One new genus and nineteen new species of trilobites from the platy upper Stinchar Limestone of the Girvan District are described. Sixteen of the twenty-nine genera recorded occur in the stratigraphically earlier confinis Flags; the strong North American stamp provided by many of these forms is greatly strengthened by the appearance of such genera as Dimeropyge, Mesotaphraspis, Heliomera and Pliomerella. Hypodicranotus has hitherto been recorded only from strata of Trenton Limestone age in North America and Baffin Island.

On the basis of Graham's (1949) work, the stomach of the neogastropods is currently regarded as a secondarily simplified structure exhibiting loss of the cæcum, abbreviation of the major typhlosole and intestinal groove, anterior migration of the opening of the œsophagus, loss of the sorting areas, and in the muricids, of the gastric shield. The present investigations, however, reveal that the stomachs of, at any rate, some neogastropods are less simplified than has been realized. There are well developed typhlosoles, an intestinal groove, gastric shield, and sorting areas resembling those of primitive gastropods.

Palynological investigations were made at two sites in south-west Scotland where peat bogs overlying late Quaternary marine clays and sands were dated by reference to the established British pollen zonation. The “25 foot” shoreline was formed during late Zone VI and early VIIa near Dumfries (c. 8100 to 6600 years B.P.), while the “50 foot” beach near Campbeltown has been referred to Zone III (ending c. 10,000 years B.P.). Close-interval analysis of the upper sections of the pollen diagrams has allowed the recognition of human interference with the vegetation. Minor short-term changes in Zone VI have been tentatively referred to Mesolithic activities, while from Neolithic times (Zone VIIb) onwards there is evidence for an increasingly effective modification of the natural environment. The pollen diagrams allow some conclusions to be drawn about the types of farming (including cereal cultivation) which were characteristic of the settlements near Dumfries and in south Kintyre.

Coccosteus cuspidatus is shown to be the correct name for the arthrodire commonly referred to as Coccosteus decipiens. An almost complete account of the osteology of this species is given and aspects of the restored head, thoracic armour, fins and posterior unarmoured region, the dermal ornamentation, neuromast system and musculature are discussed; the snout, dermal bones of the palate and neural endocranium receive special treatment in view of the part these structures have played in the interpretation of the relationships of the Arthrodira. Changes in the proportions of certain bones during growth are noted and the mode of life is considered. The family Coccosteidae is redefined; the genus Coccosteus and the type species C. cuspidatus are defined and consideration is given to other species included in this genus.

Protoclepsydropsis kidstoni (Bertrand) Hirmer is a small fossil fern with a slender stem about 3 mm. diameter bearing petioles of a Clepsydropsis type in a ⅖ phyllotaxy.

Larger isolated Clepsydropsis petioles from the same rocks probably belong to a larger related plant. In these the petiolar bundle is sometimes oval in cross section with protoxylem groups nearer one tangential surface. Occasionally roots are borne on these petioles. A resemblance to the petioles of Asterochlœna laxa Stenzel is pointed out.

More than twenty igneous intrusions, of widely varying composition and mainly in explosion-breccia pipes, cut the Appin Quartzite, Appin Limestone, Appin Phyllites and Cuil Bay Slates of the Dalradian Series which show evidence of a long and complex structural history. Early phases of tectonics and metamorphism (garnet-amphibolite facies) were followed by the dominant deformation of the region, referred to as main phase. The major structure of the Cuil Bay Synform, together with a series of parasitic folds, were developed during this phase together with a strong, retrogressive, regional cleavage. Late phase deformation acting prior to the development of the pipes produced steeply plunging open folds and box folds, of brittle type. The superimposition of these structures on main phase parasitic antiforms, in banded sequences of competent and incompetent units, produced dome-shaped structures with pipe-shaped zones of intensely fractured and brecciated rock. Late phase deformation after igneous intrusion was associated with the Great Glen Fault. The structural elements which exercised the dominant controls on the location and form of the pipes were the main phase regional cleavage, the main phase parasitic antiforms, the late phase steeply plunging open folds and the axial planes of the late phase box folds and open folds.

A generalized sequence of events for a number of the pipes is: (1) explosive activity with shattering and brecciation, (2) emplacement of variable but generally hornblende-rich igneous types, representing crystallization at high to moderate gas pressure, (3) the emplacement of augite diorites or kentallenites representing crystallization at low gas pressure and (4) the emplacement of generally small bodies of leucodiorite–granodiorite, possibly representing secondary hybrid liquids. The other pipes show one or more of these events and the sequence is that expected in volcanic activity associated with the build up and release of pressure on the breaching of structural traps (formed by the Appin Quartzite). Explosive activity took place on the sudden release of gas when the gas-charged basic magma moved into the dome-shaped interference structures with their pipe-shaped zones of much fractured and brecciated rock.

Kochiproductus coronus sp. nov., a flanged buxtoniid from upper Viséan limestone of Ayrshire, Scotland, is described and a reconstruction attempted. The possible functions of the flange are discussed. Experiments carried out on a laminar flow table indicate that one effect of this structure would be to check the velocity of incoming feeding currents thus trapping sediment and dense particles on the lower flange but allowing the free inflow of food material.

A detached sporophyl and megasporangium of Mazocarpon pettycurense Benson is described. It formed twelve megaspores.

Achlamydocarpon scoticum sp. nov. is described from detached sporophylls and megasporangia. The latter opened by means of three slits in the distal region so making pollination possible.

A specimen of Cystosporites devonicus Chaloner and Pettitt is recorded from ash beds at the base of the Cementstone Group.

This paper deals with a collection of littoral meiobenthic copepods collected at Inhaca Island, Mozambique during the month of September 1963. A total of 135 species of Copepoda Calanoida (1), Cyclopoida (8) and Harpacticoida (126) were found of which 45 are new species and one a new forma. Thirteen new genera are described. The meiobenthos of Inhaca Island is totally unknown and few studies have been made anywhere on the east coast of Africa, the only exceptions being the several researches in the Red Sea and on the island of Madagascar. As the time available was limited and the fauna unknown the major part of the work was devoted to compiling as complete an inventory of the copepod fauna as possible. As far as was possible samples of equivalent size were taken in each habitat and some idea of variation in copepod populations on the different substrates can be estimated, but a more exact ecological approach was not attempted. The fauna proved to be very rich and varied. The greatest number of species and of individuals was found in the detritus sand. In this habitat no one species was super-dominant as was the case in the phytal habitats (algæ and marine grasses) and in clean sand (the interstitial fauna). Due to the lack of information from adjacent areas the zoogeographical relationships of the fauna are difficult to assess. It is possible that many of the new species are quite local. For the established species these new records are of value in assessing their world distribution and the evidence points to many of them being cosmopolitan.

Haller (1888), one of the first to publish an account of the alimentary tract in the Gastropoda, was followed by Amaudrut (1898) who produced a detailed comparative account of “La partie anteriéure du tube digestif” in a number of gastropods. Later workers have either studied the complete alimentary system in one or two gastropods (Herrick 1906; Dakin 1912) or have been concerned with the functional morphology of particular organs, such as the oesophagus, stomach, (Graham 1941; 1949), and proboscis (Alpers 1931; Carriker 1943). Much of this scattered work has been collected by Fretter and Graham (1962). Effectively nothing is known about the functional morphology of the alimentary tract in many groups, including the neogastropod families Turridae, Terebridae, and Volutidae. This account of the proboscis and oesophagus forms part of a general study of the functional morphology of the Turridae.