Notes

Abstract

WE are glad to be able to state that Dr. Wyville Thomson has entirely recovered from the attack of gastric fever which prevented his taking part in the Porcupine expedition this summer. He is at present going over the zoological collection brought home in that vessel, at the University of London, with Dr. Carpenter, and he reports some very remarkable additions to his new group of vitreous sponges, mainly from the coast of Spain and Portugal. These, with some others procured by Mr. Saville Kent, in Dr. Marshall Hall's yacht, will nearly double the number of known forms referred to the order. They are no pigmies. One of them forms a lovely lace-like vase upwards of three feet in diameter at the lip !