive and almost unique collection of the Antarctic seals.