se eae ie Re tke ete Mate a eee ae te ae ee ten ay eee nee eae eet lace ene oe eee ues eee fee Ae ena cee ene 3 oe Hea) pele ey ? ati itis ie ? fit Hy Va Ay ait et het sti Hi ie Be fag} FF usta ? Ae i ‘« aa <u Set test ian ie ae ; yy tity ti ai # yaad Fe es See, ae eae kane aN ty Mane Cae Hees gatetater ify Hatitatstetetas “ oe Cae ¢ a * i a8 Ve 3? Ae rh i ete se tf faye Nita ihe ie, ees Be hie Fs fiat ie SHR i As Ate ati iS Ks *y nee 3 i. i Hn? au Nas oy ae ns PsP ye ate ii, i i eee e d + Tee ea ae oe ; tk Sea oe oN mee x Sa ec ae eee ee eee ae “ane et cea ee oe vee Sao Tee ene eae a AD te OS eee pal BST DOME ae ae my aah? Hi et, tate i ies a ie 43 ve tee 7 ae ee nt Ms in iat Bitty i y ! ae ae ae eet a f (ay if f Pane ify eat) ae cee Fae) £44 | ae : ie a Het Se ae 33 peta? sear Mi He ea fe renarne ea artes ampraecte ns re tee tats ne ses pi seen see : Nese Anite Rut ae * 3 ms . Sith Wen ant $4). Men iat Les Se cape) ig 7 Ve fF: st. eres SEALE ‘ oy Hi wu) ay Nox Meals NY RA THE ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY, ZOOLOGY, BOTANY, ann GEOLOGY. (BEING A CONTINUATION OF THE ‘ANNALS’ COMBINED WITH LOUDON AND CHARLESWORTH’S ‘MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. ) CONDUCTED BY PRIDEAUX JOHN SELBY, Esa., F.L.S., CHARLES C. BABINGTON, Esa., M.A., F.R.S., F.L.S., F.G.S., J. H. BALFOUR, M.D., Prof. Bot. Edinburgh, AND RICHARD TAYLOR, F.I.S., F.G.S. VOL. XVI.—SECOND SERIES. eee ayy | LONDON: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS. SOLD BY LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS; SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, AND CO.; PIPER AND CO.; BAILLIERE, REGENT STREET, AND PARIS: LIZARS, AND MACLACHLAN AND STEWART, EDINBURGH : HODGES AND SMITH, DUBLIN: AND ASHER, BERLIN. 1855, ‘*Omnes res create sunt divine sapientie et potentie testes, divitie felicitatis humane :—ex harum usu bonitas Creatoris; ex pulchritudine sapientia Domini; ex ceconomia in conservatione, proportione, renovatione, potentia majestatis elucet. Earum itaque indagatio ab hominibus sibirelictis semper estimata; a veré eruditis et sapientibus semper exculta; malé doctis et barbaris semper inimica fuit.”— LINNZUS. * Quelque soit le principe de la vie animale, il ne faut qu’ouvrir les yeux pour voir qu'elle est le chef-d’ceuvre de la Toute-puissance, et le but auquel se rapportent toutes ses opérations.””—BRUCKNER, Théorie du Systéme Animal, Leyden, 1767. oe ee oe ee oe oe « ene sylvan powers Obey our summons ; from their deepest dells The Dryads come, and throw their garlands wild And odorous branches at our feet ; the Nymphs That press with nimble step the mountain thyme And purple heath-flower come not empty-handed, But scatter round ten thousand forms minute Of velvet moss or lichen, torn from rock Or rifted oak or cavern deep: the Naiads too Quit their loved native stream, from whose smooth face They crop the lily, and each sedge and rush That drinks the rippling tide: the frozen poles, Where peril waits the bold adventurer’s tread, The burning sands of Borneo and Cayenne, All, all to us unlock their secret stores And pay their cheerful tribute. J. Tayitor, Norwich, 1818, CONTENTS OF VOL. XVI. [SECOND SERIES. ] NUMBER XCI. I. Observations on the Development of Gonidia (2) from the Cell- contents of the Characee, and on the Circulation of the Mucus-sub- stance of the Cell; with a Postscript. By H. J. Carrer, Esq., Page Assistant-Surgeon H.C.S., Bombay ............ esviins huaen a Shaydawestaasbabnn ] II. Descriptions of the Animals of certain Genera of Conchifera. By S. P. WoopWARD, Esq., F.G.S. .....ccsccscseveecceevevessveccscescens 22 IIT. Notes on some new or little-known Marine Animals. By _ Puriip Henry Goss, A.L.S. (With two Plates.) .......s.csseeeee 27 IV. On the Homologies of the Carapace and on the Structure and Function of the Antenne in Crustacea. By C. Spence Bare, F.L.S., SG eh WERE MU IMOUMLE Vea pevaicres dakrbonsasescoeves cisaceeverotateeneaesces 36 V. On Double Monstrosity in Fishes ...........scsseeseecesevssvecsceees 47 Proceedings of the Linnean Society ; Zoological Society ; Royal Insti- tution ; Botanical Society of Edinburgh .........sss.sseeeeeeeee 51—78 On the Nereis bilineata, by William Thompson; On a New Species of Thalassidroma, by George Robert Gray, F.L.S. & F.Z.S.; On the Eggs of Otogyps and Prosthemadera, by H. F. Walter; Me- teorological Observations and Table ......-cssesessceseresereeeers 78—80 NUMBER XCII. VI. Notes on Paleozoic Bivalved Entomostraca. No. I. Some Species of Beyrichia from the Upper Silurian Limestones of Scandi- navia. By T. Rupert Jongs, F.G.S. (With a Plate.) ............+4 81 VII. On the Conjugation of the Diatomacee. By J. W. GrirFitu, Beery Pheu: Wath & Plate,)- <> scissatacsccssscsvcsescccscccctccsesedececece 92 1V CONTENTS. Page VIII. On a new Genus of Fossil Cidaride, with a Synopsis of the Species included therein. By THomas Wricurt, M.D., F.R.S.E.... 94 IX. Brief Notices of several new or little-known species of Mam- malia, lately discovered and collected in Nepal, by Bk1an HoucHtTon Hopeson, Esq. By T. HORSFIELD, M.D. .....ccccceseeseeeceeeseeer ens 101 X. On the Assiminia sha a and Rissoa anatina. By W1LLIAM CLARK, Esq, ......c0..cccccceccheccotesscvscesnensevsnssesneasnetsabasasnasecanes 114 XI. Deseriptions of two newly discovered species of Araneidea. By JOHN BLACKWALL, FLAS. ...ccccssccassceesscctereecsesensccsvosooss ispenvas 120 XII. Note on the Descent of Glaciers. By J. Gwyn JEFFREYS, WM. 5 FIRS. ©... 60s csecsconcnicssss cuuabeepatvoustspuveencpeereeaseeepagesyen sti 122 New Books :—Catalogue of British Hymenoptera in the Collection _ of the British Museum. Part I. Apide—Bees, by Frederick Smith, M.E.S.—Proceedings of the Yorkshire Philosophical SOciety sesncicesdeoseccscocnnsesvensnbhneduonbneays abaiugece ctndde nis 124—128 Proceedings of the Zoological Society; Botanical Society of Edin- DPE ios enseessacssereps is subs si pcb coh Meas amie GN WG OES 128—146 On the Organization of the Pedicellate Glands of the Leaf of Drosera rotundifolia, by M. A. Trécul; On a new Organ observed in Cal- litriche (C. platycarpa, &c.), by M. A. Chatin; Description of a new Tanager of the Genus Calliste, by Philip Lutley Sclater, M.A.; On the Spermatophora of the Crickets, by C. Lespés; Meteorological Observations and Table —........sceseseseeeee 146—152 NUMBER XCIIE. XIII. Observations on the Genera Pachybdella (Diesing) and Pel- togaster (Rathke), two animal forms parasitic upon the abdomen of Crabs. By Professor STEENSTRUP ...... Bes teady ecad UCI Seanese 153 XIV. Notes on Paleozoic Bivalved Entomostraca. No. I]. Some British and Foreign Species of Beyrichia. By T. Rupert Jonss, F.G.S. (With a Plate.) .....0..scsecsessoeee Waibesscapne pebiday ob sversns gon «- 163 XV. On the Heart and Circulation m the Pycnogonide. By Dr. A. KROHN. (With a Plate.) ......ccscscsecseccevsccsscccescassevsaees vines LO XVI. Abstract of a Monograph of the Family Gorgonide. By M. VALENCIENNES 6occcccssceccsscscscatssssesesenccontseweevoncecscesas wobsas hdd. XVII. On the Genus Assiminia. By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S.; WE IR onc coi vai cakc be cdc cavin'ce ccUdueunsapecatenaas Tega ede bya I 183 * CONTENTS. Vv Page XVIII. On the Law which has regulated the Introduction of New Species. By ALtFrep R. WALLACE, F.R.G.S. ....csecseceseeee wdéccet LB4 XIX. On some new Species of Hemipedina from the Oolites. By THOMAS WRIGHT, M.D., F.R.S.EB. ...cccccsccccescscees yh iB bao bs grec Uae 196 XX. Short Biographical Notice of the late Dr. Jounston of Ber- WAMU EWEOD Suse cncssiersicanddcs <pssvasseveresbaties consceiuhystd thieves 199 New Books :—The British Flora, comprising the Phenogamous or Flowering Plants and the Ferns. The 7th edition, with Additions and Corrections, &c., by Sir William Jackson Hooker, K.H., D.C.L. &e. &e., and George A. Walker-Arnott, LL.D. &c. &c.... 203 Proceedings of the Royal Society; Linnzan Society; Botanical Society of Edinburgh ; Zoological Society .......esssseeeee 205—229 Monstrosity of Antirrhinum majus, by Dr. J. E. Gray; Notice of the Horns and Skull of the Arnee, by Dr. J. E. Gray; Meteorolo- gical Observations and Table .........seseccsssecrscecesceseveees 229—232 NUMBER XCIV. XXI. The Vegetable Individual, in its relation to Species. By Dr. ALEXANDER Braun, Professor of Botany in the University of Berlin, &c. Translated by CHAs. FRANCIS STONE ........0+8 kadevenes 233 XXII. Note on the Subgenus Limea, Bronn. By Joun Lycert, rea taia'cdd ERAATRUAS CHUA CUCRAa A446 LANE EE MA Eu CED Wa FUCK OVEN eceehs seaugedeves 256 XXIII. Notes on the Brachiopoda observed in a Dredging Tour with Mr. M‘Andrew on the Coast of Norway, in the summer of the present year. By Lucas BARRETT, F.G.S. ............cccceseeeceeseeees 257 XXIV. On the Young States of some Annelides. By R. LnucKkarr. RRM Oh BRUNE. sees deitune sc ss naomi cqsnesyaSnehatehnerpsngiieand 4b be bdo eiesesy 259 XXV. Observations on the Genus Assiminia. By WILLIAM CLARK, Esq. ...... Sanh Saas AU RV NMA cchok hed aL EAD ALL eda as WE ap idan dvds sd edos% 272 XXVI. On the Morphology of the Organs called Lenticels. By M. E. GERMAIN DE SAINT-PIERRE .....2..cccsceveccescecstecceosececoees 273 New Books :—A Manual of Marine Zoology for the British Isles, by Philip Henry Gosse, A.L.S. ...... REET idk a sae cicki cvexeonabedavins 277 Proceedings of the Zoological Society ; Linnean Society ...... 278—296 vi CONTENTS. Page Sibbald’s Drawings of Scottish Animals, by the late Dr. George John- . ston ; Clausilia Rolphii, by Mr. 8. P. Woodward ; Note on Helix aspersa, by Mr.S. P. Woodward; Descriptions of some new spe- cies of Birds; by the Viscount Du Bus de Gisignies ; On the Oper- culum of Diplommatina, by Captain Thomas Hutton; Note on Aphyllanthes monspeliensis, and the new Family Aphyllanthacee, by M. Parlatore; Meteorological Observations and Table . 296—304 NUMBER XCV. XXVITI. Notes on some new or little-known Marine Animals. By Puitie Henry Gosss, A.L.S. (With a Plate.) .........c0cceceeee vesee BOS XXVIII. On the Injurious Effects of an excess or want of Heat and Light on the Aquarium. By Roperr WarincTon, Esq. ...... 313 XXIX. On the Mechanism of Aquatic Respiration and on the Structure of the Organs of Breathing in Invertebrate Animals. By Tuomas Wiuuiams, M.D. Lond. (With a Plate.) .........ceeceeseeees 315 XXX. Notice and Description of a new species of Spider. By the Rey. Hamuet Ciark, M.A., Curate of All Saints, Northampton ... 329 XXXI. Observations on the Habits of the Stickleback. By RoperrT — - WARINGTON, Esq. ....... con¥odsdenssee Ghdiddnns dhe oesedsocsedscesaccsess suas 330 XXXII. The Vegetable Individual, in its relation to Species. By Dr. ALEXANDER Braun, Professor of Botany in the University of Dees Cbs caisicdics ics dada Sikes ns Capra ek den Ge 333 New Books :—Glaucus; or the Wonders of the Shore, by Charles Kingsley ........... » sussndadvds sab Nibsbinebyardewnenss dtndisnnueened baeeds 354 Proceedings of the Linnean Society ; Zoological Society ...... 356—378 Bohemian Forests and Peat-bogs, by Dr. Hochstetter ; Occurrence of Diodonta fragilis at Weymouth, by William Thompson, Esq. ; Description of a second species of the genus Procnias, by Philip Lutley Sclater, M.A.; Descriptions of some new species of Birds, by the Viscount Du Bus de Gisignies ; Description of a new spe- cies of Petrogale, by Dr. J. E. Gray ; Meteorological Observations SOD TADIC socccers.cccesovdecencapavenn pada cbeosegeeweaneagens east 378—384 NUMBER XCVI. XXXITII. On the Batrachian Ranunculi of Britanm. By CHARLES C.ABINGTON, M.A., FURS. S66. sivsis ucacvssebrnnseevesvris ovavecdsss: 385 CONTENTS. vil Page XXXIV. On the Mechanism of Aquatic Respiration and on the Structure of the Organs of Breathing in Invertebrate Animals. By Tuomas WiuuiaMs, M.D. Lond. (With a Plate.) ....0.....cecceceeeee 404 XXXV. On the Genera of Mollusca, and on the Genus Assiminia in particular. By Dr. J. E. Gray, FURS. &. .....0...ccccceccccsecevees 422 XXXVI. A few Remarks on the Brachiopoda. By Tuomas Davipson, Esq., F.G.S. &c. (With a Plate.) ......sseesee sevecshesesss 429 . XXXVII. On the Phenomena of the Reproduction of the Chitons. By WiLuiAM CLARK, Esq. ........ = PSR SS CARE te phiesiasniabaciaes 446 XXXVIII. Note on Linaria sepium, Allman. By CuHaruss C. BaBINGTON, M.A., F.R.S. &e. .s.eeececoee ESTEE, 1 Reakgieat hy SP oe fee SN 449 ‘ New Books :—Catalogue of the Genera and Subgenera of Birds con- tained in the British Museum, by G. R. Gray, F.L.S.—Descrip- tive and Illustrated Catalogue of the Histological Series contained in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons. Prepared for the Microscope. Vol. ib. .........cccssscessecesceeeccersrcesees «es 450—457 Proceedings of the Zoological Society ............ Sec haieapey asiets 457—464 Shropshire Mollusea, by J. Gwyn Jeffreys; Note on the Arrested Development of the Tadpole of the Common Frog, by W. Davies ; List of Species of Mollusca obtamed by Prof. Goodsir from Spitzbergen, by R. M‘Andrew, Nia ; Meteorological Observations DE IO Cor teen etc saki sae ssacews "i Feeley ARS pian ear ae aacnn ss 464—467 PLATES IN VOL. XVI. Piate I. pone. of the Carapace in the Crustacea.—Conjugation of II. the Diatomacee. Ill. IV. o } Paleozoic Bivalved Entomostraca. } New or little-known Marine Animals. VII. Young States of some Annelides.—Circulation in the Pyeno- gonide. VIII. New or little-known Marine Animals. IX. Mechanism of Aquatic Respiration in Invertebrate Animals. X. New Species of Brachiopoda. XI. Mechanism of Aquatic Respiration in Invertebrate Animals. THE ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. ‘Vous iuced on th accidental! above Or. 5 paste it ov ae Ss. 5 [SECOND SERIES.] SS ecvscescosecese per litora spargite muscum, Naiades, et circdm vitreos considite fontes : _ Pollice virgineo teneros hic earpite flores : Floribus et pictum, dive, replete canistrum. At vos, o Nymphe Craterides, ite sub undas ; Ite, recurvato variata corallia trunco Vellite muscosis e rupibus, et mihi conchas Ferte, Dez pelagi, et pingui conchylia succo.” N. Parthenié Giannettasti Ecl. 1. ~ Sections. Co’ No. 91. JULY 1855. Orver. 53. Ih 1. Holy (Hex) * 1, common 1.— Observations on the Development of Gonidia(?) from the Cell-contents of the Characeze, and on the Circulation of the Mucus-substance of the Cell; with a Postscript. By H. J. Carrer, Hsq., Assistant Surgeon H.C.S., Bombay. THE following is a short’ summary of observations on the cell- contents of the Characez made in the island of Bombay during the last eight months, and which want of time only now pre- vents me from communicating in a more extended and complete form. All physiologists are acquainted with the development of the spiral filaments in the globule and a new plant from the nucule, but the passage of the cell-contents into gonidia in this family of the Algze does not seem to have met with description ; nor has, I think, the circulatory movement been satisfactorily explained. Before, however, proceeding to the detail of these phenomena, it is desirable to refresh the memory of the reader with a descrip- tion of the recent cell of the Characez in which the circulation is going on, and for this purpose I shall take.an internode of Nitella, as at once furnishing the simplest and largest type of the cell throughout the family*. * The species of Nitel/la which I have used for my observations is a de- licate, slender plant with long internodes and umbelliferous verticils, the Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. xvi. 2 Mr. H. J. Carter on the Development of Gonidia The internode of Nitella consists of—1st, the cell-wall ; 2nd, the green layer ; 3rd, the mucus-layer ; and 4th, the azial fluid, to each of which parts separately let us now direct our attention. Cell-wall.—This, in the internode, is cylindrical, more or less convex at each end, transparent, and resistent like all other cel- lulose membranes of the same kind. Green layer.—In contact with the inner surface of the cell- wall is a layer of green bodies, which, being more or less discoidal, we shall call “ green disks.” These disks, which are slightly separated from each other, are arranged up and down the inter- node in parallel lines, and the layer which they thus form is divided into two equal parts by two transparent linear intervals, which, for reasons that will appear hereafter, have been aptly termed by Slack the ‘lines of repose.” Neither these lines, nor the lines of green disks which are parallel to them, are exactly parallel with the longitudinal axis of the internode, but twisted round it in a semispiral form, so that by transmitted light the two white intervals, which are on opposite sides of the internode, present the appearance of a cross with acute angles, which angles vary in their degree with the length of the internode. The green disk, which is more or less elliptical and com- pressed, is composed of a vesicle of chlorophyll in which are three or more granules of compressed, circular or elliptical form, each of which is also, apparently, in a distinct vesicle of chloro- phyll, and the whole thus grouped together form a green body which is attached to, or imbedded in, the cell-wall of a third vesicle. At least, this appears to be the typical form of the “ green disk,” though its component parts are not always di- stinctly mdividualized ; and a vesicle with a nucleus, such as I have described, may frequently be seen among the cell-contents of the internode when the latter has been evacuated, whilst the divisions of the green disk with a granule in each, as well as faint lines between them, indicative of each being surrounded by a transparent vesicle, may often be seen while the disk is in situ. Thus, the green layer is composed of a number of vesicles set together in linear arrangement, to each of which is appended the green disk mentioned. The average size of the green disk latter consisting of sixteen to twenty branches, alternately long and short. The long branches are thrice divided, and the last division in all termi- nated by a spine. The organs of fructification, which are cast together in the axils of the verticil or separately in the centres of the umbels of the branches, are, with the terminal divisions of the latter, too small to be seen distinctly by the unassisted eye. It grows here and there in the muddy tanks of the island of Bombay all the year round, and from the slime and foreign matter which collects about it, looks not unlike toad’s spawn. Its ‘chief character, when cleansed of this, is its delicate, slender, umbelliferous aspect. from the Cell-contents of the Characeze. 3 in the species of Nitel/a on which I have been making observa- tions, is 1-4300th of an inch in diameter. Iodine with and with- out sulphuric acid gives it a dark brown-red colour, but does not turn it or its contents blue. Mucus-layer.—Immediately within the green layer is a gra- nular, colourless mucus, which is unequally and unevenly spread over the surface, so that it presents a wavy line towards the axial fluid. The unevenness of the inner surface of this mucus arises from partial aggregations of its substance, which are most pro- minent and accumulated midway between the lines of repose.. One of these aggregations is generally larger than the rest, and this in the spiniform cells which terminate the branchlets and in the early state. of the imternode itself contains the cytoblast, which with its accompanying mucus also at this early period lines the inside of the cell; so that the whole of the granular mucus-layer and its contents, which afterwards form such a large portion of the internode, is developed from this cytoblast, and should be regarded as merely an increase in quantity of the ori- ginal protoplasm or primordial utricle of Mohl. We have now to direct our attention to the contents of the granular mucus, which, when one extremity of the internode is truncated by a sharp cutting mstrument, under water, rushes out partly in a loose amorphous form, and partly enclosed in vesicles of variable dimensions, the largest of which are some- times nearly as wide as the internode. Both the amorphous masses and vesicles are again charged with vesicles of different sizes, circular disks containing a finely granulated substance, subreniform or round starch-globules, and a number of irre- gularly-shaped bodies of different sizes, but of which none exceed the 1500th part of an inch in diameter. The most striking of these contents are the circular disks, which, from their defined outline and uniform size and appear- ance, are easily distinguished from any of the other bodies.. They average about the 2150th part of an inch in diameter, and appear to be filled with a minutely granular mucus of a very faint yellow colour, which, a certain time after the disk has been exposed to the water, contracts into an elliptical form, and thus shows that it is enclosed within a capsule, from which it is also distinct. These disks may be seen in considerable numbers loose or imbedded in the amorphous masses of mucus, or in that filling the large vesicles, or in variable plurality in trans- parent globular vesicles otherwise empty ; lastly, they may be seen fixed singly to, or in the wall of a vesicle, which appears to be their normal appendage, and though this vesicle is sometimes hardly distinguishable, it is at others five or six times the dia- meter of the disk. Iodine colours the nucleus of a deep brown 1* 4, Mr. H.J. Carter on the Development of Gonidia amber colour, but leaves the capsule and globular cell un- affected. 7 Many globular vesicles of different sizes, which appear to be entirely empty, are also to be observed, and here and there a solitary starch-globule. But the composition of the irregular bodies, which appear to vary in size from a minute granule to the largest starch-globule, is not so evident. These bodies, which have a faint yellow opake colour, and apparently granular structure, are like the circular disks loosely scattered through the mucus, or enclosed in plu- rality within transparent globular vesicles otherwise empty, or attached to or imbedded singly, in the wall of one of these cells, which also seems to be their normal appendage. In Chara ver- ticillata (Roxb.) these bodies in the early part of their growth are club-shaped, after which the large end appears to expand into an irregular, globular or agariciform head, to which the small end then forms a kind of pedicel, and thus they are also found within vesicles. At first these irregular bodies look very much like starch-granules, and particularly the agariciform ones, from the eccentric lines on their surface ; but iodine, even when assisted by sulphuric acid, only turns them of a deep brown amber colour like that which it pruduces in the nucleus of the disk ; sometimes it seems to have little or no effect. upon them. They differ from the circular disk in the extreme irregularity of their form, their apparent want of capsule, greater thickness, deeper yellow colour, greater opacity, and in their apparent ori- gin from granules infinitely smaller than the circular disks. Axial fluid.—This, as before stated, fills the centre of the in- ternode ; it is of an aqueous consistence, colourless, and fre- ~ quently contains bunches of acicular raphides (oxalate of lime ?), starch-globules, ad many of the faint yellow irregular bodies just mentioned, all of which, except the raphides, appear to have accidentally dropt into it from the mucus-layer. Thus we have the internode of Nitella complete, and we have only to conceive the mucus-layer moving round the axial fluid and propelling it and its particles in the same direction (by the projections on its surface), to obtain a true idea of the motion which takes place within the cell of the Characee. Let us now follow the passage of the cell-contents into gonidia. All are aware, that in the freshwater Algee commonly called Confervz, the formation of the spore is preceded by a breaking up or displacement of the cell-contents, after which a conden- sation and re-arrangement of them takes place, and they are then invested with a capsule which remains entire, until the time arrives for the spore thus formed to germinate. Now, under from the Cell-contents of the Characez. 5 certain circumstances, which appear to be the approaching dis- solution or death of the cell-wall, a similar process takes place in the cells of the Characee, and following this from the begin- ning, we find, that it first commences with a cessation of the cir- culation, after which the lines of green disks forming the green layer become displaced, and, as if obeying a still continued but inappreciable movement of the mucus-layer, they roll themselves up into lines which assume a more or less irregular arrange- ment across the internode, or into groups of different sizes, more or less connected by narrow lines of mucus and single disks, so as to present an areolar structure in contact with the inner sur- face of the cell-wall. The next stage is the separation of the disks into still more distinct groups, which, having become more circumscribed and circular, leave the cell-wall and evince a cer- tain amount of polymorphism and locomotion. The cavity of the internode, hitherto rendered turbid by the breaking up of the green layer, now clears off and becomes transparent, save where the circular masses, which have changed from their ori- ginal green into a brownish-green yellow colour, intercept the light. After a day or two,—but the time seems to vary,—the green disks become entirely brown, and the group, assuming a more circumscribed and circular form, shows that it is sur- rounded by a transparent globular cell ; this we shall henceforth call the gonidial cell. A new substance, consisting of a bluish semitransparent mucus, more or less charged with minute gra- nules (from which its colour appears to be derived), and refrac- tive globules of a faint yellowish-green and sapphire-blue colour, makes its appearance in different parts of the brown mass, or to one side of it, and afterwards, becoming botryoidal or mulberry- shaped, separates into gonidia. The brown chlorophyll with the other effete contents then shrinks up into a structureless, homo- geneous, more or less defined, circular nucleus, of a dark brown colour, and the cell, frequently projecting on one side in a conical form, bursts at the apex and gives exit to the gonidia. The gonidia are globular, ovate or spindle-shaped, and of a - light blue colour. They average 1—4300th of an inch in dia- meter, and contain, together with the blue substance mentioned, more or less also of the refractive globules, and a transparent vesicle. Hach gonidium is provided with one or two cilia accord- ing to its form, that is to say, the globular ones present one and the spindle-shaped two, which may be perceived while they are yet grouped or separate in the transparent gonidial cell, where they already exhibit a certain amount of polymorphism. Shortly after they have become free in the internode, the wall of the latter gives way and they pass into the water, where, for a cer- tain time, they remain so active, that it is almost impossible to 6 Mr. H. J. Carter on the Development of Gonidia describe their form ; but here and there, that which I have stated may be seen in those which are less active in their movements than the rest. 3 - There are, however, certain peculiarities about the elongated and spindle-shaped gonidia which it is desirable to notice, viz. that one cilium appears longer than the other, and that while the short one floats almost motionless backwards, so as to appear as if it proceeded from the posterior extremity, the latter, for the most part, keeps up a constant whipping-movement in front which frequently renders it imperceptible. Both cilia however appear to be of the same length, if we add the length of the gonidium to the one which floats behind, and which is concealed in the first part of its course by lying in contact with or underneath the body of the gonidium ; both also appear to be occasionally brought together anteriorly. There is also fre- quently a kind of proboscis extended from the rostrum or beak of the gonidium which moves incessantly, both in the ovate and spindle-shaped forms, and seems to have a suctorial extremity by means of which it fixes the gonidium to the glass, while the floating cilium also appears to be provided with a similar power and to exert it for detaching the gonidium, when so fixed, by pulling it backwards, which it does with a peculiar jerk ; when this little proboscis has been present, I do not think I have ever observed the anterior or active cilium, After a while, perhaps some hours, the gonidia become sta- tionary, and while they appear to be fixed by the proboscis men- tioned, the long cilium floats motionless, or presents a languid kind of whip-like undulation ; the latter then disappears, and a day or two after, the gonidia both small and great, for there are many sizes, as will presently be mentioned, are seen creeping about the watch-glass (into which they were transferred for ob- servation) under as active polymorphism as any ameebous cell could present ; diffluent, digitated, and in the form of that beau- tifully radiated figure called Actinophrys Sol (Ehr.). They also now present the “ contracting vesicle,” as well as other vesicles, which do not appear to alter their dimensions, but vary, like the former, in distinctness with their change of position and the varying form of the gonidium. After a few days’ existence in this state their polymorphism becomes very sluggish, they re- main for some time under a slowly changing rhizopodous figure, which is more or less common to all, and then disappear. Whether they germinate or not, I have not been able to determine, Lastly, a development of transparent mucus which becomes filled with vibrios and Bacterium termo (Dujar.), immediately follows the elimination of the gonidia both in the gonidial cell Jrom the Cell-contents of the Characeze. 7 and in the internode, presenting itself in a mass or branched organized form, more particularly at those parts of the latter which have become ruptured. This also disappears after a few days, and a thorough dissolution of the internode and its original contents seems thus to be completed. _» We have now then seen that a breaking up or displacement of the green layer, a grouping of its green disks, the investment. of the groups with a mucus-covering, their complete separation, their endowment with a certain amount of polymorphism and locomotion, the turning brown of the chlorophyll, and the passage of the investing mucus into a globular transparent cell, precede the evolution of the gonidial substance and its subsequent self- division into gonidia ; let us now see if there be anything else within the gonidial cell during the time this process is going on, It will be remembered, that a great number of discoidal bodies exist in the mucus-layer of the internode, and that many of these are loose, while others are fixed singly in the wall of a transparent vesicle ; now (apparently under an arrest of develop- ment), a gonidial cell frequently presents itself, in which a single disk, with or without its vesicles, precisely similar to one of these, is seen within or to one side of the brown chlorophyll, surrounded by a shrivelled, crenulated membrane, appearing, from its irregular mulberry-like surface, want, of motion, dingy colour, and absence of refractive granules, as if it were the re- mains of the gonidial substance which had perished from some cause or other just before it began to separate into gonidia. Moreover, in many of the disks, the nucleus is not only seen to be separated from its capsule by an annular interspace, but its granules have become larger and more distinct, and an irre- gular cavity like a contracted vesicle appears. to exist in its cen- tre. When the circular disk is enclosed within the brown matter, it may be rendered more evident by the addition of alcohol, which extracts the colouring matter completely, while the appli- cation of iodine deepens the colour of the brown matter, and gives a dark brown tint only to the nucleus of the disk. That the gonidial cells should. contain a nucleus within the brown matter is easily conceived, for on truncating a young in- ternode, sometimes, in the way which I have mentioned, parti- cularly where the green layer 1s soft and previously disturbed, the whole of the contents rush out together, and all the vesicles, both large and small, become surrounded with green disks, which, under these circumstances, present a similar appearance to that which is witnessed in the internode when the green layer has been broken up and its green disks separated into groups, preparatory to the development of the gonidia. 8 Mr. H.J. Carter on the Development of Gonidia But many of the gonidial cells are too small to contain the circular disk, and we have still to account for the disappearance of the irregular bodies of a faint yellow colour and granular structure, which appear to form a much larger proportion of the cell-contents than the circular disks. As the smallest of the gonidial cells, which may appear in the internode, is but a very little larger than the single gonidium which it contains, and others are sometimes present which may contain fifty or more, it is obvious, that although the latter may also contain a circular disk, there is no room for it in the former. Nevertheless, the small gonidial cells containing one, two, and three gonidia, as they vary in size from the 4300th to the 2150th of an inch in diameter, are provided with a body pre- cisely similar to the irregular ones mentioned, which is not in the interior, but attached to or imbedded in their cell-wall, and with the latter seems to comprise all the elements of which the small gonidial cells are composed. In this way then we can account for the disappearance of the irregular bodies. It is also not unusual to see in the older internodes, when clit contents are passing into gonidial cells, a few of the green disks in situ, as well as loose in the cavity, and their disappearance also calls for explanation, which would be difficult, if we did not frequently see some of them actually 2m situ, under the form of gonidia, among the other green disks which have not passed into this state or departed from their original linear arrangement. Whether the gonidium has here taken the place of the green disk, or whether it has been developed in its transparent vesicle, I have not been able to determine; but in an old internode, where the basal structure of the green layer has become more or less hardened, the remains of the transparent vesicles may occa- sionally be seen in their original position, while the green disks have disappeared. In the fan-shaped groups of cells too, which form part of the capsule of the globule, the red granules, which are equivalent to the green disks, may frequently be seen at- tached, like the irregular bodies, singly or in groups, to the periphery of small gonidial cells which contain one or more gonidia. This appears to be invariably the case at the dehiscence of the globule, while the absence of circulation in these cells from the commencement would indicate a corresponding scarcity of the mucus-layer and its contents. With the exception of the central cavities of the globule and nucule, I have not seen any kind of cell in the species of Chara and Nitella, which I have had under observation, that has not produced gonidia. Lastly, we have to account for the genuine starch-globules and raphides, both of which may be seen lying among the gonidial from the Cell-contents of the Characeze. 9 cells ; but in no instance have I seen the former im the gonidial cell, or been able to produce a blue colour in the nucleus of the latter by the application of iodine. Thus we have followed the contents of the internode of Nitella from the breaking up of the green layer to the development of the gonidia. Let us now direct our attention to the different parts of the gonidial cell analytically, more however with the object of adding to rather than recapitulating what has already been stated respecting it. We have seen that the mucus-investment, which appears to be derived from the mucus-layer, gives the cell the power, not only of limited polymorphism, but also of locomotion ; in addi- tion to this also, the cell possesses for some time the power of projecting thread-like flaments of extreme tenuity from its sur- face that adhere to neighbouring objects, and thus form a point @apput towards which the cell can then move itself. Subse- quently, however, these processes, apparently following the same law of development as the cell, become stiff, and then stand out like short, straight hairs, more or less thinly scattered over its circumference, and resembling a parasitic growth,—which some might consider them, as they do not appear on all the cells; but my impression is that they are what I have stated. I have also seen, now and-then, a small gonidial cell in which the hardening process appeared not to be about to take place, but, from the rhizopodous prolongations of a part of its periphery, and its con- taining nothing besides the gonidial substance, presenting rather the appearance of a polymorphic spore about to germinate than to pass into a fixed cell. Occasionally the gonidial cell, after it has become stiff and transparent, presents itself under a lenti- cular form; at others, as if a notch had been cut in it, and sometimes with a plane surface, &c., but all these irregularities appear to be caused by objects against which the cell rests while passing from its flexible into its hardened cellulose state. Iodine alone does not appear to impart any colour to the gonidial cell. Immediately within the transparent globular cell is a layer of brown matter, which, as before shown, is composed of the green disks in which the chlorophyll has thus become changed in colour. This layer is also globular, and encloses the circular disk alone or with its vesicle. It often presents a botryoidal surface, which appears to be occasioned by the presence of the gonidia inside or in the midst of its substance ; when the gonidia have been developed, this as well as its granular contents disap- pear, leaving a homogeneous, brown substance, which shrinks up into a more or less defined nucleus of a much darker colour. The brown matter is deepened in colour by the addition of iodine, and extracted by that of alcohol. In the small gonidial 10 Mr. H. J. Carter on the Development of Gonidia cells there appears to be no brown matter, but from the red gra- nules, which are the equivalents of the green disks in the fan- ‘shaped group of cells forming part of the capsule of the globule, bemg attached singly or in groups to their periphery, it may reasonably be inferred that this is the position of the so-called brown matter in them, After a certain time, the gonidial substance with its bright refractive granules makes its appearance in different parts of the brown matter, as if it were rising out of it, and then to one side in a distinct mass which acquires a mulberry-form and separates into gonidia; or the gonidia may be fully developed inside or in the midst of the brown matter before they make thei appear- ance. ‘The gonidial substance has already been described, as well as the bright refractive globules, which do not alter in colour by contact with iodine. Making its appearance then in this way, it is not extraordinary that the gonidia, in addition to their own peculiar blue-coloured mucus, which colour, as_ before stated, appears to depend on its granular contents, should, for the most part, also contain more or less of the refractive globules, and occasionally a fragment of the brown matter, which is the case. _ I have already described the commonest form of gonidium, but there is still another about twice the size, viz. 2150th of an inch in diameter, which although not so frequent, is nevertheless sufficiently so to show, that there are two sizes more common than the rest ; for we shall presently see, that the gonidial sub- stance may occasionally come out as a whole, or in gonidia of all sizes below its original bulk. This large gonidium generally presents itself under a circular or globular form, with a single cilium, but it is sometimes seen ovate or spindle-shaped like the smaller one. It must be obvious to all, that a polymorphic cell, such as the gonidium is, can have no constant figure while in a state of activity; hence at one time it may be of one shape, and at another of another; but when under polymorphism and the cilium has disappeared, a group of gonidia will evince a strong tendency to assume the same kind of figure generally, whatever ‘that may be. Thus, just after they become stationary, the form of Actinophrys Sol seems to prevail ; then the digitated form for progression ; then the diffluent form, which appears to be pro- duced by the more internal protoplasm bursting through that which is becoming hardened on the surface; and lastly, the tardy, rhizopodous form which I have mentioned; but I will not vouch for this sequence, and only instance it for example. I have already alluded to the variety in size of the gonidia, but this is an exception to the general rule, for the smallest gonidial cell, in which only one gonidium is developed, yields a Jrom the Cell-contents of the Characee. ll gonidium equal in size to the one first mentioned. It may how. ever yield a smaller one, and occasionally, in the same mul- berry-group, may be seen gonidia of different sizes ; again, some- times a whole group is composed of the same-sized gonidia, which are not more than half the size of the common form, that is 1-8600th of an inch in diameter; while occasionally a large mass is seen creeping about which seems equal in size to the whole of the gonidial substance of a large gonidial cell. Some- times a compound mass of gonidia, composed of three or more which appear to have flowed into each other, may be seen, with their cilia projecting from different parts of the circumference. I have already alluded also to the variable contents of the gonidia. In addition to the dull, bluish-green mucus, they also frequently contain more or less of the bright refractive globules, which, when the latter are beneath or in the midst of the mucus, may be mistaken for the transparent vesicles which I shall pre- sently mention. The gonidium may also contain more or less of the brown matter, and occasionally, when it is unusually large and of a Florence-flask shape, with the vesicle in front and a fragment of brown matter of a bright colour present, it is hardly distin- guishable from Astasia. - Lastly, we come to the vesicles which are seen in the goni- dium. While the gonidium retains its cilium and swimming motion, the vesicle is for the most part single, and though changeable in position with the movements of the cell-wall of the gonidium, does not appear to be endowed with contractility per se; but when it loses its cilium and sinks down to the reptant, polymorphic state, the vesicle becomes distinctly contractile, and the gonidium is then hardly distinguishable from the young Ameba or sponge-cell. Frequently in this state also it presents one or more hyaline vesicles which are not contractile, and only change their position with those parts of the gonidium to which they may be attached. We now come to the nucleus of the gonidial cell, and of this I can state little more than has already been given. It is evi- dent, that although the larger ones contain a nucleus, the smaller ones do not, unless the irregular body fixed to their periphery is to be considered its equivalent. I have mentioned that the nucleus of the large cells appears to be the circular disk of the mucus-layer, and that the latter is sometimes with and some- times without its vesicle ; also that frequently, under an arrest of development, it is surrounded by a crenulated membrane. The fine granules of which the central part is composed, appear also on these occasions to have become larger and more evident, and in one instance they were replaced by three or four large glo- 12 Mr. He J. Carter on ‘the Development of Gonidia. bules of a faint yellow colour, as if they had run together. In the larger gonidial cells, where a set of shealthy gonidia of normal size have been developed, the nucleus shrinks up with the effete brown matter into a common, homogeneous-looking mass, from which it is then undistinguishable. General Observations. Haying now described the gonidial cell synthetically and ana- lytically, let us for a few moments direct our attention to the offices of the several elements of which it is composed, _ The gonidial cell, originally a portion of the mucus-layer en- dowed with the power of motion, at first appears to gather up a number of the green disks and wrap them round the nucleus; after which it becomes separated from the contents which it has thus enclosed, and passes into a firm, transparent membrane of a globular form, which serves to isolate and protect the materials from which the gonidia are to be developed. Lastly, it fre- quently assumes a conical form, which bursts at the apex and then gives exit to its gonidia. Whether the bursting is an act of its own, or induced by the distension, of the, mucus. before mentioned, which becomes developed in it immediately after the evolution of the gonidia, and subsequently throughout the inter- node, I have not been able to determine; but the. mucus, in question is frequently seen protruding from the ruptured parts of the cell in an organized, transparent, fungoid mass, or.in.a branched form, as if it had caused the rupture. This mucus appears to me worthy of notice, from its great, re- semblance, under the organized forms mentioned, to the gonidial substance. When within the gonidial cells and in the internode, it swarms with yibrios; but when liberated, the vibrios,. after moving about for some time in the water, settle down into a form like Bacterium termo. When in the massive or. branched form mentioned, bright, refractive, blue-green granules are scat- tered through it, and there appears to be an abortive attempt at a cellular division of the mass generally. Can this be the rem- nants of germinating matter which are left about the. gonidial cells and the internode ? The power of the green disks, as well as the irregular bodies of the mucus-layer, to produce gonidia, is incontestable, for we haye seen gonidia developed in cells where nothing else but the green disk or the irregular body was present. What is the office then of the circular disk ? This I can only suggest from inference. It is perfectly evi- dent that there are corpuscles in the nucule besides the starch- globules, which corpuscles resist the blue colouring action of from the Cell-contents of the Characer. — ’ 13 iodine, and it. seems equally so, that there are, only these two kinds of bodies in the nucule ; again, these corpuscles very closely resemble in colour, and in not, becoming blue, by contact with iodine, the irregular bodies contained in the mucus-layer of the internode, while they bear in other respects also a strong analogy to them. Lastly, we now know, that a gonidial cell having one of these irregular bodies for its nucleus or peripheral appendage can develope a gonidium. Thus then, if the irregular bodies and the corpuscles be identical, we have the germs of gonidial substance and starch-globules as the contents of the nucule, the latter being designed for the nourishment of the former. May not the circular disk contain nutriment for the gonidia f—while the irregular bodies would seem to be identical with the green disks, and are indeed, in many instances, almost undistin- guishable from them, even when both are present among the contents of the evacuated internode. Thus we see a great resemblance between the formation of the gonidia and the germinating of the nucule, and in the for- mation of both with that of the “resting spore” of Algz generally. : As yet, I have never seen a new plant developed from the gonidium of Nitella, nor have I ever been able to identify their germination with that of germinating cells, which I have fre- quently seen on the surface of an internode containing the gonidia; neither did Pringsheim see those germinate which came from Spirogyra, m which he has carefully described the same kind of gonidial development as that which takes place in Nitella*. But Braun, who has followed the development of gonidia in Hydrodictyon +, states, that the larger gonidia (for there are two distinct sets, which he calls macrogonidia and microgonidia) germinate, that is, form the young water-net, while the smaller ones never do this, but unite into groups, forming a homogeneous green mass, which becomes covered with a distinct cell-membrane. This very much resembles the fungoid growth at the ruptures of and about the internode which follows the disappearance of the gonidia of Nitel/a, and which I have suggested might be the last efforts to form and to increase of the remnants of gonidial substance left in the gonidial cell and about the internode. Be this as it may, the dividing up of a body formed after the manner of a resting spore mto smaller ones, resembling gonidia, which afterwards germinate, is the * «On the Germination of Resting Spores and one form of Moying Spores in Spirogyra.’ Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist. vol. xi. p. 210, 1853. + Pub. of Ray Society, Botan. and Phys. Mem., Phenom. of Rejuve- nescence in Nature. ‘Transl. by Henfrey, p. 261. 14 Mr. H. J. Carter on the Development of Gonidia normal process of reproduction in Achlya prolifera*, as well as in Cladophora glomeratat, &c.; and therefore it. seems not im- possible that, under certain circumstances, the gonidia of Nitella might produce a new plant; but this has not yet been proved ; neither have we, I think, an instance on record of the resting spore, which commonly developes a new filament, dividing upon some occasions into small spores, which can also each produce a new filament. Although Agardh{ saw the resting. spore of Spirogyra divide up into small spores, while he was endeavouring to see the single filament developed from it which Vaucher had described, he does not state whether or not these sporules germinated, One difference between the resting spore and the gonidia is, that in the former the process of development is very slow, and in the latter very fast; hence it may be. that the resting spore is only resolved into gonidia when it. does not “oo its full time,” so to write, and therefore produces an abortive progeny; while in Achlya prolifera, where the spore does not wait until the next season for development, this is the normal process, and each small spore produces a new indi- vidual. | _ Since writing the above, I have been able to confirm some more observations which I had made some months since respect- ing another kind of passage of the cell-contents of Nitella.into ciliated sacs, viz.— About three weeks after gathering plants of MNitella) and placing them in a basin of water, the green layer of the long slender internodes becomes separated from the cell-wall, and gathered up into dark, spherical bodies, averaging about. the 100th part of an inch in diameter, or large enough to be seen: by the unassisted eye. These at first move up and down the internode with the rapidity of animalcules, but afterwards lose this power of locomotion and become stationary. They then present, under the microscope, the appearance of resting spores ;. that is to say, they consist of a dark green, globular, grumous mass, invested with a trans- parent spherical cell. This green mass, in all that I have examined, has been in an active state of rotation, first one way and then the other, by means of short cilia which covered \its surface, like those on the spore of Vaucheria Ungeri§. On being crushed between two pieces of glass, this mass was found to consist chiefly of pellets of different sizes, of a deep green colour (formed of groups of green disks, respectively surrounded * Thuret, Ann. des Sc. Nat. 3° Ser. t. 14. pl. 16, Botan. + Unger, idem, 2° Ser. t. 11. p. 1, Botan. * Ann. des Se. Nat. 2° Ser. vi. 197. § Thuret, Ann. des Sc. Nat. 2° Ser. t. xix. p. 266, Botan. from the Cell-contents of the Characez. 15 by a mucus-investment), together with a few of the common- sized gonidia, some gonidial substance, and a great number of the bright refractive globules before mentioned. Todine gave the green pellets a deep brown colour, but did not alter in ap- pearance the rest of the contents. Two days after I had collected a number of these globular bodies and placed them in a watch-glass for observation, partly in and partly out of their respective internodes, the green mass in many had become divided up into four or more sacs, which were ciliated like the parent one, and enclosed in a second trans- parent spherical cell. These also rotated individually and en masse, while the division appeared to have enabled them to throw off the greater portion of the dark green pellets, now become black, and lying loosely in a more or less flocculent state, like effete matter, in the inner cell. The third day the spherical cells had burst, and the ciliated sacs, which averaged 1-430th of an inch in diameter, were set free in the water. They now presented different appearances, according to their contents, shape and motions. All were filled with a colourless, granular mucus, charged with small vesicles, and each presented also a large '‘ contracting vesicle.” In some there was left only a trace’ of the dark matter, while in others there was a con- siderable quantity, either in an undefined shape, or in small globules. They presented both an undulatory motion of the cell-wall, and a ciliary motion of its surface. Sometimes the cilia were motionless, and lay like a halo of short radi round its circumference, though the sac was otherwise gradually changing its shape; while at others there was no appearance of cilia at all. On the other hand, sometimes the sac was rotating rapidly under a globular form, with its wall undulating and cilia playing over it with corresponding activity; the rotation of the sac ap- peared contrary to the movement of the cilia. Occasionally a sac might be seen under an elongated, oblong form, with a slowly undulatory change of shape at one end, and a languid movement of the cilia on its surface generally ; again it might be seen with mucus-radii spread out in the saine way as those of Actinophrys Sol. It would, however, be endless to describe the forms which these sacs presented ; but it is worthy of remark, that instead of being like those of the Ameba, they so closely resembled the order of one-celled ciliated animalcules, many of which were present in their largest forms, that, had it not been for the dark matter mentioned, I should have frequently been unable to determine the difference ; and I cannot help thinking it pro- bable, that many of these guast animalcules have their origin in 16 Mr. H. J. Carter on the Circulation of the a similar way, and either germinate after having become sta- tionary, or pass after a short time into dissolution, as the sacs have hitherto done which I have just described. I had forgotten also to mention, that there is frequently a considerable space between the outer and inner spherical cell just described ; and here, before the green mass has undergone division, may frequently be seen one or more of the common- sized gonidia, under their ciliated active form; which, after the division has taken place, passes into the diffluent one, when they may be seen, on the contrary, creeping slowly over the inner surface of the external spherical cell, in a polymorphic state. The tenacity to life of the green matter and mucus-layer after the death of the cell-wall is so great in the species of Zygnema, to which I shall have occasion to allude presently, that although all the filaments broke down from the destruction and dissolution of the cell-wall a few days after they had been placed in a basin of water for examination, the mucus-layer continued to hold the spiral bands together, with but little alteration, except in form and position, for three weeks after- wards, when the whole began to break up into small parcels of green matter, of variable sizes, below the 700th part of an inch in diameter, each of which is now rounded with a mucus-in- vestment that is carrying them about under the form of Actin- ophrys Sol; but with a halo of short cilia in many, immediately round the circumference, in addition to the long radii. Whether they will ultimately germinate, or their contents—now of a bright yellowish-green, but still presenting a tint of brown in it—pass into gonidia, time will show ; but from the brownish tint, I should think the latter the most likely sequence. Circulation. What is commonly understood by the “ circulation in the Characez,” is, that the cell-contents move round the internode ; but this is a very vague idea of the phenomenon. There is but one part that moves, viz. the mucus-layer; and another part which is circulated, namely the axial fluid; while the green layer, so long as it is uninjured, remains stationary. The axial fluid, as before stated, is impelled by the uneven surface of the mucus-layer, as may be seen by watching the motion of a bunch of the raphides when struck by one of the mucus-prominences. It will then present not only an accelera- tion of its progress, but, the force having been communicated to the radiated crystals next the mucus-layer, causes it to rotate backwards, or in the contrary direction to that in which it is being transported. Hence, as I have before stated that the Mucus-substance of the Cell in the Characez. 17 aggregations are most prominent midway. between the lines of repose, so the greatest impetus is given to. the axial fluid and its suspended bodies in this part, while at the sides, that. is, close to the lines of repose, it is remarkably slow... This was the reason why Slack* thus designated them; but. he was wrong when he conceived that the dark defined surface. of the mucus-layer was a membrane which was fixed to these lines throughout their course, and therefore divided the ascending from the descending current, inasmuch as the opposite currents, which are closely approximated at these parts of the internode, frequently take from each other the particles which are lingering along their direction, and thus whirl them backwards and for- wards, or up and down, according to the position of the inter- node, until, by chance, they get into a more powerful part of the stream, and are then carried round the internode with the rest,—which would. not be the case if a partition existed along the lines of repose. Easy, however, as it is to describe the way in which the axial fluid is. circulated, it is not so easy to describe the property by which the mucus-layer travels round the internode. That Amici and Dutrochet should have ever considered. the green disks instrumental in any way in effecting this in the internode of the stem, shows that neither of them recollected at this time, that the mucus-layer moves round the internode of the roots of the Characez in just the same manner, where there are no green disks present; while the total absence, or rare occurrence, of gonidial cells in the internodes of the roots of Characex, we now know to be an additional reason for inferring the absence also of the green disks there, even if they were present without their green colour to make them more visible. That the green disk is occasionally seen to move per se, and to rotate actively in situ, has been observed by others as well as myself; and the observations of Donné, confirmed by Dutrochett, prove, that under certain circumstances, viz. when in a globule of the mucus-layer, they will rotate also out of the inter- node; but these are exceptions to the general rule. Again, out of many scores of observations, | have seen only two in- stances in which the green disk (in an old internode, where most of the contents had passed into gonidial cells) presented each a cilium’; also, on one other occasion, three green disks) an situ, in an internode where the circulation was going on rapidly, presented each ashort thick cilium in active motion ; but these, * Trans. Soc. of Arts, vol. xlix. pt. 1, 1833. + Varley, Trans. Soc. of Arts, vol. xlix. pt. 2, 1833. + Ann. des Sc. Nat. 2° Ser. t. x. 1838, Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser.2. Vol. xvi. 2 18 Mr. H. J. Carter on the Circulation of the again, may be conceived, from what I have stated, to be very rare occurrences, and, as such, are only worth remembering. The only change in the green disk which is frequently observed, is its transition from its common elliptical to a circular form, which generally accompanies a cessation of the circulation; but not always, for the former is sometimes seen when the circula- tion has been permanently arrested, and the latter when it is going on with great activity. The contraction, however, of the green layer as a whole, when the internode sustains even a slight injury, 1s worthy of notice. The same thing takes place in Zygnema (nitidum, mihi). On one occasion, when testing the evacuated contents of a truncated internode with tincture of iodine, I observed a fragment of the green layer, which was projecting from the orifice of the inter- node, to tremble rapidly when the iodine touched it; this motion, after a few seconds, became rhythmical, and then slower and slower, until it altogether ceased; thus exhibiting the same kind of convulsive motions as muscular fibre under similar circumstances. When one end of an internode is truncated with a sharp instrument, as before stated, the whole of the loose contents rush out, while the green layer remains within the internode, but retracted both from the orifice and sides of the cell-wall; and it is this contraction which appears to be the principal agency in causing the rapid expulsion of the mucus- layer, which I may here mention is every now and then drawn back into the internode spasmodically, from a contraction, ap- parently, of its own substance, and perhaps a momentary relaxa- tion of the green layer at the same time. In what part of the green layer this contractile power resides, I am not able to state; but as the green disks are appended to vesicles which thus make up the green layer, and the irregular bodies of the mucus layer, which appear to be almost identical with them, have also an appended: vesicle, which, a certain time after they have been exposed to the water, contracts to such an extent as to become undistinguishable from the irregular body itself, it may be the contraction of the vesicles of the green disks which produces the general contraction of the green layer. Be this as it may, the movement which is the chief object of our consideration here is that of the mucus-layer. It has already been shown, that this is mdependent of the green layer; and this, combined with the power of polymorphism and locomotive agency which it presents when investing the groups of green disks preparatory to passing into the firm gonidial cell-wall, seems conclusive of its possessing an inherent power of mobility independent of any other influence, so long as it remains un- altered, and within an uninjured internode. The movement of Mucus-substance of the Cell in the Characeze. 19 rotation may appear both peculiar and unaccountable; but that of the sponge-cell, when under progression, particularly in an elongated form, is identical with it. If we watch the latter, we shall see the granules that are attached to the upper part of the cell move rapidly forwards until they arrive at the advancing boundary, where they sink down, become stationary, and remain there until the rest of the cell has passed over them, when they again ascend from behind, and again are carried on to the an- terior border ; and so on, as the cell progresses, after the manner of a flexible wheel. Thus the mucus-layer in the internode of Nitella rolls round an imaginary oblong axial plane, whose edges correspond with the lines of repose, where, as a matter of course, there is a long linear eddy, in which the mucus is almost stationary, as well as the axial fluid and its particles immediately beneath. Were any further proof wanted of the independent contrac- tion or movement of the mucus-layer, that might be cited which I have mentioned when endeavouring to account for the con- tractility of the green layer; but, in addition to this, I have seen the mucus-layer in an internode of the root of Chara verticillata, when the rotatory movement has been returning after having. been arrested, stretch itself directly across the internode, from one part where it had become aggregated into a large mass. The jerking movements which are seen in this mucus after it has been allowed to escape from the internode in the way mentioned, seem to be owing to the successive bursting of the vesicles with which it is filled; but its diminution in bulk is indicative of something more than common. contractility. Lastly, in the cells of the species of Zygnema mentioned, there is not only a ceaseless irritable contractility exhibited in the mucus-layer next the cell-wall, but also throughout the mucus- threads suspending the cytoblast; and although this motion is not rotatory, which indeed it could hardly be, with the cytoblast so suspended, yet here and there, and particularly against the septa at the extremities of the cell, aggregations of granular mucus, enclosing one or more faint yellow-coloured bodies, like that of the cytoblast, frequently present themselves, which are as unceasingly active in their polymorphism (stretching out their processes here and there) as any portions of Spongilla or Ameba that the eye meets with. I have since seen in the youngest, or terminal cell of a filament of introverted Zygnema with single spiral band, a distinct but very irregular travelling up and down of the mucus-layer, exactly like that of the Characee. It can only be seen in the long delicate young cell, where the spiral band is stretched out, and where the minute granules of the mucus are congregated to * 20 Mr. H. J. Carter on the Development of Gonidia such an extent as to indicate the presence of the moving trans- parent protoplasm. Thus the phenomenon of motion in Zygnema, in Spongilla, and in the Characez being exhibited by the same kind of sub- stance, in organisms so nearly allied, and in instances where there is evidently no direct connexion between it and the parent plant, leads me to view it in all as modifications of one common property, and that property a vital endowment of the same nature as contractility or power of motion generally throughout the animal kingdom. Bombay, January 1855. Postscript.—Since this paper was written, I have taken a dif- ferent view of the nature of the so-called “ gonidia” in it, viz. that they may be Infusoria, perhaps of the family Astastea (Khr.), and that the “ciliated sacs ” may have had a similar origin. Contrary to what Pringsheim has stated (Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. xi. 1853, p. 294 et seg.) respecting the integrity of the cells of Spirogyra, wherein he witnessed a similar process of development of gonidia to that which I have described above in Nitella, viz. that a supposition of such gonidia being “ foreign structures, not belonging to the Spirogyra, would be an altogether inadmissible hypothesis, since they are formed in the interior of the closed filament-cells of the Spirogyre, directly from their con- tents,” &c. ;—contrary also to what I have myself stated above respecting the formation of the same kind of gonidia in the cells of Nitella, and where I might have also added that the cell-wall did not show any signs of decay or unsoundness until the * gonidia” were developed in the one instance, and the “ ciliated sacs ” in the other ;—I have nevertheless, from recent observa- tions, been induced to doubt the correctness of this view. While examining some filaments of Conferva in which the cells had become divided into resting spores, I perceived that one of the capsules was so far empty, that it contained nothing but a single large Astasia, which was filled with the chlorophyll and other granules of the spore, part of which had turned brown ; and although the capsule of the spore was fresh and the vaginal sheath of the filament unruptured, there was a small round hole in one part passing through both that was not more than the 1—4300th of an inch in diameter, and about which the Astasia was lingering for the purpose of making its exit, but having gorged the whole of the contents of the spore, this was of course impossible. Here then was an infusorium with a transparent flask-shaped sac terminated by a long cilium, distended by the granular con- tents of the spore, and so incarcerated, that it must either die from the Cell-contents of the Characeze. 21 in the spore-capsule or pass into an ovarian sac and develope its progeny much in the same manner as we have seen the “ gonidial cells”? in the internode of Nitella. At all events, the hole by which the Astasia entered was visible, and from its minuteness indicated a very minute size of the Astasia originally compared with that which it presented when I saw it. Again, from Stein’s valuable observations on the development of Vorticelle (Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. ix. 1852, p. 471), and latterly my own observations on this family, I can easily conceive, from the extreme minuteness with which the germs might leave the ovary of Vorticella, their rapid development under favourable circumstances, and their multiplication by fissi- paration and gemmation, even when barely changed from their larval or infant, monadic form, how accidental holes may exist in the internode of Nitella, or in the cell of Spirogyra, Cladophora, or any other filamentous or thalloid Alge, large enough to admit such germs and gemme, and yet pass unnoticed by the microscopist, though not by the voracious young of Infusoria. Whenever a cell in the filamentous Algz shows by derange- ment of the granular chlorophyll or gonimic contents that its functions have ceased or become interrupted, several gonidia similar to-those developed in the cells of Nitella may be seen swimming about it and trying to get into it, which they do immediately the cell-wall gives way, and then fixing on its mucus-contents devour them. — - | All this seems to point out that the so-called gonidial develop- ment within the cells of Nitella is anything but spontaneous, while it favours the view which I have now taken, that it is infusorial. But as we see the fragments of the contracted chlorophyll- bands of Spirogyra retaining their freshness and greenness while wrapped in their mucus, for weeks after the cell-wall has passed into dissolution, a question may suggest itself, whether the con- tents of a resting spore when quickly swallowed by an infu- sorium which dies soon afterwards, might not germinate to a certain extent, under such cireumstances—the sac of the infu- sorium supplying the place of the capsule of the spore. If so, indeed, then an infusorium would after this manner appear to develope a plant.. On the other hand, if the chlorophyll turns brown, that may be considered a sign of the death of the spore- contents ; and if anything arise out of this, it must be viewed as the progeny of the infusorium, such as the so-called “ gonidia ” appear to be which I had described above as developed from the eell-contents of the Characez. This “ postscript ” will not invalidate the facts in my paper, although it may affect the reasoning, from tending to change 22 Mr. 8. P. Woodward on the Animals of our view of the nature of the “ gonidium ” so called therein, and make it an infusorium instead of a zoospore, of which much more might be said in support if this were the place for it; and although one of the facts brought forward in proof of the independent movement of the mucus, was the polymorphism and locomotion of the gonidial cells which it was supposed to have composed, there are sufficient reasons left for my still re- taining the opinion, that its contractility is not the effect of any chemical process of nutrition that is going on in the cell, though it may not be uninfluential as a physical agent in this process. I1.— Descriptions of the Animals of certain Genera of Conchifera. By S. P. Woopwarp, Esq., F.G.S. My pear Sir, I HEREWITH send you some more figures of the animals of cer- tain genera of Bivalve shells (Conchifera), which Mr. Woodward has made for me, and the notes he has appended to them. These animals have been shortly noticed by me in my paper on the Arrangement of Bivalves in the ‘ Annals,’ vol. xiv. p. 21. I am, my dear Sir, yours truly, J. E. Gray. Dr. Francis. Solen (Cultellus?) Javanicus. Singapore. Mantle-lobes united, covered with wrinkled epidermis ; siphons very short, fringed ; no ventral orifice ; pedal opening terminal. Foot straight, compressed, truncated, attached by small suspen- a, a', adductor muscles; J, liver ; h, heart ; Pp, palpi. sors—two beneath the hinge, and two in front of posterior ad- ductor. Palpi very large, oblong, pointed, attached lengthwise. Gills long, narrow, equal, plaited transversely. A long curved portion of the intestine lies close to the left side, bordering the palpi. | [This is a species of the genus Pharus.—J. E. G.] certain Genera of Conchifera. 23 Glauconome rugosa. Philippines. Manile-margins plain, united ; pedal opening anterior, rather large. Siphons longer than the shell, moderately thick, united nearly to their ends, retracted, by inversion at half-length, into the branchial cavity, where they project beyond the centre of the =~ a', a, adductor muscles; p, p, pedal muscles; r, retractor of siphons ; b, e, pedal opening. shell ; orifices frmged. Foot moderately large, thick, linguiform, heeled; suspensor muscle attached close to, but distinct from, the adductors. Palpt very large, broadly falciform. Gills two on each side, long and plaited, rounded in front, the outer pair shorter and furnished with a plaited dorsal flap. In G. curta the siphons are much shorter and more deeply divided; the branchial was introverted at its extremity in the specimen examined. Anomia ephippium. Animal unsymmetrical ; mouth and byssus twisted to the right side. Mantle quite open, except for a space of five lines at the hinge ; its margin double, slightly fringed (no ocelli). Gills two on each side, unsymmetrical (the right pair shortest in front), very delicate, flat (destitute of internal partitions or gill- tubes), crescent-shaped, tapering to a point and united poste- riorly ; suspended by two falciform membranes (m) forming three dorsal channels, the lateral incomplete ; outermost gill-laminz free at the dorsal edge, and furnished with a broad reflected mar- gin or supplementary gill (r, 7); mmnermost laminz also unat- tached, but united to each other throughout their length, the united edges passing to the /eft side of the body in front. Mouth on the under side, between the ligament and byssal plug. Lips narrow, plain, longest on the right side, confluent with the gills ; (palpi obsolete). Foot small, cylindrical, expanded at the end and grooved, supported by two muscles from the left valve. Byssus large, laminar, passing through a nearly complete fora- men in the right mantle-lobe, and attached by a powerful muscle 24 Mr. 8. P. Woodward on the Animals of to the centre of the left valve. Adductor moderate, indistinctly composed of two elements ; pallial line continuous. Sexes di- Fig. 1. SMa ean we === ——— Fig. 2. WH, — S Ee E— = = S SN Yy i Se UY Fig. 1. Animal lying in its upper (left) valve; right mantle-lobe turned back in front. Fig. 2. Animal in right valve, with left mantle-lobe removed. Fig. 3. Section of gills. , i, ligament ; 0, mouth; f, foot; u, anterior; p’, posterior pedal muscles; p, p, byssus and byssal muscle; a, adductor; v, ventricle; i, rectum; g, generative organ; m, gill-suspensors ; 7,7, reflected gill-margins. certain Genera of Conchifera. 25 stinct ; generative organs combined with the right mantle-lobe. Ventricle exposed, not perforated by the rectum. There is an admirable memoir on the structure of Anomia by Dr. Lacaze-Duthiers, in the Ann. Sc. Nat. 1854, t. ii. p. 1, with figures. These and some drawings by Mr. Albany Hancock have been compared with the example here represented. [This description differs in many particulars from that given by Mr. Clark in the ‘ British Marine Mollusca.”’—J. E. G.] Placuna placenta. Singapore. Animal nearly symmetrical, free (or attached by a byssus when very young). Mantle quite open, its margin fringed with large and small cirri, and furnished with an inner pendent border. Adductor round, subcentral. Gulls as in Anomia, their outer margins grooved. Pallial muscle reduced to two fasciculi in AN HA — Hil pp vinci Qf GFZ j Mi i. Right valve with the animal, as seen on removing the left mantle-lobe. 1, ligament; c, cartilage; p, pedal muscle; f, foot; h, liver; g, gene- rative gland; v, ventricle; a, adductor; 7, rectum; 0, 6, branchio- pallial muscles. front of, and one behind, the adductor. Pedal muscle minute, anterior, attached to the upper (left) valve. Foot small, cylin- drical, tubular (very extensile?). Laps short and wide, becoming striated inside near the gills. Generative organ and rectum attached to the right mantle-lobe. Ventricle exposed, not per- forated. 3 Tt will be seen by the figures that Placuna is essentially like Anomia ; both are very different from Ostrea, and more like the 26 On the Animals of certain Genera of Conchifera. Scallops. Carolia (Hemiplacuna) is a Placuna with the hinge and byssus of Anomia; Placunomia has no pedal muscle, like Placuna sella ; whilst Anomia pernoides has an anterior pedal sac in each valve, as pointed out by Dr. Gray. Anatina subrostrata. Philippines. Mantle-margins united ; no ventral orifice ; pedal opening quite anterior, minute. Stphons united, thick, not entirely retractile into the shell, covered with rugose epidermis ; orifices small a, a', adductors ; g, single gill; 0, eavity of ossicle; J, liver; 4, palpi: the termination of the alimentary canal in the exhalent siphon is indicated by dotted lines. (fringed ?). Foot very small, compressed. Gills one on each side, long, narrow, very thick and deeply plaited, furrowed at the lower edge, not continued into the branchial siphon ; dorsal border free, nearly as wide as the gill. Palpi very long, narrow, free, striated inside. Modiolarca trapezina. Falkland Islands. Mantle-lobes united, leaving only three small, subequal ori- a, a', adductors ; p, p’, pedal muscles ; J, pedal opening ; /, liver; the gill- tubes are distended with spawn. fices, the interspaces with two rows of cirri; branchial opening Mr. P. H. Gosse on new or little-known Marine Animals. 27 with a fringed border, the others plain. Anterior adductor muscle larger than the posterior. Foot with a small flat sole, crenulated at the edge, deeply grooved behind and byssiferous; pedal muscles small in front, large behind, close to the adductors. Palpi very small. Gills oblong, finely striated; the outer ones not quite so deep, furnished with a dorsal border, their free edge grooved only in the middle. This remarkable shell, which resembles the Palzeozoic Modio- lopsis in the large size of the anterior adductor, is found attached by its byssus to floating weed in many parts of the Southern Ocean. III.—Notes on some new or little-known Marine Animals. By Pure Henry Gossz, A.L.S. [ With two Plates. | (Fascis II.*) Class ARACHNIDA. Order ACARINA. Fam. ORIBATADZ. Genus Hazacarus (mihi). Body covered above with a well-defined shield, either entire or transversely sulcated; under surface divided across the middle : rostrum head-like, consisting of a bulbous lip tapering to a point, divided longitudinally beneath, allowing the protrusion of a pair of slender filiform mandibles; palpi terminated by a fang-like unguis: feet cursorious, tipped with two falcate ungues; di- rected two forward and two backward; thighs remote. Marine. Name from @As, the sea, and d«apt, a mite. Sp. 1. H. rhodostigma (mihi). Plate ITI. figs. 1-5. Body divided above and below ; claw of palpus slender, little curved ; legs nearly equal; thighs of first pair ventricose ; claws of all simple ; whole surface minutely punctured. Description.—Length znd of an inch from anus to tip of rostrum ; colour pellucid whitish, stained with pale red on the anterior half; above and below studded with punctures, which, under a high power, take the form of rosettes (whence the specific name, from podoy, a rose, and oTvyp7), a point), or the spots on a panther’s coat (fig. 4); the punctures are conspicuous on the first thighs, but are scarcely visible on the other limbs. The * Fasc. I. appeared in the ‘ Annals’ for August 1853. 28 Mr.P.H. Gosse on new or little-known Marine Animals. haunches are moderately distant at their origin, sprmging from the margin of the body, the shield being notched to give them exit ;. the third joint of the legs is the largest, much swollen in the first pair (fig. 1); the fifth is also large, and the sixth (the terminal one) is long, but slender, tapering abruptly from the middle ; the claws (fig. 5) are simple hooks, much curved, neither pectinated nor tipped with an accessory piece, but the joint from which they spring is tipped with two nearly parallel styles : the legs are equal in length. The shield of the body above is subtruncate in front, but pro- jects in a small medial point (fig. 2); its general form is long- oval, with a transverse sulcus at the origin of the second legs; this sulcus, however, does not extend across the whole breadth, being met on each side by a bent longitudinal sulcus, which cuts off a wing-like portion, on which is seated a large crescent- shaped dark eye. Below, the body has two transverse divisions (fig. 1) ; one at the origin of the first legs, another at the origin of the third; these two impart the aspect of the division into head, thorax and abdomen, of a beetle: there is also a narrow longitudinal portion separated on each side. The rostrum (fig. 3) forms a thick bulb tapering to a point, from which during life I observed two apparently soft, flexible, filiform, divergent organs (mandibles ?) protruded and retracted (fig. 1). At a strong shoulder on each side of the rostrum, about one-third from its point, is articulated a palpus of four joints, of which the second is by far the largest; the terminal one is a style, slightly curved, pointed, and furnished near the base with two strong bristles on the imner side, and one on the outer. All the joints of the legs are armed with a few short bristles. The vulva (fig. 1) occupies a large oval area at the hind part of the venter, and the anus is terminal. This little species is not uncommon at Weymouth, among sea- weeds from low-water-mark ; aud I find it in my tanks, crawling up the glass, always immersed ; doubtless introduced with weed- covered stones. Sp. 2. H. ctenopus (mihi). Plate III. figs. 6-10. Body divided below only; claw of palpus a stout pointed hook ; hind legs longest, but otherwise alike ; claws of all pecti- nate ; whole surface smooth. Description.—Length of body to tip of rostrum 4nd of an inch ; colour dark-red above with a white line down the centre of the back ; under parts cream-white, very satiny ; legs trans- parent-corneous. The shield of the upper parts (PI. IIL. fig. 6) is entire, nearly oval, but projecting into a point over the rostrum ; Mr. P. H. Gosse on new or little-known Marine Animals. 29 its margins are sinuated and notched at the emission of the legs, and the excavations at those parts are still more strongly marked on the under surface. Beneath (fig. 7) there is a transverse sulcus opposite the origin of the third pair of legs, but bent for- ward on each side to the second pair; a longitudinal bent sulcus exists on each side, whose limits are undefined. The vulva and anus are both on the under surface, the latter small and situated behind the former, which is large and oval, and both are enclosed in an oval area. . The rostrum (fig. 8) is a globose bulb, drawn out to a more lengthened point than in the former species, its tip extending to the third jomt of the palpi. The palpi (fig. 9) are usually pro- jected parallel to the rostrum, but are capable of divergence ; the jomts have nearly the same relation to each other as in H. rhodostigma ; but the third bears a stout spur-like spine on its inner face; and the fourth, which is stout at the base, much curved inward and acute, is armed with another spine, but longer and more slender, which likewise points inward and forward. The legs (fig. 6) are consimilar, except in length; the first and second being to the length of the body as 4} to 53, the third and fourth as 63 to 53; hence the hind pairs are just half as long again as the fore pairs. The coxe of the first and second originate close together, but the others are remote from them ‘and from each other. The joints are nearly cylindrical, but di- minish slightly to the last, which bears two very moveable sickle- shaped ungues. Each unguis (PI. III. fig. 10) has an accessory piece set on the under side of its extremity, and is strongly pec- tinated all along its concave edge. Hence the name, from xtels, a comb, and zrovs, a foot. . ; No eyes were visible, unless a black speck on each side of the bulb of the rostrum was an eye, which I much doubt, from the position of the conspicuous organs of vision in the former spe- cies. Found (a single specimen) with the preceding. Whether either of these species has been described before I cannot certainly say. Fabricius (Spec. Insect. 11.491; ed. Hamb. 1781) has included two Norwegian marine Mites, Acarus zostere and A. fucorum, which he briefly describes ;—the former as « A. subrotundus, albidus, abdomine rufo ;” the latter as “A. pal- lidus, lineis duabus flexuosis nigris, pedibus posticis brevissimis incurvis.”. Meagre as these characters are, they are sufficient to show that neither of my species was intended. M. Paul Gervais in his ‘Aptéres’ (iii. 253) mentions that M. Dujardin had described a marine Oribates, in the ‘Journ. de VInstitut’? for 1842; but he has not given the characters, and I 30 Mr. P.H. Gosse on new or little-known Marine Animals. have not been able to find any trace of such a species in the ‘Comptes Rendus’ for that period. | The only British marine Mite yet recognized, so far as I am aware, is the Halarachne halicheri of Professor Allman, which is widely different from these in form and habit, beimg parasitic within the nostrils of a Seal. The form now described I cannot refer to any of the published genera: the dorsal shield seems to locate it among the Oriba- tade, and near to Belba and Galumna; but in the form and structure of the rostrum, there is a curious affinity with Raphi- gnathus among the Trombidiade. Class CRUSTACEA. Order Poposomata. Fam. PycnoGonip@. Genus PHoxicuitipium (M.-Edw.). P. olivaceum (mihi). Plate IIT. figs. 12, 13. Rostrum thickened at each extremity, hollowed in the middle, 2rds as long as first joint of mandibles; the portion of the first segment of body anterior to the first pair of legs, about as long as rostrum ; fourth joint of first pair of legs dilated ; all the legs four times as long as the body; colour olive. This species is perhaps one of the many British forms of this family, which Leach says were in his possession, but which he had not had an opportunity of determining. I found it at Wey- mouth, in the low spring-tides of April. The characters above given are those in which the specimen differed conspicuously from the P. coccineum of Dr. Johnston, by comparison with his figures in the ‘ Mag. of Zool. and Bot.’i. pl.13. My specimen was ith of an inch in length, exclusive of the members ; a female, bearing the globose egg-masses that characterize the genus. Fig. 12 represents it of the nat. size; and fig. 13, the fore-parts magnified. Order EpriopHTHALMA. Fam. CYAMIDA. Genus Cyamus (Fabr.). C. Thompsoni (mihi). Plate III. fig. 11. -Body about 3th of an inch in length. Five pairs of feet equally developed ; all 5-jointed ; all with the penultimate joint large and ovate. Third and fourth segments each furnished with a single. small oval appendage. This species was obtained by Mr. Wm. Thompson of Wey- mouth, after whom I have named. it. It was attached to one of Mr. P. H. Gosse on new or little-known Marine Animals. 31 two specimens of Hyperoodon bidens, the capture of which in Portland Roads was recorded in the ‘ Annals of Nat. Hist.’ for November 1854. Four species of Cyamus are enumerated by M. Milne-Edwards in his ‘ Hist. Nat. des Crustacés ’ (iii. 113), from all of which this specimen differs signally. Indeed that eminent carcinologist’s résumé of the generic characters must be modified to include this species, which yet is an indubitable Cyamus. “ The first pair of feet,” he observes, “ are difficult to perceive when we look at the animal from above ;—they are com- posed of five joints, and are terminated by a minute sub-cheliform hand, slightly oval. The second pair are very large, hooked, and composed of only four distinct pieces.” Now in this new spe- cies, the first pair do not differ either in form or size from the second, third, fourth or fifth pair ; the hand is as stout, as ovate, and the claw as strong and as much hooked as in the second pair, while this latter pair are composed of five joints as distinct as in the others, and in no wise differing from them. Class ANNELIDA. Order Cu zTopopa. Fam. NEREIDZ. _ Genus Syxuis (Sav.). Sp. 1. S. tubifex (mihi). Head lobed ; post-occipital segment equal to the following ; antenne moniliform ; tentacular cirri antenniform ; feet lobed, armed with one pencil of hooked sets ; superior cirrus shorter than the breadth of the segment, not moniliform : animal fissi- parous, minute, inhabiting a membranous tube. Description.—Body 4rd of an inch long, dirty-white, composed of about forty-five segments. Head small, the lobes well developed and deeply divided, clothed with short hairs. Eyes large, widely diverging; those of each lateral pair about equal in size, and placed so close as to be sometimes in contact. Antenne three, moniliform, clothed with short bristles ; the central one nearly twice as long as the others, composed of about twenty-five well-marked joints; the outer pair having about twelve each. Proboscis long, the outer portion about 3-the length of the inner. Frontal margin of outer part serrated ; inner part covered with small oval tubercles, set closely in quincunx, and in trans- verse rows. Post-occipital segment not larger than the rest ; furnished with two tentacular cirri on each side, of which the upper is about twice as long as the lower, equalling respectively the an- 32 Mr. P.H. Gosse on new or little-known Marine Animals. tenne. Those of the two following segments are similar in length and structure, being all antenniform. Segments slightly incised, much broader than long. Foot short, subconical, obtuse, and divided at the tip into three or four lobes ; armed with a bundle of bristles, each of which bears a terminal hook very freely jointed on an oblique knob. Supe- rior cirrus shorter than the breadth of the segment, tapering, not moniliform. Inferior cirrus scarcely projecting beyond the foot, ovate and leaf-like. The bundles of hooked bristles consist of about sixteen each, but. those near the tail appear to have only about twelve. I can- not find any accessory pencil of fine hairs by the closest pressure ; but the long slender pair of internal plates are present. The internal surface of the head-lobes is clothed with vibratile cilia, by the action of which a strong uniform current is drawn into the mouth. The current passing down along the antennz may at first be supposed to be produced by cilia on these organs, but I could not detect any on close examination. The inferior surface of each foot is also strongly ciliated, and vortices are produced on each of these organs, the whole forming a powerful current from head to tail. ) This is one of the species that increase by spontaneous divi- sion from the posterior portion of the body.. There was, at the tail of the specimen described, an incipient young one of about five or six segments, triangular in its general form and little de- veloped, but well separated, by an incision, from the parent. This species I frequently found in my glass jars of sea-water at Ilfracombe, especially in those in which I was keeping the Hydroid zoophytes. It climbs to the surface, and then along the very edge of the water, forms a slender membranous tube attached to the glass, open at each end, within which it dwells. If touched at either extremity, it issues forth at the other with much agility, wriggling its segments in lateral undulations. No drawing was made of this species. Sp. 2. S. dongiseta (mihi). Plate IV. figs. 14-21. Head not lobed; antennz short, not moniliform ; no tenta- cular cirri; feet obtuse, simple, armed with two pencils of bristles, of which the inferior are twice the breadth of the seg- ments; superior and inferior cirri equal, minute; inhabits a membranous tube. (Fig. 14, nat. size; 15, magnified.) Description. — Head round, not distinctly lobed. (fig. 16) ; three antenne, slightly fusiform, not moniliform, shorter than the breadth of the head, set in a transverse line; four eyes, brick-red, reniform, the inner pair set a little behind the outer, and rather smaller: no tentacles or tentacular cirri. Mr. P. H. Gosse on new or little-known Marine Animals. 33 Segments about thirty-eight, nearly alike in size, but those of the middle parts more separable ; diminishing abruptly at the tail. Feet slightly developed for the first five or six segments ; thence thick, with a semi-oval lobe projecting from the upper portion (Pl. IV. figs. 17 & 20), from which protrudes a fan-like pencil of bristles, which are short (about as long as the foot), slightly curved, consisting of a slender shaft with a terminal notched knob, bearing a short curved blade set in the notch; this blade is longer in the upper bristles (fig. 18) of the pencil than in the lower ones (fig. 19). The lower pencil (figs. 17 & 21) consists of very long, simple, finely-pointed bristles (about twice as long as the breadth of the body), which project laterally or posteriorly, and are not retractile ; these long bristles do not appear till the 10th segment, and disappear at the 32nd. The tail consists of two fusiform appendages, much resembling ee antennz, about half as long as the greatest width of the ody. _ Colour hyaline, slightly tinged with yellow. Total length zth of an inch. Found at Weymouth on the side of a glass in which I had placed atuft of Rhytiphlea. It makes a gelatinous tube attached to the glass (fig. 14), in which it moves freely backwards and forwards by means of its long sete. Order CH@TOPODA. Fam, SABELLADZ. Genus Ornonia (Johnston). Gill-fans two, composed of several soft, thick, curled-inward, pectinated, ciliated stems set like a star around the mouth : body composed of twelve to thirty-five segments, all furnished with lateral pencils of bristles, but without hooks, Animal inhabits a membranous tube, open at both ends, which it often forsakes. The discovery of two other species of this genus renders ne- cessary a revision of the generic characters; as some of those enumerated by Dr. Johnston (Loudon’s Mag. N. H. vin. 183) are merely those of the single species then known, O. Fabrice. Sp. 1. O. Fabricii (Johnst.). — Plate IV. fig. 22. Segments fourteen ; first and last with a pair of eye-like spots : pinnee of gills graduated in Jength ; bristles simple. Description.—Head with two well-defined eyes, and a ring of vibratile uncinate cilia. Gill-fans wrinkled; pinnated; the pinne long, and so graduated that the tips are level; they often curl Amn. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser.2. Vol. xvi. 3 34 Mr. P. H. Gosse on new or little-known Marine Animals. inward at the tips; their colour is a clear green. Segments four- teen, all but the last two furnished on each side with a pencil of stiff long bristles, few, converging to their tips, deeply seated, nearly straight, but curved forward at the points, simple ; wholly retractile. Last segment round, with a pair of well-defined eye- like spots. Length ;',th of an inch. This little species is common at Weymouth, coming out of tufts of Rhytiphlea pinastroides when these are kept im glass vases. The little Annelid crawls up the side of the glass, often going tail-foremost ; a curious fact, when considered. in con- nexion with the eye-like spots on the last segment, which cannot be distinguished from the true eyes of the anterior extremity. It is possible that this may be the immature condition of one of the succeeding species. The ring of uncinate cila suggests youth. Sp. 2. O. Bairdit (mihi). Plate IV. figs. 23, 24. Segments above thirty, without eye-spots at either extremity ; gills each composed of five or six stems, set with a double row of short pinne: bristles with an oval expansion at their base, Deseription.—Gill-fans two, ample, each consisting of five (or six) stems divided almost to the base, each set with a double row of short ciliated pinne, not graduated, curling inwards in a plumose manner. Segments (in the specimen described) thirty- four, all but the last two with pencils of bristles; three in each pencil (fig. 24) very short, finely-pointed, with an oval blade-like dilatation at the base of ‘each, The segments diminish quickly but gradually to the last, which forms a blunt point, and is un- spotted. No eyes are visible on the head, nor any ring of cilia. Length th of an inch ; colour whitish-green, opaque ; gill-fans hyaline. : A single specimen was found with the preceding, at Wey- mouth, in April. I have dedicated the species to my esteemed friend, Dr. William Baird of the British Museum. Sp. 3. O. Johnstoni (mihi). Plate IV. figs. 25-28. Segments above thirty, without eye-spots ; gills each of about sixteen stems, some of which are simple, others set with gra- duated pinnz: bristles with an expansion near the tip. Description. — The gill-fans are composed of many (about sixteen) stems, some of which are quite simple, others set with numerous long, but graduated pinnz in two rows, and others in an intermediate condition, the pinne being rudimentary or short (fig. 26). The stems (fig. 28) are hollow, with close-set transverse lines (septa ?); and the pinne are covered with small Mr. P: H»Gosse on new or little-known Marine Animals. 35 vibratile cilia. These fans are very deciduous, for, in captivity, I have seen the animals voluntarily throw off in succession more than a dozen of the stems, separating them at the base : probably they are renewable, as I know to be the case, from repeated observations, in Sabella. Segments about thirty-three ; nearly equal, except that: they diminish rapidly at the posterior extremity, tapering somewhat abruptly to a blunt point. All but the last two are furnished with graduated pencils of bristles, about eight or ten in each pencil. In those of the anterior segments the bristles are of two forms (fig. 27), the shorter consisting of a slender, acutely- pointed stem, which is dilated near.the tip into an oval plate, through the centre of which the stem passes; the longer ones are of essentially the same structure, but the dilatation is gra- dual and elongate, and therefore blade-like or lanceolate. Both kinds end in finely-drawn points, which are much curved. To- wards the hinder part of the body all the bristles take the latter form. The animal throws off at will a transparent gelatinous mem- brane, which forms a tube just large enough to hold its body, and the sides of which are pushed out by the bristles during their movements. Length } an inch; colour greenish-white. ) I have named this species after Dr. George Johnston, who may be called the father of our marine invertebrate zoology. It is the most common of the three at Weymouth, being found abundantly in shells and stones, dense sea-weeds, &c., from tideé- marks and deep water. Class POLYZOA. , Order INFUNDIBULATA. Fam. VESICULARIADA. Genus NoLexta (mihi). Cells erect, subcylindrical, springing singly, but closely, from an undefined polymorphous incrusting mat ; tentacles eighteen, forming a bell. Name from nola, a little bell. N. stipata (mihi). Plate IV. fig. 29. Cells about ;1,th of an inch long, whitish, sub-opaque. _ I found. this species numerous in mats on the fronds of Phyl- lophora rubens, dredged between the Abergavenny and Portland Breakwater, in Weymouth Bay. It is very near Bowerbankia, but the number of its tentacles distinguishes it from all recog- nized genera, except Avenella (Dalyell), from Which, PEE it 36 Mr.C. Spence Bate on the Homologies of the Carapace totally differs in habit and form. The opacity of the cell pre- vented me from discerning whether it has a gizzard. EXPLANATION OF PLATES III. anp IV. Puate III. . Halacarus rhodostigma, magnified, ventral surface. . Ibid. dorsal surface of trunk. . Ibid. rostrum and palpi. Ibid. punctures of surface. Ibid. ungues of foot. H. ctenopus, magnified, dorsal surface. . Ibid. ventral surface. . Ibid. rostrum and palpi. . Ibid. right palpus. 10. Ibid. one unguis of a foot. 11. Cyamus Thgmpsoni, magnified, ventral surface. 12. Phowxichilidium olivaceum, nat. size. 13.. Ibid. fore-parts magnified. Piate [V. 14. Syllis longiseta, in its tube, nat. size. 15. Ibid. magnified. 16. Ibid. head, somewhat laterally. 17. Ibid. a right foot seen from behind. 19. Ibid. sete of the upper pencil. 20. Ibid, a middle segment, from above. 21. Ibid. the same, from below. 22. Othonia Fabricii, magnified. 23. O. Bairdii, magnified. 24. Ibid. a pencil of setee, more enlarged. 25. O. Johnstoni, nat. size. ‘ 26. Ibid. magnified (middle segments omitted). 27. Ibid. bristles of two forms. 28. Ibid. a portion from a stem of the gills, with two pinne. 29. Nolella stipata, magnified. | CO DONT OTB Go tO Prelit bi bbbttd LE bila bees £ ke IV.—On the Homologies of the Carapace and on the Structure and Function of the Antenne in Crustacea. By C. Spence Barn, F.L.S. &c.* [With two Plates. | In the class Crustacea the most anterior articulation is that which supports the eyes. This is shown most conspicuously in the genus Squilla, in which animal it is united by a free joint with the next succeeding; but if this lucid example were want- ing, the relative position of the ophthalmic ring in advance of any of the rest is clearly manifest in the larva and pupa stages of the Decapoda. Dissection moreover leads to the same conclusion. Upon * Communicated by the author, having been read at the Linnean Society, April 17, 1855. Année Mag. Nat. Hist, S.2.Vol.16. Pl. IIT. “ nee ws op Ka? a 3 | Age " 7 te TDe C. Sowerby. se PEP un jars a ee ee gente = tas esas 4 Ann & Mag. Nat. Hist. $.2 NoL.16. PIV. 4 rT iM eas ; 2" \ ne J De C. Sowerby se* ae Lome fro a ye, Slie — Pw a | een, oe r- nc LPN mesh and on the Function of the Antenne in Crustacea. 37 laying bare the cephalic ganglion, we find that the two anterior branches of nerves pass to the eyes, the central being the motor oculi, the outer the ophthalmic, and lead direct to the organs of vision. In all the higher tribes, except the aberrant family of Dia- stylide (Say) (Cuma of M. Milne-Edwards), the eyes are borne on moveable pedicles. In the Brachyura the ring which bears these pedicles is free, but unlike Squzl/a, instead of being seen distinctly in advance of the animal, it is enclosed within and covered by the anterior portion of the carapace ; I say that it is covered by, and not absorbed into, the structure of the integument which forms the anterior portion of the external skeleton of these animals. If we throw off the carapace we shall find that the calcareous representation (Pl. I. fig. 1 a) of the ophthalmic ring occupies a position between and connecting the two eyes, lodged in a fossa (Pl. I. fig. 2 w) formed by the interspace between the dorsal and ventral arches of the second ring, the superior antennal, which arches approximate in the Brachyura so closely, that, as in the genus Cancer, they meet in front of and enclose the ophthalmic ring, leaving the point of union visible only by a distinct suture (Pl. I. fig. 3a). Thus the ophthalmic ring is: covered by and not fused with the rest of the testaceous skeleton ;—it therefore takes no part in the development of the carapace of the Decapod Crustacea. The superior antenne succeed the eyes, and with the excep- tion of the genus Squilla, the ring which supports them is always fused with the succeeding, the inferior antennal. These two form a closely associated part im the anterior structure of the animal, and together build up the whole of that portion of the carapace which is in advance of the cervical suture, and which, I. think, I shall be able to show, forms almost the whole of the carapace in the Brachyura,—half of the same in Macroura,—and that it lessens in importance as the animal descends in the scale of nervous centralization. If we turn our attention to the lower forms, we find that in the Cuma and other allied genera of the Diastylide, the eye (for the two coalesce so as to form but one) is developed nearly in the centre of the carapace ; but this appearance is only the result of the great development of the lateral angles of the carapace, which meet in front and form what appears like a rostrum ; they never unite, but are distinctly separated through the centre of the so-called rostrum, as well as on either side of that portion which supports the antennal rings, which occupies a small island as it were in the centre of the carapace (PI. I. figs. 4, 5 & 6). _ The fact which dissection has enabled us distinctly to make 38 Mr.C. Spence Bate on the Homologies of the Carapace out, that the small central patch bears the two antenne, that the external angles of the carapace which pass in front and surround it posteriorly, carry the mandibles, demonstrates the relation of one portion of the carapace to the other, and that the line of separation round the antennal centre homologizes with the cervical suture of the Macroura. The constant position of this suture in all Crustacea when present is the same, and forms a line of demarcation between the third and the fourth rings, and therefore visible in its posi- tion external to the inferior antenne ; and M. Milne-Edwards’is most assuredly wrong when he attributes the depressions on the carapace, which terminate in the central notch of the orbits of the Brachyura, to be the representatives of the cervical suture of the Macroura. If we wish to judge of its position in the Brachyura, it is but just that we should make a careful investigation of the structure of the animal in its immature condition. In the so-called pupa stage of the Crab, we find that the inferior antenne are attached to the extreme horns of the carapace (PI. 1. fig. 7), but these horns are folded beneath the animal ; it is this reflexion which afterwards forms the orbit in which the eye is lodged. - The position of the antenna, anchylosed as it is with the der- mal skeleton in all. the Brachyura, still holds the same, therefore by inversion the cervical suture must be inferiorly inside, but still within the limits of the carapace; such a suture is plainly demonstrable in most of the Brachyura (Pl. I. fig. 10; and Pl. II. fig. 1), and separates the inferior antennal (a) from the mandibular rmg (0); it extends posteriorly to the extreme limits of the carapace, forming as it were two’ side pieces, the epimerals of M. Milne-Edwards: this line unquestionably homo- logizes with the cervical suture of the Macroura. , If we turn our attention to the development of the nervous system in these various animals, we shall find that centralization decreases in an inverse ratio with the development of ‘that ‘por- tion of the carapace which is posterior to the cervical suture, and vice versd, that centralization is most perfect when that portion of the carapace which is anterior to the cervical suture is largest. In the Brachyura the nervous ganglia are in the highest de- gree consolidated, and in the Spider Crabs the most perfect cen- tralization exists; there we shall find that the cervical suture, the line of union between the inferior antennal and mandibular rings, 1s so lateral, that the two side pieces of the incomplete mandibular ring are reduced to much less importance than is. to be found in any other tribe of the whole class. In the genus Cancer, &c. the line of union remains but partially anchylosed, and splits when the animal throws off its exuvie. | and on the Function of the Antenne in Crustacea. 39 In the Galatheade, the development of the mandibular ring shows a closer approximation to the Brachyura than to the Ma- eroura, in which latter the two antennal rings occupy but one-half of the whole carapace, the mandibular ring furnishing the re- mainder; whereas the Paguride assimilate closer in the deve- lopment of the same portion to the Macroura,—a circumstance in its position among Crustacea corroborated by the fact, that pre- vious to their taking possession of the shell of the mollusca, they exhibit all the characteristics of a perfect Macroura. Here, when the neryous centre commences its first tendency to separate into numerous distinct but less important ganglia, we find those rings which carry distinct organs of sense, and furnished by nervous filaments from the cephalic ganglion, decrease in a rela- tive proportion to the rest of the animal: this, which we see very apparent in the Macroura, is carried to the greatest extent in the Diastylide, where the carapace is constructed almost wholly of the mandibular ring, having but a small area in the centre which bears the antenne. And more, the carapace extends pos- teriorly so as to envelope only the Gnathopods; the rest of the thorax being complete in the development of each separate ring. Lower in the scale we find that the whole thorax, including the Gnathopods, is perfect in its distinction from the cephalic ring, which. latter is so reduced in importance as to differ little in ap- pearance from that of a single rmg; whereas consolidation still remains, and embraces within the compass of this one ring the whole of the seven anterior. But. we have seen in the descending scale of nervous force the rings which carry the organs of consciousness degenerate in im- portance, and yield to a corresponding development of the man- dibular ring ; this law appears still to be in force in the Amphi- poda, the lowest type of the Macroura form, in which I am inclined to believe that the mandibular ring represents the whole of the upper portion of the cephalic articulation ; the anterior three being so diminished in importance, that they are to be found. only in the perpendicular anterior wall of the head *, or perhaps represented by their appendages only. Since the present paper was communicated to the Linnzan Society, the author has had the opportunity, through the kindness of Mr. J. Lubbock, of perusing Dana’s great work on Crustacea, and it is but just he should state, that the conclusions, which careful and long-continued observation of the homologies ~ * An example of which may be seen in the manner in which the two first joints of the external antennz are absorbed in the frontal aspect of Talitra ; a circumstance overlooked by naturalists, who have invariably de- scribed this genus as having but three instead of the constant fiye articu- lations to the peduncle of the inferior antennz. — 40. Mr.sC.Spence Bate on the Homologies of the Carapace of the:carapace of Crustacea had induced him. to arrive at, are in some of the most important points anticipated in the work of the United States’ Exploring Expedition. But since they have been arrived at by independent research, the regret with which the author found his deductions forestalled, are to a considerable extent removed by the important testimony of so learned and correct a naturalist as Mr. Dana. The follow- ing two sentences are taken from the first volume of that author ; the italics being in the original text :— “‘ Weare therefore led to believe, that the so-called ‘ciianioanlen or ventral pieces of the carapax, are in fact the posterior exten- sions of the mandibular segment.” (Page 27.) +5 jase ©... Milne-Edwards thus makes the larger part of the carapax “epimeral i in character. «< Excepting that we consider what is here ealled epimeral, the mandibular segment, we agree with Edwards, for the most, part, im the above-mentioned deduction ; so that while the mandibular segment is confined to the ventral j pieces of the Brachyural cara- pax, it constitutes its posterior half im Macroura.’ (Page 82.) The author also has had the opportunity at the British, Mu- seum of seeing the plates in Kroyer’s great work on the Natural History of Scandinavia, where he finds the carapace of Cuma Rathkii (Kroyer) (the Alauna rostrata of Goodsir) is figured with the so-called rostrum separated from the antennal region, as drawn and described in this paper. The Anterior or Internal Antenne. These organs are borne by the second ring, and supplied with nerves from the cephalic ganglion. The anterior antenna is evidently of importance to the animal, and is always present in aquatic Crustacea: as a general law it consists of an articulated peduncle of three joints, which I believe 1 am correct in asserting, unlike those of the external antenna, are never anchylosed together or with the carapace, and a terminating filament, which is generally double, often treble, but I believe never single, above the Amphipoda. . This appen- dage is various as well as unequal in length, and in every species that I have examined, whether in Brachyura, Macroura, Am- phipod or Isopod, will invariably be found furnished, in addition to the small hairs common to other parts of the animal, with long, delicate, membranous cilia, in form varying in genera and species ; they are always larger than the ordinary hairs, but much more delicate in structure. These vary in number and im thickness of clusters, but, as far as my experience goes, are imvariably present on the upper antenna. and on the Function of the Antenne in Crustacea: 41 In the Anomoura, Macroura, and all below, the antenna gra- dually increases at the base. In) the Brachyura this increase is immensely developed in the first or basal articulation. Exami- ning this organ in the larva, I thought I observed what I took to bean otolithe*; this led my attention to the same in the. adult Brachyura, and there I found, upon breaking open the basal ar- ticulation, what appeared to be an imperfect kind of cochlea, Afterwards, in company and with the assistance of my friend Mr. Howard Stewart, we were enabled to trace distinctly the nerve which supplied this antenna directly to the centre of the cochlea (for such I believe it is), as I feel convinced that the upper antenne are auditory organs. But since the general opinion up to the present time has been that they are olfactory and not auditory, and as the external an- tenn are invariably considered as auditory and not olfactory; I shall ‘withhold any further discussion until those organs have been: deseribed. | In the lower forms of Podophthalmia, as also in the Sessile-eyed Crustacea, the basal joint of the antenna is not enlarged, neither have I been enabled to find any structure answering to the internal cell; on the other hand, the whole organ increases in length, as if to gai by external surface what is lost by internal development. Among the land Crustacea this antenna is obsolete, and in Lagia and other amphibious marine ones it is rudimentary. The Inferior or External Antenne. _ These are borne upon the third ring, and are among the most constant organs present. One of these antenne is formed of a peduncle consisting as a general law of five articulations and a filament, generally multiarticulate and very long; these are sometimes anchylosed together so as to be even as few as a single articulation. . The five joimts of the peduncle are all distinct in the Macroura. In Amphipoda the first and second are closely associated, but * In Macroura, Dr. Farre states that he found.sand deposited in the base of theinternal antenna, which he assumes to act the part of otolithes; this the author has failed to find, and, from the fact that the membrane over the orifice spoken of by Dr. Farre is imperforate, thinks it probable that the specimen examined by that observer must have been injured. ©. It may be. that in this communication sufficient justice is scarcely done to Dr: Farre’s researches, since the short abstract published in the ‘ Annals’ for 1843 has been the only means the author had at his disposal to become acquainted with them. But if, as he thinks, Dr. Farre’s researches on the Macroura corroborate his on the Brachyura, then the evidence is strong against the generally received opinion of naturalists and physiologists, including among them Edwards and Siebold. 42 Mr.C.Spence Bate on the Homologies of the Carapace searcely fused. In Brachyura the whole, more or less, certainly the four first, almost always coalesce, and are generally formed into a very compact mass, so that their position can only be indicated in Sternorhynchus by the presence of the olfactory open: culum. In the Macroura this operculum is absent, and an orifice pro- tected by a thin membrane represents the position of the organ. In the Amphipoda the organ is developed in the form of a strong spine or tooth with an orifice at the extremity*. In the lsopoda I have not been able to decipher with confidence the organ of sense in the inferior antenna, but that it exists can scarcely be doubted, since the lower antenna, except in parasitic Crustacea, as the female of Bopyrus and Iona, is I believe never rudimentary. The nerve which supplies this organ is afifth pair or a branch of the fourth. In the Brachyura, in which our dissections have chiefly been made, the fourth pair of nerves extends beyond the inferior antenna, and then terminates in the muscles whicks raise and close the olfactory operculum. This organ, which is described by M. Milne-Edwards as an organ of hearing, differs in its construction’ in the different families of Crustacea. In the Brachyura it is a small moveable appendage, situated at the point of articulation between the. third and second joints ; it is attached to a long calcareous lever- like tendon, at the extreme limit of which is attached a set of muscles by which it is opened and closed, to assist in which operation at the angle of the operculum most distant from the central line of the animal are fixed two small hinges. When the operculum is raised, the internal surface is found to be per- forated by a small circular opening protected by a thin membrane. Among the Macroura this orifice exists at the extremity of a small protuberance, and is not capable of being withdrawn into the cavity of the antenna, as in the Brachyura. The next question which we have to consider is, to which sense either of these two sets of organs belongs ;—whether the upper belongs to the auditory and the lower to the olfactory, as I shall endeavour to prove, or vice versd, as maintained by Prof. Milne-Edwards. We shall divide the evidences on either side under two heads ; the first, that which is derived from an external observation ; and the second, that which is derived from its internal organization. First: then from external circumstances : An auditory appa- ratus isan organ furnished to an animal for one or both of two objects ; first, for protection from danger ; ear for the plea- * This will be more enlarged upon in the fietheouing Report at the next Meeting of the British Association. and on the Function of the Antenne in Crustacea. 43 sure derivable from sounds. To animals so low in the scale of beings as the Crustacea, placed as they are in a medium which must considerably modify its character, sound can convey little to the consciousness of the animal beyond a sense of security or danger. To enable this to be of the most extensive value, the auditory organ must and always is so placed as to be most exposed to external impressions at all periods ; particularly when the animal is at rest or pre-occupied. | ~ Now if we look at the organ the present state of science attri- butes to the sense of hearing, we find that in the most perfectly formed animals, the Brachyura, it is enclosed within a bony case and secured by a calcareous operculum ; that it is always so in a state ‘of ‘rest, and only exposed when especially required. Not only is ‘this the case throughout the order, but in some genera, as ‘Corystes, Cancer, &c., it is again covered by the supplying organs of the mouth. If we take into consideration that the inferior antenna is fre- quently developed into organs assimilating to feet, and fre- quently used for the purpose of assisting to climb, &c., it seems difficult to admit that it is an organ capable of protecting the animal by its’ quick detection of the sound of approaching danger. ‘© Tf~we turn our attention to the superior antenna, we find that in’ the living animal it is always elevated in the water and never at rest,—always playing with a constant vibration and a jerking motion peculiar to itself in the higher orders. Among the Am- phipoda, though constantly erect, the motion is more regular and graceful ;this probably is consequent upon the greater relative length of the organ. o/ “This organ is ‘one that appears as if always on the watch ;—let the animal be at rest, let it be feeding, no matter, the superior antenna is ever elevated and on constant guard. (Again, if we turn our attention to the land Crustacea, we find the organ as an antenna disappear ; and in Ligza and the amphi- bious Orchestide they are rudimentary, as if the organ, passing from water into a less dense medium, required modification in order'to adapt it to the change of circumstances. If we take into consideration the nature of sound, and its dif- ference of character when conveyed under water from that of passing through air, the obtuse character of the former, which ean scarcely be more than a vibratory action of particles of water, which conveys to us a very modified and imperfect idea of sound, we find it difficult to understand that the organ situated at the base of the under antenna is capable of receiving 44. Mr. C, Spence Bate on the Homologies of the Carapace impressions of sound, enclosed as it is within and covered by a stout calcareous operculum. But if we view it as an organ of smell, every objection pre- viously becomes evidence in favour of the idea. The small door when it is raised exposes the orifice in a direction pointing to the mouth; this also is the direction of the same organ im all the higher orders. In Amphipoda it is directed inwards and for- wards. In every animal it is so situated that it is impossible for any food to be conveyed into the mouth without passing under this organ, and of this the animal has the power to judge its suitability for food by raising the operculum at will, and expo- sing to it the hidden organ—the olfactory. If we turn to the upper antenna, we find that its position, form and power are as capable of fulfilling the office of conducting the sensation of sound, as the lower is that of smell. As I before observed, it is always placed erect, and continually feeling in the water for the first approximation of sensation. The filamentary appendages are always two or more, one of which is supplied with singularly delicate membranous cilia, being apparently pro- longations of a similar membrane to that which covers the larger orifice of the olfactory organ. These lengthened and delicate cilia are peculiarly adapted to receive and convey the most minute vibratory sensation of the medium in which they are suspended. These organs when spoken of may conveniently be designated as auditory cilia, and have been found in every species of Crus- tacea that has been searched for them. If we turn our attention to the internal structure of this an- tenna, we shall find that it supports the idea of its bemg an auditory organ more forcibly than its external analysis. | In the Brachyura, as before observed, the first or basal arti- culation is largely developed ; if it be removed from its connexion with the animal and broken open, the basal articulation will be found occupied by a still smaller chamber having calcareous walls of a much more delicate character than the integumentary structure. This internal chamber or cell is that which in this paper is supposed to be a cochlea, from its analogy both in its structure and supposed use to that organ in higher animals. It is situated in the cavity of the basal articulation of the antenna, and attached to the walls furthest from the median line of the Crab. It presents a tendency to a spiral form, but passes not beyond the limits of a single convolution. The calcareous walls extend across the axis of the ideal spire, and the internal cavity is one continuous irregular chamber, the walls of which at the centre of the axis closely approximate so as almost to meet. Pl. II. figs. 3, 4, 5, 6. J Bastre se - | 3 3 { | Ann. ke Mag. Nat. Hist.8.2 e116. PL. 20 diameters . JS Basie SC. and on the Function of the Antenne in Crustacea. 45 This internal cell represents, we think, the cochlea of higher animals, to which it bears some resemblance both in form and structure. If so, then beyond dispute it identifies the superior antenna as an organ of hearing. : The.internal structure of the inferior antenna differs ver materially from the appearances we have just described. In the Brachyura, where the organs are most fully developed, there is attached to the operculum a long osseous tendon or lever, by which the attached muscles raise or close the entire organ, but there is no internal structure of any kind which could. identify it.as being an organ of sound. The aqueous sac mentioned by Edwards I have entirely failed to discover. Viewing the two antenne each as a whole. in their relative posi- tions and connexion with the rest of the animal, we are forcibly led to the conviction that the upper antenna is an organ of hearing, and the lower antenna is an organ of smell. EXPLANATION OF PLATES I. anp II. PLATE I. Fig. 1. The ophthalmic ring and appendages of Cancer Pagurus isolated from its position. Fig. 2. The internal aspect of the two antennal and the anterior portion of the mandibular rings of Cancer Pagurus. F F F shows the line of fracture in consequence of the removal of the upper portion of the carapace. A A. The inner or anterior antennal ring, the supposed limits of which are shown in dotted lines. : w. The fossa which is exposed by the removal of the ophthalmic segment. x, z. The internal extremities of the orbits. y, y. Cavity exposed by the removal of internal antenne. B BBB. The external or posterior antennal ring, the limit of which is defined anteriorly where it is fused with the anterior antennal ring by the dotted line, posteriorly by the margin of the cesophageal opening Ai, by a ridge between B and C, where a line of separation is often, if not always visible, and the line P, which splits in some of the Brachyura when they throw off the exuvie. z. The white spot in the deep hollow shows the position of the olfactory organ (auditory of M. Milne-Edwards, Von Siebold, &e )s C CCC. The fourth or mandibular rmg; epimeral of Prof. Milne- Edwards*. m, m. Calcareous tendon of mandible. * The author anticipates being able to demonstrate, in the Report on the Amphipod Crustacea for the British Association, that the so-called epi- merals of the thorax, in the Sessile-eyed Crustacea, are in fact the first jomt of the leg. If this be correct, and the so-called epimerals in the Brachyura be admitted as the fourth or mandibular ring, the side pieces or epimerals of authors will be found to have no existence,—a circumstance which the author affirms to be the case. 46 Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. On the Function of the Antenne in Crustacea. 3. The anterior aspect of the internal or first antennal ring isolated from the rest of the carapace, answering to A A A in fig. 2, which is the internal aspect of the same. : a. The line of demarcation between the dorsal and ventral arches, which enlarges at (e) to permit the organ of vision to pass through. b, 6. Portions of the orbits. ce. The superior antenna in situ. f. The foramen through which the nerves and muscles pass to the superior or internal antenna, which is here removed. d,d. Depressions left by the removal of the external antenne, the extremity of the third joimt of the peduncle of which here rests, with which it is almost fused. Carapace of Diastylis (Say) Rathkii, Kroyer, = Alauna rostrata, Goodsir, Bell: dorsal aspect. ; 4. . 5. Ditto: ventral aspect. 6. Lateral view. Carapace of Cancer Pagurus: pupa stage; ventral aspect. Do. do. do. : lateral view. 7. . 8. Carapace of Astacus fluviatilis: dorsal aspect. 9. 1 . 10. Carapace of Corystes Cassivelaunus : lateral view. — PLATE IT: . 1. Carapace of Cancer Pagurus; ventral aspect. . 2. Cephalic ring of Erichthonius difformis, to show the relation in which it stands to the carapace of Podophthalmia. The antennal rings, which in the Sessile-eyed order are absorbed within the posterior, are here produced in dotted lines (a)*. The letters in all define the homological divisions. a. The two antennal rings. 6. The mandibular. The line between a and 3 is the limit of separation between the rings and homologies in Brachyura with the cervical, suture in Macroura. , 3. The anterior or internal antenna of Cancer Pagurus. The dotted line at (a) shows the position of the internal cell. Ls 4. Posterior view of the basal articulation of the antenna, showing the internal or auditory cell (the presumed cochlea of the author), 5. Anterior view of the internal cell; the outer or dermal walls of the antenna being broken away. 6. Internal view of the cell, which is broken to show the relative ar- rangements of its walls. il 5d The author would wish this passage to be accepted only provisionally for the present, as, since the paper has been in the hands of the printer, on examining some specimens of Gammarus which had been saturated in dilute acid, he thinks he has identified a line or suture which must _ homologize with the cervical suture in the higher types. Should further research establish the fact, then it must result that the inferior antennal, as well as the mandibular segment, enters into the structure of the first or cephalic ring of the Amphipoda; but this he hopes to discuss soon more at large elsewhere. e* On Double Monstrosity in Fishes. 47 V.—On Double Monstrosity in Fishes. On the 19th March last, M. de Quatrefages exhibited to the French Academy of Sciences a living specimen of a double mon- strous Fish. The observations made by M. de Quatrefages on the occasion of this exhibition have given rise to a discussion upon the phenomenon of double monstrosity m Fishes, in which several of the most distinguished physiologists of France have taken part, and although, as might be expected from the nature of the subject, no very decisive results have been ob- tained, there seems to be every reason to hope, from the zeal with which these gentlemen appear to be devoting their atten- tion to the solution of the interesting question of the mode of production of these monstrosities, that their researches may eventually throw considerable light, not only upon the particular phenomenon in question, but also upon the origin and deve- lopment of the normal embryo. For this reason we have thought it advisable to give a short account of some of the leading state- ments that have been made, in the hope that by so doing we may call the attention of some of our readers to this interesting subject. The monster exhibited by M. de Quatrefages had been ob- served by him for a period of nearly two months. When he first received it, it consisted of two young fishes, completely separated from each other and adhering to the opposite sides of a vitellus, which. exhibited a deep notch in front. Hach of these embryos exhibited a certain amount of deformity,—one, the largest, had the face deformed and the eyes entirely wanting, whilst the other parts of the body were perfectly developed ;—in the other the head, was well-formed, the body humped and the tail twisted. The two abdominal veins (afterwards converted into the vene porte) were in their usual position, and their ramifications spread over the whole surface of the vitellus, communicating at their extremities with the roots of the vitelline veins, which afterwards form the hepatic veins. It is remarkable also that numerous anastomoses united the last ramifications of the abdo- minal vein of each embryo with those of the vitelline vein of the other, so that a continual interchange of blood took place. [Ac- cording to M. Coste the circulation in double monsters is common to the two embryos,—-the greater part of the blood which has eirculated'in the body of one passing into the vessels of the um- bilical vesicle [abdominal vein], whence the greater part of it is eonveyed by the vitelline vein to the auricle of the other embryo and so on, and in accordance with this reciprocal circulation the contractions of the two ventricles take place alternately. 48 On Double Monstrosity in Fishes. M. de Quatrefages, however, states that such was not the case in two instances observed by him.] On the 19th February, nearly a month after the specimen came into the possession of M. de Quatrefages, and about six weeks after its exclusion from the egg, the two embryos were close together and ready to unite on one side of the abdomen, whilst on the other they were still separated by a considerable space occupied by the vitellus. When exhibited to the Academy, the vitellus was nearly gone, and the larger of the two was nearly ready to feed. It had originally been placed to the right of the vitellus, but had become superior, lying somewhat across the smaller and more deformed individual, which it carried about with it. The conclusion at which M. de Quatrefages arrives with re- gard to this monster is, that it is formed by the coalescence of two originally distinct embryos, and that the vitellus from which it was developed was also double, the point of junction being in his opinion indicated by the deep notch already mentioned at the anterior part of the vitellus. This opinion is also shared by M. Serres. M. Coste however maintains that there is only a single vitellus and umbilical vesicle, since at whatever period these monsters may be observed, the vesicle is always simple ; and this view is further supported by the intimate connexion between the circu- latory systems of the two embryos. He considers that as the external lamina of the umbilical vesicle really forms a common abdominal wall enclosing the vitellus, it is impossible to regard the two embryos as distinct individuals developed at the poles of a double vitellus and becoming coalescent at a late period of their growth, as they are actually united from the first into a single organism by this membrane, and their subsequent union is only effected by the gradual contraction of this membrane as the vitellus becomes absorbed. This conjugation is consequently a primordial phenomenon, and of a much more intimate nature than one of simple adherence, such as the case cited by M. Geof- froy Saint-Hilaire, in which two chickens, hatched from two separate yelks contained in the same egg, were found to adhere to one another by the belly. M. Lereboullet holds the same opinion with M. Coste, regard- ing the primitive simplicity of the vitellus, and his observations (made upon the eggs of the Pike) appear to be tolerably con- clusive upon this point. He states that in the eggs of the Pike the development of the embryo commences at the moment when the blastoderm has almost completely enclosed the vitellus, by the formation of a small triangular tubercle on the blasto- dermal ridge (bourrelet blastodermique), and that from this On Double Monstrosity in Fishes. 49 centre, the embryonic fillet. takes its, rise. In many cases the ridge of the blastoderm bears two tubercles, from each of which an embryonic fillet is produced, and the further develop- ment. of these gives rise to double embryos of various kinds. . It appears from a statement of M. Lereboullet, that the formation of these monsters may be determined at pleasure by placing the eggs.in unfavourable conditions for development. .M, Lereboullet describes the formation of several varieties of these double monsters. 1. In some instances two tubercles were produced on the margin of the blastoderm, from each of which proceeded a fillet furnished with a dorsal furrow, forming two embryos. adhering to the marginal ridge. Soon afterwards the divisions of the vertebre made their appearance, the external ones having their ordinary form and dimensions, whilst the in- ternal. gradually became confounded, passing from the body of one embryo to that of the other, thus causing the partial amal- gamation of the two embryos. In this manner a double fish is formed, arising from two primitive germinating points produced upon the blastodermal ridge, so as to become partially joined ; it has therefore two separate bodies with a common tail. A spe- cimen of this description, in which the fusion of the double em- bryohad, extended to about the middle of the body, lived for four. days after exclusion from the egg. 2. In. other eggs the blastodermal ridge gave rise to a long and» broad. fillet, terminated anteriorly by two rounded lobes. Two.parallel furrows made their appearance in the fillet, and soon exhibited the vertebral divisions, whilst the anterior lobes acquired; a, determinate form, and each produced two ocular vesi- cles, ‘constituting an embryo with a single body and two distinct heads.,, In, these cases however the duplicity was transitory ; the two heads.soon came in contact, and became soldered together — in such-a manner as to form only a single head. M. Lereboullet has observed. these phenomena in about fifteen instances, but could.never ascertain in what manner the fusion of the two heads )was .effected. In some cases the two heads appear to remain distinct. 3. One of the most remarkable monstrosities is that presented by some embryos with a single head, two separate bodies, and one or two. tails. 'These are formed in the following manner :— the ridge of the blastoderm, which has the form of a gaping | ~ button-hole, produces a single cephalic tubercle, but the forma- tive processgoes on in the whole circumference of the margin, each half:of which acquires a chorda dorsalis and a nervous cord, and soon exhibits the divisions of the vertebra. When the cephalic tubercle is short and only gives rise to the true head, each of, the two bodies is furnished with two auditory capsules, Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser.2. Vol. xvi. 4 50 On Double Monstrosity in Fishes. two pectoral fins and a heart; but when this tubercle is more elongated, the anterior part of the body is simple, and bears two eyes, two auditory capsules and a single heart, and the body is terminated posteriorly by two short branches. 4. This organization of the ridge of the blastoderm imto a double embryo seems to explain an extremely curious form which only occurred once in M, Lereboullet’s observations. This consisted of a simple embryo, bearing on the right side of ats body a small tubercle, directed backwards, and terminated. by an auditory capsule and an active heart. The production of this form is accounted for by the resorption of the parts of the body posterior to the heart in one of the embryos, and M. Lereboullet has witnessed the complete disappearance of one of the bodies in other mstances. | 5. In another egg the ridge of the blastoderm exhibited tw contiguous tubercles, of which one had the ordinary form of the cephalic tubercle, whilst the other was smaller and irregular. The former alone acquired a furrow and gave rise to an embryo, on one side of which the smaller tubercle was borne. 6. Occasionally bodies furnished with three heads make their appearance. One of these is described by M. Lereboullet. . It was a double embryo, composed of two bodies united behind, but quite free in front. One ofthese bodies was of the normal form ; the other bore two heads, of which that on the left was of the normal form and furnished with two eyes, whilst that on the right only ‘bore the right eye, the union of the two heads being effected at the point where the left eye ought to have been. This singular embryo was still in the egg when described ; it had two hearts, one common to the two principal bodies, situated at their bifurcation, the other placed in the angle of union of the two heads. M. Lereboullet explains the formation of this anomalous»crea- ture in the following way. He considers that two fillets have ‘been formed, one of which has been terminated by two cephalic lobes and acquired two furrows (as described under 2.), whilst the other has remained simple. These two embryos have then united posteriorly (as under 1.), producing an embryo with one tail, two bodies and three heads. 7. An extraordinary result was obtained when the develop- meut of the eggs was retarded by a considerable diminution of temperature. In this case the ridge of the blastoderm pro- duced no embryo, but contracted gradually like the opening of a bag, its substance becoming condensed and forming a mammil- lated tubercle projecting from the surface of the vitellus. This tubercle continued living, rose more and more from the surface, acquired a lingulate form, and at last constituted an elon- Linnean Society. 51 gated body, narrowed in front, divided transversely into verte- bral lamellae, without dorsal cord, or sensitive organs, but fur- nished with a heart, of which the contractions were sometimes very lively. These ‘observations, as M. Lereboullet well observes, appear to prove that the generally received opinion that double monsters are produced by the fusion of two embryos is perfectly correct, whilst that which attributes a separate vitellus to each of these embryos is not founded in fact. He considers that his observa- tions, with those of Valentin, show that there is only a single germ, but that this, by becoming developed in two directions, instead of one as in normal cases, gives rise to two more or less distinct embryos. In his opinion the ridge of the blastoderm (bourrelet blastodermique) plays a most important part in the formation of the embryo, and in fact constitutes the “ true em- bryonic germ, which is always simple and single, like the vitel- lus which is covered by the blastoderm, but when its develop- ment is deranged from its regular course, is capable of vegetating like the substance of which the bodies of polypes are composed, so as to produce various forms, which however, m their subse- quent development, always show a distinct tendency to return to the original type of the species.” PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. LINN AN SOCIETY. December 5, 1854.— William Yarrell, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. ~ Mr. Ward, F.L.S., exhibited two sets of specimens of Asplenium lanceolatum, from Jersey, both found growing on disintegrated sandstone, exhibiting a striking difference between the growth of the same species on an open sunny bank and in dense shade. Mr. John Hogg, F.R.S., F.L.S., exhibited some scales, and a piece of the scaly covering which was cut from the back of a large fish found in the river Tees, in September of this year. He stated that two fishermen observed a great fish—such as they had never before seen—left by the tide on a sand-bank, in the estuary of the river Tees. They described it as having the head of a salmon, with the back-fin like that of a perch, erect, and somewhat spiny, and the tail spreading and much curved. ‘The colour they did not men- tion, except that of the back, which was represented as being of a purplish-black. They likewise particularly observed some large scales on the front of the fish near the gill-covers, one of which Mr. J. Hogg also exhibited, and which is of a very strong bony texture. From the account of this fish so given, Mr. Hogg conceived that it could only have been a large Tunny (Thynnus vulgaris of Cuvier), which had been stranded whilst in pursuit of herrings or other small 4-* 52 Linnean Society :-— fishes. MM. Cuvier and Valenciennes in their ‘Hist. Nat. des Poissons,’ tom. viii. p. 57, separated the Tunnies from the Mackerels (Scomber), in consequeuce of the ‘‘ remarkable disposition of the scales on the thorax, which are larger and more unpolished than the others, and form around that part a sort of corselet?” They also describe the corselet of the Common Tunny thus :—“‘ Le corselet, c’est-a-dire cette portion du trone couverte d’écailles plus grandes et moins absorbées dans la peau, est considérable.” (p. 62.) ‘This, however, would seem to lead to an incorrect view of the smailer scales on the back, which are, as it were, enclosed between two skins, and are placed in a somewhat imbricated manner, resembling the arrangement of the slates upon a roof, and cannot properly be termed ‘‘ absorbées dans la peau.’”’ Mr. Hogg showed the nature of the piece of the external covering which the fishermen had cut off the back; the outside skin being of a dark, or nearly black colour, and of a coriaceous substance. The white scales, imbedded in it, are similar to those forming the corselet near the gill-covers, but they are much smaller, and so closely placed by one overlapping the other, that they constitute a perfect defence against nearly every kind of danger. The piece so cut off the back of the fish, which was done with some difficulty, resembling a portion of a shield, would seem to be (from the close disposition of the osseous plates or scales enclosed between two skins) proof against large shot, or even a ball from a musket. Both the external large plate-like scales forming the corselet, and those, arranged in a slate-like manner, be- tween the skins, are of an irregular, but somewhat round, or oval, shape. When seen from the outside of the external black skin, the plain parts between the extremities of four scales, present, by the overlapping of their edges, asomewhat regular appearance, and are of a nearly uniform size, viz. about half an inch in length, by a little _tmore than one-eighth of an inch in width, and they thus exhibit much of a diamond pattern. Mr. Hogg observed, that ichthyologists seem not to have described this remarkable protection, presented by the thick skins, and strong bony interlaminated scales, which is evidently a beautiful provision of Nature to defend these fishes from the attacks of their enemies, and especially those of their greatest foe, the sword-fish. Read a paper ‘‘ On Decaisnea, a remarkable new genus of the tribe Lardizabalee,” by J. D. Hooker, Esq., M.D., F.R.S., F.LS., and Thomas Thomson, Esq., M.D., F.L.S. The small family of Lardizabalee, which was first instituted many years ago by Mr. Brown, and chara cterized by the distribution of the ovules over the whole surface of the ovary, was afterwards admirably illustrated by M. Decaisne in a memoir in the ‘ Archives du Muséum.’ Though the peculiar distribution of the ovules has always been justly regarded as the most striking characteristic of Lardizabalee, it is by no means the only peculiarity of the order, which may be distinguished from all its near allies by a considerable number of very striking characters, sufficiently proving the distinct- Drs. Hooker & Thomson on the genus Decaisnea. 53 néss of the order even where the prominent characters of the in- sertion of the ovules and the digitate leaves are absent. ‘lhis is remarkably the case in the plant to which the authors of this paper called the attention of the Society, and of which a figure was placed on the table. This interesting plant, which was originally discovered in Bhotan, by Mr. Griffith, is briefly referred to in his ‘ Itinerary Notes,’ under the name of Slackia insignis, a name evidently imposed on a con- viction that the many striking characters which it presents warranted the establishment of a new genus, to which, however, no characters were assigned. That name having (before the publication of these ‘Itinerary Notes,’ in which it was only a manuscript designation, ) been applied by Griffith himself, in his ‘ Essay on Palms,’ to a genus of that order, the authors proposed to designate the plant now de- scribed, Decaisnea, after the distinguished monographist of the group to which it belongs, as the two genera of Orchidee which have been so called have both proved to have had earlier names. Decaisnea, Hf. & Thoms. Sepala 6, lineari-subulata. Petala 0. Stamina in flore masculo mona” delpha, in hermaphrodito parva libera. Ovaria 3, lineari-oblonga’ Ovula placentis 2 filiformibus parallelis, suturse ventrali approximatis sed ab ef discretis, inserta, indefinita, anatropa. Folliculi pulpa re- pleti. Semina indefinita, compressa; testa levi, nitida, crustacea, atro- fusca. Frutex Himalaigus erectus; foliis alternis, pinnatis; inflorescentia race- mosd, terminali; floribus paliide viridescentibus. Decaisnea insignis is a native of the temperate parts of the Eastern Himalaya, at elevations between 8000 and 10,000 feet. As men- tioned above, it was first discovered in Bhotan by Griffith. Dr. Hooker’s specimens are from the interior of Sikkim. It is an erect shrub, with large simply pinnated leaves, and a nearly simple trunk, marked by large scars after the leaves fall away, as in many Araliacee. The nearest analogy is no doubt with the section Mahonia, of the genus Berberis, but the leaves of Decaisnea are soft and thin, not rigid and prickly as in Berberis. ‘The flowers are arranged in elon- gated racemes, and closely resemble those of other Lardizabalee. Their colour is pale green, slightly tinged with purple towards the apex. The sepals are elongated to a subulate point, and there are no petals. ‘The stamens on the male flower are monadelphous, and very like those of Stauntonia or Parvatia. In the fertile flower the stamens are free and very small, but the anthers always contain pollen, so that the flowers are rather polygamous than dioicous. The most remarkable character is exhibited by the ovaries, which, though externally not unlike those of Hollbéllia, have the ovules arranged in a double series along two elevated lines, one on each side of the ventral suture, and not scattered over the whole surface of the ovary as in all the other genera. The same arrangement is preserved in the ripe fruit, which consists of three large follicles full ‘of an agreeably-flavoured solid pulp, dehiscing along the ventral 54 Linnean Society :— suture, so as to expose to view the numerous shining black seeds, in structure like those of Hollbdllia. The characters of this remarkable plant are so striking that no lengthened detail is necessary. It will suffice to call attention to its importance, as affording an indication of the value of characters in the class of plants to which it belongs. An inspection of the figure (which is intended to form one of the plates of Dr. Hooker’s ‘ Ilus- trations of Himalayan Plants’ now in preparation) shows that, not- withstanding its remarkable alteration from the character which has hitherto been considered as most essential to Lardizabalee, it is an undoubted member of that group. At the same time it illustrates, by many points of structure, the relationship of that tribe to all the surrounding orders. ‘The proof which it affords that the apparently very aberrant structure of fruit in which the ovules are scattered over the whole surface of the ovarium, is compatible in the same order with the normal structure, and is therefore reducible to it, and as it were only a modification of it, is especially interesting, and sufficiently, the authors trust, justify them in bringing the plate just completed to the notice of the Society. Read also observations “On the Identity of Pinus hirtella and Pinus religiosa of Humboldt, Bonpland, and Kunth.” By Berthold Seemann, Esq., Ph.D., F.L.S. Dr. Seemann states that a short time ago, when determining the Conifere gathered by himself in the western parts of Mexico, he was glad to find that he had amongst them specimens of the Pinus (Abies) hirtella; but on comparing them with those named Pinus (Abies) religiosa in the herbaria of Sir W. J. Hooker and Mr. Ben- tham, he observed that the latter too, without exception, had Airtel- lous branches ; and again, on examining specimens of P. religiosa growing in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew, as well as at various other horticultural establishments, he found that they did not differ in any way from those of hirtella collected by himself.' As the only difference between P. religiosa and P. hirtella insisted upon by writers on Conifere consists in the former having glabrous, the latter hirtellous branches, he was forced to conclude that all the spe- cimens of P. religiosa which he had seen in this country ought ‘to be called P. hirtella, unless it could be shown that P. religiosa had (notwithstanding Humboldt’s, Bonpland’s, and Kunth’s description) hirtellous branches. In order to ascertain this point, he addressed a letter on the subject to Mr. George Gordon, at the Horticultural Society’s Gardens at Chiswick, a gentleman of great practical ex- perience, who, in a letter dated Chiswick, Nov. 11, 1854, kindly replied, that ‘‘ having taken a good deal of interest and pains in the matter, when Mr. Hartweg was collecting in Mexico, and begged him to examine minutely Humboldt’s and Bonpland’s localities, and see what their A. hirtella was, he did so, and could discover no other species than~the ‘ Oyamel,’ or Abies religiosa..'\\He found Abies religiosa, and carefully examined the same in various’ places between 15° and 22° S. Lat.; but its chief range was about 19° and Dr. Goppert on Fossil Palms. 55. at an elevation of 9000 feet. He found it on the ‘Campanario,’ the highest point of the mountains of Angangues, 5 or,6 feet in dia- meter, and 150. feet high; at other places. very much smaller and stunted, but still the same species ;, and I have, as. well as. Hartweg, after carefully examining all these facts, come to, the decided conclu- sion that both names, P. hirtella and P. religiosa, belong to the same. species; and that the error arose. from describing imperfect speci- mens, and not having cones of A. hirtella to compare .with the ‘Oyamel’ of the Mexicans,” | Finding that Mr. Gordon’s opinion coincided so entirely with his own, in order to settle the point definitively, Dr. Seemann requested his.friend Dr. Charles Bolle, at Berlin, to examine Humboldt and Bonpland’s original specimens of P. religiosa, and to ascertain whe- ther they had glabrous or hirtellous branches. In a letter just re- ceived from that botanist, dated Berlin, Nov. 24, he says,—‘ I con- gratulate you upon your power of divination, for the authentic specimens of P. religiosa in the Royal Herbarium have certainly hirtellous branches.” We may therefore conclude that P. religiosa and P, hirtella are identical, and consider the difference thought to exist between them as entirely attributable to imperfect descriptions, As the names were both given at the same time, it becomes a ques~ tion which of the two ought to be adopted. The name hirtella might appear the most appropriate, as indicating a botanical cha- racter; but as that of religiosa is so much more diffused, and as the plant is used in Mexico, on. account of its elegant branches, for ornamental purposes on religious festivities, Dr. Seemann determines in favour of the name P. religiosa. Read further ‘‘ Remarks on Fossil Palms.” By Dr. Goppert, Professor of Botany in the University of Breslau. . These remarks are the result of a letter addressed by Dr. Seemann to. Dr. :Géppert, requesting to be favoured with a brief summary of all that) is known of fossil Palms, and they have appeared to Dr. Seemann. of so much interest as to induce him to lay them before the Linnzean Society. They are as follows :— »f- During the last,and even the first quarter of the present century,’’ says Dr. GGppert, ‘‘ so little was known of the structure of Palms, and all that was known appeared so abnormal to the scientific men of: those days, that they were only too readily inclined to class with the Palms almost all fossil plants presenting strange and anomalous forms.' This remark applies with full force to Sigillaria and Lepi- dodendron, genera belonging to the Paleozoic formation; and startling as it may be, it cannot be very surprising to us, when we consider that. even in. our own times notions equally erroneous prevail to an almost incredible extent. For instance, a principal share in the formation of coal is still ascribed by the generality of geologists to the Ferns, although it has been proved by me, bya series of careful observations on numerous carboniferous formations, that such can be claimed only for the Sigillarias and Stigmarias ; that a subordinate share only is.due to the Araucarias and Calamites, con- 56 Linnean Society :— tained in the anthracite coal; and a still less significant portion to the Lepidodendrons, the Ferns, and the remaining members of the flora of the Carboniferous period. “ A diligent study of the extinct flora has demonstrated that the Palms occur more rarely than was thought in the transition rocks and the Carboniferous formation, and more frequently than was believed in more recent formations. Generally speaking, we know at present only trunks, leaves (both fan-shaped and pinnatisect), and a few fruits of fossil Palms; flowers have as yet not been discovered, and the spathes collected have hitherto not been satis- factorily proved to belong to the natural order under consideration. These fragments, remnants of members of former creations, have been distributed under nine genera and seventy-eight species. For the trunks, there have been adopted the genera Palmacites, Brongn., and Fasciculites ; for the leaves, Flabellaria, Sternb., Zeugophyllites, Brongh., Phenicites, Brongn., and Amesoneuron, Gopp.; for the spathes, Paleospatha, Unger (founded, as has been stated, upon doubtful materials); for the fruits, Baccites, Zenk, and Castellinia, Massal. The genus Burtinia of Endlicher, placed by Unger among Palms, belongs without a doubt to Pandanee, and is identical with Nipadites. “Although our present imperfect knowledge of fossil plants renders it an almost useless task to speak of the proportion which the number of Palms bears to that of the other members of the extinct flora, yet it may be remarked that, if the number of species of the fossil flora is assumed to be 4000,—there are actually 3945 described,—Palms constitute about the eighty-fourth part of the whole. In the transition rocks no remnants of Palms have as yet been discovered; in the Carboniferous formation five species have been noticed; in ‘ Kupfersandstein,’ or the Permian formation, only two species have been collected; in the secondary class of rocks which succeeds (Keuper, Bunter-Sandstein, Muschelkalk, Lias- Jura, and Wealden formation), none have been collected except three species in the Cretaceous formation, especially in Quadersand- stein. ‘lhe greatest number has been found in the Tertiary class of rocks, viz. sixty ; twenty-nine of which belong to the Eocene system, and thirty-one to the Miocene formation. The habitat of nine spe- cies is unknown. . ‘It will be seen from this synopsis that there was a geological period when Palms were entirely wanting in the extinct flora, or when, after their first appearance on the globe, they vanished again, and after a lapse of time reappeared; a state of things, which if confirmed by future investigations, would certainly be highly curious, and is one never before observed in a like manner in any large group of plants. No species is common to two formations. Several spe- cies show a remarkable degree of resemblance with those of the flora now existing, especially some of those collected by Junghuhn in Java, as for instance, Amesoneuron calyptro-calyx, Gopp., A. dra- cophyllum, Gopp., A. fagifolium, Gopp., and A. anceps, Gopp. But it would be rather bold, perhaps injudicious, to attempt identifying Dr. Knox on the Food of certain Gregarious Fishes. 57 them, from the fragments hitherto collected, with those of the pre- sent flora. The results hitherto obtained only entitle us to say,— Palms make no exception to the rule generally received, that the laws governing the vegetable kingdom were the same in all periods of our earth’s history when plants existed; and that the species of Palms have a very local geological, as they have a very local geo- graphical distribution.” December 19.—Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. Read a Memoir “ On the Food of certain Gregarious Fishes.” By Robert Knox, Esq., M.D. Dr. Knox’s inquiries were commenced about thirty years ago, and the results then arrived at were communicated to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, in whose ‘ Transactions’ a notice of the paper was published. Since that period the observations have been repeated on many occasions, and the author does not find it necessary to alter er modify the statements which he originally made. His attention was first directed to the fact, that in the stomachs of Salmon, fresh from the recesses of the ocean, nothing is ever found except a small quantity of a peculiar reddish substance, unlike anything known to possess life. Practical fishermen agreed in the opinion, that the food of the Salmon, while resident in the ocean, was altogether unknown ; neither could they give any satisfactory account of that of the Herring. Having learned accidentally, that in a lake or lakes near Lochmaben there existed in great abundance a small fish (the Vendace) which could not be tempted by any bait, and whose food was entirely un- known, he determined to visit Lochmaben, and make this fish, so easily procured, the subject of his researches. Dozens of Vendace were taken in nets, and immediately opened; and their stomachs were found crammed with thousands of Hntomostraca, which were immediately recognized on placing a portion of the contents of the stomach undera strong lens. The species first discovered belonged to the genus Lynceus ; but several other genera were subsequently observed ; and in winter, that is to say, on the 14th of December 1832, several species of Cyclops, Mill., most abounded. The notion that the Vendace dies immediately on being taken out of the water, Dr. Knox found to be quite erroneous. It is by no means a very delicate fish, and could easily be transplanted to other lakes; but its good qualities have been much exaggerated. The author next enters into some detail on the distinctive charac- ters of a number of Vendace, both males and females, caught partly in the Castle Loch and partly in the Mill Loch, and which were carefully examined by his brother with a view to their supposed specific distinction. He treats as a delusion the idea that the males live apart from the females in deeper water, for a single draw of the net in the Castle Loch, in the presence of Mr. Murray and himself, was found to produce nine females and six males, although of forty taken in the Mill Loch at one time only two were males. 58 } Linnean Society :— Dr. Knox then turned his attention to the food. of the Char, of which some fine specimens were obtained from Windermere; and the food, of these, which also proved to, consist of Hntomostraca, was exhibited to the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The Char is a gre- garious, deep-swimming fish, and shy of taking any bait ; but never- theless it. will rise to a fly, and the common food of the Trout may be found in its stomach, although the author has not himself met with it. It does not seem to feed so exclusively on Hntomostraca, aithough these unquestionably form the larger portion of its natural food. The observations on this fish were several times repeated, and always with the same results. The Early-spring or Grey Trout of Lochleven form the subject of the next series of observations. Dr. Knox had many years ago remarked a distinction, which he is still disposed to believe may be specific, although anatomical investigation has not hitherto confirmed it, between the ordinary Trout of the lake and this, which is in the highest condition at the end of December, and in the months of January, February and March, a period in which all other descrip- tions of Trout are worthless as food for mam. On an examination of these Trout in the month of January, they were found to be filled with Entomostraca, which the author has always found to constitute the food of the early spring Trout of Lochleven. During the remainder of the year, the ordinary Lochleven Trout live on the Buccinum and the common food of Trout, with which the lake abounds; they rise readily to a fly, and may be taken with worms or minnows, or any of the ordinary bait used for Trout. In regard to the Herring, which next formed the subject of Dr. Knox’s investigations, the great difficulty was to obtain speci- mens from the deep sea in fine order, and as remote as possible from the spawning condition, inasmuch as when found near the coast the Herring is either about to spawn or has already spawned; and in these states it is more or less of a foul fish, and the food taken by it at these times is not to be regarded as its natural food in the ordi- nary state. Of the hundreds and hundreds of deep-sea Herrings examined with this view, the author remembers only three in whose stomachs anything was found excepting Entomostraca of various species. Of these three, one had been feeding on sand-eels, another on what appeared to be small herrings, and the third on a small shell-fish, apparently a Buccinum. When near the coast, and before spawning, the Herring is frequently not feeding. ‘The stomachs of a great number of Herrings taken in the Frith of Forth in January and February 1834, were found quite empty. After spawning, and while still close to the shores, they seem to take to other food, such as sand-eels and shrimps. ‘This was the case with Herrings taken off Dunbar in June 1831, at which time the stomach and intestines were loaded with putrescence, and the fish worthless and insipid, The author’s own repeated observations and those of his brother confirm the fact, already well ascertained by practical men, that shore-fisheries of fish whose habitat is the deep sea, seldom produce Dr. Knox on the Food of certain’ Gregarious Fishes. 59 the fish in prime condition. Of this truth the deep-sea fisheries of Cod and Haddock, as compared with those caught high in estuaries, also afford good éxamples. A long series of observations, establishing this position in regard to the Herring, are then given. And lastly, Dr. Knox states that his friend and former pupil, Mr. H. D. Goodsir, one of the enterprising companions of Sir John Franklin in his last fatal expedition, having’ been requested by him to push the inquiry to the utmost, that lamented naturalist undertook a series of excur- sions in the fishing-boats, not only in the Frith of Forth, but also to the fishing-ground near the Isle of May, and in the open sea. The author transcribes one of Mr. Goodsir’s letters, dated ‘‘ Anstruther, June 15, 1843,” in which he states, first, that ‘‘the Hntomostraca are at certain seasons the almost exclusive food of the Herring. There can be no doubt that they follow shoals of these Crustacea to prey upon them, for it is only when the latter make their ap- pearance on this coast that the former are seen, and when the food is most plentiful the Herrings are in best condition. It is during the summer months also that we find the larve of the more common species of Decapoda, along with those of Balani, and occa- sionally a minute shell-fish, among the contents of the stomach. Secondly, it appears to be chiefly during the winter and spring months that the Herrings take other kinds of food than the Hnto- mostraca; during these months we find the stomach oftener empty, and only occasionally filled with Crustacea, such as shrimps, &c.; in other cases with Hntomostraca. Thirdly, as to Entomostraca being the partial or exclusive food of other fish besides the Herring, there can be no doubt that during the summer months, when the shoals of Entomostraca, or what our fishermen term Maidre, are in great abundance, they form the food of a great number of other animals besides the Herring. ‘The common Coal-fish is particularly the species which, next to the Herring, preys on the Maidre. It appears to me also that the shoals of Cetacea, which make their ap- pearance in the Frith during the Herring season, are in pursuit of the Maidre, and not of the Herring, as is most generally thought.” To these facts, thus confirmed, Dr. Knox would especially call the attention of M. Valenciennes; they are most important to man in regard to the Herring-fisheries, and explain certain ceconomic sta- tistics bearing on the great fisheries of Holland, otherwise wholly unintelligible. The naval power of the ancient Republic of Holland was connected with, and based on, a deep-sea Herring-fishery ; while the modern Herring-fisheries of France and England and the Sean- dinavian States are shore- and boat-fisheries, of little value as a food- producing employment, and of no value whatever in a naval point of view. Dr. Knox concludes this branch of the subject with extracts from the works of Sir Gilbert Blane, Dr. M‘Culloch, and Leeuwen- hoek, showing the total obscurity in which the food of the Herring was involved prior to the time when he first communicated the result of his observations. Lastly, the author proceeds to examine the question as regards 60 | Linnean Society. the Salmon. From about midsummer, but more especially with the autumnal floods, Salmon and Sea Trout of various sizes begin to rush up the freshwater streams and rivers, their object being clearly to make their way to the place of their birth, there to provide for the propagation of their species. From the time the Salmon enters the fresh water it ceases to feed, properly speaking, although it may occasionally rise to a fly, or be tempted to attack a worm or min- now, in accordance seemingly with its original habits as a smolt. But after first descending to the ocean and tasting its marine food, it never again resorts to its. infantile food as a constant mode of nourishment. This great fact, well understood by fishermen and anglers, has been placed by Mr. Young of Invershaw beyond all doubt. Nothing is ever found in the stomach or intestines of the fresh sea Salmon but a little reddish substance, and this Dr. Knox, after a careful microscopic examination, concluded to We the ova of some species of Echinodermata. Of the Salmon, while in the sea, this is therefore the sole and constant food. Sea Trout also live on it, but they readily take to other food even in the sea, such as sand-eels, herring-fry, &c. The absence of this kind of food forms an insurmountable obstacle to the preservation of Salmon and of some kinds of Sea Trout in freshwater lakes. M. Valenciennes de- scribes the Salmon as voracious, and states that its food consists of fishes—Ammodytes Tobianus ; but Dr. Knox maintains that there exists not a single fact in the history of British Salmon to support this opinion. He refers to various fanciful theories suggested by fishermen and others in regard to the marine food of the Salmon ; and concludes by stating that in spring, as the spawn fish are descending with the smolts, they may occasionally be tempted with an artificial fly or lob-worm, but as to their feeding regularly in rivers, Mr. Young’s experiments have negatived the assumption be- yond all doubt. With regard to the Hntomostraca themselves, they are abundant in the sea as well as in freshwater lakes; and it is easy to see by their remains in the limestone of Burdiehouse and of other quarters that they played an important, perhaps the same, part in the ceco- nomy of the ancient world as they do in this, serving as food namely to countless shoals of gregarious fishes, which abounded then as now in fresh and in marine waters. The Hntomostraca of the Southern Hemisphere differ seemingly from those of the Northern; that they serve there also as the food of gregarious fishes was proved by the author’s brother many years ago in respect of the so-called Herring of the Bay of Islands. They vary considerably in size, and seem to extend from pole to pole, consuming the organic remains, which but for them might speedily infect the ocean itself. The paper was accompanied by magnified drawings of the species of Entomostraca found in the stomachs of the Vendace and of the Herring. Zoological Society. 61 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. February 14, 1854.—Dr. Gray, Vice-President, in the Chair. Nores oN THE Hasits or INDIAN Birps. Part II. By LizuTENANT BuRGEss. . Family Srrieip2z. Genus Urrva, Hodgs. Urrva BEenGALENSIS. I have found this large Owl common on the banks of the large rivers, as also amongst the low jungly hills and patches of brush- wood in the Central Deccan. It appears to prefer the small bushy ravines covered with high grass, which lead down from the high banks into the beds of the larger streams and rivers. When seated on the top of a bush in the dim twilight, it forms quite a formidable object, the gloom making it appear larger than it really is. It does not appear to be strictly nocturnal, as I met with one sitting on the sandy shore of the river Bheema some time after the sun had risen. I never found the eggs of this bird; but I have been in- formed, on good authority, that they make their nest at the foot of bushes in the tall grass, and lay four white eggs. I kept three nest- lings of this species for some time. When brought to me out of the nest, they were covered with down of a chestnut colour, spotted and streaked with dark brown. This Owl breeds during the months of March and April. Genus Noctua. Noctva Inpica, Frank. This is a very common Owl in Western India, so much so that every grove, and almost every large tree, appears to have some of this clamorous family inhabiting its holes and crevices. It is a most noisy bird, screeching and screaming ere the shades of evening draw on, and becoming quite a nuisance to any one pitched under the tree frequented by them. It appears to be very little incommoded by a strong light, moving out of its hiding-place before the sun is down, flitting backwards and forwards amongst the branches and from tree to tree. In the month of June I saw a pair of these little Owls sitting on the bare branch of a tree, with the brilliant morning sun shining full on them; in fact, they appeared to be sunning themselves. On another occasion I shot a pair, sitting on a ledge of rock, in the full blaze of the setting sun. If disturbed during the day, they fly about with the greatest activity, uttering their squabbling note, and look down on the intruder from above with eyes that appear in no way incommoded by the light. In the stomachs of the last pair above mentioned, I found the wing-cases and legs of beetles. This little owl breeds during the months of February and March, laying three or four eggs of a pure white colour, nearly 1,3, in. long and 1,75 in. broad. They lay their eggs in holes of trees. 62 Zoological Society :— Order II. Insxssorss. Tribe DenTIROSTRES. Family LANtAD@. Subfamily Lanrana. Genus LANIvs. Lanrus Harpwickil. This handsome little Shrike migrates, I believe, from the Deccan for the purpose of breeding, probably resorting to the thickets and ravines of the Western Ghauts, and returning to the Deccan about September. I could not find its nest when on the hills in the month of October; but I shot a young bird, which may probably be the young of this species. I give a description of its plumage. Beak rich deep brown; chin and throat dirty brownish-white; under plumage and under tail-coverts white; flanks dull grey ; white streak passing from the beak over the eye and ear-coverts; ear-coverts and patch behind the eye dull black; top of the head and nape of the neck brownish-grey, the feathers having very pale whitish ferruginous tips ; feathers on the lower part of the neck and back are on their basal half grey, and the remaining portion greyish-brown with light tips. On the lower part of the back the feathers are very filmy and thick-set, of a grey colour, with a dark band near their ends, and tipped with white. Primaries hair-brown; bastard wing, brown; greater coverts lighter brown with pale tips ; secondaries hair-brown:; tertials paler brown, with light edges. Tail consists of twelve feathers; the two outer are white, with pale brown near the ends on the outer webs. The next feather has also a dark spot near the tip on the inner web; the third feather is nearly black, with a white spot on the inner web about half an inch from theend ; the remaining feathers are of a black-brown, being nearly black on the inner webs; lesser coverts pale brown with light tips; feathers on the thighs ofa pale grey-brown with white tips; legs and feet lead-colour; claws:pale brown; the legs and claws have a white powdered look -in several places, especially near the junction of the scales... This may perhaps have been the young bird of the large rufous-backed Shrike, Lanius erythronotus. i: ail Lanivus Excusiror. LarGce Grey SHRIKE. This is very common in the Deecan. It is generally seen seated on the top of small babool trees, or other thorny bushes, in open country, and may be distinguished at some distance by its silvery-white breast. When disturbed, it flies low to some neighbouring bush, on the top of which it alights, uttering its harsh and grating ery.’ The Grey Shrike begins to breed as early as January, as a boy brought me a pair of nearly fledged young ones on the 2nd of ‘February: They almost, if not invariably build in a thorn bush, and ‘generally well into the centre. I subjoin a note penned at the time of finding one of their nests :—“ 15th May. Sawa pair of Grey Shrikes building Lieut. Burgess on the Habits of Indian Birds. 63 in a place I never saw this species building in before, viz. on the outside branches of the babool tree. The nest was composed of a thorny twig or two of babool and thick bents of grass.” Another nest was made in a thorny bush, about 5 feet from the ground, and close to the stem of the bush ; it was composed of twigs of the thorn bush, pieces of cotton and a piece of rag, with grass interwoven into it. This nest contained three eggs. It is now in the Museum of the Zoological Society. The eggs are a little less than an inch in length, by a little less than ;8, in. wide, of a white ground, spotted and mot- tled, especially at the large end, with grey and red-brown. I believe that this Butcher Bird, like the last-mentioned, migrates from the Deccan during the monsoon, returning about September. _ It would form a very interesting subject for investigation, as to what families of birds leave the Deccan during the monsoon, whither they betake themselves, and for what purposes. I have frequently made inquiries, but could not learn anything satisfactory on the subject. Subfamily Dicrurinz&. Genus Dicrurus. Dicrurvus MAcRocERCUS. DrRoNGO SHRIKE. This bird is not much indebted to variety or richness of colouring in its plumage, for bringing it into notice; but its pleasant cheerful note and active habits must have been remarked by all observers of nature in India. Ere the peep of day it commences its pleasant twitter, and from- sunrise to sunset it may be seen, now sitting on a bare spray watching for some passing insect, now perched on the back of a browsing cow or sheep, and then off in an instant in pursuit of a fly. I have seen one chase and capture a large white butterfly, which it appeared to have some difficulty in swallowing when caught, as it did not attempt to pull it to pieces, but was endeavouring to bolt it entire. They appear to have great antipathy to crows, chasing them with great vigour and boldness whenever one enters within their domain. I subjoin a note, made at the time, of the curious flight of these birds when hawking after flies. “Saw one of them (Drongo) relied on the outside’ branch of a tree hanging over a field of wheat ; suddenly the Shrike descended close to the ears of corn on which the flies had settled in the heat of the sun, and commenced a most curious jerking flight up and down, as if it had been tossed up and down on the waves of the sea. After performing this dancing flight for some little time, it returned to its seat, and after remaining there a short time, descended and repeated its jerking flight.” The Marahta name is Kolsa, the word for charcoal, alluding I suppose to its jet-black colour. The Drongo begins to build in the month: of May, and Dr. Jerdon mentions having found its nest as late as August. I found its nest in a bush-in.a thick hedgerow; it was composed of roots, and contained ‘three eggs of a rather reddish creamy-white ground, spotted with red spots; the egg is ,% in. long by rather:more than ;4, broad. . The food of the Drongo consists of insects, moths, and butterflies. 64 Zoological Soctety :— Genus Po@nicornis, Swains. PH@NICORNIS PEREGRINUS, Vig. I have not met with the nest and eggs of the small red bird, but I believe the description given below is that of a young bird soon after it had left the nest. ‘18th September 1849. Whole of the upper plumage olive-green, mottled about the head with pale yellow, a large spot of which is behind the eye; tips of the lesser wing-coverts pale. Primaries and secondaries dark, with pale edges; breast and belly pale whitish-yellow, with yellow streaks; legs and feet pale lead- colour ; claws soft, as also the edges of the beak.” Genus Iora. IORA TIPHIA. I have never met with the nest or eggs of this handsome little bird ; but Dr. Jerdon, in his Catalogue of Indian Birds, says, ‘I once, on the west coast, in the month of September, met with a nest of this species in the fork of a low tree; it was more neatly and carefully made than any other of the few nests I have seen in this country. It contained young ones.” The lora has a most wonderful power of voice, At one moment it is heard uttering a low plaintive cry, at the next a shrill whistle; no one could have believed the notes to have issued from the same throat. On the 29th of August, 1849, .I shot a female. The eggs in the ovaries were very large. The gizzard contained the remains of a curious green insect, partly covered with black hair. The tongue of this bird is furnished with two long muscles, as in the woodpecker. Genus HaMATORNIS. H&MATORNIS CAFER.’ Common BULBUL. This sprightly and truly Indian bird breeds during the months of August and September. The first time that I noticed them building in August was on the 11th, and I found a nest with one fresh-laid egg on the 25th of September. They build in thick bushes in gardens. I found two nests in my garden at Ahmednuggur, one built in a guava tree, and the other in a mass of creepers. The nest is com- posed of fine twigs, bound together here and there with cobwebs, and lined with fibres. The nest I send is lined with the fibre of the cocoa-nut picked off a cocoa-fibre mat. I observed the old birds picking at the mat when it was put out of doors. I do not know the number of eggs which their nest generally contains.. The egg is 75 in. in length by a little more than 55 wide, of a rich madder colour, spotted and blotched with grey and madder-brown. The only egg which I possessed is unfortunately broken; but a drawing in my possession, most accurately painted by my sister-in-law, Miss Gardiner, gives it very correctly. Mr. F. Moore on Birds from Northern India. 65 February 28, 1854.—Dr. Gray, Vice-President, in the Chair. DESCRIPTIONS OF SOME NEW AND LITTLE-KNOWN SPECLES or Brros rrom NortTHERN INDIA, CONTAINED IN THE Museum or tHe Hon. East Inp1A Company. By Fre- pERIC Moores, Assist. Hon. Comp. Museum. Fam. Mervin, Vigors. Subfam. MyrorHertna, Swains. Genus PNotipyea, Hodgs. Syn. Microura, Gould (nec Ehrenb.). 1. PNOEPYGA LONGICAUDATA, nobis. Colour of the upper parts deep olive-brown, the feathers slightly margined with black, and having blackish shafts; wings and tail in- clined to ferruginous brown ; upper tail-coverts long ; throat whitish ; breast and sides of abdomen pale dusky ferruginous, the feathers having pale centres and blackish margins; centre of lower part of breast and abdomen white; flanks the same as the back; vent and. under tail-coverts dark ferruginous ; bill dark horn colour, legs paler. Length, 43 inches; of wing, 2; the tail is rounded, the central feathers being 21 inches long, and the outer 14 inch ; bill to front, through the feathers, 4 inch; to gape, ;5; tarse, 58. Hab. N. India. Genus Bracuypteryx, Horsfield, p. s. d. 2. BRACHYPTERYX NIPALENSIS, Hodgson. Male: colour above a greyish cyaneous, or light greyish blue, as are also the cheeks, sides of breast and flanks, and paling to greyish white on the centre of the breast; throat, middle of belly, vent and under tail-coverts, streak over but not extending beyond the eye, white. Female: ferruginous brown above, paling on the sides ; throat, breast, belly, under tail-coverts and streak over the eye, whitish, the feathers on the breast and sides fringed with brown ; bill dark horn colour, legs paler. Length, 41 inches; of wing, 23; tail, 13; bill to gape, £; tarse, 1. Hab. Nepal (No. 943, Hodgs. Catal.). This species is allied to Br. cruralis, Blyth, but may readily be distinguished by its smaller size, shorter tail, paler colour of the upper parts, and by its white throat and belly. Genus Catiene, Blyth, Journ. A.S. Beng. p.136 (1847). Syn. Cinclidium, Blyth (nec Gould). Gen. Char. ‘ Bill shorter than the head, straight, slender, higher than broad, the ridge of the upper mandible tolerably acute, and its tip very slightly emarginated ; inferior gonys ascending for the ter- minal half, imparting to the bill the appearance of a tendency to bend upward ; naral apertures in the form of elongate-oval fissures in the lateral nasal membrane, and partially impended by the short semi- Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. xvi. 5 66 — Loological Society :— reflected frontal feathers; gape armed with a few small setee; wings and tail rounded, the 4th, 5th and 6th primaries equal and longest ; legs and toes slender, the tarsi smooth, unscutellate, and very long, as is also the middle toe; claws but moderately curved, and of little more than mean length; plumage light, soft and full, having a scale- like appearance on the crown, breast and belly.”’ 3. CALLENE FRONTALE, Blyth. Syn. Cinclidium frontale, Blyth, Journ. A, §. Beng. xi. p. 181, xii. p. 954. t. p. 1010. Bonap. C, G. Av. p, 301. Callene frontale, Blyth, Journ. A. 8. Beng. xvi. p. 136; Catal. B. Mus. A. 8. Beng. p. 178. Ruticilla frontalis, G. R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 180. Brachypteryz scapularis, Horsf. MS. Hab. Nepal (No. 950, Hodgs. Catal.). Spec. Char. ‘Plumage dark fusco-cyaneous, the rump dusky ; flanks somewhat ashy, and middle of the belly slightly grey-edged ; lores and immediately above the beak blackish, contrasting with a bright czerulean forehead ; bend of the wing also cerulean, but less bright ; and winglet, primaries and their coverts, secondaries and ter- tiaries, dark olive-brown ; a white spot on the under surface of the wing, beneath the winglet ; bill black; legs dusky brown. ' “Length, 75 inches; of wing from bend, 32; middle tail-feathers, 35, the outermost + of an inch shorter ; bill to forehead nearly $, to gape 13; tarse, 13; middle toe and claw, 1,3,; hind toe and claw, $; the last, 3. “This bird is reported to be a fine songster, and heard chiefly in the evening.” —Blyth. Subfam. TiIMALINA. Genus TricHastoma, Blyth. Syn, Malacocinela, Blyth. Gen, Char, “Bill as long as the head, rather stout, high, much compressed, the tip of the upper mandible pretty strongly hooked, but indistinctly emarginated, and its ridge obtusely angulated towards the base, the remainder scarcely angulated; gape but little widened, and feebly bristled; nostrils large and subovate, with oval aperture to the front, alittle removed from the base of the bill; tarse of mean length and strength, as long as the middle toe with its claw; the claws suited for perching, compressed, and moderately curved, that of the hind toe rather large ; wings moderate, with the first primary reaching to about their middle, the second much shorter than the third, and the fourth longest ; tail rather short, weak and even, ex- cept that its outermost feathers are a little shorter than the rest ; plumage full and lax, the coronal feathers somewhat elongated and of a spatulate form.” 4, Tricuastoma Asszorti, Blyth, Syn. Malacocinela Abbotti, Blyth, Journ, A. 8. Beng. xiv. p. 601 (1845). . Mr. F. Moore on Birds from Northern India. 67 Trichastoma Abbotti, Blyth, J. A. 8. Beng. xvi. p. 462; Catal. B. Mus. A. S. Beng. p. 147. Bonap. C. G. Av. p. 259. Malacopteron Abbotti, G. R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, iii. App. p. 9. Hab. Arracan (No. 919, Hodgs. Catal.), | Spec. Char, ‘Colour above plain olive-brown, tinged with rufous on the rump and tail; the upper tail-coverts ferruginous brown, under parts paler ; the throat ind middle of the belly white ; the ear- coverts, sides of the breast and flanks rufescent ; the tower tail-coverts weak ferruginous ; bill horn-colour, paler beneath. “Length, 6 inches ; of wing, 3; tail, 21; bill to gape, 14; and tarse the same.” —Blyth. Mr. Blyth states Arracan to be the habitat of this bird. Speci- mens have lately been presented to the Company’s Museum by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., from Nepal, and by Capt. R. C. Tytler from Dacca. Fam. Syiviap&, Vigors. Subfam. Saxicoxina, Vigors. Genus Nemura, Hodgson. _ Syn. Ianthia, Blyth. _ 5. Nemura Hopeésont, nobis. i Male: colour of the upper parts purplish blue, brightening to vivid ultramarine on the crown ; forehead, lores and sides of head, wings and tail black, the two latter margined with blue externally ; on the rump some of the feathers are tipped with white ; upper tail-coverts blue; lower parts yellowish ferruginous ; under wing-coverts, flanks and under tail-coverts white. Female: ferruginous brown, richer on the rump; wings and tail dusky, margined with ferruginous brown wertarniall ; lores, ear-coverts and under parts pale dusky ferruginous; under tail-coverts white; bill black; legs pale horn colour. «| Length, 33ths of an inch; wing, 32; tail, 14; bill to front, 2; to gape, = tarse, 5 an inch. Hab, Nepal (No. 949, Hodgs. Catal.). Subfam. Putromenina, Swains. Genus TarsiceR, Hodgson. 6. TaARSIGER SUPERCILIARIS, Hodgson. Male: above deep cyaneous; wings brown, margined with cya- neous and rufous on the shoulder, primaries also margined with rufous, secondaries with cyaneous; tail brown, margined with cyaneous ; a white superciliary streak extending one inch and a half from the nares to the back of the neck; lores and cheeks black; beneath rufous ; centre of belly white. Female: olive-brown above; wings and tail brown, margined with rusty olive; superciliary streak not so clear as in the male; beneath pale dull rufous; centre of belly and shafts of the underside of tail white; bill black; legs horn colour. Length, 5} inches ; of wing, 32; tail, 22; bill to gape, $; tarse, 14. Hab. Nepal (No. 924, Hodgs. Catal.). is 68 Zoological Society. Subfam, Synvrana, Vigors. Genus Prinia, Horsfield, p. s. d. 7. PRINIA CINEREOCAPILLA, Hodgson. Crown of the head grey, the shaft and margin of the feathers being darker; naral and frontal plumes, a streak over and beyond the eye, and the whole under parts rufescent, brightest on the flanks and thighs; lores and upper part of ear-coverts greyish; nape, back, rump and wings bright rufous brown, the tips of the latter dusky ; tail the same colour as the back, paler beneath, with a terminal dusky band and rufescent white tips; bill black ; legs pale horn colour. Length, 4} inches; wing, 1,8; tail, 2; bill to front, $; to gape, $; tarsus, 3; middle toe and claw, ;4; hind ditto, =. Hab. Nepal (No. 890*, Hodgs. Catal.). Genus Suya, Hodgson. - 8. SuvA ATROGULARIS, nobis. Colour above dusky brown, in some specimens ashy brown; edge of wing at shoulder and under wing-coverts buff; primaries mar- gined with buffish and secondaries with rufescent brown; a whitish streak extending from the base of the lower mandible to the end and under the ear-covert ; chin, throat, side of neck, breast and centre of abdomen black, the feathers of the two latter broadly centred with » white; flanks and sides of abdomen mixed grey, brown and rufescent; vent buff; thighs buffy rufous; tail paler than the back, and has no perceptible terminal band; bill horn colour, feet paler. Length, 6} inches, including the tail; wings, from 13 to 2 inches in some specimens ; central feathers of tail from 34 to 4, its outermost being only | inch; bill to gape, ;;; to front, ,°;; height from chin to front, 15; width at chin, 7; tarsi, 4. Hab. Darjeeling ; Nepal (No. 893, Hodgs. Catal.). A single specimen of this beautiful bird has been in the Museum of the East India Company for a number of years, collected in Dar- jeeling by F. T. Pearson, Esq.; and B. H. Hodgson, Esq., has brought home several examples from Nepal. Genus Drymorca, Swains. p.s. d. 9. Drymoica NIPALENSIS, Hodgson. Above rufous brown; wings dusky brown, the primaries exteriorly and secondaries interiorly and exteriorly margined with bright rufous brown ; tail rufous brown, paler beneath, and distinctly rayed, has a terminal dusky band, the tips being pale but not white; the whole under parts rufescent, as in Prinia socialis, Sykes; bill dusky horn colour, paler below at base ; legs pale horn colour. Length, 44 to 5 inches; wing, 149; tail varying from 2} to 3 bill to front, 4,; to gape, +4; tarsi, +$; middle toe and claw, 8 hind ditto, 54. _ Hab. Nepal (No. 913, Hodgs. Catal.). Royal Institution. 69 ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN. April 20, 1855.—William Robert Grove, Esq., M.A., Q.C., F.R.S., Vice-President, in the Chair. On certain Zoological Arguments commonly adduced in favour of the hypothesis of the Progressive Development of Animal Life in Time. By T. H. Huxuey, Esq., F.R.S. When the fact that fossilized animal forms are no lusus nature, but are truly the remains of ancient living worlds, was once fully admitted, it became a highly interesting problem to determine what relation these ancient forms of life bore to those now in existence. The general result of inquiries made in this direction is, that the further we go back in time, the more different are the forms of life from those which now inhabit the globe, though this rule is by no means without exceptions. Admitting the difference, however, the next question is, what is its amount? Now it appears, that while the Paleeozoic species are probably always distinct from the modern, and the genera are very commonly so, the orders are but rarely dif- ferent, and the great classes and sub-kingdoms never. In all past time we find no animal about whose proper sub-kingdom, whether that of the Protozoa, Radiata, Annulosa, Mollusca, and Vertebrata, there can be the slightest doubt; and these great divisions are those which we have represented at the present day. In the same way, if we consider the Classes, e.g. Mammalia, Aves, Insecta, Cephalopoda, Actinozoa, &c., we find absolutely no remains which lead us to establish a class type distinct from those now existing, and it is only when we descend to groups having the rank of Orders that we meet with types which no longer possess any living representatives. It is curious to remark again, that, notwithstanding the enormous lapse of time of which we possess authentic records, the extinct ordinal types are exceedingly few, and more than half of them belong to the same class—Reptilia. The extinct ordinal Reptilian types are those of the Pachypoda, Pterodactyla, Enaliosaurea, and Labyrinthodonta ; nor are we at present acquainted with any other extinct order of Vertebrata. Among the dnnulosa (including in this division the Hehinodermata) we find two extinct ordinal types only, the T’rilodita and the Cys- tide. Among the Mollusca there is absolutely no extinct ordinal type ; nor among the Radiata (Actinozoa_and Hydrozoa) ; nor is there any among the Protozoa. The naturalist who takes a wide view of fossil forms, in connec- tion with existing life, can hardly recognize in these results anything but strong evidence in favour of the belief that a general uniformity has prevailed among the operations of Nature, through all time of which we have any record. Nevertheless, whatever the amount of the difference, and however one may be inclined to estimate its value, there is no doubt that the 70 Royal Institution :— living beings of the past differed from those of the present period ; and again, that those of each great epoch have differed from those which preceded and from those which followed them. That there has been a succession of living forms in time, in fact, is admitted by all; but to the inquiry—What is the law of that succession? differ- ent answers are given ; one school affirming that the law is known, the other that it is for the present undiscovered. : According to the affirmative doctrine, commonly called the theory of Progressive Development, the history of life, as a whole, in the past, is analogous to the history of each individual life in the present ; and as the law of progress of every living creature now, is from a less perfect to a more perfect, from a less complex to a more complex state—so the law of progress of living nature in the past, was of the same nature; and the earlier forms of life were less complex, more embryonic, than the later. In the general mind this theory finds ready acceptance, from its falling in with the popular notion, that one of the lower animals, e. g. a fish, is a higher one, ¢. g. a mammal, arrested in development; that it is, as it were, less trouble to make a fish than a mammal: but the speaker pointed out the extreme fallacy of this notion; the real law of development being, that the progress of a higher animal in development is not through the forms of the lower, but through forms which are common to both lower and higher: a fish, for instance, deviating as widely from the common Vertebrate plan as a mammal. : | _ The Progression theory, however, after all, resolves itself very nearly into a question of the structure of fish-tails. If, in fact, we enumerate the oldest known undoubted animal remains, we find them to be Graptolites, Lingule, Phyllopoda, Trilobites, and Car- tilaginous fishes. The Graptolites, whether we regard them as Hydrozoa, Anthozoa, or Polyzoa (and the recent discoveries of Mr. Logan would strongly favour the opinion that they belong to the last division), are cer- tainly in no respect embryonic forms. Nor have any traces of Spongiade or Foraminifera (creatures unquestionably far below them in organization) been yet found in the same or contempo- raneous beds. Lingule, again, are very aberrant Brachiopoda, in nowise comparable to the embryonic forms of any mollusk ; Phyl- lopods are the highest Entomostraca; and the Hymenocaris vermi- cauda discovered by Mr. Salter in the Lingula beds, is closely allied to Nebalia, the highest Phyllopod and that which approaches most nearly to the Podopthalmia, And just as Hymenocaris stands be- tween the other Entomostraca and the Podopthalmia, so the Trilo- bita stand between the Entomostraca and the Hdriopthalmia, Nor can anything be less founded than the comparison of the Trilobita with embryonic forms of Crustacea; the early development of the ventral surface and its appendages being characteristic of the latter, while it is precisely these parts which have not yet been discovered in the Trilobita, the dorsal surface, last formed in order of develop- ment, being extremely well developed. Mr. Huxley on the Progressive Development of Animal Life. 71 The Invertebrata of the earliest period, then, afford no ground for the Progressionist doctrine. Do the Vertebrata ? These are cartilaginous fish. Now Mr. Huxley pointed out that it is admitted on all sides that the brain, organs of sense, and repro- ductive apparatus are much more highly developed in these fishes than any others; and he quoted the authority of Prof. Owen *, to the effect that no great weight is to be placed upon the cartilaginous nature of the skeleton as an embryonic character. There remained, therefore, only the heterocercality of the tail, upon which so much stress has been laid by Prof. Agassiz. The argument made use of by this philosopher may be thus shortly stated :—Homocercal fishes have in their embryonic state heterocercal tails; therefore, hetero- cercality is, so far, a mark of an embryonic state as compared with homocereality ; and the earlier, heterocercal fish are embryonic as compared with the later, homocercal. The whole of this argument was based upon M. Vogt’s examina- tion of the development of the Coregonus, one of the Salmonide ; the tail of Coregonus being found to pass through a so-called hetero- cercal state in its passage to its perfect form+. For the argument to have any validity, however, two conditions are necessary :—l. That the tails of the Salmonide should be homocereal, in the same sense as those of other homocercal fish. 2. That they should be really heterocercal, and not homocercal, in their earliest condition. On examination, however, it turns out that neither of these con- ditions hold good. In the first. place, the tails of the Salmonida, and very probably of all the Physostomi, are not homocercal at all, but to all intents and purposes intensely heterocercal ; the chorda dorsalis in the Salmon, for instance, stretching far into the upper lobe of the tail. The wide difference of this structure from true homocereality is at once obvious, if the tails of the Salmonide be compared with those of Scomber scombrus, Gadus eglefinus, &e. In the latter, the tail is truly homocercal, the rays of the caudal fin mene arranged symmetrically above and below the axis of the spinal column. ) All M. Vogt’s evidence, therefore, goes to show merely that a heterocercal fish is heterocercal at a given period of embryonic life ; and in no way affects the truly homocercal fishes. -In the second place, it appears to have been forgotten that, as. M. Vogt’s own excellent observations abundantly demonstrate, this heterocercal state of the tail is a comparatively late one in Coregonus, and that, at first, the tail is perfectly symmetrical, 7. e. homocercal. In fact, all the evidence on fish development which we possess, is to the effect that Homocercality is the younger, Heterocercality the more advanced condition: a result which is diametrically opposed to that which has so long passed current, but which is in perfect accordance with the ordinary laws of development ; the asymmetri- -* Lectures on the Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrata, pp. 146-7. + Von Bar had already pointed out this circumstance in Cyprinus, and the relation of the foetal tail to the permanent condition in cartilaginous fishes, See his “ Entwickelungsgeschichte der Fische,” p, 36, 72 Botanical Society of Edinburgh:— eal being, as a rule, subsequent in the order of development to the symmetrical. A ey 5 - The speaker then conclnded by observing that a careful considera- tion of the facts of Paleontology seemed to lead to these results :— 1. That there is no real parallel between the successive forms assumed in the development of the life of the individual at present, and those which have appeared at different epochs in the past ; and _ 2. That the particular argument supposed to be deduced from the heterocercality of the ancient fishes is based on an error, the evi- dence from this source, if worth anything, tending in the opposite direction. At the same time, while freely criticising what he considered to be a fallacious doctrine, Mr. Huxley expressly disclaimed the slightest intention of desiring to depreciate the brilliant services which its original propounder had rendered to science. BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. April 12, 1855.—Professor Balfour, President, in the Chair. The following papers were read :-— 1. ‘On Placentation,” by John Cleland, Esq. See ‘ Annals,’ vol. xv. p. 336. 2. ‘* Notes on the Flora of the neighbourhood of Castle Taylor, in the county of Galway,” by A. G. More, Esq., of Trinity College, Cambridge. The author enters into a detailed account of the indigenous flora of that part of Ireland, contrasting it with that of other parts of the United Kingdom. The district is rendered interesting from its form-. ing part of the singular limestone-country of the West of Ireland, the surface broken and rocky, and but slightly elevated above the sea- level: nevertheless several subalpine species are to be found in it,. such as Dryas octopetala, Saxifraga hypnoides, Hieracium. cerin- thoides, Arbutus Uva-ursi,.Juniperus nana. 3 He then arranges the produce of his district and the classes defined by Watson, and enumerates the more interesting or peculiar: plants: present or absent in each case. He points out the following species. as seen by him, but not marked as Irish in ‘ Babington’s Manual’:— Cardamine sylvatica. Hieracium cerinthoides. Viola stagnina. Epipactis media. Spireea filipendula. Potamogeton lanceolatus. Geum intermedium. Alopecurus agrestis. Myriophyllum alterniflorum. Lolium italicum. 3. ‘ Notes on the Flora of the Bass Rock,’’ by Prof. Balfour. _ 4. ‘Notice of Plants collected during a trip to Loch Lomond in July 1854,” by Prof. Balfour. 5 “Register of the Flowering of Spring Plants in the Royal Botanic Garden, as compared with the four previous years,” by Mr. M‘Nab. | ren Prof. Gregory on British Freshwater Diatomacee. 73 May 10.—Professor Balfour, President, in the Chair. Mr. P. S. Robertson exhibited germinating plants of the following species of Coniferee, to show the remarkable variation in the number of their cotyledonary leaves :— ~ Pinus nobilis ; normal number of cotyledons 6, varying with 4, 5, and 7. © Pinus Sabiniana; 14, 15, 16 prevailing numbers; variations 13, 17, 18, 19. _ § Pinus Jeffreyi ; prevailing numbers 9 and 10, varying with 7, 8, 143 “ Abies Hookeriana; usual number 4, varying from 3 to 5. “Pinus Beardsleyi ; prevailing numbers 6 and 7, varying with 3, 5, 8, 9, and 10. This species occasionally produces two perfect plants from one seed. “Thuja Craigana (Libocedrus decurrens); usual number 4, varying from 1 to 4. ** Cryptomeria gaponica ; usual number 3, varying from 2 to 4. * Pinus Lambertiana; usual number 14, varying with 10, 12, and 13. ** Pinus monticola ; usual numbers 8 and 10, varying with 6, 7, Git.’ The following papers were read :— --1. “Qn some new species of British Freshwater Diatomacee, with remarks on the value of certain specific characters,” by Prof. Gregory. After some remarks on the distribution of Freshwater Diatoms, the author proceeded to consider the value of certain specific characters. 3 - Species, among Diatoms, are generally distinguished by the follow- ing particulars, viz. the form; the structure, where anything re- markable occurs ; the length of the individual frustule, within the usual limits ; the arrangement and number of the strize, where these are visible, as well as their nature, whether moniliform or continuous, narrow or broad, close or distant, &c. ; and frequently the aspect of the median line, if present, and of the nodules at its centre and extremities. The form or outline.—This varies so much, that, if we were guided by it, we should make many false species, as is shown by the fact, that these forms pass by gentle gradations into each other. This kind of variation occurs, for example, in Navicula lacustris, of which two very different forms occur ; but there is a third which is precisely intermediate. It is seen also in Navicula elliptica, some forms of which are oval, but of different proportions, others are constricted. _ Navicula dubia is believed to belong to the same species as NV. am- phigomphus and N. dilatata, and by some persons, all the three are united to N. firma. It is certain that all four agree in having the side lines, but they all differ in outlme. Navicula lepida, a new species, exhibits’ ‘three varieties, differing in form. But the most remarkable example is found in Navicula varians. 74 7 Botanical Society of Edinburgh :— The number of strie.—In some species, perhaps in many, this character is by no means constant. In Navicula varians, I find that in the smaller individuals there are often 24 to 26 strize in 1-1000th of an inch, while in the larger there are only 14 to 16, and this in indivi- duals of the same type of outline. Smith describes Pinnularia di- vergens with 11 strize in 1-1000th inch, while I find it more frequently with from 22 to 26 in 1-1000th inch—the arrangement, which is peculiar, being the same in both. A very striking example occurs in NV. elliptica, which, as we have seen, also varies inform, The species, as described by Kiitzing, has very coarse striee, even coarser than appears by any of the figures. But in a variety to which I have directed attention, and which I regarded on this account as a distinct species, till I found a gradual transition to the first-named type, the strize are so very much finer, being about three times more numerous, that the aspect of the frustule is totally changed. In comparing examples of the extreme types in regard to striation, I took indivi- duals of equal size, and I found in one very coarse striz ; in the other, strize so fine as not to be easily seen unless the valve was placed in the most favourable position with reference to the light. The appearance of the median line and nodules—In the coarsely striated variety of N. elliptica, there are lines on each side of the median line, forming a double cone, of which the bases meet near the centre. But in the finely striated variety, these lines are parallel to the median line; only bending outwards round the central nodule. This assists in giving a very different aspect to the two forms, which yet are connected by a graduated chain of transition forms. We have then, if we consider only the three characters of form or outline, number of strie, and aspect of medial line and nodules, evidence that great variations may occur in any one of them. Nay, in J. elliptica and N. lepida, variations occur in all three together. In such cases as these last, it is difficult to define the species by these characters in the usual way, and we have apparently no resource but to state the fact of the tendency to vary in one or more of these points, as one of the specific characters. In NV. varians the arrangement of the strize is always the same, as it is also in Pinnularia dwergens, and many others; butin N. elliptica even this fails, for the strie are highly radiate in the coarsely striated form, and nearly parallel in that with finer striee. Enormous variations in size occur, even in the same type of form, If Pinnularia megaloptera be referred to P. lata, we have a variation in length from about 20 ten-thousandths of an inch to nearly 80. The distribution of Diatoms over the world is one of the most remarkable points about their history: Not only do we find, if we examine a gathering from any part of the world, that most of the forms are identical with those of our own waters; but in tracing these minute organisms through the latter to the earlier sedimentary rocks (and it is said that they occur in the lower Silurian strata, the oldest in which any organic remains occur), we find still the greater number of species to be the same as those of the present day. Ehrenberg, in his last great, work on the distribution of microscopic Dr. Balfour on Megacarpeea polyandra. 75 forms over the earth, both in the present period and in past geological times, has shown that in all soils in which plants grow, Diatoms are present, often in considerable quantity, and in great variety. He ascribes to them a great part in the formation of such soils, and it is probable that by their life and growth they extract much silica from the water in which they live, and transfer it at their death to the soil. The sediment of all rivers contains a considerable amount of Diatoms, as, for example, the mud of the Nile and that of the Ganges, which have formed the great Deltas of Egypt and Bengal. 2, ‘* Remarks on specimens of Megacarpea polyandra, Bentham,” by Dr. Balfour. The interest of the plant consists in ite possessing a number of stamens (from 12 to 15), quite abnormal in the order of Cruciferee, to which it otherwise belongs; and which might seem, taken alone, to place it between that order and Papaveraceze ; but when these extra stamens are viewed as developments of the glands which are present in the Cruciferee on the disk or torus, between the petals and the ovary and ordinary stamens, the plant may well be referred to that order. - The genus Megacarpea was first discovered, I believe, by Fischer, in the salt steppes and calcareous hills of Turkistan, in the neigh- bourhood of the Caspian Sea; and by Ledebour in Siberia; and was originally referred to Biscutella. Two species. are described by DeCandolle (Prod. i. 183), but so imperfectly, that till further in- formation is obtained, it is impossible to determine whether the plant before us, from the Himalaya, is identical with either of them, especially M. laciniata from the Altai Mountains, or a new species which is to bear the name of M. .polyandra. Megacarpea (probably this very species) was next met with by Dr. Hugh Falconer in the Highlands of Little Tibet, on the Husora River, an affluent of the Indus, and in the same country by the late Mr. J. E. Winterbottom, who described it to me as growing 6 to 8 feet high on the Barzil Pass, upper glen of the Kishenganga River, between Kashmere and Astor; but neither of these botanists was, I believe, so fortunate as to obtain the flowers, which were first seen by Capt. R. Strachey in 1848, on a visit to the glacier sources of the Patel River in Kumaon, up to which date the existence of the plant in the British Himalaya was unknown; nor has it been discovered, so far as I am aware, in any other of our provinces—at least those south of the Sutlej River. Here it occurs in three localities, where the climate resembles or approximates to that of Little Tibet, Turkistan, and the other habitats, viz. extreme cold in winter, and extreme heat and aridity in summer, conditions which have proved favourable to the migration or presence of many other Tibetan and Siberian plants on the dry northern slope of the Himalayan range, where a system of vegetation is established in marked contrast with what prevails on the Indian face, which is annually for three months deluged with rain*. oA very instructive example of the manner in which plants are distri- buted in distant regions of similar physical character 1s afforded by Calli- 76 Botanical Society of Edinburgh :— In Kumaon the plant occurs on the open sunny downs, at from 11,500 to 14,000 feet above the sea-level, where all arboreous vegeta- tion has ceased. It is well known to the mountaineers by the name of Roogee. They eat the pounded root as a condiment ; it has, like the whole plant, a strong permanent odour and flavour, something like horse-radish. The localities in which it grows are—1. Champwa, near the Kaphini glacier; 2. near the Soondurdhoongee glacier, the heads of the Pindar River; and 3. at Ralim, on one of the spurs of the snowy Panch—Choola Range, which bounds the next great valley to the east. Here the Roogee flowers in May—June, and ripens its fruit in September—October. The root is fusiform, a foot or more in girth at the collar, and from 1 to 2 feet long, forked below; internally of light cellular substance, externally exhibiting very numerous horizontal annular ridges. Several annual stems from 4 to 6 feet high. When young in winter protected by many erect, rectangular, straw-like scales. Radical leaves spreading, from 2 to 24 feet long, the exterior half occupied by 7 or 8 distant, distinct, subopposite or alternate pinnee ; petiole dilated at the base; cauline leaves scattered, erect, pinnato-pinnatifid, about a foot long, with 10 to 12 segments, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, incised, the lower ones more or less separate, terminal more confluent. Flowers in dense terminal and axillary leafy corymbs, shorter than the leaves ; small, white or yellowish-white, with a sweet fragrance or strong odour of horse-radish (according to taste), and much frequented by bees, flies, &c. Peduncles and pedicels villous, the latter long and one-flowered. Sepals 4, oblong, obtuse, coloured, from 1-5th to 1-4th inch long; petals alternate, oval, veined, half the height of the sepals; stamens 12 to 15, hypogynous, erect, as long as the calyx, and disposed in 2 or 4 sets. Ovary one, flat, obcordate, resembling the silicle of Capsella Bursa-Pastoris, with 2 auriculate, 1-seeded cells; stigmas 2, on a very short style. The silicle is about 13 inch by 14, one of the cells being abortive.” gonum Pallasii. This, like the Megacarpea, abounds in the Caspian province, and equally, or much more, in the sandy deserts of Western India, between the Jumna and the Indus rivers. The heat for many months annually is extreme, and one is at first surprised to find a plant flourishing here, which is also indigenous to the steppes of the Caspian, where the winter cold‘is equally extreme. But, as is now well known, the Caspian and its deserts occupy a deep hollow at the western end of a plain descending from the sources of the Oxus and Jaxartes, and, as a consequence of this low position on the earth’s surface, possess a summer temperature as high as the winter one is low, and perhaps equal to that of the Indian desert above referred to. In the latter, durmg the months of April, May and June, when every- thing else is burnt up, the Calligonum, with its innumerable green leafless twigs, covers the waste of sand-hills with a mantle of verdure, yielding a favourite food to the camel, the proper beast of burden of the country. It is known to the people by the name of Phoke, and under this designation is first mentioned by Mr. Elphinstone in his account of the kingdom of Caubul. A species of Ephedra likewise occurs, which is also called by the same name ; but the true plant is the Calligonum, and neither Ephedra nor Asclepias acida (the Soma plant) as some have supposed. Dr. Balfour on Megacarpiea polvandra. 77 The following is a description of the plant taken from the speci- men sent by Mr. Moore :— Megacarpea polyandra, Benth.—Leaf sent by Mr. Moore about a foot long—greatest breadth about 7 inches ; deeply pinnatifid—lobes narrowish, tapering at the apex—toothed ; upper surface dark green —under surface glaucous, covered with short hairs, many of which are glandular. Similar hairs occur on the petiole, which is thick, with ridges and grooves, flattened on the upper side and rounded below. Flowers in compact racemose clusters, of a yellowish-white colour, and having astrongish odour. Sepals whitish, with a yellowish and purplish tinge in some places, rugose, deciduous, broadly ob- ovate, and convex externally. Petals smaller than the sepals—ob- ovate, tapering below—rugose. Stamens varying from 11 to 13, some longer than others, but not apparently in any definite number ; filaments thick—broader below. Anthers mnate, two-lobed, yellow ; green circle of glands round the base of the stamens, attached to a broadish thick receptacle. Ovary transversely elliptical, with a short style and large stigma—two-celled. Fruit a silicula, with the replum across its narrow part. Seed brownish, about 11 inch in length, and about the same in breadth—winged ; the wing nearly a quarter of an inch deep—veined ; hilum straight or slightly curved, about half an inch long. 3. “Lowest Temperature indicated by the Register Thermometer (Fahr.),; kept at the Botanic Garden, during April 1855,” by Mr. M‘Nab. Average lowest temperature for April 333°. 4. “ Register of the Flowering of Plants in the Botanic Garden, compared with the four preceding years,” by Mr. M‘Nab. 5. “Remarks on Mr. Moore’s notice of the effects of the late ' winter at Dublin,” by Prof. Balfour. 6. “On the Disease of Finger and Toe in Root Crops,” by Sir John S. Forbes. 7. ‘*Notice of the origin of the name Chenopodium Bonus Hen- ricus,” by Mr. J. Hardy. Lately, in turning over J. Bauhin’s ‘ Historia Plantarum,’ I met with the following, tom. ii. p. 965.—‘* Dodon. Gall. et Lat. in fol. qui sub Tota Bona describit et depingit ; ait Bonum Henricum a singulari quadam utili facultate vocari; veluti et perniciosam quan- dam plantam Malum Henricum appellant, de quo alibi dicendum.” I have not the Latin copy of Dodoneeus, but in the English translation of Lyte, 1st ed. 1578, p. 561, this explanation is not given ; we have, however, the English “‘Good Henry,” being a translation of the Dutch and German name. The term Bonus Henricus it appears from Mentzel (Index sub Lapath.) occurs in Brunsfel’s Herbal, printed in 1532. I suspect, however, that it will be found in the ‘Herbarius’ of 1484, or the Ortus Sanitatis, as in an early Herbal that I possess, without a date, but published by Egenolf, who is said to have given an improved edition of Cuba’s work, I find the name Gut Heinrich over the figure of this plant. (This book of Egenolf .has no text, being merely coloured figures.) The English 78 _ Miscellaneous. names are attached in MS. ina very old hand. “ Good King Harry” occurs for the first time in Gerard, who says it was so called in Cam- bridgeshire (Johnson’s edit. 1633, p. 329). Malus Henricus seems to have been Lathrea squamaria. s MISCELLANEOUS. NEREIS BILINEATA. To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. Weymouth, May 15, 18565. GENTLEMEN,—lI beg to draw your attention to a fact I have not seen noticed in print. It is, that Nereis dilineata constructs a tube for its domicile. Its usual habitat is the upper coils of any dead whelk that may have been selected by a Pagurus for its domicile, This Annelid is well known to the fishermen here, and by whom it is much used as a killing bait for whiting. I was not aware of the fact of its constructing a tube for itself until lately, when, on breaking off the top coils, I found that the worm had constructed a tube, with which it had lined its lodgings. The tube is perfectly white, rather strong, and not attached to the whelk shell. : I am, Gentlemen, yours obediently, Weitee THOMPSON, On a New Species of Thalassidroma. By Grorce Rosert Gray, F.L.S. & F.ZS. | A specimen of a Stormy Petrel, from the north-west coast of Ame- rica, which has lately been kindly presented to the British Museum by Miss Hornby, differs from all those that I am acquainted with. In form it agrees best with Thalassidroma furcata, but the colo- ration differs much in several particulars. Front, cheeks, throat, collar round the hind part of the neck, breast and abdomen pure white ; crown, hind head, a broad band in front of neck, bend of wing and lesser wing-coverts sooty grey; upper part of back grey ; lower part of back and tail ashy grey; greater wing-coverts brownish grey; tertiaries and quills deep black. Total length, 83"; bill from gape, 103/", from front, 83’; tail (outer feather), 3}! ‘; tarsus, 1; middle toe, 1", I propose to give this species the appellation of Thalassidroma Hornbyi, after Admiral Hornby, who obtained it during his com- mand on the Pacific station, where he collected many interesting animals for his brother-in-law, the late President of this Society.— Proc. Zool. Soc., May 10, 1853, On the Eggs of Otogyps and Prosthemadera: By H, F. Water, Esq. Mr. H. F. Walter exhibited specimens of the eggs of Otogyps and Prosthemadera nove seelandie from his own collection. The egg of Otogyps was obtained by Herr Ludwig Parreyss of Meteorological Observations. 79 Vienna from North Africa, and will therefore be that of O. nubicus ry (H. Smith ; Bp. Consp. p. 10), if that species is really distinct from the southern O. auricularis. The long diameter of this egg is 3°9, the short diameter 2°8 inches. The egg of the Parson-bird or Tui, Prosthemadera nove seelandie (Gm.), was taken in New Zealand in 1852 by Dr. White. Its colour- ing is somewhat different from that of the other Honey-eaters with which we are acquainted, not presenting the usual rich red ground- colour which is the general characteristic of the eggs of that family of birds. The long diameter of this egg is 1°0, the short diameter 0°75 inch.—Proe. Zool. Soc. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS - FOR MAY 1855. Chiswick.—May 1. Densely clouded : dry haze: clear. 2. Clear: sharp frost at night. 3. Fine: densely overcast. 4. Cloudy and cold: frosty. 5. Excessively dry air, with bright sun. 6. Fine. 7. Fine: overcast: boisterous at night. 8. Cloudy: clear, with sharp frost at night. 9. Fine: rain at night. 10. Cloudy. 11. Cloudy and fine : thunder-storm in afternoon: clear. 12. Cloudy and cold: very clear: frosty. 13. Overcast: boisterous, with heavy rain at night. 14. Cloudy. 15, Cloudy: rain. 16. Cloudy: clear and frosty at night. 17—-19. Very fine. 20. Foggy: very fine. 21. Overcast. 22. Cloudy. 23—25. Fine. 26. Very fine: hot and dry. 27, Slight haze: cloudy: rain. 28. Rain. 29. Cloudy: showery. 80. Cold showers. 31. Rain. Mean temperature of the month ......+0+..4 eae TERE etre 48°88 Mean temperature Of May 1854 ...ccc.cceseseceeescececenssenes « 50°07 Mean temperature of May for the last twenty-nine years ... 53 °72 Average amount of rain in May ........sceeseesveees Soesceee wes» 1°85 inch. Boston.—May 1. Cloudy. 2. Fine. 3. Cloudy: rain and snowr.m. 4—6. Cloudy. 7. Cloudy: rain a.m. and p.m. 8. Cloudy: rain, hail and snow p.m. 9. Cloudy. 10. Cloudy: rain a.M..andp.m. 11. Cloudy: rainp.m. 12. Fine. 13. Cloudy: rainp.m. 14, Cloudy. 15. Cloudy: raina.m. 16,17. Cloudy: rain P.M. 18—20. Cloudy. 21. Cloudy:raina.m.andp.mM. 22. Cloudy. 23— 28. Fine, 29-—-31, Cloudy: rain a.m. and P.M. Sandwick Manse, Orkney.—May 1. Cloudy a.m.: clear, fine p.m. 2. Drizzle a.m. : showers P.M. 3. Hail-showers a.M. and p.m. 4. Cloudy a.m.: clearp.M. 5. Cloudy a.m.: rain p.m. 6. Sleet-showers a.m. and p.m. 7,8. Sleet-showers A.M. : cloudy p.m. 9. Hail, frost a.m.: clear p.m. 10. Bright a.m.: cloudy p.m. 11. Clear a.m. and p.m. 12,13. Bright a.m.: cloudy p.m. 14. Cloudy a.m.: clear p.M. 15. Showers a.m.: cloudy p.m. 16. Cloudy a.m.: showers p.m. 17. Bright A.M.: drops P.M. 18. Bright a.m.: cloudy p.m. 19. Showers a.m.: cloudy p.m. 20. Bright a.m.: clear, fine p.m. 21. Cloudy a.M.and p.m. 22. Small rain a.m. andp.M. 23, Small rain a.m.: clear, fine p.m. 24,25. Hazy a.m.andp.m. 26. Drops a.M.: cloudy P.M. 27. Hazy a.m. and p.m. 28. Cloudy a.m. and p.m. 29. Bright a.m.: clear p.m. 30. Cloudy a.M.and p.m, 31. Clear a.m. and p.m. This month has been remarkably cold, the mean temperature being lower than that of any May during the twenty-eight years of my observations,—4°°18 below the average, and the first half of it was only about the average temperature of March. | Mean temperature of May for twenty-eight previous years . 47°99 Mean temperature of this month ...........csececessceeeeesenee ». 43°81 Mean temperature of May 1854 ..........sseeeseee aceosseseces -- 48 °39 Average quantity of rain in May for fourteen previous years 1°68 inch. gt.t | 9%1 $6.1 oz.zb |Eb.Sb | 6.64 /6£.2E Igf.og| Sgg.6z $9g.6z $+.62 gol.6z obg.6z | ‘uvoyy syishicaicthd Cticeiintens Be, A ‘9 | cou | cou | $80] Lb) SSH] Lb} oS $z.0£ $2.08 fv.62 oS b.6z £99.62 10 pooosooel tz, | Pe, 1 Jou ion | on $¥ | ov | S.z¥| ob | oS $z.0f £2.08 79.62 643.62 646.62 “of soceqtooeivovororos! 2O. | -ouul*muul -u by | S64 Lv) LE | 6S Bz.0f 77,08 0$.6z 713.62 £63.62 6% nate csonmr> saeng2°: 6g, ‘au | cou | cou | $or | gSb 1S} SE | oS 1.08 o1,0f zb.6z 634.62 953.62 "gz teteeeterieeeeeeeee! 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BO... jrerrer**| sms} couu| cam | LE | Sof | Sib] bz | of 038.62 938.62 Lv.6z Fol.6z $98.62 a OL, [tereeeseslereeeee**lomtin| ea | oot ss | €¢ gb| SE | +9 98.6z 66.62 LE.6z gfo.6z 70L.6z 2 HO, |rrceeeeeeleseeoeresl ema] ga | con LE | 8S4 S¢| oz | zo 08.62 4o0.0£ 64.62 L$3.6z L¥o.0£ *7O pan Ses SUN teow ies stot vol oma |S 1v| LP? by] cf | 2S gt.of LE.0f £2.62 610.0£ £90.0€ ie De 2) 4 lost pape ae |, ‘ ‘ ; sien onint @ td ‘ur ‘ “key BF : 7 ef A 3 mee Toit 86 ee Gant | UW | ud $8 ure 76 + UNIT xey ant =. j Se 3 2S —— eae an Pipe) | Fe Kuo | > | “yous ‘sormpurg ‘fouxI0 Pe *PIMSTIO -qqu0yy Urey *purm *19}OULOUIIOY, J, *dapOULOIV seats ‘AUNUUG “asuvpy yumpung yo “Uo4snojQ ‘GC *Acdy 247 fg pu {NOLSog 2v Teed “AWW Ag Suopuery Jvau ‘MOIMSIHY 70 fiya1o0g pounynoysozy ay} fo uapsny ay2 0 UosdWOUY, “Ay Ag apyw suownasasgg yvorbojos0aja yy THE ANNALS MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. [SECOND SERIES.] No, 92. AUGUST 1855. _VI.-—Noites on Paleozoic Bivalved Entomostraca. No. 1. Some Species of Beyrichia from the Upper Silurian Limestones of - Scandinavia. By T. Rurrerr Jongs, F.G.S. [With a Plate. | Amongst the small bivalved Entomostraca found in the Lower Palzeozoic rocks are several species of the genus Beyrichia, for the elucidation of which we are chiefly indebted to MM. Kloéden, Beyrich, M‘Coy, and Salter. “The Beyrichie oceur very low down in the geologic series, though they are not the first to indicate the Crustacean class in the fossiliferous rocks. ' . The carapace-valves of these little Crustaceans are usually ob- long in shape, and rarely exceed ;4,th of an inch in length; the more typical forms have their surfaces embossed with two, three, or more transverse ridges or isolated protuberances. Some spe- cimens in their general contour and in the arrangement of the inequalities on the surface of the valve offer a distant resemblance to a miniature human ear. Other varieties have smooth valves, more or less. indented by a transverse furrow which divides the surface into two unequal parts. - The remains of Beyrichie are met with, both as calcareous carapace-valves (by far most usually separate), and as casts of single valves, scattered more or less abundantly in the substance of the rock or on the planes of stratification. Not unfrequently they have been distorted by the movements which the integral parts of the rock have suffered in the process of partial meta- morphism. The carapaces themselves, generally as single valves, are frequently met with in the Upper Silurian rocks of Britain, though not in the Lower Silurian ; and they abound in some of the Upper Silurian rocks of Sweden. Yet our observations are often necessarily limited to the casts of the exteriors and the Ann, & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. xvi. 6 82 Mr. T. R. Jones on Scandinavian Beyrichie. moulds of the interiors of these minute valves. The substance of the valves being of the same thickness throughout, the in- ternal casts represent with tolerable clearness the configuration of the exterior. The Upper Silurian limestones of Gothland and the south of Sweden often abound in minute, symmetrical, semicircular, tri- lobed bodies, which are the heads and tails of little Trilobites of the genus Agnostus (particularly A. pisiformis). Together with these occur other somewhat similar trilobed forms, which how- ever are smaller, longer in proportion, and not symmetrical. These are Beyrichia. Drifted fragments of these fossiliferous Scandinavian lime- stones occur abundantly in the sands and gravels of Mecklen- burg, Brandenburg, and Pomerania ; and these blocks in their weathered condition have yielded plentiful supphes of fossils to the naturalists of North Germany. In 1769 C. F. Wilckens * figured specimens of Agnostus pisiformis from this source, refer- ring them with doubt to Trilobites (and proposing the removal of Trilobites from amongst Mollusks to Insects). With these he also figures a Beyrichiat (B. Wilckensiana, nobis), from Havel- berg, without however arriving at any conclusion as to its true nature. L, von Buch in his ‘ Recueil de -Planches de Pétrifactions re- marquables{,’ pl. 6, figures some Beyrichie in a limestone block from near Giistrow. im Mecklenburg, and regards them as the young of his Leptena lata, a view quite incompatible with every character of these creatures, as M. Kloden has well explained in his ‘ Die Versteinerungen der Mark Brandenburg $.’ Kléden met with numerous specimens in weathered fragments of the Scandinavian limestone from the gravels near Berlin ; and he has given carefully executed (but evidently not quite correct) figures of the valves of at least two species, in different stages of growth, accompanied with a detailed description ||. This observer remarked that these little fossils are not at all referable to the Leptena which accompanies them, nor to any mollusk ; and, guided by the apparently symmetrical, semicircular, three-lobed form of some of the specimens, he was led to regard them as being probably the cephalic and caudal portions of the carapace of small Trilobites, and to assign them to the genus Battus (=Agnostus), although he figures and describes the unsymme- trical contour and irregular distribution of the surface-lobes of * Nachricht von seltenen Verstemerungen (8vo, Berlin), 1769, pl.7. f. 38. t Op. cit. p. 77. pl. 7. fig. 39. These specimens have been confounded by Dalman, Kléden, Burmeister, &c., with the foregomg. t Fol. Berlin, 1831. These figures are too obscure for satisfactory re- cognition as to their specific relations. § Berlin, 8vo, 1834, ~ "lt Op. cit. pp. 112-19. Mr. T. R, Jones on Scandinavian Beyrichie. 83 other specimens, and even shows the actually bivalved condition of at least one example. This author refers all his specimens to one species, under the name of Battus tuberculatus. In 1843 Burmeister (Die Organiz. d. Trilobiten, p. 72) refers M. Kléden’s figures, without any assigned reason and certainly erroneously, to Odontopleura ovata. In 1846, M‘Coy, describing the Silurian fossils of Ireland *, pointed out the really unsymmetrical arrangement of the lobes and furrows on these little bodies; and, finding them to corre- spond in pairs of dextral and sinistral valves, he rightly con- jectured them to be the bivalved carapaces of Entomostraca. For these animals he therefore established a new genus, “ Beyrichia,” named from M. Beyrich, who also, in a work then lately pub- lished}, had stated his belief that M. Kloden’s specimens were not referable to any Trilobite, but to some small bivalved Crus- tacean. In 18514 Prof. M‘Coy further illustrated the genus, referring it to the family “ Limnadiade,” of the Phyllopod order of Ento- mostraca ; and remarking that “several species of this genus have been figured and described by Kléden, as varieties of his Batius tuberculatus.” Mr. Salter also has illustrated and described some British species of this genus, in the Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, vol. ii. part 1, and in Appendix A. of ‘ Descript. Brit. Pal. Foss.’ above referred to. There are a few other pub- lished notices of Beyrichiea; but we now have to confine our- selves to an examination of the species from the Scandinavian limestone, postponing for the present the critical notice of other published species. As M. Kloéden’s figures were nearly all that we had in this country for our guidance in the comparison of the Beyrichia, it was desirable that we should be able to test by the examination of good Scandinavian specimens.the accuracy of these drawings and of the specific determinations that have been made by their help. Not long since Sir C. Lyell, when visiting Berlin, had the kind- ness to mention to Prof. Beyrich my desire to have an oppor- tunity of examining some well-preserved specimens of M. Klo- den’s typical species ; anda liberal supply of limestone fragments from the gravels of Prussia and Silesia, rich in Beyrichie, was most courteously granted by Prof. Beyrich and brought to En- gland by Sir C. Lyell. I now proceed to the results of the examination of these inter- * Synopsis of the Silurian Fossils of Ireland (4to, Dublin), p. 57. + Ueber Eimige boéhmische Trilobiten, p. 47. t Description of Brit. Pal. Foss. in Sedgwick’s Synopsis of the Classi- fication of Brit. Pal. Rocks. 4to, Cambridge. Part II. sia 1. p. 135. * 84 Mr. T. R. Jones on Scandinavian Beyrichiz. esting specimens. They consist of five fragments of a bluish-gray limestone, full of organic remains ; one of them from near Berlin, and the others from the neighbourhood of Breslau. (I shall refer to them as Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5, for the sake of convenience.) They differ somewhat among themselves im their lithological characters and in their organic contents; and no two of them contain exactly the same set of Beyrichia. Nos. 1, 2, & 4 have a weathered exterior of a whitish dun colour, in a more or less friable condition. On fracture this whitish external portion of the limestone exposes its fossils far more readily to the eye than the inner crystalline limestone does ; and, indeed, the calcareous cement having been decomposed, the innumerable Beyrichia and other minute fossils start away in the breaking up of the mass, and may be readily picked out of the debris. Nos. 3 & 5 are rather darker in colour than the others, and have a rough con- cretionary structure. The weathered surface of these is not more friable than their mterior, and the whole readily breaks up under the hammer, numbers of the’ little fossils becommey disengaged among the debris. All the fragments contain Leptena lata. Nos. 1, 2, 3, & 4 are rich in this fossil, some of them contain fragments of heads of Trilobites, and No. 1 abounds with Tenta- culites also. No. 5 is poorer in the Leptena, &c., and euntains Encrinital remains. Each of the limestones contains abundance of Cytheres or Cytheropses, the description of which is postponed for the present. : The relative distribution of these organic remains in each of the specimens is shown in the following Table :— Near Berlin. Near Breslau. LIMESTONE SPECIMENS, Nos. 1. > Sie fi Bak Oe SS Beyrichia Buchiana, n. sp. ...... woke B. tuberculata, K16d., sp. ...c.c00e| seceeesee — feceoes eke | aeekok VGr. MUA iesessswereeeecessoss steecese | AK Var, antiquata ....iccoccceece| escscocas [sevese|seresclescons * B. Dalmaniana, 1. Sp. so..sc0cceee] - covscsese foneves * B. Maccoyiana, n. sp. ......00. ouc], seeabos a * | ® B, Salteriana; 1. sp. si 66 ei ee ees Weelebevvafeccees ek B. Wilckensiana, n. sp. ...eesees AL tS beebdbblancnee tek | etek Var. plicata. s..eccupqesesentes * : Ba, SUBS, o0.0is suns 000 debhancatien tes Pivccakoies ats. facc¥eolatenss * Bi fnttndula *.........4 Rbecbecceepeey | SE “Liens gltagase * | ee Cyne. si ci ERAS sek eRe | ook | ok pode Leptzena lata ........ccccereesene er wee | ek | ok | ok Tentaculites ...cccccererceee cocseeee * Encrinital remains .........c0ceee|, escvesees [e Teseseceees secoeel [The asterisks by their“tlative numbers denote the comparative abun- dance of the fossils. } aE Mr.:T. R. Jones on Scandinavian Beyrichiz. 85 The several:forms of the Beyrichie obtained from the lime- stone fragments are illustrated in Plate V., and I now proceed to their description (premising that the figures represent the specimens magnified 4 diameters). Class CRUSTACEA. Subclass ENromostTRAca. Order Phyllopoda ? Family Limnapiapz? Genus Bryricuia, M‘Coy, 1846 (Synop. Sil. Fos. Ireland, p.57). Generic characters.—Animal enclosed in a vertical bivalved carapace. Carapace equivalved. Carapace-valves oblong ; anterior (cephalic) and posterior (caudal) extremities somewhat rounded ; inferior (ventral) border semicircular ; superior (dorsal) border straight. Valves wider at the caudal than at the cephalic extre- mity ; more or less convex; impressed with one or more trans- verse furrows, commencing on the dorsal or hinge border, and variously modifying the surface of the valve. Hingement not known ; probably a simple adaptation of the thin dorsal edges and their union by membrane. 1st Group : Simptices.—Surface of valve simple, almost uni- formly convex, but impressed with one, usually short, vertical, dorsal furrow on the anterior half of the valve, and (if extended) dividing the surface of the valve into two unequal parts (the anterior portion being the smaller). Valves either with simple edges, or bordered (except on the dorsal edge) by a narrow flat- tened rim ; in the first case the margin of the one slightly over- lapping that of the other valve, when united; in the second case, the opposite flat borders coming in contact. 2nd Group : Corrucat#£.—Surface of valve convex, impressed with two vertical furrows, not reaching across the valve, but marking out three unequal lobes on the surface and giving it a crumpled appearance. The anterior furrow holds the same rela- tive position as the single furrow in the “Simplices.” The valves are bordered (on three sides) by a narrow depressed margin. © ee = 8rd Group: Jucosm.—Surface of valve impressed with two or three strong vertical furrows, extending from the back to the ventral portion of the valve, and dividing the surface into three or more unsymmetrical lobes, transverse ridges, or bosses, which vary considerably in their size, mode of subdivision, and relative position in different species, and, to some extent, in different stages of growth of individuals. The anterior, inferior, and pos- 86 Mr. T. R. Jones on Scandinavian Beyrichie. terior margins of each valve are turned sharply inwards, the angle so made being marked externally by a prominent ledge, either slightly rounded or trenchant (and sometimes spiny), forming a narrow depressed border along these three edges of the external surface of the valve. These edges of the valves close together by the marginal flange of the one valve being re- ceived within that of the other,—somewhat like the fitting of the lid and body of a circular snuff-box. United valves are very rare; one such specimen shows the ventral margin of the left valve overlapping that of the right. There is no marked differ- ence in the shape of the two valves; and the size of the valve that is received within and overlapped by the other is very little less than that of its fellow. (Jucosm.) 1, Beyrichia Buchiana, nov. sp. Pl. V. figs, 1-38. Surface of valve impressed with three transverse furrows ; the anterior and central ones reaching across the valve, and separated by a narrow ridge ; the posterior furrow extending about two- thirds of the width across, and bounded by a semicircular ridge. In other words, the exterior of the valve presents three trans- verse ridges ; the anterior is isolated, narrow, and slightly curved ; the other two, occupying the posterior half of the valve, are united towards the ventral border, and form a compressed semi- circular or horse-shoe ridge, with its convexity downwards. The posterior arm of this horse-shoe-shaped ridge is larger than the other arm (or median ridge), and is sometimes indented by a slight, short, oblique furrow on its outer ridge (fig. 2); and sometimes it is tuberculated (fig. 3). The anterior and posterior margins of the valve are also roughened with spinose tubercles in old specimens. , This form presents a well-marked and simple pattern of the surface, to which we can conveniently refer for comparison in describing others. Only one of our limestone fragments affords this species, and in this it occurs in great profusion, together with B. Wilckensiana, Tentaculites, and Leptena lata. A very similar limestone appears to have furnished the spe- cimens figured in the ‘ Recueil des Pétrif. Remarq.,” and which indeed are possibly referable to this species :—a coincidence which has led me to dedicate this well-characterized Beyrichia to the memory of M. von Buch, 2. Beyrichia tuberculata, Kléden, sp. PI. V. figs. 4-9. Surface of valve embossed with three lobes or ridges. The anterior ridge is usually divided more or less decidedly by a Mr. T. R. Jones on Scandinavian Beyrichize. 87 transverse furrow into two oval bosses of unequal size, the lower or ventral one being the largest and often becoming in the adult a protuberance of great (relative) size, and so prominent as to render the anterior part of the valve broader than the posterior (figs. 7 & 8). The central ridge is usually reduced to an oval boss, isolated and placed rather obliquely. The posterior or largest ridge is well developed, strongly curved, thick above and taper- ing downwards and forwards, until it terminates nearly opposite and near to the lower end of the central boss, with which it sometimes shows an inclination to unite at a sharp angle, At its thickest part, the posterior ridge is divided obliquely and transversely, by two, slight, narrow, sinuous furrows, into three parts, which vary in their distinctness in nearly every individual : sometimes a third similar furrow again divides this ridge in its ventral portion (fig. 8). The surface of the valves is coarsely granulated, except in the very young state. This species differs from B. Buchiana in its larger bulk, its coarser aspect, its granulations, and especially in the disposition of the surface-ridges. The same general arrangement of these exists in both species, but in B. tuberculata they have a greater development and are more subdivided; the horse-shoe ridge especially of the one is broken up in the other species. This is evidently the species illustrated by Kloden’s figures 20-23; and it is therefore the typical Beyrichia tuberculata. The other figures (16-19) referred by this author to the young state of the same species, belong to our new species B. Wilcken- siana, to be presently described, B. tuberculata, var. nuda. PI. V. figs 10, 11. A smaller-sized variety of this species occurs plentifully in another block of limestone. The surface is destitute of tubercles ; and the ventral anterior lobe does not appear to attain the ex- cessive growth that is seen in old specimens of the typical form. B. tuberculata, var. antiquata. Pl. V. fig. 12. A large and unique left carapace-valve, from No. 5 lime- stone, exhibiting the usual arrangement of the surface-lobes of this species, except that the posterior ridge is not quite so largely developed, has a perfectly smooth surface, and a trenchant margin well armed with spines on the front, hind, and lower borders of the valve. This spiny or denticulated condition of the margin I have not met with in other varieties of this species ; but it occurs in two figures (20, 21) of M. Kloden’s typical form. 88 Mr. T. R. Jones on Scandinavian Beyrichise. 8. Beyrichia Dalmaniana, nov. sp. Pl. V. fig. 13. Anterior extremity of valve contracted, so as to give an almost triangular outline. Surface bearing five smooth rounded un- equal protuberances or lobes; two obliquely placed anteriorly, two posteriorly, and one in the middle towards the dorsal border ; the infero-posterior lobe is the largest. In the arrangement of these five lobes some reference to that of the ridges in the pre- ceding species can be recognized, the two anterior lobes being the equivalents of the divided cephalic ridge in B. tuberculata ; the posterior lobes representing the great caudal ridge, and the central lobe being isolated and similarly placed in both species. The narrow depressed border of the valve is slight but distinct. The surface is smooth, with traces of very fine linear pune- tations. Only a right and ‘a left valve were found (in No. 3. lme- stone). . I have distinguished this rare and curious little Scandinavian Beyrichia by the well-known name of one of the illustrious paleontologists of Sweden. 4:, Beyrichia Maccoyiana, nov. sp. Pl. V. fig. 14. Carapace-valve nearly semicircular ; bearing three almost sym- metrical rounded ridges. The anterior ridge broad, tapering downwards and backwards, and disunited at its termination from the others by a very slight depression. The middle ridge oval, united below with the posterior ridge, but constricted at the junction ; the two forming a compressed horse-shoe ridge. Sur- face of valve punctate. The marginal depressed rim is broad, prominent, and trenchant, especially on the ventral margin, where it is marked by regularly placed, transverse, depressed lines or strize equally on its upper and its under surface. This breadth of the ventral rim gives rise to the peculiar semicircular form of the valve. ; The surface-lobes of this species have the arrangement of those in B. Buchiana; but, the furrows not being so deeply ex- cavated, the ridges are fuller and less distinctly separate. The punctation of the surface and especially the well-developed and striated rim are the peculiar characteristics of this species. B. Maccoyiana approaches some of Prof. Hall’s* figures of B, lata (Vanuxem sp.), a Beyrichia from the Clinton rocks of the U.S.; but differences in the relative proportions of the ridges, and especially the broad rim, sufficiently separate the two forms. Three specimens of left valves are all that I have found (one * Paleontology of New York, vol. ii. pl. A. 66. fig. 10. Mr. T. R. Jones on Scandinavian Beyrichiz. 89 in No. 2. limestone, and two in No. 3.); and from their friable condition the carapace appears to have been of an unusually de- licate structure. This rare and interesting species is named after Prof. M‘Coy, who founded the genus and devoted much labour to the eluci- dation of the species of this and other allied forms of paleeozoic Entomostraca. 5. Beyrichia Salteriana, nov. sp. Pl. V. figs. 15, 16. _ Valves narrow oblong ; caudal portion wider than the cephalic ; marginal rim of the anterior, inferior, and posterior borders uni- form, well developed, and impressed with a series of shallow pits along the ventral portion. Surface finely punctate ; divided into three unequal subtriangular convexities or lobes, separated by a very narrow forked or Y-shaped furrow. The posterior lobe is the largest ; and the middle one, which is slightly in advance of the centre of the valve and is pushed up to the dorsal border, is the smallest. - This species offers a strong contrast to B. Buchiana in the width of the surface-lobes and the narrowness of the furrows ; and it could scarcely answer to the name of “ jugosa” or ridged, were it not that its system of furrows is equivalent: to that of B. tuberculata, which is at the opposite extremity of this group. This small, but elegant and well-characterized species is -nu- merous in No. 5. limestone ; and I dedicate it with much plea- sure to my friend Mr. Salter, Paleeontologist of the Geological Survey, to whom we are indebted for much information on the history of the Entomostraca of the Silurian rocks. (CoRRUGAT.) 6. Beyrichia Wilckensiana, nov. sp. Pl. V. figs. 17, 18. Carapace-valves contracted anteriorly, almost reniform. Sur- face of valve smooth, highly convex, divided into three unequal lobes by two short furrows, the anterior of which is near the centre of the valve. The middle lobe, lying between the fur- rows, is rounded, prominent, projecting over the dorsal edge, and passes, by a narrow and sometimes constricted neck, into the convex body of the valve with which the front and hind lobes are continuous. The middle lobe, though prominent, is the smallest, and the anterior lobe is the widest, but depressed. The ventral part of the convex surface, where the lobes unite, hangs over the narrow flat rim of the inferior margin of the valve, and is separated from it by a deep wrinkle, which dies out 90 Mr. T. R. Jones on Scandinavian Beyrichie. on the flattened margins of the anterior and posterior dorsal angles of the valve. This form abounds in two of the limestones, and is evidently referred to in Kloéden’s figures 16-18; but it is still better figured by Wilckens, after whom I have named this peculiar species. ) Beyrichia Wilckensiana, var. plicata. Pl. V. figs. 19-21. In this variety the anterior dorsal angle is more acute, and the central lobe more compressed, than in the typical form ; and the dorsal portions of the anterior and posterior lobes are marked by short faint vertical furrows, so as to appear pinched up into two or three small projecting angular ridges or plaits. The wrinkle or sulcus bounding the convex part of the valve is rather more strongly marked also. This variety does not occur with the foregoing, but is plentiful in No. 1. limestone ; and the specimens are usually smaller, though some individuals attain the full size of the type. ; Possibly Kléden’s figure 19. was ‘taken from a specimen of this variety. 7. Beyrichia siliqua, nov. sp. Pl. V. fig. 22. Carapace-valve elongate, contracted anteriorly ; smooth ; con- vex; divided into three unequal lobes by two shallow, rather oblique furrows crossing the convexity of the valve. Posterior lobe the largest. Marginal rim well developed on the ventral border. Two dextral valves only in one of the limestones represent this well-marked species. (Srrerices.) 8. Beyrichia mundula, nov. sp. Pl. V. fig. 238. Carapace-valves varying from oblong to nearly oval, convex, smooth, punctated, and marked by a short distinct furrow near the middle of the upper part; the marginal depressed rim nar- row and sometimes obscured on the ventral border by the con- vexity of that part of the valve. This occurs in three of the limestones, and from its small size and general appearance is liable to be confounded with the numerous Cythere-like forms so common in these Scandinavian limestones. The specimens from No, 1. limestone are more oval and convex than the others; those from No. 5. are well pre- served, and interesting from their oblong shape, depressed mar- Mr. T. R. Jones on Scandinavian Beyrichiz. 91 gins, slight sulcus, and trace of central “lucid spot ;” in which characters we have a near approach to Leperditia. B. mundula differs from B. simplex, Jones (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soe. vol. ix. p. 161. pl. 7. fig. 7), chiefly in its having a propor- tionally longer hinge-line, or dorsal border, and a narrower pos- terior extremity, and in frequently presenting a depressed Leper- ditia-like aspect of the valves, which we do not find in B. simplex. The specimen here figured (fig. 23) is from the No. 1. lime- stone, and is very convex and broadly oval in shape. The dorsal border is, however, usually straight, two-thirds the length of the valves, and from each of its extremities the margin has an oblique direction downwards and outwards to about half the width of the valve, where it meets the semicircular ventral border, and so forms the more or less angular anterior and posterior extre- mities of the valve, the former of which is somewhat narrower and sharper than the latter. This outline, or an approximation to it, is traceable in very many of the Beyrichia, but it is best developed in the specimens of B. mundula above referred to, from No. 5. limestone, in which the obliquity of the antero- dorsal and the postero-dorsal angles of the carapace is as well marked as in Leperditia, and is combined with a general de- pression of the carapace-valves and other characteristics above- noticed, which indicate a close relationship to the last-named genus :—to this point we shall again refer in further descriptions of the species of these genera. Of the three groups of the genus, that of the Jugose is well represented in the Scandinavian limestones under examination. To this group also belong— _ Beyrichia Kleedeni, M‘Coy. complicata, Salter. symmetrica, Hall. lata, Vanuxem, sp. — Busacensis, Jones. Bohemica, Barrande, MS. The Corrugate have here only two representatives (B. Wilck- ensiana and B. siliqua). Possibly Hall’s Cytherina spinosa may be a Beyrichia of this type. An undescribed species from Busaco belongs to this group, and, taken together with B. Bohemica, affords a passage into B. complicata of the Jugose group. The little B. mundula above described has many larger con- geners among the Simplices, such as— Beyrichia simplex, Jones, Logani, Jones, MS. strangulata, Salter, and several Bohemian forms collected by M. Barrande. 92 Dr. J. W. Griffith on the Conjugation of the Diatomacer. EXPLANATION OF PLATE V.. [The figures represent the specimens magnified 4 diameters, with the exception of 16 bd Fig. 1 a. Beyrichia Buchiana, Jones: right valve. 10. Ventral aspect of “the same valve. 2. Left valve. 3. Left valve of old specimen. Fig. 4. Beyrichia tuberculata, Kloden, sp.: right valve (young individual). 5a. Right valve. 50. Ventral aspect of the same valve. 6. Left valve. 7a. Left valve (old individual). 7. Ventral aspect of the same valve. 8a. Right valve. 8b. Transverse section of the right valve. 9a. Left valve. 90. Ventral aspect of the same valve. s - Fig. 10 a. B. tuberculata, var. nuda, Jones: right valve. 100. Ventral aspect of the same valve. 11. Left valve. Fig. 12. B. tuberculata, var. antiquata, Jones: left valve. Fig. 13a. Beyrichia Dalmaniana, Jones: right valve. 13 5. Ventral aspect of the same valve. Fig. 14. Beyrichia Maccoyiana, Jones: right valve. Fig. 15 a. Beyrichia Salteriana, Jones: right valve. 156. Ventral aspect of the same valve. 16a. Left valve. 160. Highly magnified view of part of the border. H Fig. 17. Beyrichia Wilckensiana, Jones: Left valve. 18a. Right valve. 18 5. Ventral aspect of the same valve. Fig. 19. B. Wilckensiana, var. plicata, Jones: right valve of large indi- vidual. 20a. Right valve. 2005. Ventral aspect of the same valve. 21. Left valve. Fig. 22. Beyrichia siliqua, Jones: right valve. Fig. 23. Beyrichia mundula, Jones: left valve. VII.—On the Conjugation of the Diatomacez. By J. W. Grirrita, M.D., F.L.S. [With a Plate. ] Tue interest attached to the conjugation and the relation of the forms to the species of Diatomacez, will, I trust, render the following remarks of interest to the botanist. At the end of May of the present year, I was fortunate enough to find the bodies delineated in Pl. II. B. figs. 1-5, in a ditch near Blackwall. The first which attracted my notice was that represented by fig. 38, and which could not be referred to any known Diato- macean ; it was composed of silex, 7. e. indestructible by heat and nitric acid. Upon further search, other of these bodies were found (fig. 2) containing a frustule of a Navicula, some also with the valves of another Navicula (figs. 1 & 2) adherent to the former. It was then evident that these bodies represented a 6 a Faleozoie Entomostraca. “18.4 Beyrichie. #. Jones. det. J De C Sowerby. fectt. i a % ie eS _— i ee Dr. J. W. Griffith on the Conjugation of the Diatomacer. 98 a Navicula in a state of conjugation, and that the larger Navi- cula was the sporangial frustule of the smaller, enclosed in a siliceous sporangial sheath. _ The siliceous sheath (fig. 3) is colourless, elongate, rounded at the ends, and furnished with coarse transverse striz or de- pressions, through which the line of fracture runs when the object is crushed (figs. 1 & 2). Its length its variable, appa- rently according to the stage of growth. The smallest was zy of an inch, the parent frustules being very slightly sepa- rated from each other, the form of the sheath more rounded, and the transverse strize very few. The larger forms were from zip to x+y" in length. The parent frustules (fig. 4, side view; fig. 1 (below), front view), of which there were two, were brownish when dry ; linear in front view ; almost linear in the side view, sometimes more or less lanceolate, but always suddenly constricted near the ends, which are produced. The valves have a medial line and central and terminal nodules. The length of the parent frustules was 37g 0 x00 ; The sporangial frustules (fig. 5, side view; fig. 2, front view) were also brownish when dry, and in side view of a linear form, slightly narrowed towards the obtuse ends ; in front view, linear and. narrowed towards the obtuse or slightly truncate ends, and slightly constricted in the middle; the medial line, with cen- tral and terminal nodules distinct. The dimensions of the spo- rangial frustules are those of the sporangial sheath. The determination of the species I shall leave to those who believe that the numerous hair-splittings of forms belonging to Navicula constitute distinct species. But it is very clear that the forms of the parent and sporangial frustules belong respec- tively even to different sections of the genus Navicula as subdi- vided by Kiitzing* and Smitht. It would be well perhaps for those who specially study the Diatomacez to attend more to the relations of the forms and structure of frustules to species than to the making out of the minute markings existing upon the valves, which at present re- ceive almost the whole attention. The observations made in the former direction are exceedingly few, yet most important to the point. Those of Thwaitest and Focke$ have shown that great differences of size and shape may exist in forms of one and the -same species ; the subject of the present communication confirms this result. Variation in the number of markings, as rays, dots, * Kiitzing, Species Algarum, 1849. + Rey. W. Smith, Synopsis of the British Diatomacez, i. + Thwaites, Ann. Nat. Hist. 1847, xx., and pls. 4 & 22, § Focke, Physiologische Studien, 1853, Heft ii. 94 Dr. T. Wright on a new Genus of Fossil Cidaride, and surface-elevations, or even their absence or presence, is not sufficient to distinguish species, as shown by Thwaites*, &e. and Shadbolt+. The observations of Ralfst upon Himantidium are very interesting in this respect, although unfortunately very incomplete. It may be remarked, that the surface of the valves of the Navicula described above were covered with minute depressions, invisible by ordinary illumination, but visible by oblique light with the use of stops ; while the sporangial sheath was free from markings, save the transverse striz. The manner in which the unyielding siliceous sporangial sheath enlarges in accordance with the growth of the sporangial frustule is obscure, unless it ensue by the occasional ecdysis, as it might be ealled, of the old sheath and the formation of a new. In the earliest conjugating specimen observed of the above Navi- cula, the sporangial sheath was of a rounded-oblong form, about two-thirds of the size of the parent frustules, and situated midway between them, both in regard to length and breadth, whilst the full-grown sporangial frustule and sheath were twice the length of the parent frustule (figs. 2 & 3), both the former being of about the same size, and the latter situated near one end of the sporangial sheath. It was noticed also, that all the spo- rangial frustules were undergoing division, although contamed within their sheaths. VIII.—On a New Genus of Fossil Cidaridee, with a Synopsis of the Species included therein. By Tuomas Wricut, M.D., F.R.S.E. NorwitHsTANDING the many new generic sections introduced into the classification of Echinoderms, by MM. Agassiz and Desor, and the important light thrown by these savans on our knowledge of the numerous species of this class contained in European collections, still the progress of discovery renders it imperative on paleontologists to modify from time to time many of the opinions put forward by these authors in their * Catalogue raisonné.’ When the amount of real work done by them is taken into account, in a field which was then compara- tively unknown, the wonder is, not that mistakes or oversights should have been committed, but that so much good work * Annals, loc. cit, T Shadbolt, Microse. Journal, vol. iii. t Ralfs, Annals, 1843, xii. on Fragilaria pectinalis, R. (Himantidium pectinale, Kiitz.) var. 8. with a Synopsis of the Species included therein. 95 under the circumstances should have been attained, which will bear the most severe criticism, and remain as it was left, a monu- ment of the genius and industry of the authors. In our memoirs on the Cidaride of the Oolites, we have figured and described three species, Gontopygus perforatus, Pe- dina Etheridgit and Pedina Bakeri; the true generic position of these forms seemed to us uncertain at the time our papers were passing through the press, as they exhibited characters which did not assimilate with either of the generic divisions of the ‘Catalogue raisonné.’ Our materials did not then justify us in proposing a separate genus for their reception ; the discovery, however, of an interesting series of new congeneric forms has now enabled us to rectify our determination, and propose the genus Hemipedina for the group, to which we have added a synopsis of the species included therein. Hemirepina, Wright, 1855. This new genus is composed of small, neat, and highly orna- mented Urchins, much depressed on their upper surface, and with a flat or slightly concave base. The ambulacral areas are narrow and straight; the pores in the poriferous zones are ar- ranged in single pairs; the interambulacral areas are in general more than double the width of the ambulacral, with two, four, or six rows of tubercles in general arranged abreast on the same tubercular plate. The tubercles are perforated, and set on mam- millary eminences with smooth uncrenulated summits; one row of tubercles in general only extends from the peristome to the disc; the other rows, when there are four and six rows in the area, stop short at the equator, or between the equator and the disc ; the intertubercular space on the upper surface of the test is therefore in general wide, and covered with a small miliary gra- nulation. The apical disc is large ; the genital and ocular plates are expanded and foliated. The mouth-opening is of moderate dimensions, and the peristome is divided mto ten nearly equal- sized lobes. The spines are long, slender, and needle-shaped ; those that are known, equal at least the diameter of the test, and their surface is sculptured with delicate longitudinal lines. Hemipedina is related to Diadema in having the pores ar- ranged in the zones im single pairs and the tubercles perforated ; but it is distinguished from Diadema by the absence of crenu- lations on the summits of the mammiullary eminences. It is, related to Pedina in possessing perforated and uncrenulated tubercles ; but it is distinguished from that genus in having the pores in the zones in single pairs (Pedina having the pores in triple oblique pairs like Echinus), in having the elements of the 96 Dr. T. Wright sn a new Genus of Fossil Cidaride, apical disc more largely developed, and in the species being nearly all small and depressed forms, Hemipedina is related to Echin- opsis in possessing uncrenulated and perforated tubercles, with the pores in pairs ; but it is distinguished from the latter by the narrowness of the ambulacral areas, the depressed form of the test (Echinopsis being high and inflated), the form of the mouth- opening, and the deep decagonal lobes of the peristome (that of Echinopsis bemg almost deprived of these incisions), together with the greater size and development of the elements of the apical disc. Hemipedina, as far as we at present know, is composed of Jurassic species, which commence in the lower Lias and extend into the Coral Rag, each stage possessing its own specific forms. The following synopsis of the British species now before us will be figured and described in detail in our Monograph on the British Oolitic Cidaride. A. Species from the Laas. Hemipedina Bechei, Wright. Cidaris Bechet, Broderip, Geol. Proc. ii. 202. Diadema Bechei, Agassiz, Morris’s Catalogue of British Fossils, Ist ed. p. 51, Test small, much crushed, and covered over with spines ; ambu- lacra with two rows of tubercles; interambulacra with four or six rows of tubercles ; spines long, slender and needle- shaped, ,&,ths of an inch in length, with longitudinal lines on the surface. This appears to be identical with the typerspe- cimen in the Museum of the Geological Society. Locality.— Lower Lias, Lyme Regis. Coll, J. 8, Bowerbank, Esq. Hemipedina Bowerbankii, Wright, nov. sp. Test crushed, 1,4,th of an inch in diameter ; ambulacral areas nar- row, with two rows of marginal tubercles rather smaller than those in the interambulacra, a tubercle on every alternate _ plate ; interambulacral areas wide, with six rows of tubercles abreast, surrounded by a delicate scrobicular circle; spines shorter and thicker (+2ths of an inch in length) than those of H, Bechei, although the test is much larger, deeply sculptured with longitudinal lines. Locality.— Lower Lias, Lyme Regis. Coll. J. S. Bowerbank, Esq. with a Synopsis of the Species included therein. 97 Hemipedina Jardinn, Wright, nov. sp. Test small, much depressed ; ambulacral areas wide, with two rows of marginal tubercles which extend from the peristome to the dise; interambulacral areas with two rows of tubercles set near the poriferous zones, from eleven to twelve tubercles in each row, a delicate scrobicular circle of granules around each, and a naked intertubercular space in the centre ; mouth- opening small, situated in a depression ; peristome decagonal ; base finely radiated in consequence of the size and regularity of the interambulacral tubercles. Locality.—Marlstone near Ilminster, Somersetshire, and Bre- don Hill, Gloucestershire. Coll. of the late H. Strickland Esq., and Dr. Wright. Hemipedina Etheridgii, Wright. Pedina Etheridgii, Wright, Annals of Nat. Hist. S. 2. vol. xiii. p.315. -pl. 1. fig. 5 a-d. Test small, circular, depressed ; ambulacral areas narrow, with six small perforate tubercles below, and a double row of mar- ginal granules above ; interambulacral areas with two rows of tubercles, seven in each row ; apical disc large and petaloidal ; mouth-opening small; peristome decagonal; lobes nearly equal. : Locality.--Upper Lias, Ilminster. Coll. Dr. Wright. B. Species from the Inferior Oolite. Hemipedina Bakeri, Wright. Pedina Bakeri, Wright, Annals of Nat. Hist. 8. 2. vol. xiii. p. 312. pl. 1. fig. 4 a-e. Test circular, depressed ; ambulacral areas very narrow, with two rows of small tubercles set so far apart that they form a zig- zag row; interambulacral areas with two rows of rather large prominent tubercles, five in a row; apical dise with a pro- minent anal rim; mouth-opening large; peristome deeply decagonal. Locality.—Pea-grit, Inferior Oolite, Crickley Hill. Coll. Dr. Wright : a single specimen. Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. xvi. 7 98 Dr. T. R. Wright on a new Genus of Fossil Cidaride, Hemipedina perforata, Wright. Goniopygus ? perforatus, Wright, Annals of Nat. Hist. 8. 2. vol. viii-. p- 267. pl. 6. fig. 5 a—6. Test small, circular and depressed ; ambulacral areas with two rows of small tubercles which extend from the peristome to the disc ; imterambulacral areas with two rows of tubercles, seven to eight in each row, three or four secondary tubercles between the primary rows at the base; surface of the plates covered with numerous coarse miliary granules ; mouth-open- ing large; peristome rather deeply decagonal ; lobes nearly equal in size ; apical disc large and foliated. Locality.—Pea-grit, Inferior Oolite, Crickley Hill. Coll. Dr. Wright. | Hemipedina tetragramma, Wright, nov. sp. Test circular, ;%,ths of an inch in diameter; ambulacral areas narrow, with two marginal rows of small nearly equal-sized tubercles extending from the peristome to the disk ; interam- bulacral areas with two rows of primary tubercles, about four- teen in each row, and two rows of secondary tubercles, ten in each row, extending from the peristome to nearly the upper surface; mouth-opening small, situated in a depression ; peristome decagonal, unequally lobed. Locality.—Pea-grit, Crickley Hill. Coll. Dr. Wright. Hemipedina Waterhouse, Wright, Nov. sp. Test small, pentagonal, rather inflated at the sides ; ambulacral areas with two rows of small tubercles extending from the peristome to the disc ; interambulacral areas with two rows of tubercles, eight in a row; scrobicular circles neatly defined ; mouth-opening small ; apical disc narrow and prominent. Locality. —Pea-grit, Inferior Oolite, Crickley Hill. Coll. Dr. Wright. | Hemipedina Bonei, Wright, nov. sp. Test small, pentagonal, depressed ; ambulacral areas with two marginal rows of close-set tubercles ; interambulacral areas with one entire row and four short rows of tubercles, which extend only as far as the equator; tubercles of both areas about the same size; base flat; mouth moderate in dimen- sions ; peristome unequally decagonal ; apical dise absent. Locality.—Pea-grit, Crickley Hill. Coll. Dr. Wright. with a Synopsis of the Species included therein. 99 C. Species from the Great Oolite and Cornbrash. Hemipedina Davidsoni, nov. sp. Test much depressed, 1 inch in diameter ; ambulacral areas with two rows of marginal tubercles very regular in their arrange- ment throughout ; interambulacral areas wide, with two rows of primary tubercles, fourteen in a row, and two rows of secondary tubercles which extend beyond the equator, between the former, and two rows of smaller tubercles between the main rows and the poriferous zones, so that at the equator there are six rows of tubercles abreast, whilst on the upper surface there are only two rows; mouth-opening small, in a concave depression ; peristome decagonal and nearly equally lobed ; apical disc absent. | Locality.—The sandy beds of the Great Oolite, Minchin- nampton. - se Coll. Dr. Wright : only one specimen known. Hemipedina Woodwardiu, Wright, nov. sp. Test circular, much depressed ; ambulacral areas narrow, with two rows of small tubercles below and extending as far as the equator, diminishing to granules on the upper part of the areas; interambulacral areas with two rows of rather large primary tubercles, eight in a row, and two rows of secondary tubercles, three to four in each row, which scarcely reach the equator, the upper part of the intertubercular space being filled with a small, abundant miliary granulation ; apical disc large, anal rim prominent ; mouth-opening small; peristome decagonal, nearly equal-lobed. — Locality —Cornbrash, Wiltshire. Coll. British Museum, from Dr.Smith’s collection ; Dr. Wright. Hemipedina tuberculosa, Wright, nov. sp. Test elevated, subconoidal ?, the precise form unknown ; ambu- lacral areas with two rows of basal semitubercles raised on very prominent bosses diminishing rapidly in size into coarse granules above ; interambulacral areas with two rows of large tubercles set on very prominent bosses, with scrobicular circles _ of coarse granules surrounding the areolas ; two rows of small secondary tubercles close to the poriferous zones from the peristome to the equator, and three or four at the base of the intertubercular space ; upper surface enveloped in the matrix ; apical aperture large. Locality.—Coral Rag, Wiltshire. Coll. British Museum. 7% 100 Dr. T.. R. Wright. ona new Genus of Fossil Cidaridee. Foreign Species of the genus Hemipedina. Hemipedina seriale, Wright. Diadema seriale, Agassiz ; Leymerie, Mém. de la Société Géologique de France, tome ii. Pc 330. pl. 24. fig. 1, 1839; Agassiz and Desor’s Cat. raisonné des Echinides, 3 sér. tome vi. p. 348. Test ‘hemispherical, subglobose above, flat below; ambulacral areas with two rows of tubercles nearly as large as those of the interambulacra; interambulacral areas with six rows of tubercles abreast at the equator, diminishing to four and two rows above ; a few secondary tubercles unequally distributed ; mouth-opening small ; peristome slightly decagonal. Locality.—Inferior Lias, France. Coll. M. Michelin. Hemipedina Woodwardiu, Wright. This species occurs in the Cornbrash of the Marquise, near Boulogne-sur-Mer. In one.of the specimens before us the spines are preserved ; the primary spines are not very long, scarcely the length of the diameter of the test; the secondary spines are short and needle-shaped ;, the surface of both kinds is covered with fine longitudinal lines... . . 7 Locality.—The Cornbrash near Boulogne-sur-Mer. Coll. British Museum. Hemipedina Nattheimense, Wright. Echinopsis Nattheimense, Quenstedt, Handbuch der Petrefacten- kunde, p. 582. pl. 49. fig. 37. Locality — White Jura, Nattheim. Coll. British Museum. At this moment the specimen is not at our disposal. We shall give a diagnosis of this species in our Monograph. ipefenee “ Hemipedina Semanni, Wright, nov. sp. Test small, hemispherical ; ambulacra with two rows of tubercles ; interambulacral areas with one row of primary and two rows of secondary tubercles, the primary tubercles alternating with the secondary tubercles, not placed abreast as in most of the species ; tubercles of both areas nearly the same size. Locality.—Coral Rag, Commercy, Meuse. Coll, Dr. Wright : sent by M. Louis Scemann of Paris. On some new or little-known species of Mammalia. 101 IX.—Brief Notices of several new or little-known species of Mammalia, lately discovered and collected in Nepal, by Brian Hovueuton Hopeson, Esq. By T. Horsrietp, M.D. Harry in the year 1853, B. H. Hodgson, Esq., late of the Bengal Civil Service, presented to the Museum of the East India Company, a large collection of prepared skins of Mam- malia, chiefly from the higher regions of India, with duplicates of most species. Many of these have already been communi- eated to the public in a detailed catalogue prepared by Dr. John Edward Gray, chief Zoologist of the British Museum, with the title of “Specimens and Drawings of Mammalia of Nepal and Tibet, presented by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., to the British Museum, December 10th, 1845.’ Since Mr. Hodgson’s return to India in 1847, various new and interesting species of Mammalia have been discovered by him in Nepal, Darjeling, Tibet, and other parts of India near the Himalayan range, which are not contained in the catalogue above mentioned ; of these a concise description is now given, with remarks on several other species hitherto imperfectly known. Of the numerous duplicates liberal distribution has been made, under the orders of the Hon. Court of Directors of the India Company, agreeably to the recommendation of Mr. Hodgson, to the British Museum, the Derby Museum at Liverpool, to several other English museums of natural history, and also to the museums at Leyden, Frankfort and Heidelberg, on the continent of Kurope. Of the family of Vespertilionide the collection contains the following species :— 1. MrecaprerMa scuistacea, Hodgs. J. A. S. xvi. 589, with a figure. Megaderma Lyra, Geoff. apud Kelaart, Prodr. Faunz Zeylanice, Mam- malia, p. 11. This species was discovered by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., in 1847, in Sikim Tarai, and a very copious description of its form and habits is given in vol. xvi. of the Journ. As. Soc. Beng. It appears to be the representative of the M. Lyra in the higher regions of Bengal, and though very like that species, Mr. Hodgson considers it clearly distinct, on account of its slaty colour in the living state, and his figure represents it of that tint. When dry it can scarcely be distinguished from M. Lyra: this appears from the specimens set up in the Company’s museum. Dr. Kelaart, who found it in Ceylon, introduces it Ps 102 Dr. T. Horsfield on some new or little-known in his catalogue as a synonym of that species, while he remarks, that “none of the specimens examined by us were of the dimen- sions given by Mr. Hodgson.” Mr. Hodgson describes the colour of the fur for the most part of a clear, deep slaty-blue above, and sordid buff below, and that of the eye very dark. Females resemble males. The expanse of the wings is 1 ft.6 in. The dimensions are given in detail at page 894. 2. RHINOLOPHUS PERNIGER, Hodgs. J. A.S. xu. 414, xvi. 896. Rhinolophus perniger, Hodgs. apud Blyth, J. A. S. xin. 484. Discovered by Mr. Hodgson in the central regions of the Sub-Himalaya, and described in vol. xii. of the Journ. As. Soe. Beng. ; also briefly noticed by Mr. Blyth. As yet a rare species in collections. According to comparisons made at the British Museum, it resembles the Rh. trifoliatus. 3. RurnoLopuus tRaGAtTUS, Hodgson. First described in Journ. As. Soc. Beng. iv. 699; Gray, Cat. Mamm. Br. Mus. p. 22; Cat. Hodgs. Coll. p. 2; Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xi. 484. A new subject in the wird s museum. 4. Hrprostperos armicrr, Hodgs. J. A. 8. iv. 699; ~~ Cat. Mamm. Br. Mus. p- 24; Cat. Hodgs. Coll. P Blyth, J. A. 8. xi. 488. Although nearly allied to Rh. {Hipposideros) nobilis of Hors- field, it deserves the rank of a distinct species. It is larger than the Javanese species, and its peculiarities. are pointed out by Hodgson and Blyth. 5, VESPERTILIO SILIGORENSIS, Hodgson. Muzzle pointed, with a moustache on the upper lip. Lars eval, slightly emarginate and somewhat pointed ; tragus elon- gate, acute. Wing-membranes arising from the base of the toes. Fur above uniform dark brown, below dark brown tipped with pale brown. Membranes brown. Fore-arm 1] in. 3 lines. Tibia 63 lines. Longest finger 2 in. 4 lines. Obs, —Very nearly allied to, if not identical with, the VY. mysta- cinus of Kurope. 6. VESPERTILIO DARJELINGENSIS, Hodgson. Very nearly allied to the former, but differing in having the ears more emarginate, with a distinct lobe at their base; in having the tibia somewhat shorter, with the fur of the upper species of Mammalia. 1038 parts darker and tipped with chestnut, with a gloss somewhat as in V. mystacinus, but lighter*. | 7. SCOTOPHILUS COROMANDELICUS, F. Cuv. sp. Vesperiilio coromandelicus, Lesch. & Cuv. Nouv. Ann. de la Mus. Schinz. Syst. Mamm. p. 171. Examined by R. F. Tomes, Esq. 8. Murina suiLuvs, Temm. sp. Vespertilio suilius, Temm. Monogr. li. 224. t. 56. f. 456. Murina suillus, Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1842, 259. Identified by R. F. Tomes, Esq. 9, Barpastettus Dausenroniu, Mém. Acad. Par. 1759, t. ii. p. 8; Bell, Brit. Quad. Barbastellus communis, Gray, Mag. Zool. and Bot. ii. 13. Examined by R. F. Tomes, Esq., who considers it identical with the European species, although somewhat darker in colour from its preservation in spirits. 10. PLECoTUS HoMocHROUS, Hodgs. J. A. 8. xvi. 894. Mr. Hodgson, after giving a very copious description of this new species of Plecotus, which he discovered in the central regions of Sub-Himalaya, remarks: “ Nearly allied to auritus, but differs therefrom by disunited ears, fewer molars, a flat inner ear, shorter fur and nude ears, besides its more uniform colour. The joints of the digits also differ, showing how little dependence can be placed upon this mark, which yet Cuvier, Geoffroy and Hamilton Smith make the corner-stone of the general classifi- cation of the family.” 11. PLecorus DARJELINGENSIS, Hodgson. Nearly allied to the former, but considered distinct by Mr. Hodgson. The dimensions are the same in all points; the colour is deeper, inclining to blackish. The lobes of the ear are spreading, with a small appendicule at the bases. The tragus is narrow. The specimens of this and of the former are few and not well preserved, and more materials are required for a satisfactory discrimination. 12. Lasrurvus Pearsontt, Horsfield, Cat. Mamm. E. I. C. Mu- seum, p. 86; Blyth, J. A. 8. xx. 524. Noctulinia lasiura, Hodgs. J. A.S. xvi. 896; fide Blyth, J. A. S. xxi. 343. The specimen sent by Mr. Hodgson is not quite adult; in * This and the preceding were examined and described at my request by R. F. Tomes, Esq.—T. H 104 Dr. T. Horsfield.on some new-or little-known other respects it agrees with Mr. Pearson’s specimen from Dar- jeling, from which the original description was made. 13. Nycrttcesus nrvicotus, Hodgson. Colour of the head and body above uniform light brown, with a slight yellowish shade; underneath, from the throat to the vent, dark grey with a brownish tint, lighter on the sides of the throat. Ears long, attenuated to an obtuse pomt, exceeding half an inch in length. } The fur has the character of that of Lasiurus Pearsonii, bemg delicate, very soft and silky both above and underneath, Entire length 5 in., of which the tail measures 2; brachium 1% in. ; cubitus 2} in.; longest digit 41 in.; tibia 1} in.; foot and claws $ in.; ears § in.; expanse 1 ft. 7 in. This species resembles the Nycticejus ornatus described by Mr. Blyth in vol. xx. of the Journ. As. Soc. Beng. pp. 517,518, but it 1s of larger dimensions, more uniform in its colouring, and altogether destitute of the white spots and bands indicated in the description of the N. ornatus, and of the tawny-red colour on the membranes of that species. It has also some affinity to the Nycticejus Tickelit, Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xx. 157, 158, but its dimensions and proportions are different, and the brighter maroon colour which spreads over the membranes, as m Kerivoula picta, is entirely wanting in the Nycticejus nivi- colus. More specimens of this species are desirable to illustrate its true character. 14. Prerorus Epwarpstt, Geoffr. (Gray, Cat. Hodgs. Coll. p.3), presents nothing peculiar. Of the genus Felis, the collection contains, besides the more com- mon species, the following :— Felis Uncia, Erxleb. Syst. Mamm. p- 508. Leopardus Uncia, Gray, Cat. Mamm. Br. Mus. p. 41; Cat. Hodgs. Coll.p.5. Uncia Irbis, Ehrenb. sp. Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. N. 8. xiv. 394*, * Dr. J. E. Gray has recently proposed that the Ounees, or Tortoise- shell Tigers as they have been called, should form a particular group of Cats, to which the name of Uncia may be attached. They are easily cha- racterized by the great length and thickness of their cylindrical or rather clavate tail, and the marblimg of the colours on the fur. They are con- fined to Asia. 1. Uncia Irbis. Felis Uncia, Schreber. F. Pardus, Pallas. ‘Tibet. 2. Uncia macroscelis, Temm. Sumatra. 3. Uncia macrosceloides, Hodgson. India. 4. Uncia marmoratus. Felis marmorata, Martin. F. Diardii, Jardine. Penang. 5. Uneia Charlitoni. F. Charltoni, Gray. F. Duvaucelli, Hodgs. MSS. India, Himalaya.—Dr. Gray, Ann. Nat. Hist, 1854, xiv. p. 394. species of Mammalia. 105 15. Fexis uncromes, Hodgs. List of Mamm. presented to K.1.C. Mus. The specimens received from Mr. Hodgson agree in all points with those from Tibet presented to the Museum of the East India Company by Capt. R. Strachey. ~ 16. Fetis MacrosceLoipes, Hodgs. Coll., Journ. N. H. iv, 286. Felis macroscelis, Hodgs. J. A. 8. xi. 275. Felis, n. sp., Tickell, J. A. S. xii. with a figure. Although nearly allied to F. macroscelis, Temm., of the Ma- layan Islands, Dr. J. E. Gray allows it the rank of a distinct species, on account of its smaller size and some difference in the markings. In a note on the specimen described by Mr. Hodg- son in vol. xi. of the Journ. As. Soc. Beng. p. 276, Mr. Blyth remarks, “ that this fine species originally discovered in Bengal should also inhabit Tibet is a remarkable circumstance.” Mr. Hodgson’s specimen is from Tibet; that described by Lieut. Tickell is from the snowy range of Darjeling. A figure of Mr. Hodgson’s specimen will be found in the Illust. Proce. Zool. Soc.. 18538. 17. Fetrs MurMENsis, Hodgs. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 10, varietas nigra. Mr. Hodgson has recently discovered a very beautiful variety, of a saturated brown or black colour, of which the collection contains several specimens. In size and external character it agrees exactly with the brown-red or bay species, first described in the ‘Proceedings of the Zoological Society.’ The lateral marks on the cheeks, forehead and thighs are the same, and also a slight whitish discoloration on the tip of the tail. It is a very beautiful variety. 18, Feris Cuaruroni, Gray, Br. Mus. Uncia Charltoni, Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. xiv. p. 394 (1854). This is as yet a very rare species in collections. Besides the original specimen discovered by Col. Charlton, and that for- warded by Mr. Hodgson, none is enumerated in Catalogues of Natural History. It is from the higher regions. oe 19. Parapoxurvus strictus, Hodgson. General colour grey, with a slight rusty shade ; two prominent white spots on each side of the head, one beneath the eye oblong, tending forward, one behind the eye larger, triangular, tending backward ; five continuous stripes, regularly defined and straight, of a deep black colour, commencing on the neck, extend over the whole length ofthe body, having on each side beneath an 106 Dr. T. Horsfield on some new or little-known interrupted band of black spots. Abdomen grey. Tail exceed- ing the body in length; mixed grey and black at the base, the terminal portion black, the colour increasing in deepness towards the extremity. Legs black. Throat grey, with a medial black stripe. ars developed. Length from the snout to the root of the tail 23 inches, of the tail 25 inches. This species appears nearly allied to Par. Palassii, described by Dr. Gray in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 67, but it has no resemblance to the figure of that species given in Gray and Hard- wicke’s Illustrations of Indian Zoology, u. fig. 8. Its distinctive character requires further examination. Five well-defined and regular black lines on the back are the chief characteristic of this species; hence the specific name. Mr. Hodgson considers it to be new; and from the comparison made by Dr. Gray at the British Museum, it appears to be distinct from Par. Palassii. | 20. ParapoxuRus quapRiscriptus, Hodgson. General colour grey, with a slight rufous shade extending over the whole of the body, over one-half of the tail, over the forehead and the lower part of the ear. On the back and parts adjoining, four well-defined continuous black stripes pass from the neck to the rump, having a shorter interrupted band on each side; the bridge of the nose in the middle, a well-defined narrow streak from the canthus of the eye, the neck, the feet, and the terminal part of the tail are black; on the upper part of the neck the hairy covering is slightly variegated black and grey, the separate piles being grey at the base and black at the tip. The fur is soft, lengthened and straggling. | The entire length of this species is 50 inches; 26 of which are occupied by the head and body, and 24: by the tail. This species resembles the Paradoxurus Bondar in habit and in the softness of its hairy covering, but differs essentially in colour and in the four strongly marked black lines on the back. The Bondar, according to the description of M. de Blainville (Desm. Mamm.), is of a yellowish colour, with one prominent black line on the back: the Par. hirsutus of Hodgson, which is identical with the Bondar of Dr. Buchanan Hamilton, de- scribed in vol. xix. of the ‘ Asiatic Researches,’ is of a yellow colour, and without lines on the body. According to the notice of Dr. Gray, this species is not contained in the British Mu- seum *, * Dr. Gray states in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1853, p. 191 :—** I cannot see any difference between these specimens and the P. musanga.” species of Mammalia. 107 21. Hyana striata, Zimm. The collection contains two imperfect skins, marked by Mr. Hodgson “ Hyena virgata, List of specimens presented to the Kast India Company.” In Mr. Ogilby’s memoir on the Mam- malogy of the Himalayas, in Royle’s Illustrations, &c., is the followmg remark: “the Hyzna of India (Hyena virgata), a - native of the plains, sometimes ascends even to Simla.” The skins have been compared with specimens of the striated species at the British Museum and at the Hast India House, but present no character to warrant a specific distinction. The multifarious specific names with which this species is enumerated in books on zoology have greatly perplexed its synonymy. Besides the common Indian species of Vulpes bengalensis, montanus and ferrilatus, the collection contains a specimen com- monly indicated as Vulpes lamiger, which is, however, a true Lupus. 22. Lupus taniceR, Hodgson. The entire length of the specimen from the nose to the root of the tail is 4 feet 4 inches; of the tail only 11 inches remain, and its length cannot be determined accurately. The general colour above is fulvescent inclining to sordid, deeper on the back, which is slightly variegated by the admixture of black- tipped hairs; underneath pale grey. On the back the pelage is close and formed into small tufts, on the sides dense and shaggy, in accordance with the cold regions which it inhabits; on the _ head and nose it is greyish. The ears are large, pointed, and covered externally with a dense brownish fur. The form of the head is that of a common European wolf, rounded posteriorly and tapering to the nose. This animal must be considered specifically distinct from the Canis Lupus of Elhot (Madr. Journ. Lit. x.), and from the Canis pallipes of Sykes (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1831), to which the name of Wolf is also assigned. It is a larger animal, and the hairy covering is of a different character, besides other distinc- tions which appear from the descriptions. The black lines on the front of the fore feet are observed in both species. Mr. Blyth’s remarks in his Report for September 1847, afford a useful illustration of the Tibetan Wolf. 23. Musteva striciporsa, Hodgson. A new species discovered by Mr. Hodgson in the Sikim Hills of Tarai, and thus described by himself:—Snout to vent 12 inches; head 23 in.; tail only 5} in.; tail and hair 63 in. Palma 12 in., planta 2 in. Weight 71 to 8 ounces. Intense brown, with the 108 Dr. T. Horsfield on some new or little-known lips, head and neck inferiorly, and a dorsal and ventral stripe, yellowish-white or pale aureous. Remark.—Is a fourth larger than the Kathia or auriventer, and differs from it by the dorsal stripe and also by the ventral, the latter in the Kathia being much wider and its colour richer. Hab. Sikim (Hodgson MS.). The specimen sent to the Museum agrees generally with this description ; the brown colour has a shade of chestnut, and the under part of the head, neck and breast are nearly white, with a slight isabelline discoloration *. 24, Mrues tevcurvs, Hodgson. Tazidea leucurus, Hodgs. J. A. 8. xvi. Tiimphd of the Tibetans. Tibetan Badger. This interesting animal was first brought to the notice of Mr. Hodgson by the receipt of a specimen from the neighbourhood of Lassa, and a very copious description of it is given m vol. xvi. of the Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., with a figure of the animal, and details of its skull and feet comparative. with the allied quadrupeds. A specimen im a tolerable state of pre- servation, with a separate skull quite perfect, has been presented to the Museum. The comparison of this skull with one of the European Badger has afforded the means of determinmg its true generic character. The result of the examination made by Dr. J. E. Gray, which illustrates this point, is given in a short notice published in vol. xii. of the Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. N.S, xi. 2217. The specimen sent agrees generally with Mr. Hodgson’s * See also description by Dr. Gray in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1853, p. 191. + The Tibetan Badger of Hodgson. “Mr. Hodgson having sent to the India House a specimen with its skull of his Taxidea leucurus (Journ. Asiat. Soc. xvi. 763, 1847), 1 have com- pared the skull with that of the various Badgers in the Brit. Mus. Collec- tion. I find all the Old-World Badgers (Meles) have a moderate-sized triangular flesh-tooth, and a very large four-sided oblong tuberculous grinder in the upper jaw, which is rather longer than broad, and the skull is rounded behind. The nose of the Tibetan Badger or Tumpha, Meles leucurus, is rather more tapermg and more compressed than that of the European Badger (Meles Taxus), which it most resembles. The Japanese Badger (Meles Auakuma) differs from both in having a much shorter skull and a short, rather broad nose. “The American Badgers (Taxide, Waterh.) have a very large triangular flesh-tooth, and an equally triangular tubercular grinder in the upper jaw not exceeding the flesh-tooth in size. The skull is also much broader, more depressed and truncated behind. Of this genus J only know a single species, T. Labradoria.”—J. E. Gray, Ann. Nat. Hist. N.S. xii. 221. See also Proce. Zool. Soc. 1853, p. 191. | species of Mammalia. 109 original description. The upper parts are of a greyish-white colour, with a fulvescent shade which is deeper on the extremity of the tail. The chin, throat, breast and extremities are entirely black. In the hairy covering on the back, the separate piles are nearly 3 inches long, white at the base one-half of their length, with a black extremity, widely diffused and straggling, giving the animal a rough and shaggy appearance. It bears a great resemblance to the European Badger. Mr. Hodgson has proposed that it should be formed into a genus under the name of Pseudomeles. In the Report to the Bengal Society for September (1854), Mr. Blyth communicates some remarks on Indian Badgers. He mentions the Tibetan Badger with reference to Mr. Hodgson’s description and figure in vol. xvi. of the Journ. Asiat. Soc. ; while he indicates what he considers to be a distinct species, with the name of Meles albogularis : comparatively with the European Badger “it has smaller and much less tufted ears, a shorter and much less bushy tail, and the fur shorter and coarser.” The subject of Indian Badgers requires further examination. An Indian Badger resembling the Meles leucurus is described by Pennant in vol. ii. of Hist. of Quad. p. 16 (Ursus indicus) : “ Badger with a small head and pointed nose; scarcely any external ears; only a small promiment rim round the orifice, which was oval; colour of the nose and face, a little beyond the eyes, black ; crown, upper part of the neck, the back, and upper part of the tail, white inclining to grey; legs, thighs, breast, belly, sides, and under part of the tail black. Five toes on each foot, the inner small; claws very long and straight. Length from nose to tail about 2 feet; tail 4 inches long; hair short and smooth.” Dr. Shaw in his ‘General Zoology’ adds the following remark : “Mr. Pennant is the first and only describer of this species, which was brought from India, and was in the possession of the late Mr. John Hunter. (It remains to be determined whether all the - Badgers hitherto indicated do not constitute local varieties of the same species ?—T. H.) Of the genera Lutra and Adnyz, the collection contains the following representatives :— 25. Lurra cuinensis, Gray, Mag. Nat. Hist. 18386; Cat. Mamm. B.M. 71? Lutra tarayensis, Hodgs. J. A. 8. viii. 819; Gray, Cat. H. C. p. 14. 26. AONYX sIKkIMENSTS, Hodgson. This Mr. Hodgson considers to be a new species. It differs 110 Dr. T. Horsfield on some new or little-known chiefly from the common Adnya of India, which is found in Bootan and Afghanistan, by a more clear brown colour, inclining to chestnut, but the specimen is not sufficiently perfect to afford the means of an accurate description. In the “Summary Description of four new species of Otter,” Journ. Asiat. Soc. vii. 319, Mr. Hodgson remarks: “ One of the most remarkable features of the mammalogy of Nepal is the great number of distinct species of Otter characterizing it. There are at least seven species, I believe, though not one of them is numerous in individuals,—at least not in comparison of the common Otter of commerce, which is produced in the neigh- bourhood of Dacca and Sylhet.” In the “ Summary” Mr. Hodgson describes four species ; most of these are rare in collections. In the Catalogue of Hodgson’s collection, Dr. Gray enumerates four species from Nepal: Lutra aurobrunnea, Lutra chinensis, Lutra monticola, and Adnyzx indi- gitatus. 27. Sorex MURINUs, Zimmerman. Sorex myosurus, Pallas. The Museum contains specimens of this species from Nepal, Bootan, and other Indian localities; among these are several very perfect specimens presented by Capt. R. C. Tytler. One of these, as well as a single specimen of Mr. Hodgson’s last collec- — tion, are. of comparatively larger dimensions, of a cerulescent greyish colour, agreeing with the description of Sorex cerules- cens of authors; while two specimens of a former collection, re- ceived from Mr. Hodgson in 1845, are of a darker colour, brown, and not cerulescent, resembling the S. murinus described by authors. Much uncertainty still exists in the discrimiation of the species of Sorex, and the real character of many species enumerated by authors remains doubtful, until, for imstance, cerulescens, murinus, myosurus, serpentarius, nemorivagus, soccatus, &c., be subjected to a careful examination of specimens in a perfect state. 28. Sorex satuRatior, Hodgson. Colour uniform deep brown, inclining to blackish, with a very slight rufescent shade. Fur short, with an admixture of a few lengthened piles; when adpressed to the body smooth, but re- versed somewhat rough and harsh. Tail cylindrical, long, and gradually tapering to the point. Snout elongate, regularly at- tenuated. Ears moderate, rounded. Very nearly allied in habit and dimensions to Sorex Griffithii, Horsf. Cat. Mamm. E.1. C. Mus, p. 184, the more lengthened ~ species of Mammalia. 111 and cylindrical tail forming the chief distinction. The character of the fur is the same in both species. Length from the tip of the snout to the root of the tail 54 inches, of the tail 3 in. - 29. Sorex caupatus, Hodgs. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. N.S. iii. p- 203 ; Cat. Mamm. EH. I. C. Mus. p. 135. Corsira? caudata, Blyth, Mem. on Indian Shrews, J. A. 8. 1855, p. 37. A true Sorex, as appears from the examination of the skull. Judging from the number of specimens sent to the Museum, this species appears to be common on the hills. 30. Sorex ? Nemorivaaus, Hodgs. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. xv. 269; Coll. J. N. H. iv. 288; Gray, Cat. H. Coll. p. 10. Sorex nemorivagus, ap. Blyth, Mem. on Ind. Shrews, J. A. S. 1855, p. 31. A species by no means clearly determined. The specimens sent defective. 31. Sorex pyamaus, Hodgs. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. xv. 269 ; Gray, Cat. H. Coll. p. 16. “ Structure typical, save that no odorous glands were detected, nor had the animal any musky smell.”—Hodgs. loc. cit. 32. Sorex Levcors, Hodgson. In Mr. Hodgson’s list, accompanying his present, this is marked as a new species. | Colour uniform blackish-brown ; tail very slender and taper- ing, exceeding in length the body and head together, terminating with a whitish tip of half an inch long. It is named White- lipped, but this character does not appear in the specimen sent. It appears to be a distinct species, but further specimens and examinations are required to determine its rank. ' Length of the body and head 3 inches, of the tail 3} in. The distinguishing character is the comparative length of the tail and its white tip. It resembles the caudatus, but the colour is darker, and the single specimen examined is not furnished with the delicate hairs on the sides of the snout which exist in the S. caudatus. Note.— The Sorex sikimensis, Hodgs. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., N.S., vol. 1. p. 203; Cat. Mamm. Mus. E. I. C. p.186, has, on a more accurate examination of its skull and other characters, been determined to be identical with Corsira nigrescens,Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. x. 261. In the Catalogue of Hodgson’s Coll. p. 17, Dr. Gray gives the following synonyms of this species :— Sorex ? soccatus, Hodgs. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. xv. 270, and 112 Dr. T. Horsfield on some new or little-known Cat. Journ. Nat. Hist. iv. 288; and Sorex aterrimus, Blyth, Journ. As, Soe. Beng. vol. xii. 1843, p.928? The latter spe- cies is not enumerated in Blyth’s Memoir on Indian Shrews, J.A.8. B. 1855; but the Corsira nigrescens is defined here as Soriculus nigrescens, Blyth, with the synonym of Corsira ni- grescens and Sorex sikimensis. The Sorex soccatus of Hodgson, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., is enumerated by Mr. Blyth as a di- stinct species. 33. Mus TarAyeEnsis, Hodgson. Nearly allied to Mus brunnusculus, Hodgs., Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. xv. 267. Colour of the body and head above dark brown, delicately variegated with blackish and rufous hairs ; a very slight gloss on the surface. Outer sides of the extremities rather darker. Under parts from the chin to the vent, and inner parts of the extremi- ties greyish-brown, with a rusty shade. Tail shorter than the body, tapermg to an abrupt tip. Head lengthened and com- pressed ; muzzle gradually tapering to an abrupt tip. Distinguishing character.—A. dark brown surface with a slight gloss. Head lengthened. Tail shorter than the body. Under- neath rusty-grey. Mr. Hodgson’s collection contains only a single specimen, and further observations are required to confirm the distinctness of this species. 34, Mus pLturimammis, Hodgson. Colour above brown, with a rufescent shade; fur soft, con- sisting of brown and rufous hairs intermixed in equal propor- tions, forming a uniform upper surface; a rather obscure band extending from the gape over the cheek, terminating under the ears, and the abdomen and adjoining parts rufous-grey. Head proportionately short, muzzle abrupt ; ears moderate. Tail equal m length to the body, tapering to a sharp point, and minutely annulated. Length of the head 24 inches, of the body from the neck to the vent 54 in.; of the tail the same. The distinguishing character, according to Mr. Hodgson, rests on the number of teats, exceeding that of other species. 35. Mus moruneeEnsis, Hodgson. Hairy covering of the body above minutely striated with black and rufous hairs, nearly equally mixed, giving the animal a blackish rufous aspect ; abdomen and extremities paler, rufes- cent-grey. Body proportionately robust and stout ; head large ~ species of Mammalia. — 118 and thick; muzzle short and abrupt ; ears large and rounded ; tail cylindrical, gradually tapering to the point and delicately annulated, equal in length to the body and head together. Fur above soft; hairs more lengthened than in Mus plurimammis, rufous and brown intermixed, the former predominant. Dimensions.—Head 14 inch ; body 3 inches; tail 44 in. Distinguishing character.—A large truncated head, robust body, long, tapermg and minutely annulated tail. General colour rufescent-black. 36. ARcToMYS TIBETANUS, Hodgs. J.A.S. xii. 409. In presenting this animal to the Museum, Mr. Hodgson gave us personally the following remark respecting the two species of this genus described by him, and their respective specific names and localities:—‘‘ The Bobac, Arctomys himalayanus, Hodgs., A. Bobac, Schreb., is found only in the higher regions of Tibet, while the A. tebetanus, Hodgs., inhabits exclusively the lower regions of Himalaya; but inadvertently the respective locality. of the two species has been alternated in my descriptions.” Among the Squirrels sent by Mr. Hodgson there are several specimens of the Sciurus M‘Clellandi, Horsfield, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 152, which was discovered by J. M‘Clelland, Esq., in his visitation to Assam as a member of the deputation on the Tea-plant, and described in the Report of his contributions of Mammalia and Birds to the Company’s Museum. It is thus described :— Scrurus M‘Crievianni1, Horsfield. Supra fuscus fulvo tenuis- sime irroratus noteo saturatiore; subtus ex sordido fulvo- canescens ; dorso summo linea recta atra; linea insuper utrin- que laterali fusca leeto fulvo marginata, antice saturatiore, ad oculos extensa, postice obsoleta in uropygio utrmsecus ap- proximata; cauda mediori subcylindrico-attenuata nigro ful- voque variegata ; auriculis atris barba nivea lanuginosa insigni circumscriptis ; vibrissis longis nigris. In the specimens contained in Mr. Hodgson’s collection, the colour on the upper parts is brownish-grey, with a slight rufes- cent shade, rather deeper on the back, minutely grizzled with brown and blackish hairs; all the under-parts are fulvescent- yellow: on the middle of the back from the neck to the rump is a deep black stripe, and somewhat lower a brownish-black stripe of the same extent, adjoining which, on each side, is a yellowish-white stripe, commencing at the tip of the nose and extending along the sides to the rump, gradually narrower towards its termination. , Ears large, black exteriorly, delicately Ann, & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. xvi. 8 114 Mr. W. Clark on Assiminia Grayana and Rissoa anatina. fringed with white on the posterior border. Tail tapering, va- riegated with black and rufescent hairs. Whiskers long and black. | Dimensions.—Head 14 inch; body 3 inches; tail 3 in. This species, although provisionally arranged in the genus Sciurus, resembles in its external habit, markings, attenuated — tail, and minutely fringed ears, the American genus Tamias, and it remains for naturalists in the higher regions of India, who may examine living specimens, to determine whether it has cheek-pouches, by which Tamas is distinguished from Sciurus. Mr. Hodgson’s collection contains a large supply of most of the Indian Uneutata: many of these have been discovered, and first described by himself, and are known to naturalists chiefly by the copious details given in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, and by Dr. J. E. Gray’s Catalogue of the collection presented to the British Museum. Among the subjects as yet rare in colleetions may be mentioned Poéphagus grunniens, Linn., adult and one calf., Porcula salvania, Hodgs., and Budorcas tax- icolor, Hodgs.* Of the latter, Mr. Hodgson has some three specimens, on the whole in good preservation; one of these is exhibited in the Museum of the East India Company, one has been presented to the British Museum, and one to the Museum at Leyden. A very perfect specimen of the Cervus affinis of Hodgson has also been sent, and is mounted in the Museum. Whether this be really a distinet species from Cervus Wallichiz of Cuvier remains still to be determined; the horns of both agree in structure and subdivisions. Dr. Gray has given most copious details regarding the various, multifarious synonyms with which they are enumerated by authors (Cat. Mamm. Brit. Mus. Part iii. Ungulata fureipeda, pp. 197 & 199). X.—On the Assiminia Grayana and Rissoa anatina. By Witi1am Crark, Esq. To the Lditors of the Annals of Natural History. GENTLEMEN, Exmouth, 26th June 1855. I Bea to present descriptions of two testaceous Gasteropoda, which could not be obtained during the passage through the press of my volume on the British Marine Testaceous Mol- lusca. One of them, the Assiminia Grayana, is of peculiar in- terest, and has caused much discussion and difference of opinion * These three interesting animals have been figured in the Illustrations of the Proc. Zool. Soe. for 1853, avir. W. Clark on Assiminia Grayana and Rissoa anatina. 115 respecting the structure of the tentacula and eyes, and its natural position. The other, the Rissoa anatina, is a Rissoidean of the group which is represented by R. ulve. Authors have men- ‘tioned both these animals, and the Rev. M. J. Berkeley has pub- lished a valuable memoir and figure of A. Grayana, in vol. v. p- 429 of the ‘ Zoological Journal ;’ but I have thought that the addition of later notes on several unobserved points of this last species, and in comparison with those of the genus Truncatella, -would be acceptable to some of your readers. In vol. xii. p. 4 of the ‘ Annals’ for July 1853, and in my work above mentioned, pp. 380-6, I have expressed an opinion that the genus Assiminia is superfluous, and that its only spe- cies would be handed over to the genus Truncatella. I have been so impressed with this view, that I invited malacologists residing in the neighbourhood of Greenwich to send me live spe- eimens of the A. Grayana; this request was inserted in the ‘Annals,’ but the appeal remained unsuccessful until this date, when I had the good fortune to obtain the long-sought-for desi- deratum, with an unexpected addition of the Rissoa anatina, both in a living state, through the kindness of my friend John Gwyn Jeffreys, Esq., of Swansea, who omits no opportunity nor spares any personal exertion to add to his valuable contributions to the molluscan branch of British natural history. Truncatella Grayana, nobis. Assiminia Grayana, auctorum; Brit. Moll. vol. iii. p. 70. pl. 71. figs. 3, 4; (animal) pl. H.H. f. 6. Shell, a short strong cone. of 64 tumid volutions, increas- ing rapidly in bulk from the apex to the base, which are di- -stinetly but not deeply divided; each whorl is marked with a somewhat irregular and confused rufous-brown and a yellow spiral band, the former being the broadest, and situate at its base; the latter winds round the upper part, but in many ex- amples the bands become so blended as to diffuse throughout the entire area the mixed hues of the two fasciez. The trans- verse striz of increment are well marked, and also obsolete -rather coarse spiral lines may be detected. Aperture suboval or ‘pear-shaped ; peristome disunited ; outer lip sharp ; no umbilical -fissure ; the apex is pointed. Axis ,%,ths, diameter ;th of an inch. Animal.—The mantle at the aperture of the shell is simple. The muzzle is very short and broad, flat, expanded, and curved at the end on each side, forming minute auricles with a central emargination or well-impressed sinuation, and furnished with -raised elastic annular lines that enable the animal to effect a g* 116 Mr. W. Clark on Assiminia Grayana and Rissoa anatina: great protrusion of the neck and rostrum ; the latter organ in every position is always borne much in advance of the foot ; it is vertically cloven, and at the under part, in the centre, slightly sO, in a crosial direction, from whence the jaws or subcircular arches of the lingual riband, supported by the buccal plates, are almost momentarily exserted; the cesophagean portion of the riband springing from the stomach is short and of rissoid stamp. The posterior part of the muzzle next the neck is suffused in different individuals with all the phases of dark colour ap- proaching to almost black, and with all the variations of the most delicate cinereous hues ; the flattened or expanded anterior curved terminal portion abruptly becomes white, and is shot with the minutest points or flakes of a still intenser white. A not very deep longitudinal groove, or two contiguous parallel lines, are visible on the neck when moderately protruded, but these, when greatly so, are lost ; they are generally supposed to act as a conduit to the branchial water. The dark tentacula spring from a minute mammilla, and are very short, massive, and columnar at the base, becoming, though still thick, somewhat spatulate and rounded at their whitish terminations; in the centre of this minute plateau, at some little distance from the extremities, the large eyes are immersed, and from the intensity of the black colour are almost equally visible on the upper and lower surface; this is their natural position when the animal is on the undisturbed march, but the instant it is disquieted, both the tentacula and eyes assume various modifications of figure: for instance, when the neck is greatly exserted, or the animal is in comparative re- pose, in either of these opposite conditions they become much contracted, especially at the tips, which are folded or withdrawn into a minute hollow, out of which the eyes peep, and thus ap- pear fixed at the extremities; but, as we have shown, this is not their true site, which here, and in all the Truncatella, is at some little, but distinct, distance from their final points. Some authors have thought that the eyes are mounted on pedicles, connate, and of the same length as the true tentacula : this idea is wrong: we repeat their true position is an absolute immersion in the tissue ; the tentacula are therefore strict vibra- cula, and in nowise sustentacula. The white pupil mentioned in my first account of Truncatella was not detected in this spe- cies. The animal on the march carries the tentacula nearly ata rectangular divergence: this position is a marked characteristic of the genus Truncatella. Foot rather short, broad and fleshy, not auricled, but subqua- drate in front, with a tendency to roundness at the external angles, without a central sinuation, and deeply and conspicu- Mr. W. Clark on Assiminia Grayana and Rissoa anatina. 117 ously labiated; when not in action rounded posteally, but in full progression it assumes a broad lancet-shape, suddenly sloping on each side to an obtuse termination ; there is no longitudinal depressed line on the sole, and only a slight transverse crease is visible when the posterior portion is drawn up to the advanced one ; it carries on a distinct upper fuscous lobe, which is only narrowly alated on each side, a light corneous pear-shaped operculum, with a rather indistinct submarginal nucleus, the spiral continuations of which show the fine oblique lines of in- crement, as in the Littorine and Rissoe. The animal is slow and deliberate in progression ; its action is between that of Lit- torina and Rissoa, not having the lateral oscillatory march of the former, nor the perfectly steady advance of the latter. The foot on the upper surface is of all the hues of lead-colour ; the sole is pale bluish-white, aspersed thickly with minute.flakes of an intenser white. From the non-transparency of the shell, the character of the -branchiz could not be well made out, and when examined after extraction their delicate and minute structure suffered from col- lapse. The neck has no appendages except the guide lines for the branchial water, and the muzzle is altogether without them. Verge long, slender, and falcate at the end. It inhabits the Greenwich marshes in company with the Rissoa anatina, and seems, like many of the littoral species, to enjoy a kind of amphibious existence ; it is also nearly equally at home in fresh water, or in a mixture of salt, half of each. It feeds on a common Ulva of the pools. I received the animals by post, deposited in a small tin box in moderately moistened weed ; they remained alive for some time, but they are constitutionally sluggish. The above minutes of this curious creature do not differ in any essential character from my recorded descriptions of the Truncatelle, and will justify the surmises I have expressed in the earlier part of this account, that Assiminia is only a generic synonym of the established genus Truncatella. Rissoa anatina, auctorum. Rissoa anatina, Brit. Moll. vol. iii. p. 134. pl. 87, f. 3, 4. _ Shell—of a light horn-colour, of 4-5 rounded tumid volutions, with well-marked wrinkled strie of increment, as in Bithynia ventricosa (Leachii, nonnull.), to which, in these respects, it bears much resemblance, as well as in the entire peristome; the two are also occasionally found in the same locality, with the colour of their shells obscured by a similar black earthy deposit. This circumstance is singular, as the 7runcatella Grayana living with 118 Mr. W. Clark on Assiminia Grayana and Rissoa anatina. or near them is perfectly clean: perhaps the other two have de difference of habitat. Axis ;4,ths, diameter ths of an inch. Animal.—The mantle is simple, and the linear process seen at that part which lines the upper angle of the aperture in Rissoa ulve, and often in other Rissoe, is wanting. The muzzle is long, subcylindrical, and armed with very contractile, dark, annulated ridges, which allow of a great protrusion of the neck. The buccal orifice is cloven vertically, and from it, almost without cessation, the animal shows a pair of corneous jaws, to which the short lingual riband proceeding from the stomach is united, and both portions of the tongue are supported by a pair of red fleshy plates, which are visible through the tenuity of the enveloping tissue. The tentacula are long, not much flattened, slender and mode- rately pointed, of a very light ashy hue, quite smooth, divergent, with rather large black eyes at the external bases, fixed on mi- nute semicircular expansions ; at their lower half they are spa- ringly studded with white, flaky, minute irregular blotches, and sometimes ‘a very fine cinereous line coasts their margins. The foot is scarcely so proportionately long, slender, and con- stricted below the auricles as m the usual run of the Rissoe ; it is perfectly rounded posteally, but parts of the margin are some- times notched; anteally furnished with moderately large lateral auricular expansions. The opercular lobe is distinct, and shows at the junction of the foot with the body a whitish alated process on each side, and carries a rissoidean suboval operculum of laxly spiral rather indistinct turns, with an eccentric nucleus; the curved lines of each volution are coarser, fewer, and less oblique than in the generality of the Littorine and Rissoe. The upper part of the main foot is of a darkish lead-colour, disposed in close-set fine irregular lines; the sole is either white, yellow or palely cinereous, without a longitudinal depressed central line, and aspersed thickly with minute pale-gray-coloured points or flakes. The opercular lobe is without a caudal process, but it may be observed, this is not an invariable adjunct of all Rissoe. The character of the branchial plume in a young, almost white horn-coloured shell was sufficiently apparent ; it consists of a flat ordinary-shaped leaf deposited in the usual position in the branchial vault, of 12 to 16 or even more coarse white strands ; the transverse measure of the anterior ones and those nearest to the pericardium being the shortest, whilst the central threads are gradually elongated. The intestine is rendered visible, by its contents, through the filmy shell,—at least that length of it which proceeds from the part of the animal enclosed in the second volution to its debouchure as rectum on the right side. Verge ?’ M yr, W. Clark on Assiminia Grayana and Rissoa anatina. 119 The animal continues lively for some days in a mixture of salt, as well as in the fresh, or scarcely brackish water. These crea- tures were received from Greenwich in company with the Trun- catella Grayana ; they are neither shy nor apathetic. Though the shell of R. anatina resembles the Bithynia ventri- cosa (Leachii, nonuull.), and is found in company with it and the Limneus palustris, L. truncatulus and B. impura, all of fresh- water habitat, I am of opinion that the R. anatina, R. ulve and R. ventrosa are essentially of marine organization, and inhabit the salt and brackish estuaries as their natural localities, and that the Bithynie and Limnei are mixed with them fortuitously, — perhaps impelled into their districts by floods, and agreeably to a well-known habit and law, live and even multiply and become acclimated in localities that are not strictly natural to them. In other words, I believe that both these tribes are eminently distinct, the one being of marine, the other of freshwater habitat, and that there is no connexion between them beyond that of accident, chanee acclimation, and the alliance which is conse- quent on the proximity of their genera in most malacological methods. It results from these views of ours, that the R. ana- tina, R. ventrosa and R. ulve are in their right places as the Ulvan group of the Rissoideans. | It has been proposed to remove the above species to Littorina, or Hydrobia, or Paludinella ; the two latter of these genera would only be useless synonyms of Rissoa; for the variations of the malacology of the three species from the typical Risso are not greater, perhaps not so great, as those of many of the animals that form part of that genus, and if such differences are to be held as of generic value, every admitted Rissoa must have its particular genus and be itself the only species. I have merely mentioned casually the localities of Truncatella Grayana and Rissoa anatina, but the deficiency of the detail of the habitats will be well supplied by presenting, by way of con- clusion, a valuable letter from Mr. Jeffreys, which contains many excellent remarks on these points. “9 Montague Place, Bryanstone Square, London, 25th June 1855. “ My pear Sir,—Our friend Mr. Barlee told me that he had not been successful in procuring for you specimens of the Assz- minia Grayana, the animal of which you were desirous of exami- ning. I went to.Greenwich last Saturday, and have the pleasure ‘of sending you some lively examples of this curious mollusk, as well as a few Littorina (?) anatina. The shell of the latter is 120 Mr. J. Blackwall on newly discovered species of Arancidea. closely allied to Bithynia, but the operculum is that of Littorina, and the animal resembles Paludinella ulve. _ 2nd July.—I again visited the Greenwich marshes yesterday for the purpose of ascertaining the range of Littorina (?) anatina and Assiminia Grayana, and to inform you more particularly of their respective habitats. I found both of them more or less distributed along the banks of the Thames, from a little below Greenwich Hospital to the upper Pier at Woolwich, a distance of about three miles. I met with them occasionally in the same localities, but their habitats are somewhat different. The Litto- rina inhabits muddy ditches and their banks, and it is gre- garious. The other mollusk inhabits muddy places, but seldom occurs under water. It is in countless profusion at and about the roots of the water-flag, and is more generally dispersed than LL. (?) anatina. It is associated with Limneus palustris (our tinctus) and L. truncatulus. The Jittorina lives in company with Bithynia impura and Leachii, as well as with the Assiminia. I have little doubt that both kinds are also to be found on the other side of the river in the Isle of Dogs, and perhaps below Woolwich. The Assiminia has the same habit as Paludinella ulve, and seems to take its place on the brackish estuary of the Thames, “T remain, my dear Sir, yours sincerely, “J. Gwyn Jeffreys.” “© Wm. Clark, Esq., | Exmouth, Devon,” I am, Gentlemen, Your most obedient servant, Wititam Crark. XI.— Descriptions of two newly discovered species of Araneidea. By Joun Briackwa tt, F.L.S. Tribe OCTONOCULINA. Family CrnIFLONIDz. Genus CinrtF.o, Blackw. Cinifio humilis. Length of the female ;4,th of an inch ; length of the cephalo- thorax ;4,; breadth s4,; breadth of the abdomen ;',; length of an anterior leg } ; length of a leg of the third pair 3}. — The four intermediate eyes describe a trapezoid, the two ante- rior ones, which form its shortest side, beng much the smallest Mr. J. Blackwall on newly discovered species of Araneidea. 121 and darkest of the eight. The cephalo-thorax is convex, glossy, compressed before, rounded on the sides, and has an indentation in the medial line; it is of a brown colour, with longitudinal ‘ lines in the cephalic region, oblique streaks on the sides, and lateral margins of a brownish black hue. The falces are conical, vertical, armed with a few minute teeth on the inner surface, and, with the maxille, which are enlarged at the extremity and slightly inclined towards the lip, have a pale brown hue. The hp is dilated about the middle and truncated at the extremity ; and the sternum is heart-shaped. ‘These parts are of a dark brown colour, the former being paler at the extremity. The legs are moderately long, hairy, of a yellowish brown hue, with brownish black annuli, and the metatarsi of the posterior pair are provided with calamistra ; each tarsus is terminated by three claws; the two superior ones are curved and pectinated, and the inferior one is inflected near its base. The palpi resemble the legs in colour, but are without annuli. The abdomen is oviform, thinly clothed with hairs, convex above, and projects over the base of the cephalo-thorax: it is of a pale yellowish brown colour, with a series. of angular lines of a brownish black hue, whose vertices are directed forwards, and whose extremities are enlarged, extending along the middle of the upper part; this series of angles is bisected by a brownish black, longitudinal line, which is enlarged and somewhat triangular at its anterior extremity; the sides are closely reticulated with brown lines ; two brown bands extend along the under part to a transverse bar of the same hue, near the spinners; and the sexual organs are of a red-brown colour. This small species of Ciniflo was captured by Mr. R. H. Meade in Buckinghamshire in August 1854. Family Linyrnrp2. Genus Nrerizne, Blackw. . Neriéne affinis. Length of the male }th of an inch; length of the cephalo- thorax ;!,; breadth ;4,; breadth of the abdomen +; ; length of a posterior leg 14; length of a leg of the third pair ;%. The legs are provided with hairs, and have a bright yellowish red tint; the fourth pair is the longest, then the first, and the third pair is the shortest ; each tarsus is terminated by three claws ; the two superior ones are curved and slightly pectinated, and the inferior one is inflected near its base. The palpi are long and resemble the legs in colour, but are somewhat paler ; the humeral joint is slightly curved towards the cephalo-thorax, 122 Mr. J. G. Jeffreys on the Descent of Glaciers. and the cubital and radial joints are clavate, the former having a conical, pointed process projecting at right angles from its ex- tremity, on the under side, and the latter a very minute, bifid, black apophysis ut its extremity, in front; the digital joint is small, oval, convex and hairy externally, concave within, com- prising the palpal organs, which are moderately developed, not very complicated in structure, and of a pale red-brown colour. The cephalo-thorax is oval, convex, glossy, with slight furrows on the sides converging towards an indentation in the medial line; the falees are powerful, subconical, vertical, convex at the base, in front, divergent at the extremity, armed with teeth on the inner surface, and have a conical tooth-like process near the middle, towards the inner side, and numerous minute, pointed prominences in front ; the maxillz are convex at the base, en- larged where the palpi are inserted, and at the extremity, which has a pointed process on the outer side, and incline towards the lip, which is semicircular and prominent at the apex; and the sternum is broad, glossy, and heart-shaped. These parts have a reddish-brown colour, the lip and anterior part of the cephalo- thorax being much the darkest. The four intermediate eyes form a trapezoid, the two anterior ones, which constitute its shortest side, being the smallest and darkest of the eight ; and those of each lateral pair are seated obliquely on a small tubercle, and are almost in contact. The abdomen is oviform, thinly clothed with hairs, convex above, projecting over the base of the cephalo-thorax ; it has a dark olive hue, the under part being the palest, and the colour of the branchial opercula is yellow ; along the middle of the upper part there extends a series of obseure, curved, grayish lines whose convexity is directed for- wards ; and two indentations occur on each side of the medial line, the posterior pair being rather the wider apart. Two adult males of this species were received from Mr. R. H. Meade in June 1855, one of which had been taken in the vici- nity of Burton-on-Trent, and the other at Hornsea, near the east coast of Yorkshire, in the preceding year. XI1.—WNote on the Descent of Glaciers. By J. Gwyn Jerrreys, Esq., F.R.S. Tue different theories, propounded from time to time by so many able observers of this singular phenomenon, have been so earnestly and plausibly argued, that 1t may be worth while to in- quire if they cannot be reconciled with each other ; and, although my knowledge of the subject does not enable me to do so, I trust I shall not be considered presumptuous in offering a sug- Mr. J. G. Jeffreys on the Descent of Glaciers. 123 gestion which may be improved by some abler pen. My atten- tion has been somewhat directed to the question in consequence of my having resided during a considerable part of last year in Switzerland, the land of glaciers, where I had the good fortune of making the acquaintance of that veteran geologist, M. de Charpentier. These theories appear to be five in number. lst. That of De Saussure, who supposed that glaciers de- scended solely by their own weight; and this has been called the “ Gravitation ” theory. His observations have justly had the credit of being most accurate; and they extended over a great number of years, and were conducted with much labour and at considerable expense. They will be found in his ‘ Voyage dans les Alpes,’ published in 1779. 2nd. That of De Charpentier, and adopted by Agassiz, which supposed that the phenomenon was caused by the surface of the glacier being thawed during the day ; that the water thus pro- duced percolated the porous material ; and that upon conge- lation taking place at night the whole structure expanded in every direction, naturally occasioning or accelerating a down- ward movement in the direction of the slope. This is called the ‘¢ Dilatation” theory. It was first propounded by Charpentier at a Meeting of the Helvetic Society held at Lucerne in 1834; and it appeared in the 8th volume of the ‘Annales des Mines.’ It was afterwards (in 1841) published by him in a more elabo- rate form under the title of ‘ Essai sur les Glaciers.? Agassiz’ memoir was read at a Meeting of the same Society held at Neu- chatel in 1837 ; and it was, I believe, published in their Transac- tions. In his work entitled ‘ Etudes sur les Glaciers,’ and pub- lished in 1840, this theory is further developed. - 8rd. That of Professor James Forbes, which attributed the phenomenon to the viscous or plastic nature of the glacier, causing the descent suis viribus. This has been called in Ger- many the ‘ Pech” theory, and was published in 1843 by our distinguished countryman in his work on Glaciers. 4th. That of Mr. Hopkins of Cambridge (mentioned by Pro- fessor Forbes), who referred the motion of a glacier to the dis- solution of the ice in contact with the rock; although Char- pentier had previously instanced some striking facts to prove that the glacier bed never thaws. And 5th. The theory lately offered by the Rev. Henry Moseley and published in the 7th volume of the Royal Society’s Proceed- ings, which (assimilating a glacier to a sheet of lead) supposed that the phenomenon was owing to the heat of the sun, and consequently to an alternate expansion and contraction of the material. | | 124 Bibliographical Notices. Now the suggestion I would venture to make is, that the phe- nomenon may be attributed to all and each of the forces above mentioned ; and that the discrepancy of opinion between so many experienced and trustworthy observers may arise from their researches having been conducted at different seasons of the year, in different states of temperature, on different soils or kinds of rock (some of which retain or impart more heat than others), at different heights above the sea-level, after the fall of a greater or less quantity of glacier snow, at different degrees of ‘solar heat or radiation, or under many other different conditions. Some of the theories are self-evident, and have been admitted to a certain extent by their opponents. Perhaps the structure of the material in various climates and at different heights may be better known when the science of photography has been further applied to it, as I cannot help thinking that the interesting and kaleidoscopic forms of snow (taken by Mrs. Glaisher), which were exhibited at the last soirée given by the Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society, may throw some light on this vexed and diffi- cult question. | It seems to me that the modi operandi of nature for the same purpose are various, and that the inanimate and animated crea- tion are governed by similar or analogous laws. An illustration of this occurs to me in the case of certain marine mollusks and annelids which perforate limestone and other rocks. This ope- ration has been attributed by naturalists to many and different causes: viz. to mechanical action, to a solvent power, to con- tinual maceration of the material, as well as to the action of siliceous bodies which are occasionally found in some of these mollusks. The modern and better opinion, however, seems to be, that all or more than one of these various methods are used by the same species, and perhaps by the same animal, in effect- ing its object, according to the nature of the material acted on, the age of the individual, and other circumstances. | London, 13th July 1855. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. | Catalogue of British Hymenoptera in the Collection of the British Museum. Part 1. Apide—Bees. By Freperick Situ, M.E.S. London: Printed by Order of the Trustees, 1855. 12mo. Amongst the many anomalies presented by the state of Entomology in this country, the little attention paid to the interesting family of the Bees is certainly none of the least. It is indeed singular that the majority of our entomologists should confine themselves so religiously to the study of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, the habits of which are Bibliographical Notices. 125 generally obscure and often wholly uninteresting, whilst the insects of the large order of Hymenoptera, which present so many points of in- terest in the almost infinite variety of their ceconomy, attract scarcely anybody’s attention. In the case of the Bees this is the more remark- able, as we have for many years possessed a work upon the British species of those insects (the ‘ Monographia Apum Anglize’ of Kirby, published in 1802), which has generally been regarded as a model of an Entomological monograph, and which, notwithstanding the lapse of more than half a century since its publication, still holds its place as a standard work. Nevertheless even in this neglected department of Entomology, this interval of fifty years has added considerably to the list of Bri- tish species, and shown that the learned author of the work above mentioned, was, as might be expected, not unfrequently in error with regard to the species known to him, and especially that in some cases he has placed together as males and females of the same species insects which are truly distinct, whilst in others the two sexes of the same insect have been described as distinct species. Most of these errors are now corrected, mainly by the exertions of Mr. Smith, whose numerous and interesting papers on British Bees, published in the ‘ Zoologist,’ have done much for the extension of our know- ledge of this subject. The scattered nature of these notices, how- ever, renders the appearance of the present little work particularly welcome, as in it Mr. Smith has given in a systematic form the en- tire results of his study of the British Bees, pursued assiduously for more than twenty years, and in many instances with the advantage of having corrected his previous notions by the more extended inter- course with continental entomologists, which his present position at the British Museum has opened up to him. Although brought out as one of the series of Catalogues published by the Trustees of the British Museum, this little book is certainly far more deserving of the title of a monograph than a great majority of the things that commonly make their appearance under that name, many of which indeed are little more than catalogues ;—Mr. Smith’s Catalogue contains full descriptions of all the genera and species, accompanied by observations on their habits and ceconomy, which are rendered particularly valuable by the author’s long expe- rience, and will be found very interesting even to the general reader. Of this the following account of the ceconomy of the Bees of the genus Osmia may serve as an example, and the reader will find many other passages of equal interest in other parts of the book :— ‘If I were asked,” says Mr. Smith, ‘which genus of bees would afford the most abundant materials for an essay on the diversity of instinct, I should without hesitation point out the genus Osmia. I propose to notice in this place all that has occurred to me during an attentive observation of their ceconomy for the last twenty years. The most abundant species is Osmia bicornis ; its ceconomy 1s varied by circumstances ; in hilly country, or at the sea-side, it chooses the sunny side of cliffs or sandy banks, in which to form its burrows ; 126 Bibliographical Notices. but in cultivated districts, particularly if the soil be clayey, it selects a decaying tree, preferring the stump of an old willow ; it lays up a store of pollen and honey for the larvee, which when full-grown spin a tough dark brown cocoon, in which they remain in the larva state until the autumn, when the majority change to pups, and soon arrive at their perfect condition; many however pass the winter in the larva state. In attempting to account for so remarkable a cir- cumstance, all must be conjecture, but it is not of unfrequent occur- rence; this species also frequently makes its burrows in the mortar of old walls. Osmmza leucomelana may be observed availing itself of a most admirable, and almost ready, adaptation for a burrow ; it selects the dead branches of the common bramble ; with little labour the parent bee removes the pith, usually to the length of from five to six inches; at the end she deposits the requisite quantity of food, which she closes in with a substance resembling masticated leaves,— evidently vegetable matter; she usually forms five or six cells in one bramble-stick. The bee does not extract the whole of the pith, but alternately widens and contracts the diameter of the tube, each con- traction marking the end of a cell; the egg is deposited on the food immediately before closing up the cell ; it is white, oblong, and about the size and shape of a caraway-seed: the larva is hatched in about eight days, and feeds about ten or twelve, when it is full-grown; it then spins a thin silken covering, and remains in an inactive state until the following spring, when it undergoes its transformations, and appears usually in the month of June. ** Osmia hirta burrows in wood, seldom in any other material ; the same habit will be observed in Osmia enea ; but I have observed this bee more than once constructing its burrow in the mortar of walls, and sometimes in hard sand-banks. Osmia aurulenta and O. bicolor are bees which commonly burrow in banks, the latter being very abundant in some situations, forming colonies; but although it ap- pears to be the natural habit of these species to construct tunnels in hard banks, with great labour and untiring perseverance, still we find them at times exhibiting an amount of sagacity, and a degree of knowledge, that at once dispels the idea of their actions being the result of a mere blind instinct, impelling them in one undeviating course. A moment’s consideration will suffice to call to mind many tunnels and tubes ready-formed, which would appear to be admirably adapted for the purposes of the bee—for instance, the straws of a thatch, and many reeds ; and what could be more admirably adapted to their requirements than the tubes of many shells? So thinks the bee! O. aurulenta and O. bicolor both select the shells of Helix hor- tensis and H. nemoralis: the shells of these snails are of eourse very abundant, and lie half hidden beneath grass, mosses, and plants ; the bees finding them in such situations, dispense with their accustomed labour and take possession of the deserted shells. The number of cells varies according to the length of the whorl of the shell selected, the usual number being four, but in some instances they construct five or six, commencing at the end of the whorl; a suitable supply of pollen and honey is collected, an egg deposited, and a partition Bibliographical Notices. 127 formed of abraded vegetable matter ; the process is repeated until the requisite number is formed, when the whole is most carefully pro- tected by closing up the entrance with small pellets of clay, sticks and pebbles ; these are firmly cemented together with some glutinous matter, and the bee has finished her task. ** We will now observe the intelligence of the bee under different circumstances: she has selected the adult shell of Helix aspersa ; the whorl of this species is much larger in diameter than that of H. nemoralis or H. hortensis—too wide, in fact, for a single cell; our little architect, never at a loss, readily adapts it to her purpose by forming two cells side by side, and as she advances towards the entrance of the whorl, it becomes too wide even for this contrivance ; here let us admire the ingenuity of the little creature ; she constructs a couple of cells transversely! And this is the little animal which has been so blindly slandered as being a mere machine! “‘ There is still another species of this genus whose habits are so different to the rest, that our admiration of the ingenuity of these bees is greatly increased when we consider its curious details and re- flect upon the degree of care and foresight exhibited by the provi- dent parent,—this is the Osmia parietina, a bee only found in the northern parts of this country. This species selects the underside of a slate or stone lying on the ground, and having a hollow space be- neath ; to the stone the bee attaches the little balls of pollen. A stone of this kind was found at Glen Almond, Perthshire, on the Grampians, 800 feet above the level of the sea, by Mr. J. Robertson, who, on turning it up, observed a mass of cocoons; although he was not much acquainted with: entomology, still he knew them to be the production of some insect; he presented the stone to the British Museum, and it was placed in my hands for observation. The size of the stone was 10 inches by 6; the number of cocoons attached to it two hundred and thirty: when first discovered, about one-third of them were empty; this was in the month of November. In the beginning of the following March, a few males made their appear- ance, and shortly afterwards some females ; they continued to come forth occasionally until the end of June ; at this time there remained thirty-five undeveloped cocoons ; on opening one or two of them, they proved to contain active larvee ; these I carefully closed, and left the whole undisturbed until the following April, at which time, on examination, they proved to be still in the larva state; but at the end of May they changed to pupze, and about the end of June began to come forth perfect insects. This, then, was the result—a portion of a deposit of eggs made in 1849 had been three years in arriving at maturity : when found, one-third were developed; the following year a second brood came forth, and whilst in my possession a third. In the first instance, the whole deposit was subject to the same influences, and had produced larvee; what was the cause of the retarded development of the rest, it were vain to attempt to deter- mine.” There can be no doubt that this is one of the most valuable con- 128 Zoological Society :— tributions to entomological literature that has been brought out by the Trustees of the British Museum. It is illustrated with several excellent plates engraved on copper by the author himself, contain- ing figures of ail the genera, accompanied by carefully executed de- tails. If we might suggest any improvement it would be, that Mr. Smith would have rendered his work more generally acceptable, had he given characters to the families and subfamilies into which he divides the Bees ; for as it now stands, a beginner will perhaps be somewhat at a loss to determine which of the principal groups will receive a bee of which he may have taken specimens. This however is but a passing objection, and we trust that the present work, which is published at an exceedingly low price, may lead some of our young entomologists to turn their attention to the interesting subject of which it treats. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society. Vol. I. York, 1855. We have recently received this interesting volume, containing “A selection from the papers relating to the Antiquities and Natural History of Yorkshire, read at the monthly Meetings of the Society, from 1847 to 1854,” and recommend it strongly to the attention of our readers. By far the greater number of the papers here published relates to Antiquities, and are of such a character as doubtless to at- tract the attention of our Archeological brethren. Amongst those more especially interesting to the naturalist. we may particularize the observations on Zamia gigas, by Messrs. Yates and Wilhamson ; on the Zoophytes of the Flamborough Chalk, by Mr. Charlesworth; on the Sclerotic ring of the Eyes of Birds and Reptiles, by Mr. Allis; as well deserving of perusal. PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. February 28, 1854.—Dr. Gray, Vice-President, in the Chair. NorTiceE OF THE SPECIES OF THE GENUS ORTHOTOMUS OF HorsFIELD, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF A NEW SPECIES, AND OF THOSE HITHERTO KNOWN. By Frepreric Moore, Assist. Mus. East Inp1a Company. Fam. Sytv1aD&, Vigors. Subfam. Syiv1ana, Vigors. Genus OrtrHotomus, Horsfield. Syn. Edela, Lesson.—Sutoria, Nicholson. 1. OrrHotTomus sEPiuM, Horsfield. Syn. Orthotomus sepium, Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xii. p. 166 (1820). Lath. Hist. iv. p. 265. Temm. Pl. Col. 599. f.1. G. R. Mr. F. Moore on species of Orthotomus. 129 Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 162. Blyth, Catal. B. Mus. A. S. Beng. p- 145. Bonap. C. G. Av. p. 282. The Chiglet Creeper, Lath. Chiglet of the Javanese, Horsf. Hab. Java. : O. sepium.—The forehead, lores, over the eyes and ear-coverts, ear-coverts themselves, base of lower mandible and chin ferruginous, palest on the sides and chin; top of head, back and tail brownish olive, having a greenish tinge; wings dusky, broadly margined with brownish olive; throat and breast asay black, the rest of the under parts yellowish ; tail with a terminal dusky band, tipped with yellow- ish; thighs ferruginous ; bill brownish, paler below; legs pale. Length, 44 inches; of wing, 1,8; tail, 14; bill to gape, ;4; tarsus, 3. The aboye description is taken from Dr. Horsfield’s typical speci- mens, contained in the Mus. East India Company. 2. ORTHOTOMUS ATROGULARIS, Temminck. Syn. Orthotomus atrogularis, Temm. Pl. Col. Texte, 599 (1836). G. R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 162. Bonap. C. G. Av. p. 282. Hab. Malacca; Borneo. O. atrogularis.—“ The forehead, top of the head and occiput bright brownish red; the neck, the back and the wings of a grassy green ; the tail of a yellowish green, marked near the end and on the inner web with a narrow yellowish band ; the chin, throat, breast and upper parts of flanks pure black, the sides of the abdomen yellowish ; middle of the belly and abdomen white; bill and feet brown. No difference in the sexes. *‘ Length, 32 inches.” — Temm. 3. ORTHOTOMUS FLAVOVIRIDIS, nobis. The forehead, crown, round the eyes, and occiput ferruginous ; back and rump yellowish green; tail more dusky green; wings brown, broadly margined exteriorly throughout with yellowish green ; chin, base of lower mandible, ear-coverts, centre of some of the feathers of the throat and breast white ; lower part of the breast ash and white ; centre of abdomen white ; throat and fore part of the breast black, centred as above ; flanks yellowish ; extreme edge of shoulder of wing yellow ; under part of tail yellowish, with a terminal dusky band, tipped with yellowish; thighs greenish ferruginous. Specimens labelled ‘ male.” Length, 4 inches; of wing, 13; tail, 1}; bill to gape, ;4,; tarsus, ;4. Hab. Malacca. In Mus. East India Company. 4. OrTHOTOMUS EDELA, Temminck. Syn. Orthotomus edela, Temm. Pl. Col. 599. f. 2 (1836). G. R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 162, Blyth, Catal. B. Mus. A. S. Beng. p. 144. Bonap. C. G. Av. p. 282. Motacilla sepium, Raffles, Trans. Linn. Soe. xiii. p. 313. Lath. Hist. vii. p. 218 (nec Horsf. v. Lafres.). Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser.2. Vol. xvi. 9 130 Zoological Society :— Edela ruficeps, Less. Cent. Zool. p. 212. t. 71 (1834) (nec Less. Tr. d’Orn.). Kachichi of the Malays of Sumatra, Raffles. Hab, Malayan peninsula; Sumatra. In Mus. East India Com- pany. O. edela.—‘‘ The forehead, lores and crown ferruginous; the entire lower parts whitish, but the sides of the neck slightly varie- gated with clear ashy; back of neck, back, wing-coverts and tail greenish ; the wings ashy, but bordered with greenish ferruginous ; ro tail is regularly of one colour; the bill and feet brownish.” — emm. Length, 44 inches ; of wing, 13; tail, 1}; bill to gape, 2; tarsus, 3 5. ORTHOTOMUS RUFICEPS, Lesson. Syn. Edela ruficeps, Less. Tr. d’Ornith. p. 309 (1831) (nec Less. Cent. Zool.). Orthotomus sericeus, Temm. Pl. Col. Texte, 599 (1836). G. R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 162. Bonap. C. G. Av. p. 282. * Hab. Malacca; Borneo. O. ruficeps.—The forehead, crown, occiput, lores and upper part of ear-coverts bright ferruginous; the chin, base of lower mandible, lower part of ear-coverts and the rest of the under parts silky white ; back, rump and wings deep ash ; tail bright ferruginous, at base ashy, and with no terminal band ; thighs ferruginous ; bill yellowish brown, pale below ; legs pale. Length, 43 inches; wing, 2; tail, 13; bill to gape, 4; tarsus, 8. The above description is from a specimen in the East India Com- pany’s Museum. This species may readily be distinguished by the bright ferruginous colour of the head, the tail also being of the same colour, and by the bill being considerably longer and stouter (though strictly typical) than in any of the other known species. 6. ORTHOTOMUS CINERACEUS, Blyth. Syn. Orthotomus cineraceus, Blyth, Journ. A. 8. Beng. xiv. p. 589 (1845); Catal. B. Mus. A. S. Beng. p. 144. Bonap. C. G. Av. . 282. r Orthotomus sepium, Lafres. Mag. de Zool. 1836, t. 51 (nec Horsf. v. Raffles). Hab. Malacca. O. cineraceus.—“ Upper parts pure ash-grey, without any tinge of green; forehead and sides of the head light ferruginous, palest on the cheeks, and there is a slight tinge of the same upon the chin ; crown tinged with olive-brown ; lower parts white, passing to light ashy on the sides of the breast ; tail somewhat brownish, with terminal dusky band, and whitish extreme tips to its outer feathers; tibial plumes rust-coloured ; the tarsi and toes red-brown; bill dusky above, pale beneath. “Length about 43 inches; of wing, 1,8; tail, 14; bill to gape, 3; tarse, £.”—Blyth, Mr. F. Moore on species of Orthotomus. 131 A specimen in the East India Company’s Museum, from Malacca, has the centre of the throat and the whole of the breast and flanks lightish ash, paling to silky white on the centre of the belly; the under tail-coverts are also white; wings brown, the primaries mar- gined. exteriorly with pale dusky ferruginous, the secondaries with ashy olive; extreme edge of wing, under spurious wing-coverts and exterior margin of the latter ferruginous white, contrasting with the ash on the breast ; under wing-coverts white. The wing and tarsus are both an eighth of an inch longer. Other characters as in the description above. 7. ORTHOTOMUS LONGIROSTRIS, Swainson. Syn. Orthotomus longirostris, Swains. 24 Cent. p. 343 (1837) ; Classif. Birds, ii. p. 62. f. 135. G.R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 162. Bonap. C. G. Av. p. 282. | _ Hab. $.W. Australia (Swains.). Malacca? 0. longirostris.—*‘ Cinereous ; sides of the body beneath cinereous, the middle white; head, chin and thighs ferruginous ; throat black ; tail brownish, graduated, the latter with dusky black ends, tipped with whitish ; bill and legs pale. | ** Length, 43 inches ; wing, 2;3,; tail, beyond 1; base, 1,45; bill to gape, ;§ ; tarsus, ;%.’—Swains. This species differs from O. cineraceus in having a black throat, and in the wing being three-tenths of an inch longer, the tarsus also being longer by a quarter of aninch. Mr. Swainson has given 8.W. Australia as the habitat of this species, which must evidently be an error. 8. ORTHOTOMUS CUCULLATUS, Temminck. Syn. Orthotomus cucullatus, Temm. Pl. Col. 599. f. 3 (1836). G. R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 162. Bonap. C. G. Av. p. 282. | Hab. Java; Sumatra. 26 _ « O.cucullatus.—“Top of the head bright ferruginous; neck, cheeks, and the sides of the breast of a pure ash; the neck in front, the breast, and the middle of the belly are pure white ; the sides, the thighs and the abdomen of a citron-yellow; back and wings of a greenish tint, the quills and tail margined with greenish ; upper man- dible brown, the lower as well as the feet yellowish.””—Temminck. 9. OrTHOTOMUS LONGICAUDA, Gmelin. - Motacilla longicauda et sutoria, Gmel. 8. N. L. i. pp. 954, 997. Orthotomus longicauda, Strickl. Ann. N. H. xii. p. 35. Blyth, J. A. S. Beng. xiii. p. 377; Catal. B. Mus. A. S. Beng. p. 144. G. R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 162. Tickell, J. A. S. Beng. xvii. pt. i. p. 298. Hutton, J. A. 8S. Beng. xvii. pt. ii. p. 691. Bonap. C. G. Av. p. 281. Layard, Ann. N. H. 1853, p. 262. Sylvia longicauda et sutoria, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. pp. 545, 551; Gen. Hist. vii. pp. 79, 119. Vieill. Enc. Méth. p. 456. Malurus longicaudus, Pearson, J. A. 8. Beng. x. p. 644. Sylvia guzuratta, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 554; Gen. Hist. vii. p. 129. QO* 182 Zoological Society :— Orthotomus Bennettii et O. lingoo, Sykes, P. Z. S. (1832) p. 90. Lafres. Mag. de Zool, (1836) t.52,53, Jerdon, Madr. Journ. xi. p. 1. Hodgs. Cat. B. Nep. p. 63. Orthotomus ruficapilla, Hutton, J. A. S. Beng. ii. p. 504 (1833). Orthotomus sphenurus, Swains. 21 Cent. p. 343 (1838). Orthotomus sutorius, v. ruficapillus, v. sphenurus, Hodgs. Gray’s Zool. Mise. (1844) p. 82. Orthotomus sutoria et O. patia, Hodgs. P, Z. 8. (1845) p. 29. Sutoria agilis, Nicholson, P. Z. 8. (1851) p. 194. The Indian Tailor Bird. Phutki, of the Hindoos, Jerdon. Tuntuni, of the Bengalese, Hamilton, Blyth. Patia, or “ Leaf Bird,’ Nepal, Hodgson. Hab. India generally; Ceylon; Burmese countries; Malayan peninsula ? This species is too well known to require further description. “The Tailor Bird is tolerably common in most wooded districts, and universally spread, frequenting cultivated ground, especially gardens, groves of trees, and is also found in high jungle, in the more open spaces. It lives in pairs or in small flocks, mcessantly hopping about the branches of trees and shrubs, peas and other vegetables, with a loud reiterated note, and picking various insects (chiefly ants and small larvee) off the bark and leaves, and not unfrequently seeking them on the ground. It has the habit of frequently jerking up its tail while feeding or hopping about, and at times (especially when ealling) it has the power of raising the feathers on the lower part of the throat, and displaying on either side a small black stripe. This has been noted by no one except Lieut. Hutton, who states, ‘it is only seen when the bird is in motion, and wholly disappears when in a state of rest.2 It has various notes, one of whieh sounds like éwee, twee, twee, as mentioned by Col. Sykes, and another which is gene- rally used when alarmed or angry, and sounds like ehich, chick, chick, chicky, chick. It is a familiar bird, and ventures close to houses, but when observed becomes wary.’’—Jerdon. NY _ Dr. Nicholson says, “It has a loud, short, and not unmelodious song ; its general cry being ‘wheet, wheet, wheet, often repeated ; but its alarm cry is like ‘ eheertah, cheertah, eheertah.’”’ The following are a few observations on the structure of two speci- mens of the nest of the Tailor Bird, found in the garden belonging to Capt. Hearsey, by Lieut. Hutton: “The first was neatly formed of raw cotton and bits of cotton threads, woven strongly together, thickly lined with horse-hair, and supported between two leaves on a twig of the Amaltas tree (Cassia fistula). These two leaves were first placed longitudinally upon each other, and stitched in that posi- tion from the points to rather more than halfway up the sides with a strong thread spun from the raw cotton by the. bird, leaving the entrance to the nest at the point where they join the branch of the tree. Both of these leaves were of course green and living. Subse- quently, hcwever, they were biown down by a high wind, and being now withered, the nest appears enclosed between two dead leaves. Mr. E. L. Layard on new species of Paludomus. 133 The second specimen was at the end of a branch of the Bhela (Seme- carpus anacardium), about two feet from the ground, and constructed of the same materials as the above, viz. raw cotton, cotton threads, also a little flax, and lined with horse-hair alone; the leaves were stitched together partly with thread prepared by the bird, and partly with spun thread ; and so well concealed was it, that even after Capt. Hearsey had discovered it (by accident) he could scarcely find it again to show to me. In it were found an egg and two young birds nearly fledged. These I placed, with the nest, in a trap-cage, and thus succeeded in capturing beth of the old birds. The young birds are similar in colours to the adults, except that they are paler and the top of the head cinereous with a faint rufous tinge; bill yellowish. The eggs are white, spotted, chiefly at the larger end, with tawny spots.” P runihiek notices of the habits and nest of this curious bird are given by the following authors, at the places above referred to, viz. Hodgson, Sykes, Blyth, Layard, Nicholson, &c. - March 14.—Dr. Gray, Vice-President, in the Chair. - 1, OBSERVATIONS ON THE GENUS PaLuDOMUS oF SWAINSON, wiTH DrescRIPTIONS OF SEVERAL New SPECIES, AND THE DescripTion oF A New Srvecies or ANCuLoTus. By, Epear L. Layarp, F.Z.S., C.M.E.S, etc. etc. | A cursery survey of the genus Paludomus, which Swainson many | a y Vs “id ." JS ‘4 3 & ey years ago separated from Melania, at once satisfied me that several } \ genera or subgenera, differing in structure and habits, were united °° together under one name by Mr. Reeve, in his monograph on the genus in the ‘ Conchologia Iconica,’ where he describes the charac- ters of the genus as follows :—“ Animal fluviatile, with a horny sub- triangularly-ovate concentrically-striated operculum.” © Had Mr. Reeve been furnished with the operculum and a correct account of the habits of each species, he never would have left the genus as it now stands. I was not aware that Dr. Gray had sepa- rated one division from it, until so informed by him when I intro- duced the subject to the notice of the Zoological Society on a former evening ; and I rejoice to find that my observations on the Mollusca in their natural state confirm the views to which that learned zoolo- gist has arrived, from the structure of the opercula. This induced me carefully to examine the whole group; and the ample collection of Mr. Cuming, ever open to the investigator, my own cabinet, particularly rich in this family, and my memoranda taken in Ceylon, have furnished the results here presented to the Society. I propose to separate the genus into four divisions, founded upon the structure of the operculum. The first I shall designate PaLuvomus, as, with the addition of the position of the nucleus in the operculum, the characters, as given by Reeve, sufficiently describe that organ, and from its partiality to 134 Zoological Society :— sluggish waters (two species being found in the marshy borders of tanks or artificial lakes), it better suits the name than any of the other divisions. A note of interrogation after a species implies that I have not seen the operculum, but from the form I consider it to. belong to the division in which it is placed. ~~ Genus 1. Patupomus, Swains. Animal inhabiting gently-running or still water. Operculum horny, subtriangularly ovate, with the apex superior and slightly inclined ; concentrically striate ; nucleus subcentral, sinistral. P. levis, Layard, P. decussatus, Reeve ? P. palustris, Layard. P. Stephanus, Benson? P. chilinoides, Reeve. P. conicus, Gray. P. phasianinus, Reeve. P. bifasciatus, Reeve. P. acutus, Reeve. P. spiralis, Reeve. P. bicinctus, Reeve. P. pictus, Reeve? P. constrictus, Reeve. P. bacula, Reeve? ~ P. nigricans, Reeve. P. abbreviatus, Reeve? P. paludinoides, Reeve. P. clavatus, Reeve ? ' P. punctatus, Reeve. P. Maurus, Reeve ? _P. globulosus, Reeve? P. rudis, Reeve? Genus 2. Ganea*, Layard. Animal inhabiting gently-running water. Operculum horny, sub- triangularly ovate; apex superior, slightly inclined, concentrically striate ; nucleus subcentral, dextral. G. dilatata, Reeve. G.neritoides, Reeve? G. olivacea, Reeve ? Genus 3. TANALIA, Gray. Animal fluviatile, delighting in the most rapid mountain torrents. Operculum horny, subtriangularly ovate; apex lateral, lamellated ; nucleus lateral, dextral. T.. loricata, Reeve. T. Gardneri, Reeve. T. crinascens, Reeve. T. Tennentii, Reeve. T. erea, Reeve. T. Reevei, Layard. T'. Layardi, Reeve. T. similis, Layard. An T. undata, Reeve. T. violacea, Layard... /*.. ° T. funiculata, Reeve. Genus 4. Puttoporamis, Layard. Animal fluviatile, amphibious, delighting in rocky torrents. Oper- culum horny, subtriangularly ovate ; apex superior, paucispiral ; nu- cleus sub-basal, dextral. iia Ph. sulcatus, Reeve. Ph. Thwaitesii, Lay. Ph. regalis, Lay. * Cingalese name for a river. Mr. E. L. Layard on new species of Paludomus. 135 One characteristic habit, separating the whole of these species, as far as I can ascertain, from Melania, is that they are constantly found adhering to stones, or the submerged roots of trees and stems of aquatic plants, which the Melanie never are ; neither do they burrow in sand, as do the Melanie, though they often resort to a sandy locality, perhaps for the purpose of breeding. The habit in PA. su/- catus of crawling several feet out of the water on the damp grass is remarkable. A few remarks on the various species in detail may prove not un- acceptable. | PALUDOMUS CHILINOIDES, Reeve. This is the commonest species of the whole tribe. It is found in gently-running water generally, but often in paddy fields and other marshy grounds to which these running waters have access. The animal is blackish-mottled, forehead produced into an obtuse point, slightly indented in the centre and fringed with red dots ; tentacula two, acuminate ; eyes two, sessile, situated about one-fifth of the distance up the tentacles. I have taken the operculum of this species as the type of the family ; it therefore needs no description. PaLupomus Lzvis, Layard. Shell oblong-ovate ; axis 11 lines, diam. 7 lines; spire acute, ex- serted, moderately long; whorls rounded, not depressed round the upper part, smooth. Colour olive-yellow, the lower whorls seldom marked, but the upper always spotted with one or two rows of arrow- headed dots; apex bluish; aperture white. Operculum as in Pal. chilinoides. Hab. Ceylon, in slow-running streams on the northern side of the mountain zone extending into the flat country beyond Anarajahpoora. I also obtained a few in a paddy field in the south of the island, near the village of Heneratgodde. Mus. Cuming et Layard. I think this may prove to be but a variety of Pal. chilinoides, although the experienced eye of Mr. Cuming at once separated it from that species. It is found in the same localities, and only differs from it in wanting the depression round the upper part of the whorls and in the colouring ; the mollusk is similar. PaLuDOMUS PALUsTRIS, Layard. Shell ovate, thin; axis 10 lines, diam. 6 lines; spire exserted, long; whorls rounded, rather flat, spirally closely grooved with mi- nute granular striee (visible under the lens)... Colour of adult shell * a rich yellow spotted with dark brown, the markings frequently run- ning into wavy lines; apex bluish ; aperture white. * In young shells the ground colour is almost hidden by the dark markings, and the aperture is found to be spirally marked with thin lines of the same colour. 136 Zoological Society :— Operculum nearly oval, the apex slightly inclined to the left ; con- centric nucleus subcentral, sinistral. Hab. The grassy margins of a tank at Anarajahpoora. Mus. Cuming et Layard. PALUDOMUS NIGRICANS, Reeve. Operculum as in Pal. chilinoides, Reeve. Hab. Baleaddua Pass, mountain torrent, affecting the little pools and not found in the rapids. PALUDOMUS CONSTRICTUS, Reeve. Operculum as in Pal. chilinoides, Reeve, but with the apex very much inclined to the left. Hab. Kadaganava Pass, mountain streams. I have not taken it in situ. Mus. Cuming et Layard. PaLupomws BiciIncTus, Reeve. Operculum as in Pal. chilinoides, Reeve. Hab. Balcaddua Pass, in the Mahavillaganga, shallow quiet places on sand. Mus. Cuming et Layard. PALUDOMUS PHASIANINUS, Reeve. Operculum as in Pal. chilinoides, Reeve. I cannot help thinking that this is but a geographical variety of Pal. chilinoides, of which the Ceylon race will be the connecting link. Seychelles type. Mus. Cuming. Ceylon var. Mus. Layard. PALUDOMUS PALUDINOIDES, Reeve. Operculum as in Pal. chilinoides, Reeve. Hab. Ganges. Mus. Cuming et Layard. PALUDOMUS DECUSSATUS, Reeve. Operculum as in Pal. chilinoides. Hab. Baleaddua Pass, mountain torrent, in company with Pal. ni- gricans, Reeve. Mus. Cuming et Layard. 7 PaLupomus PARvus, Layard. Shell ovate ; axis 6 lines, diam. 4 lines; spire exserted, moderately Jong; whorls slightly rounded, smooth. Colour dark olive-yello w more or less marked with fine spiral brown lines; aperture white. Operculum as in P. chilinoides, Reeve. Hab. Bombay. Mus. Cuming et Layard. PALUDOMUS GLOBULOSUS, Reeve. Tam not quite satisfied that the opercula which I received with the specimens of this shell presented to me, are really the proper oper- ‘ cula of the species, but it probably belongs to this group. I was told that the shells came from Rambodde Pass, between Newera Elia and Kandy, but never saw it x situ, as I did not visit that locality. Mus. Layard et Cuming. Mr. E. L. Layard on new species of Tanalia. 137 PALUDOMUS SPIRALIS, Reeve. I include in this group, from its resemblance to my Pal. palustris. The only specimens I ever saw are in Mr. Cuming’s cabinet. PALUDOMUS DILATATUS, Reeve. Operculum concentric; nucleus subcentral, dextral. Hab. Ceylon, Rambodde Pass, mountain torrent. This species was given to me along with Pal. globulosus ; I therefore know nothing of its habits. Genus Tanatia, Gray. TANALIA LORICATA, Reeve. This species grows to its largest size in the Calloo ganga, above - Ratnapoora, where it is found in the most rapid foaming currents ad- hering to rocks. It resorts to deep sandy pools and reaches at some seasons, but apparently will not exist im a river devoid of rocks and rapids. Most of the streams of the southern provinces answering to this description contain it; but I never met with it to the northward, where the rivers become more sluggish. The mollusk is almost black. TANALIA CRINASCENS, Reeve. I doubt this being more than a geographical variety of the preceding species ; and not being aware that it had been separated from it, did not pay attention to the operculum, though it evidently belongs to this group. I have only received the species from one locality, Kadaganava Pass, between Colombo and Kandy ; but have interme- diate varieties, on which half the spines are solid, as in loricata, half capped and hollow, as in crinascens. T. =zREA, Reeve. T. Layarpi, R. T. unpATA, R. I seek in vain for sufficient distinction in these species to separate them from loricata. Take a strongly-marked specimen of each, and the division appears an excellent one; place a hundred of each, and the gradations are imperceptible. As far.as my recollection serves me, there is nothing different in the animals; but as I was not aware of the separation of @rea and Layardi, 1 did not closely scrutinize them; however, of undata dozens passed in review with careful survey. They are found with Joricata and the pseudo-variety crinascens before mentioned ; and the opercula are undistinguishable, save that those of @rea having a wider aperture to fill, are larger and not quite so angular. I look upon them as varieties of loricata. TANALIA GARDNERI, Reeve. Operculum not distinguishable, except in size, from that of Jorz- cata. In very large specimens the angle is often very great, and is bent outward on the exterior side. Hab. I found this species in a waterfall pool at Tambillichna, below Ratnapoora ; also in the Calloo ganga, but only in the most rapid current, mixed with /oricata and thé next species. 138 Zoological Society :— TANALIA TENNENTII, Reeve. Operculum the same as in the preceding species, but, if anything, always more angular. Hab. asin T. Gardneri. TanauiA Reevet, Layard. Shell oblong ovate; axis 14 inch, diam. 1 in. 2 lines. Spire exserted, short. Whorls rounded, spirally corded with rather distant obtuse ridges, longitudinally striated with well-marked close-set strize, the great characteristic mark of the species. Aperture: outer lip edged with deep purple-brown, columellar lip white. Colour a dark yellow- nt thickly marked with longitudinal, slanting, jet-brown wavy ands. Hab. The Calloo ganga, Ratnapoora. I have much pleasure in dedicating this beautiful species to the gentleman who has so extensively investigated this peculiar family. TANALIA VIOLACEA, Layard. Shell globose; axis 6 lines, diam. 5 lines. Spire very short, slightly exserted. Whorls rounded, ventricose, spirally grooved with close-set, fine, minutely decussated striee (in one variety the strize become ridges). Colour a dark bluish-brown, almost amounting to black, with darkish brown patches appearing in some specimens, Aperture deep violet inside; columella white, stained on the outside edge with dark brown. Hab. A small mountain torrent in a dense forest between Gilly- malle and Pallabaddoola, towards Adam’s Peak, Ceylon. TANALIA SIMILIs, Layard. Shell rather globose; axis 8 lines, diam. 6 lines. Spire short, exserted. Whorls rounded, ventricose, spirally grooved with close- set, fine, minutely decussated strize. Colour rich. olive-yellow, pro- fusely marked* with longitudinal, wavy, dark lines, interrupted by four or five fine transverse bands of the same colour. Aperture: the dark markings of the shell show through, and are dimmed by a bluish haze ; columellar lip white, stained on the outside edge with dark brown, which runs round the outer lip in a thin band. Hab. A mountain torrent at Kandangamoa, near Ratnapoora. TANALIA FUNICULATA, Reeve. i I never could find any species which answered to Mr. Reeve’s description of this shell, until Mr. Cuming kindly lent me the type specimen, when an hour’s immersion in soap and water showed that the “‘jet-brown’”’ was merely the accumulation of the freshwater algze (which always cover this sluggish family) and the red cabooky dust of “India’s utmost isle.” This cleaning revealed a ‘bright yellow epidermis, variegated with dark brown wavy lines, and the very minutely striated structure of the shell; an ‘the specimen imme- diately ranged itself with a series of a very variable shell, which I had in vain endeavoured to reconcile with any published description. Mr. E. L. Layard on new species of Philopotamis. 189 A more lengthened description of this species, which I shall still eall 7’. funiculata, Reeve, may prove acceptable, and prevent others from experiencing the same difficulty which I have felt. Shell oblong ovate; axis 13 lines, diam. 10. Spire exserted. Whorls rather depressed round the upper part, spirally corded with rather distant obtuse ridges placed at unequal distances, sometimes with a thread-like ridge between two larger ones, the whole minutely longitudinally striated. Colour a bright rich yellow, variegated with closely set, dark brown, broadish, zigzag lines. Interior whitish ; exterior lip faintly marked all round with purplish-brown, with fre- quent dark brown spots; columellar lip white, with the exterior margin stained with a bright pale brown. This description is taken from the original type shell; in some examples the ridges are almost, if not quite, obsolete ; the spire is hardly exserted, the zigzag lines lost, and the aperture almost pure white; one of these specimens measures, axis 95 lines, diam. 8 lines. In another, measuring, axis 17 lines, diam. 14 lines, the strize are much coarser, and some of the upper ridges present a decided indication of nodules! The outer lip is pretty deeply edged with dark brown, and the bright brown of the columellar lip, though still present, is soon changed into a deep rich hue. The species is abundant in a mountain stream not far from Ratna- poora, probably the very stream whence my lamented friend Dr. Gardner procured the type specimen, as it is crossed by the high road leading thither from Colombo ; and, as I have had opportunity of witnessing, Dr. Gardner never failed to examine every stream he passed. PHILOPOTAMIS SULCATUS, Reeve. Operculum ovoid ; apex slightly inclined, sinistral, paucispiral. Nucleus sub-basal, dextral. Mollusk black ; forehead produced, as in Paludomus chilinoides ; tentacles and eyes also the same. Hab. Weyweldenia, a rocky rivulet. I found this species Joc. cit., and I then remarked that vast numbers of them were crawling on the wet grass on the banks of the stream. I subsequently found it at Kandangamoa and in the Calloo ganga. PHILOPOTAMIS REGALIS, Layard. Shell oblong ovate; axis 1 inch, diam. 9 lines. Spire exserted, short. Whorls rounded, depressed at the upper part, spirally corded with close-set slight ridges, longitudinally minutely striated, and crowned with a single row of short, sharp, hollow, angular spines, closely set. Colour yellowish-olive, painted with wavy, dark brown longitudinal lines. Aperture pure white. Operculum unknown, but most probably as in P. sulcatus. Hab. Stream in the Cnia Corle, Western province, Ceylon. Puitorotamis Tuwatresit, Layard. Shell oblong ovate; axis 13 lines, diam. 9 lines. Spire exserted, short. _Whorls almost carinated round the upper part, spirally corded with unequal-sized, close, but irregularly set ridges, granulated 140 Zoological Society :— or minutely striated. Colour yellowish-olive, painted more or less with wavy, dark brown longitudinal lines. Aperture pinkish-white, occasionally having the outer lip dotted with dark pink-brown marks. Hab. Same as P. sulcatus. This is a rare shell, if really distinct from sulcatus, from which and from regalis it may at once be distinguished by the shallowness and irregularity of the ridges. * ANCULOTUS CARINATUS, Layard. Shell somewhat globose; axis 5 lines, diam. 4 lines. Spire ex~- serted, short. Whorls inflated, rather square, sharply keeled round the inferior angle, minutely longitudinally striated. Colour dull olive, marked faintly with two or three broad bands of dark rufous- brown, which are very apparent in the aperture; columellar lip white, stained with a light 7 of the same rufous-brown on the exterior margin. Hab. Streams in the Mahakeshwar Hills, Bombay Presidency. Mus. Cuming. March 28.—Dr. Gray, Vice-President, in the Chair. Mr. Gould exhibited male and female specimens of a very rare English Duck, described in 1847 by Mr. Bartlett, under the name of Fuligula ferinoides. The specimens exhibited were lent to Mr. Gould by M. Van den Bergh, of Rotterdam. Mr. Gould men- tioned, that only three instances of the occurrence of the bird in England are on record; one of the specimens is in the collection of J. H. Gurney, another in that of Mr. Doubleday, of Epping, and the third in the museum of the late Earl of Derby, at Liverpool. CHARACTERS OF SOME NEW OR IMPERFECTLY-DESCRIBED Species or TANAGERS. By Paiute Lutiey Scuater, M.A.,, F.Z.S. I have been collecting Tanagers for some time, with the view of ultimately attempting a monograph of the family. But the forms in many of the genera are so closely allied, and the limits of the family itself at present so unsettled, that a larger collection of species, and a much greater familiarity with the subject-matter than I have yet had time to acquire, are requisite before such a monograph can be satisfactorily completed. Puzzling indeed to ornithologists would seem the question, “ What is a Tanager?” as puzzling perhaps as to political economists Sir Robert Peel’s celebrated poser, ‘‘ What is a pound?” My ideas on this point, that is, I mean, as to the posi- tion and extent of the family or subfamily of Tanagers, coincide, I believe, nearly with those of Mr. G. R. Gray. A Tanager I consider to be a dentirostral Piushesen be distinguished from other more typical Fringillide by the presence of one or more teeth or notches in the upper mandible (sometimes further developing themselves into serrations, as in certain species of Huphonia and Ta- chyphonus), and the culmen being always more or less inflexed, never straight. The colours of the group are generally very brilliant. They Mr. P. L. Selater on new. species of Tanagers. 141 feed on ripe fruit, some on insects, and perhaps in habits rather resemble Sylviade than true Fringillide, With these views, I keep among the Tanagers the Pityli and Saltatores, excluded therefrom by certain modern systematists, and retained among the Fringillide, while the whole of what may be termed the more typical portion of the group is removed far away to the neighbourhood of the Sylvicoline. ' Now I think it will be impossible to settle these, and other families belonging to the South American Fauna, in a really satisfactory way, until we know much more than we do at present of the habits and customs of the animals of that vast continent. Unfortunately those who have hitherto written upon the ornithology of that country have in general had too little previous scientific knowledge of the subject. ~ Not, of course, that this makes them less accurate observers of facts, but only less likely to hit upon the right facts to be observed. A per- son previously well acquainted with the varied forms of South Ameri- can ornithology by study of the European collections, so as to know what points required looking up, would, I have little doubt, be in a much more favourable condition for observing these animals in their native haunts, and thereby solving many of those doubts which at present so perplex the student of natural history. As, however, we may perhaps have to wait some time before a determination of the question ‘‘ What is a Tanager?’’ can be arrived at in this manner, I propose adopting as provisional limits for the family or subfamily, nearly those given by Mr. G. R. Gray in his ‘ Genera of Birds,’ ex- cluding only the genera Pipilo, Embernagra, and Emberizoides, which appear to me to go better with Zonotrichia and its allied forms. To show the arrangement I contemplate, I have formed a list* of the genera and species, which may perhaps be useful for collectors to mark off their duplicates or desiderata; though, as a mere catalogue of names, it is, of course, of no scientific value. Some of the many lately-formed genera now used, I may hereafter find occasion to con- solidate, the principle of subdivision having been carried to great lengths in this as in other families. My present list contains the names of 222 species, though I have no doubt that many more remain to be discovered. These are all believed to be veal, not nominal species; indeed I have myself seen specimens of nearly the whole of them, and the ten or twelve I have not personally examined I believe rest on good authority. The names used are many of them taken from Bonaparte’s ‘ Conspectus,’ his ‘ Note sur les Tanagras”’ in the ‘ Rev. et Mag. de Zool.’ for 1851, the ‘Museum Heineanum’ of Cabanis, and my own papers in Sir William Jardine’s ‘ Contributions.’ The Tanagers are essentially a South American family. Out of the whole 222 species, 193 are from the continent south of the Isth- mus of Panama, and the rest mostly either from Central America or Southern Mexico. Three or four only are peculiar to certain of the West Indian islands, and three only, well-known members of the genus Pyranga, extend as summer migrants into the United States of * Tanagrarum Catalogus Specificus. Auctore Philippi Lutley Sclater. Basing- stoke, 1854. 8vo. 16 pp. 142 Zoological Society :-— North America. Through South America they range down to the Rio de la Plata, but on the western coast I am not aware that they have been observed nearly so far south. M. d’Orbigny met with but one species * at all on the occidental slope of the Andes; Tschudi men- tions but three or four as occurring in the vicinity of Lima, on the coast-region of Peru. — Subjoined are the specific characters of five species occurring in my list, of which accurate descriptions have not yet been published. 1. ARREMON AXILLARIS, Sclater. A. supra olivaceo-viridis ; capite atro; superciliis productis albis; vitta verticali et cer- vice postica cinereis : subtus niveus, lateribus cinerascentibus ; macula utringue cervicali vittam quasi imperfectam formante, mentoque summo atris; remigibus rectricibusque nigricantibus : tectricibus alarum majoribus flavo-olivaceis, minoribus et awxillis lete flavis: mandibula superiore nigra, inferiore flava: pedi- bus clare brunneis. Long. tota 5°2, alee 3°0, caudee 2-0 poll. Angl. Avis junior. Semitorque collari vix conspicuo. Hab. In Nova Grenada. 3 Obs. Species Arremoni semitorquato maxime affinis, sed hujus axillis olivaceis, illius leetissime flavis. 2. RampuHoceLus porsALis, Bp. MS. 3 Coccineus: dorso medio obscurius coccineo : alis caudaque nigris: rostro nigro, mandibula inferiore basi lete alba. 9 Fusco-brunnea: alis caudaque nigricantibus: uropygio et ventre toto erubescentibus : rostro brunneo. Long. tota 7°0, alee 3°2, caudee 3°2. Hab. In imp. Brasiliensi. | : Obs. R. brazilio maxime affinis at dorso medio obscurius coccineo. I should hardly have ventured to have separated this species from R. brazilius, from which it only differs, so far as I can make out, in the patch of darker colouring in the middle of the back ; but as the Prince Charles Bonaparte has done so, and his MS. name has attained wide circulation on the MM. Verreaux’s labels, I think it best to give a published description of the grounds of the alleged specific difference. However, M. Jules Verreaux,—a good authority, —considers the two species truly distinct, and has assured me, if I recollect right, that he has seen and shot them both frequently at Rio and Pernambuco. 3. BuTHRAUPIS CHLORONOTA, Sclater. B. supra viridis; pileo ceruleo: alis caudaque nigris, illarum tectricibus. minoribus ceruleis; majoribus et secondariis viridi limbatis: subtus flavus, crisso saturatiore : gutture toto atro : rostro pedibusque nigris. * The Tanagra striata, Gm., inthe ravines of Palca in Peru, 18°S.L. M. d’Or- bigny attributes a wide range to this species, which he says occurs besides in the Banda Oriental, near Monte Video, at Buenos Ayres, near La Paz, and in the provinces of Yungas, Sicasica, Cochambamba, Valle Grande, and Chiquisaca in Bolivia. (Voy. p. 272.) But, guere, does he not confound with 7’. striata, Tschudi’s 7. frugilegus ? Mr. P. L. Sclater on new species of Tanagers. 143 Long. tota 8°8, alee 4°6, caudze 3°8. Hab. In republ. Equatoriana. Obs. Affinis B. eximie, sed major, dorso toto viridi nec uropygio ceeruleo. I have seen only one specimen of this species, which was re- ceived by the Fréres Verreaux of Paris from Ecuador. It is closely allied to B. eaimia, but is larger in all its dimensions, nearly equalling in size B. cucullata. Its distinguishing character is the uniform green back, whence I have named it chloronota. I have examined multitudes of B. eximia, and invariably found the vege Aces blue. 4. EvuPpHONIA CONCINNA, Sclater. E. Poston a Bp. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1851, p. 156?— E. affinis, Less. Rev. Zool. 1842, p. 175? E. supra nigro-violacea valde purpurascens ; pileo summo flavo : infra gutture nigro-violaceo ; abdomine aurantio-flavo : cauda subtus immaculate nigra. Long. tota 3°8, alee 2°2, caudee 1°4. Hab. In Nova Grenada. Obs. EF. chlorotice similis, sed cauda subtus immaculata, fronte latius nigro, dignoscenda. This bird is one of the group so closely affine to EL. chlorotica, but may be distinguished from all of them (as L. melanura from LE. vio- lacea and its affines) by the absence of white markings on the exterior rectrices. The middle of the belly is also of a brighter orange tint, and the black front is broader than in Z. chlorotica. <A skin of this species, received from the MM. Verreaux, is labelled L. hirundinacea, Bp., and it is probably the species referred to by that name in the ** Note sur les Tanagras,” Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1851, p.156. It is not however the true L. hirundinacea, Bp. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1837, . 117; for on examination of the type of that species, which is now in the Derby Museum at Liverpool (labelled EL. hirundinirostris /), I found it coequal with the bird described by me (Cont. to Orn, 1851, p. 86) as E. laniirostris, which again is not the true laniv- rostris of MM. de Lafresnaye and d’Orbigny, but a closely allied species, called in the Baron de Lafresnaye’s museum L. fortirostris, This must, of course,