mt Lt vere T Wise ae seer (eta ¥ ; uty AP ene eae S Sele ee e! sa 7 Sire yi ore + at ree - LES om i Bi a2! wre Eales Sa Sap a «RAE aS 9 RN AH sera Egy Nghe ped AE LAGS Te 3 di ge Dieta ele hain ss ge * et oan re ee BW e os 7 Wet ey oe ee the os y ee ons oy ue relia A eer te eae yc , } i ses agi hg) bk eas : ad Sonia ‘ite, Sao 200 Taig at ap Mab shed ho ‘a ey sed et at " Ve Pk k me Ee eieg ‘aah tyre 2 AS. ays Bn ers Pa". tee = f THE ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY, | ZOOLOGY, BOTANY, ann GEOLOGY. {BEING A CONTINUATION OF THE ‘ MAGAZINE OF BOTANY AND ZOOLOGY, AND OF LOUDON AND CHARLESWORTH’S ‘MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. ’) CONDUCTED BY Sir W. JARDINE, Barr.—P. J. SELBY, Ese., Dr. JOHNSTON, : DAVID DON, Esa., Pror. Bor. Kine’s Coun. Lonp., AND RICHARD TAYLOR, F.L.S. VOL. VII. we LONDON: . PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY R. AND J. E. TAYLOR. SOLD BY S. HIGHLEY; SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL; SHERWOOD AND cO.; W. WOOD, TAVISTOCK STREET; BAILLIERE, REGENT STREET, AND PARIS: LIZARS, AND MACLACHLAN AND STEWART, EDINBURGH : CURRY, DUBLIN: AND ASHER, BERLIN. | V8qy)— 1842. “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 sibi relictis semper estimata; a vere eruditis et sapientibus ‘semper exculta;: male doctis et barbaris semper inimica fuit.”— LINN. CONTENTS OF VOL. VIII.. NUMBER XLVIII. Page I. Description of some Molar Teeth from the Eocene Sand at Kyson in Suffolk, indicative of anew species of Hyracotherium (Hyr. Cunicu- lus). By Ricuarp Owen, Esq., F.R.S., & ec. .......0000 Micebetiesvautoes 1 II. Remarks on the Horny Sponges, with proposed divisions of the Order Spongie. By Joun Hoae, Esq., M.A., F.R.S., FLAS. «2.2... 3 IIT. Notes on the Zoology of the Outer Hebrides. By Joun Mac- Gittivray, Vice-President of the Cuvierian Nat. Hist. Society of Edin- DURA hag a tila ares eas ods in arts uns dc stata dubae ued dd yon dvs 7 IV. Researches on the Structure of Annular Vessels. By Hueco Mout. ‘(With ‘a Plate.) - ....0scccecccscscesoeseveee pusmbeeaitcaddeseamecneucns 16 V. Preliminary Reply to Mohl’s Essay on the Structure of Annular Vessels. By Dr. M. J. ScHLEIDEN .........000. SF dabledeaas adeadiiaiasd anni caae 25 VI. Report of the Results of Reseanches, 3 in Physiological Botany made in the year 1839. By the late F. J. Meyven, M.D., Professor of Botany in the University of Berlin. (Continued.) .......00++ ehanwiltce, iaeh VII. Indian Cyprinidae. By Joun M‘Cietxanp, Assistant Surgeon Bomgal Medical: Service's... od «ad sevbades bo ocedhimanmabcdliamin gible was Foe ah XII. Diagnoses Algarum novarum a cl. Dre. Ferdinand Krauss in Africa Australi lectarum, auctore Dno. Herre, Stuttgartiensi ......... XIII. Observations on the Structure of the Pollen Granule, consi- dered principally in reference to its eligibility as a means of Classi- fication. By Artuur Hitt Hassatt, M.R.C.S.L., Corresponding Member of the Dublin Natural History Society ......... pacdechnhdenane'ens XIV. Indian Cyprinidae. By Joun M‘Cieixianp, Assistant Surgeon Bengal Medical Service. (Continwed.)...csccccccacccoccccosseccerscerssscece XV. Notice of a hitherto undescribed character distinctive of the Sexes in certain Lucanide. By J.Q. Wxestwoop, F.L.S. ........000 XVI. Insectorum novorum Centuria, auctore J..O. Westwoop...... XVII, Notice of Migratory Birds which alighted on, or were seen from H.M.S. Beacon, Capt. Graves, on the passage from Malta to the Morea at the end of April 1841. By Wm. Tuomeson, Vice-Pres. Nat. Gist. Society of Belfast: ..csorsasushapancadasientcebanpdeneonad ds swebhe dine sonaent XVIII. Report of the Results of Be caeatchon in Physiological Botany made in the year 1839, By the late F. J. Meyzn, M.D., Professor of Botany in the University of Berlin. (Continued.) ..........sse+ees resaper New Books :—Naturalist’s Library :—The Natural History of Dogs, vol. ii. ; The Natural History of Horses ; The Natural History of Fished; vols fi. ...035i Lea eee ear inivrectes anes Seesetu cases 90 92 108 121 123 125 130 137 Proceedings of the Zoological Society ; Microscopical Society .... 138—152 Mr. Schomburgk’s return to George-Town; Mr. W. S. MacLeay; Lieut. Tickell on the Natural History of the Hodésum (improperly called Kolehan) ; Fossil Foraminifera in the Greensand of New Jersey; A vast Stratum of Fossil Infusoria in the Tertiary Strata of Virginia; Mr, R. C. Taylor’s Model of the Southern Coal-Field of Pennsylvania ;, Meteorological Observations and Table... 1583—160 NUMBER L. XIX. Descrigition of some new species of Ammonites found in the Oxford Clay on the line of the Great Western Railway near Christian Malford. By Samuen Prace Pratt, Esq., F.L.S., F.G.S. (With Four Plates.) ‘sssasisssesssasasscas bbshenrdrcgseuphte das taxes CR EH ote XX. A List of Testaceous Mollusca collected in the Shetland Isles during a few days’ residence there in the autumn of this year, and not noticed by Dr, Fleming in his ‘ History of British Animals’ as indige- nous to that country. By J. Gwyn Jerrreys, Esq., F.R. & L.S....... XXI. Brief and Practical Instructions for the Breeding of Salmon and other Fish artificially. By Sir Francis A. Mackenziz, Bart. ... 161 165 166 CONTENTS. v Page XXII. On Epilobium angustifolium, and species which have been confounded with it, By Mr. H. O. Sreruens ......... Chi ind dee devs sues 170 XXIII. A List of Flowering Plants found growing wild in Western Norfolk. By the Rev. Geoxcz Muwnrorp, Corresponding Member of the Botanical Society of London ...... ip sdhpreniend bik Sa Sbnhean dabed Cede adey eA XXIV. Indian Cyprinide. By Joun M‘Cietxanp, Assistant Sur- geon Bengal Medical Service. (Continued.).oc.ss.ssesecedsesesencseceveters 192 XXV. .Insectorum novorum Centuria, auctore J.O. Westwoop ... 203 XXVI. On the names Promecoderus, Cnemacanthus and Odonto- scelis, as applied to certain genera of Carabideous Insects. By G. R. Warternouse, Esq., Curator to the Zoological Society of London ...... 205 XXVII. On the Eel, and on the Freshwater Fish of Austria. By Capt. S.. E. WIppRInGTON, R.N. weicseccceccsvecediceseccesocas vine, 0b weaves 207 XXVIII. Information respecting Zoological and Botanical Travel- leks: Uisivices US MOP LIEL, LOLER ALY YS a Dob isc sbavewetedoeubanssacasetetiete 210 New Books:—A Manual of the British Alge, by William Henry Har- VOY, ESQ. cccovccenccesese buspasadesceeyoaat eas eqenedeeneeesion apeseis eeeowvecees 211] Proceedings of the Entomological Society ; Zoological Society ; Micro- scopical Society......... Athi chen dhcobes Agius Vessancededahsusesalivs , 217—228 Cyclostoma elegans, Lam., an Irish Shell, by W. Thompson, Esq. ; Entophytes—Cryptogamous Plants developed on the internal sur- face of the air-cells of an Eider Duck whilst alive—similar in- stance in the Flamingo; On some Mammalia, Birds and Fishes lately observed in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen, by Mr. J. Mac- gillivray ; On the Common Hare of the Gangetic Provinces and of the Sub-Himalaya, with’a slight notice of a strictly Himalayan species, by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., Resident at the Court of Nepal; The Hoopoe, Upupa epops; The Hoopoe; The Arctic Gull; Re- port on Ornithichnites, or Foot-marks of Extinct. Birds; Natural History as a Branch of Education; Meteorological Observations an® Table \sc0005. sese cescsueuh esses bees ccerasbepv ante Sap deve ptoaes » 228—240 NUMBER LI. XXIX. Notice of a new genus of Mammalia discovered by J. Stuart, Esq., in New South Wales. By W.S. MacLay, Esq., F.L.S., &c. (With a Plate.) s.ciscsssves bevossssdeccieee etedecesdeuedeces bdecedeureevesusoetors 24h XXX. On two remarkable Marine Invertebrata inhabiting the Agean Sea. By Epwarp Forses, M.W.S., For. Sec. B.S., &c. (With @ Plate.) vasussdsawditavdlacs jocgtissndensshiics tees Vdecedh se seteee Coebweddodecse’ »» 243 XXXI. On Epilobium angustifolium, Linn., and species which have been confounded with it. By W. A. Leicuron, Esq., B.A., F.B.S.E. 246 XXXII. Report of the Results of Researches in Physiological Botany made in the year 1839. By the late F. J. Meyen, M.D., Professor of Botany in the University of Berlin. (Continued.) sercissececevesereees eo. 249 vi CONTENTS. Pag XXXII. On the Phosphorescence of Zoophytes. By the Rev. ; ‘Davin Lanpszoroves, of Stevenston, in Ayrshire .....:....s.ceeseseseess 257. XXXIV. Remarks on the Fruit of the Natural Order Cucurbitacee. By Rosert Wient, M.D., F.LS., &e. ......5 Vd EBIIIR A tes scdaus 260 XXXV. Insectorum novorum ‘Ceinetta auctore J. O. sa ae BLDG BR ek da ee TT weobSTLINOUN Verve elo iesbues 272 XXXVI. The Birds of Ireland (Family Fringillide). By Wa, Tuompson, Esq., Vice-Pres. Nat. Hist. Society of Belfast. (Continued.) 273 XXXVII. Information respecting Scientific Travellers :—Dr. Can- tor’s collections in the Isle of Chusan; Mr. Murchison’s second Geo- logical Survey of Russia.........+ scbespitesmunentes cess BicesSeuahesets vacatemae 288 New Books :—Catalogue of British Plants (Part 1st, Flowering Plants and Ferns), by Prof. J. H. Balfour, Glasgow; C. C. Babington, Esq., F.L.S.; and W. H. Campbell, Esq., Sec. Bot. Soc.—Arcana Entomologica, or Illustrations of new, rare, and interesting Exotic Insects, by J. O. Westwood, F.L.S., &c.—Naturhistorisk Tidskrift, Copenhagen, 1840-41. .....-.+40 bigs sacsssedsavs Sad décKeesisapilnne 294— 297 Proceedings of the Entomological Society ; Geologicai Society... 297-313 Three new species of Monkey, with remarks on the genera Semnopi- thecus et Macacus, by B. H. Hodgson, Esq.; Dr. E. Moore on the Pilot Fish; Vitality of Seeds; Little Auk; Birds of Kent; Durocher and Bowman on Glacial or Diluvian Pheenomena; Me- teorological Observations and Table .......... seepecceweseceees 314—320 NUMBER LII. XXXVIII. On the Saxifrages of the Robertsonia or London-pride group which are found in Ireland. By Cuarues C. Basineton, Esq., M.A: ELS., POGS., Be: 3 {With a Plate oes ses eee eg 321 XXXIX. On doubts respecting the existence of Bird-catching Spi- ders. By W.S. MacLeay, Esq., F.L.S., &c......... soe asasccuccpsstiwers 324 XL. On the degree of Cold which the principal Mammalia of hot countries are capable of enduring. By the Rev. Roserr Everest, in a note to J. E. Gray, Esq., F.R.S. &c....... Setieieslseancogretocthedde's ois 325 XLI. Report of the Results of Researches in Physiological Botany made in.the-year-1839.. By-the late F. J. Meven, M.D., Professor of Botany ‘in the University of Berlin ©...0..0.:...cccscsecsovsccscesccsscocesecs 328 XLII. Additional Particulars respecting Antechinus Stuartii, a new Marsupial Quadruped. By W. 8. MacLeay, Esq., F.L.S., &c....... 337 XLIII. Notice of a hitherto unobserved Character distinctive of the Sexes in certain Cetoniide. By J. O.Westwoop, Esq., F.L.S., &c.... 338 XLIV. On the Phosphorescence of Zoophytes. By Mscition Hit Hassatt, Esq., M.R.C.S.L., Corresponding Member of the Dublin Nataral History Society’ coi cco dhlsiccseas EPONN Lea PRit esses contthe 341 CONTENTS. Vii Page XLV. Excerpta Botanica, or abridged. Extracts translated from the Foreign Journals, illustrative of, or connected with, the Botany of Great Britain. By W. A. Leicuton, Esq., B.A., F.B.S.E., &c. No. 7. Notes on the genus Corylus. By Ep. Spacn ......... 344 XLVI. The Birds of Ireland (Family Fringillide). By Wu. Tuomp- son, Esq., Vice-Pres. Nat. Hist. Society of Belfast. (Continued.)...... 353 XLVII. Extracts from a Lecture by M. Dumas on the Chemical Statics of Organized Beings .........++++++0e dovsses Cece ebacadcesaganceesa eee» 360 New Books :—A List of the Genera of Birds, with their Synonyma, and an Indication of the typical Species of each Genus, by George Robert'Gray' 00. scien Lieaunetersvpduscseaneaceeakense We paetens «. 367 Proceedings of the Zoological Society; Royal Society ; Geological So- ciety ; Microscopical Society ......seccccscessecvsceseseseces weve BI6—394 Niger Expedition—Mr. Fraser; Little Auk; New Crustacean Ani- mal; Mus agrestis; Disappearance of the Sylvia rubecola in parts of Belgium and Germany ; Chair of Entomology ; Mr. Gould on Menura superba; Anthus Richardi; Obituary— Professor Don, J. E. Bowman, Esq.; Meteorological Observations and Table 394—400 NUMBER. _LIII. ~ XLVIII. On Epilobium angustifolium, Linn., and species which have been confounded with it. By W.A. LeicurTon, Esq., B.A., F.B.S.E.. ... 401 XLIX. Remarks on Lottia virginea. By Josuua Axper, Esq. ... 404 L. The Birds of Ireland (Family Fringillide, Sturnide, Corvide). By Wms. Tuompson, Esq., Vice-Pres. Nat. Hist. Society of Belfast. ( Continued.) +); aes ee ne oi areas | J 1 4 nye ‘a! tess f batons se se € ‘ iat } oe alia y stein ee a ee et eantagh Shy sO nc Nie a 3 hy. ¥ bis eT ‘ a he Ann. Mag Nat Hist VA.8.P1. Structure of Annular Vefsels. : ~ Schleiden in reply to Mohl on Annular Vessels. 25 a spiral organization is the ordinary and normal state in the secondary layers of the vessels; but it is not the only state to be found there. Annular organization occurs as a pri- mary formation, and presents in some degree an intermediate form between the spiral wound to the left and that wound to the right. Moreover, reticulated organization is also found primitively, sometimes more nearly resembling the pure spi- ral, and sometimes the annular form. Consequently, my researches on annular vessels afford op- posite results to those of Schleiden. Nevertheless, I am far from pretending that he has observed badly ; on the contrary, he appears in these researches as a skilful phytotomist, and as one experienced in the use of the microscope; but I think his interpretation of what he saw to be far from exact, inas- much as he has considered accidental though persistent vari- ations of form as normal, transitory and necessary stages of the metamorphosis. V.—Preliminary Reply ta Mohl’s Essay on the Structure of Annular Vessels. By Dr. M. J. ScHLEIDEN*, M. Mout has answered my challenge more speedily than I could have expected, and published his remarks in opposition to my late treatise. These relate only to my views regarding the origin of annular vessels. It is to two points especially that I purpose at present to call attention. _ Iam almost ashamed to mention the first, viz. Mohl’s cor- rection of my notion, that the crossing of the pore-like fis- sures depends upon the apposition of oppositely turned spi- rals. The thing is so simple, that I scarce understand what demon of thoughtlessness possessed me when I entertained the notion ; and, in spite of the mortification of being caught in so marvellous an hallucination, I thank him from my very heart for having in so friendly a way rid me of this goblin. I should scarcely deem it necessary to mention the matter at all did I not consider it the indispensable duty of every con- scientious inquirer to retract openly and expressly. every known error, as the so doing is the only surety that he is in- deed anxious for truth. The other point concerns the main subject itself. The hi- story I gave of the development of annular vessels respected only the simplest case, that of rings arising from a single thread ; and I feel confident that I have not deceived myself in the cases alleged, since my researches were made on ves- * Translated from Flora, 1840, p. 1. Communicated by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley. 26 ‘Schleiden in reply to Mohl on Annular Vessels. sels which, when mature, are purely annular; so that I could not but believe that I had before me not mere persistent mo- difications of structure, but really stages of transition, even though I could not have regarded the observed forms as ac- tually detected in the act of development; not to mention, among other circumstances, that the persistent ring is distin- guished by the sharpness of its outline, the firmness and clearness of its substance, from the yellowish gelatinous trans- itory portion with its eroded and defaced margin observed in the moment of dissolution. I trust now that Mohl himself will be convinced of the rectitude of my assertions in these particular instances. As regards the other forms, as they are figured by Mohl f. 1—6, 10 (Pl. I.), they do not come under the notion of annu- lar vessels as defined by me in my treatise, but under that of reticular formations, whose reference to one or more deformed spirals is as easy or even easier than in porous organizations. But, in general, I might pronounce the conclusion as to the mode of development from the perfect form as highly im- proper, for it cannot have escaped Mohl, that, after the forma- tion of the original spiral, in many cases secondary threads are developed as members of union, which consist of quite a different substance, since they are soluble in boiling alkali, yet apparently do not differ from the spiral, and make the perfect comprehension of the fundamental spiral extremely difficult. I consider the part of Mohl’s figure 10 marked (a) as of this nature. The formation of such secondary threads is frequently observable in reticulate vessels and in some forms of scalariform vessels. ‘They occur, however, in the most re- markable degree in the large purely spiral vessels of the stems of Scitaminee, as in Hedychyum coronarium, Canna, &c., when on their gradual decline they are filled with cells. Such a pe- culiar luxuriance of the threads then takes place that the ori- ginally pure spiral vessel is only distinguished from a porous vessel by the perfect regularity of the pores. Moreover what moves me especially to adhere still to my views, is the philo- sophic necessity, in a faithful mvestigation of nature, to limit the number of principles of interpretation so long as the im- possibility of referring a phenomenon to an old principle does not imperatively require a new one. As such in point of fact, as respects the present state of science, must I now freely regard Mohl’s discovery of the primary development of annular organisms ; and nothing now remains but. to let both modes of origin stand separately by each other. I by no means, however, think that such will al- ways be the case. The conciliation of this schism will then Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany. 27 only be effected, when the solution of a far greater puzzle, viz. the construction of the spiral and its peculiar genesis, shall be achieved ; and I would beg Mohl to direct his attention to this, as I myself have done long since. Heartily should I re- joice with him should it fall to his lot to solve this problem as he has already done in so many other cases. VI.—Report of the Results of Researches in Physiological Botany made in the year 1839. By F. J. Meyen, M.D., Professor of Botany in the University of Berlin. [Continued from vol. vii. p. 471.] On the Evolution of Heat by Plants. A veRyY beautiful series of experiments on this subject has been published by MM. G. Vrolik and W. H. de Vriese*; they have continued their researches on the evolution of heat in the spadix of Colocasia odora; they were published at the end of 1838, but we received the journals too late to be able to in- sert them in our former Report. The above-mentioned observers express their astonishment at the explanation given by M. Raspail of the evolution of heat in the spadix of the Aroidee, but add that their new ob- servations were not made in order to disprove Raspail’s view, for that is not necessary. The first observations were made with the spadix of Arum italicum; they were made in the open air, and no rise of temperature was observed: in the in- terior of an orangery another flower exhibited a considerable increase of warmth, and also when the light was shut out and the spatha removed, still an increase of temperature took place, as was to be expected. Moreover experiments were made with the spadices of Colocasia odora under similar cir- cumstances, both when the spadix was cut away and when only turned back ; the maximum difference between the tem- perature of the air and the interior of the spadix was 193° Fahr. Moreover interesting experiments were made on the phe- nomena exhibited by the spadices of Colocasia in different gases, for which purpose a very excellent apparatus was con- trived.. The rise of temperature in two perfectly similar spa- dices which happened to be in perfection at the same time was observed, one in the common air and the other in the above instrument in an atmosphere of oxygen. The latter in * Tijdschrift voor Natuurl. Geschieden. en Phys., vol. iii. pp. 190—230 ; also in Wiegmann’s Archiv for 1839, p. 135. 28 .Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany. half an hour exhibited a temperature 4° higher than the one in the air. Oxygen was passed into the apparatus from time to time; it was confined by means of water, which also ab- sorbed the greater part of the carbonic acid produced by the inflammation (verbrennung) of the spadix. In nitrogen no rise of temperature was observed, and it could not be seen that any gas was absorbed ; all vital activity, and even the co- lour, were lost. M. de Vriese* has also communicated some observations made by a M. C. Hasskarl, in Java, on the spadices of Colo- casia odora; he found 22° Fahr. as the greatest difference be- tween the temperature of the spadix and that of the external air, and this in the morning at eight o’clock ; the next morn- ing there was only a difference of 10° Fahr. M. Dutrochet+} observed the evolution of heat in the spadix of Arum .maculatum by means of a thermo-electric instrument, which MM. van Beck and Bergsma (vide former Report, p. 83) also employed; he found the highest temperature ex- actly at the time when the spatha opens, and this exceeded the temperature of the air by from 11° to 12°C. In another note { of the 11th of May, M. Dutrochet mentions, that during the night the temperature of every part of the spadix of drum maculatum decreases, and increases again by day; it reaches its maximum early in the day, then diminishes, and disappears altogether in the night. In the sitting of the Parisian Academy § of the 10th of June, M. Dutrochet’s researches on the temperature of plants (which had been delivered in on the Ist of July, 1838) were read. He says—plants possess a peculiar warmth; but this is com- pletely absorbed by the evaporation of the sap, by the evolu- tion of oxygen by day and of carbonic acid by night. It rather seems that, in the natural state, plants possess the pro- perty of producing cold, for they almost always have a lower temperature than that of the surrounding air. If however the evaporation is prevented, it becomes easy to observe the pro- per temperature of plants; for this purpose M. Dutrochet used a thermo-electrical apparatus. For the sake of compa- rison the experiments were made both with livmg and dead plants ; the latter acquired the temperature of the surrounding medium, the former the same, with the addition of that which was hindered or destroyed by the evaporation ; the latter M. Dutrochet reckons in maximo at }° Cels.; it is often only 4°, _ ® Tijdschrift, &c., 5. iii. pp. 230—233. + Comptes Rendus de 6 Mai 1839, p. 695. t Lbid., p. 741. § Ibid., 10 Juin 1839, pp. 907—911. ? Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany. 29 or even ;1,° or ;/,°. The proper heat of young twigs and leaves vanishes during the night, or in general in the dark, and ap- pears again under the influence of light. The higher the ex- ternal temperature, the greater is the vegetable warmth. That part of the heat of plants which is carried off by the evolution of oxygen cannot be determined quantitatively. M. Dutrochet had probably given the above researches into the safe keeping of the Academy, in order to secure to him- self the priority of the discovery ; however, the proofs that plants possess a peculiar heat resulting from their vital acti- vity have been long since published in Germany ; and in the second part of my ‘ Physiology,’ published in the beginning of the year 1838, I have proved that an evolution of heat is exhibited not only by germinating seeds and by the fresh fruits of Areca Catechu when lying together, but also by leaves and herbs in general ; “ singly they do not exhibit any warmth on account of the evaporation, but so much the more when they lie together in masses.” It must not be believed that I state this as a simple idea or theory, for I have convinced myself of its correctness with the thermo- meter in my hand; I have several times experimented with fresh-cut grass and fresh spinach leaves*. At the same time I showed, that those botanists who wished to prove or disprove the existence of vegetable heat could not choose a worse part for their experiments than the wood. The very low degree of warmth mentioned by M. Dutrochet is not sufficient to prove the existence of vegetable heat ; for in my first Report (Wieg- mann’s Archiv, 1835) I have mentioned: some experiments, ac- cording to which bad conductors, as for instance, the wood of chairs and tables in my room, exhibited an excess of heat of 2° R. above that of the air, etc. A note which M. Dutro- chet has added to the above letter on the 6th of June 1839, states that his new researches confirm the former ones. In the stem of Euphorbia lathyris he saw the vegetable heat amount to 4° C., but only so long as it was in a verdant state. He also remarked the heat in the roots, fruits, and even in the embryos. Complete exclusion of light totally prevents the rise and fall of temperature, but this does not always take place the first day; M. Dutrochet remarked the change of temperature by night and by day even on the second day of the experiment. | From some remarks on the above treatise of M. Dutrochet + made by M. Becquerel, it appears that he had used the thermo- electrical apparatus for determining the heat of plants two * Ts not the accession of heat in this case the result of fermentation ?—Ep, + Comptes Rendus de 17 Juin, p. 939. 30 Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany. years ago. The observations were made in company with M. Mirbel in the botanical garden on the twigs of an Acacia: ob- servations on dead and living boughs gave directly the most striking differences of temperature. In the following year M. Dutrochet wished to institute similar experiments, and made use of the advice and experience of M. Becquerel*. In _ the sitting of the Academy of 1st of July, M. Dutrochet re- plied to the statements of M. Becquerel, and endeavoured to show that his observations by no means proved with certainty the existence of a peculiar heat in plants. MM. Bergsma and van Beck, in consequence of Dutro-. chet’s researches, have sent a letter to the Academy at Paris, in which they describe their new experiments on the heat of vegetables, by which it is clearly proved that the transpira- tion is the cause of the difficulty in measuring the peculiar temperature. They chose (in January 1839) a hyacinth growing in a glass for their experiments. ‘The glass was put into another vessel containing water of a higher temperature, in order in this manner to increase the activity of the roots. The needles of the thermo-electrical apparatus were then inserted into the external parts of the flower-stalk, and in- stead of an increase of temperature, they observed a fall ; the apparatus exhibited, viz. 17°5° C., while that of the water was 28°5°. The experiment was repeated several times with like success, as also with the pedunculus of Hntelea arborescens, R. Br. This phenomenon is explained by the powerful eva- poration which is caused by the increased activity promoted by the warm water. When the needles were inserted into the middle of the flower-stalk of the hyacinth, the temperature of the interior was found to be 1° higher than that of the sur- rounding air. All the above treatises of Dutrochet, Becquerel, Bergsma, and van Beck, are to be found in the August number of. the ‘Annales des Sciences Naturelles.’ On the 21st of November M. Dutrochet{ communicated to the Academy some new observations which he had made during the previous summer on the heat of vegetables; he states generally that plants possess a peculiar heat, which is principally located in the green parts. This heat exhibits a daily periodicity; it reaches its maximum towards midday, and its minimum during the night. M. Dutrochet communicated his special experiments on different plants, from which the daily variations of temperature may be recognised, e. g. in * Comptes Rendus de 1 Juillet, p.47. = t Zbid., 2 Septembre, p. 328. ¢ Ibid., 18 Nov., p. 613. Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological. Botany. 31 Euphorbia lathyris, L., which exhibits a considerable heat, which vanishes completely during the night, whilst in other plants traces of it remain. The hour at which plants reach their maximum temperature is the same for each single plant, but different for different plants; thus for instance, Rosa ca- nina at 10%, Allium Porrum at 11", Borago officinalis at mid- day, Euphorbia lathyris at 1, Sambucus nigra at 24, and As- paragus. offic. and Lactuca sativa at 34. The greatest heat is in the neighbourhood of the principal bud, and in woody plants often only in the green extremities. Other experiments confirm the fact, that plants growing in the dark lose their vegetable heat, but experiments on different fungi showed that these also possess a daily periodicity ; Boletus eneus ex- hibited a heat of 3° C. Finally M. Dutrochet* has published a short note on the heat of the spadix of .4rum maculatum. The spadix exhibited the greatest heat in the first day of blossoming, and by its in- fluence the rapid opening of the spatha was produced ; on the second day the maximum was not so high, and was situated principally in the male flowers, by which the dispersion of the pollen was effected. What Arum maculatum here exhibits on the large scale is also seen in the young twigs of all other plants. On the Odours of Plants. The Academy of Sciences of Brussels has given as a prize- question for 1838, “The production of odours in flowers,” which, as it remained unanswered, was repeated for 1839. As an answer to this question, M. Auguste Trinchinetti de Monga, formerly Professor at the University of Pavia, has sent in a memoir, which has been rewarded with the silver medal ; and M. Morren has, in the name of the Academy, delivered a cir- cumstantial report of this work, from which we shall here select the most important parts. The work is divided into two sections ; the first treats of the odours of flowers in general: the author speaks of the differ- ence between the odours of the flowers and of the other parts of plants, of the organs of flowers which exhale the odours or from which they proceed, of those in which they are prepared, of the chemical characters of these substances, of the manner of exhalation, and lastly, of the function of odours. In the second part he treats of the odours in respect to their intensity, their quantity at different periods of the development of the flower, and in respect to the hours at which they are perceptible; he at the same time gives methods to investigate them, and speaks * Comptes Rendus de 16 Dec., p. 781. 32 Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany. principally of intermitting odours. There is found, says M. Trinchinetti, in all the parts of plants a certain odour arising from resinous or camphorous substances, as in the Laurinee, Labiate, Umbellifere, and Hesperidee ; on the contrary, the odours of flowers are the effects of a particular function, by which a simple evaporation of the secreted substances is pro- duced. [This, as well as most of the other statements, which are disproved by already existing observations, have been proved incorrect by the reporter M. Morren.]| In general, the principal residence of the smell is in the upper surface of the corolla; if there is only a simple perigonium, the smell comes from its inner surface. The filaments have a smell similar to that of the corolla; the anthers, on the contrary, have a sper- matic odour; the female organs are rarely odorous, as in saffron. The organs which evolve the odorous substances are, accord- ing to the author, always glands, which are said to have often escaped the observation of physiologists ; however, M. Morren states that the author has applied the name of glands to some formations which certainly cannot be so called, e.g. he has _ held the resinous globules for glands, which I first discovered in the petals of Magnolia grandiflora; indeed M. Trinchinetti considers the papillee on the petals to be organs in which these odoriferous matters are secreted. In relation to the chemical theory of the formation of odours, the author has only given that of Fourcroy and Couerbe; and he explains the exhalation of the odoriferous substances by a simple evaporation through organic and inorganic (?) pores, which takes place on the epi- dermis of the inner or upper surface of the flowering organs. If this upper surface be covered with wax, the result is said to become weaker ; if the under surface be covered it remains the same, and turgescence increases the exhalation. The question, “ For what purpose do flowers smell ?” is an- swered by M. Trinchinetti as follows:—It may be that the smells of plants were destined as a source of pleasure for mankind, and by these they exhibit their medicinal proper- ties. However, nature strives doubtlessly to effect more than one object by these odours,—they are evidently intended to assist the sexual functions of the flowers ; for M. Trinchinetti believes that the sexual organs are nourished by a sap which is prepared in the petals. The odorous exhalations of flowers exert a physical influence on the sexual organs, inasmuch as they diminish the tension of the steam which is so very inju- rious to the pollen which is burst by it, and thus fertilization cannot take.place. He states that the flowers are surrounded by an odoriferous atmosphere which defends the sexual or- gans from the injurious influence of the aqueous vapours ; Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany. 33 hence it comes, that flowers in which the sexual organs are much closed do not smell; on the contrary, other flowers smell strongest exactly in the dampest hours of the day and night. In the second part of the treatise M. Trinchinetti considers the odours in detail; he says, that flowers which become odo- rous towards the end of their existence, as for instance Asperula odorata, produce this smell by the commencement of decom- position, and that it is not a product of vitality ; that there are flowers which, when pressed, evolve a different smell to what they do in their natural state, e. g. Allium moschatum, Sambucus ebulus, &c. Flowers which only smell in the morning, evening, and night, lose their smell during the day by the action of the light and heat, which dissipate the odorous principle; but to this M. Morren answers, that these plants do not even smell by day when inclosed in a damp, dark place. Finally, the author attempts to answer the question as to the cause of intermitting odours: flowers which exhibit this phenomenon either open and shut at fixed periods, or they remain always open, and | only the smell is intermittent : thus the inquiry is divided into two parts; in the first the phenomenon is brought in con- nexion with the cause of the opening and shutting of the flower, and in the second a peculiar physiological cause as producing it is assumed. In the first case flowers are either shut by day and open and odorous by night, or vice versd. In the second part those plants are mentioned which are always open, but possess an intermittent smell; here are also two di- visions, the flowers smell either by day or by night. In Ces- trum diurnum the smell is much weaker by night. Coronilla glauca smells only by day, and Cacalia septentrionalis is said to lose its smell when protected from the rays of the sun. Pe- largonium triste begins to smell about five in the afternoon ; in the night the smell becomes stronger till about five in the morning, whereupon it diminishes, and disappears entirely at seven. ‘The surfaces of these odorous petals are said to ex- hibit in the evening shining corpuscles (cells filled with sap) which are not seen in the day. If the plants were kept the whole day in the dusk, the smell made its appearance later than usual and was also much weaker. Moist air produced no smell in the plants during the day ; on the contrary, Cestrum nocturnum, kept in the dark and in a moist atmosphere, exhi- bited a slight smell. On the Formation of Colours in Plants. M. Elsner has drawn attention to the fact, that in the year 1832, in a treatise in Schweigger-Seidel’s Annual of Chemistry Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. D 34 Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany. (Ixv. p. 165—175), he had already proved the identity of the red colouring matter in the flowers of the Jridee, Labiate, Rosacea, Ranunculacee, Geraniacee, Cannacee, Malvacee, Leguminose, Papaveracee, Myrtaceae, &c.; and that the red colour in the bracts of Melampyrum arvense, in the leaves of Caladium bicolor, in the fruit of Prunus cerasus, Ribes rubrum, Sorbus ancuparia, is similar, and that the identity extends to the red matter which colours the leaves in autumn. From M. Morren* we have received anatomico-physiological researches on the appearance of indigo in Polygonum tincto- rium; the work had been read to the Brussels Academy be- fore the appearance of a similar one by M. Turpin, which was mentioned in the former Report, and is therefore to be con- sidered as cotemporary with it. The views of MM. Turpin and Morren on the production of the indigo differ from each other. ‘The former found this substance in the sap-globules of the cells which were coloured green by chlorophyll, but M. Morren believes that the indigo is produced in the inter- cellular sap (by which is meant the ordinary cell-sap). I may here state with certainty, from my own observations, that the blue colouring matter in Polygonum tinctorium is formed out of the previously green-coloured cell-sap globules. Whether however, in the colourless cell-sap of that plant, a substance is contained in solution which changes into indigo (as appears from M. Morren’s statements) I cannot say, having made no decisive observations, and this is not at present the time for it. The expressed sap of the leaves ought to be perfectly fil- tered and then treated for the formation of indigo, by which the question would be settled. Indigo is formed in all parts of Polygonum, but principally in the leaves; here it is found in the parenchym and also in the nerves, and only the “ tissu fibro-vasculaire” does not contain a trace. M. Morren directs attention to the regular position of the adventitious roots in this plant, which, as is so often the case with the genus Polygonum, grow out of the nodes. M. Hiinefeldthas communicated some more of his continued researches on vegetablé colours; he has also found that there is not the same similarity between the colours of the different parts of plants, as for instance, the roots, leaves, flowers, and fruits, as would seem from outward appearances, and as some botanists have asserted. Very few changes of colour in plants are produced by the action of acid or basic substances. More- over M. Hiinefeld has published a long series of experiments * Mém. de ]’Acad. Royale des Se., &c., de Bruxelles, tome xii. + Beitrage zur Chemie der Pflanzenfarben.—Erdmann & Marchand’s Journal fiir prakt. Chemie, 1839, 1 Bd. p. 65—80. Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. 35 which he made on the behaviour of vegetable colours to se- veral liquids, more especially aether, oil of turpentine, and some others, in the course of which several curious facts have been brought to light; the conclusions which M. Hiinefeld has drawn, and which may interest us, are—the pigments of red- dish yellow, or of not-yellow flowers, are probably all of an extractive nature. For the examination of these colouring matters ether is a very useful solvent. The variety of colouring of a flower or leaf frequently arises from the deposition of one pigment over the other, or from their mixture. [On this subject better in- formation is to be had from the newer phytotomic works.— Mey.| The principal change which the colours suffer in withering, etc. appears to be, that the assimilation of carbon only ceases by suppressed vegetation, while the absorption of atmospheric oxygen becomes excessive ; for the easily oxidi- zable extractive matters, and tannin in oxidized extractive matter, become metamorphosed into gallic acid and into sub- stances approaching more and more to humic acid, which then destroy the pigments. ; M. Hiinefeld* has also made a series of experiments to learn whether the formation of certain colours depends on iron con- tained in the plant. Quantities (one or two ounces) of the most different-coloured flowers were reduced to ashes. Some of these flowers contained evidently iron and manganese, others only iron, and traces of copper were found in the flow- ers of Sambucus nigra, which had already been noticed. The twigs and leaves of Sambucus nigra are said to contain no copper, but a considerable quantity of iron. Traces of man- ganese were found everywhere when sufficient quantities were burnt. As these metals, says M. Hiinefeld, are found also in white flowers, and their quantities stand in no relation to the colours of the flowers, it seems that Meissner’s theory is not correct. There is probably no vegetable which does not con- tain iron, and perhaps all the iron found in the human body is derived from this source. [To be continued. ] VII.-—Indian Cyprinide. By Joun M‘CLELLAND, Assist- ant Surgeon Bengal Medical Service +. Dr. Parrick Russet published in 1803 an account of 200 species of fishes found chiefly on the coast of Coromandel ; * Beitrage zur Chemie der Pflanzenfarben.—Erdmann & Marchand’s Journal fiir prakt. Chemie, 1839, 1 Bd. p. 84—87. + From the ‘ Asiatic Researches,’ vol. xix. part ii. p. 217; having been presented to the Asiatic Society of Bengal on the 5th of September 1838. ad 36 Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. there appears to be no copy of his work in Calcutta, nor have I been able to meet with it in India; but his collection ” appears to have embraced few Cyprinide, and scarcely any of those afterwards found in Bengal by Dr. Buchanan*. ‘The fishes of Ceylon, as well as those of the Bay of Bengal, have recently excited the attention of naturalists +, while those of the Sunderbuns and the vicinity of Calcutta have long been objects of interest to collectors for the museums of France and the other parts of the continent where alone ichthyology seems to have been cultivated as a philosophical branch of zoology. 2. Dr. Buchanan appears to be the only author who has devoted his attention to the freshwater fishes of Bengal, and his success seems to have left little for others to do in the way of discovering new species. His ‘ Gangetic Fishes,’ published in Edinburgh in 1822, contains descriptions of no fewer than eighty Cyprins, of which number he has only given figures of twenty-one. And unfortunately, Cuvier appears to have adopted such only as were figured in that work, leaving the rest as doubtful materials, which, from their extent, and the deficiency of the details connected with them, perhaps deterred him from the task of entering into, or finishing, his account of the Carps, in the hope of receiving further particulars re- garding them from India. 3. It was partly with a view of supplying this deficiency that I devoted the time we spent on rivers, during our journey ¢ to Assam in the winter of 1835-6, to the examination and figuring of species. The obscurity of Buchanan’s specific descriptions, which with few exceptions are chiefly composed of characters of generic value, rendered the task of identifying his unfigured Cyprins most difficult and uncertain. _ Never- theless it appeared to me to be a desideratum that must be accomplished sooner or later by some one, and at length, after perseverance for the better part of three years, occasionally giving it up in despair, I succeeded in identifying most of the species unfigured by Buchanan, as well as in having made two series of finished drawings of them, one set for England and one for India. After all this, and after the present paper had been ready for publication in April last, my notice was, for * Afterwards Dr. Buchanan Hamilton. As most of his publications have appeared under the name of Buchanan, authors should follow the example of Cuvier in the ‘ Régne Animal’ and ‘ Histoire Naturelle des Poissons’ in referring to the author of the ‘ Gangetic Fishes’ by the name by which he is best and will be universally known, in proportion as his vast works on Indian statistics and natural history transpire. t+ Mr. Bennett and my friend Dr. Cantor. { I allude to the deputation of Dr. Wallich, Mr. Griffith, and myself to Upper Assam. Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. 37 the first time, attracted by a remark of Buchanan, in conse- quence of which I thought it necessary to make inquiry for certain drawings alluded to, ‘ Pisc. Gang.’ p. 316. I had heard of drawings at the Botanic Garden, but never saw them, and always supposed them to be merely the originals of published figures; but I confess I was quite unprepared to receive at that time a collection of drawings from Dr. Wallich, amount- ing to 150, beautifully executed, and including nearly all the unpublished species on which my painters had been so long employed, with the specific names in Buchanan’s hand-wri- ting marked under the figures, so as to leave no doubt or dif- ficulty in referring them to corresponding descriptions in the ‘Gangetic Fishes.’ I am not prepared to state how many un- figured species this interesting collection contains, except in the particular family which is the subject of this paper. Along with these drawings I received intimation from Dr. Wallich, that two folio volumes of manuscripts and drawings on gene- ral zoological subjects, by the late Dr. Buchanan, still remain at the Garden. The descriptions alluded to may probably serve as a key to Hardwicke’s ¢ Illustrations,’ into which I perceive several figures of Cyprinide have been accurately copied, ex- cept in the colouring, from Buchanan’s drawings; and as no descriptions of the plates of Hardwicke’s work have been yet to my knowledge published, the source from whence the figures in question came does not transpire, and there is no allusion to it on the plates; at any rate it is unfair to General Hardwicke, as it is to Dr. Buchanan and to all who are en- gaged in pursuits connected with the natural history of this or any other country, to have the unpublished works of any man shut up for twenty-two years in a library that is not open to the public*. * Buchanan’s Researches regarding the fishes of India commenced on his arrival in the country in 1794, and ended with the publication of the ‘ Gan- getic Fishes’ in 1822. Anything that tended to lessen the value of a work that occupied so much of such a life is to be regretted. It is stated in a biographical notice of Buchanan in Chambers’s ‘ Lives of Scotchmen,’ that on his departure from India he was deprived by the Marquis of Hastings of all his extensive drawings and papers relating to every branch of natural hi- story, particularly botany ; “ although to me,” quoting his own words to the Edinburgh Philosophical Society, “as an individual, they were of no va- lue, as I preserve no collections, and have no occasion to convert them into money, but I was merely desirous of seeing them safely deposited in the India House.” In deciding that Buchanan’s papers should be retained in India, it may be presumed that the object was, that they should here be rendered more useful to the country than they could be in England.’ It could scarcely have occurred to the Marquis of Hastings that these works would be consigned to oblivion, and the author in consequence superseded. by his successors, 38 Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. The following are the names of the unpublished figures of Cyprinide in this collection of drawings*. Cyprinus Gugani, Buch. —_ Gorachela, id. Joya, id. Cachius, 7d. Loubuca, id. Phula, zd. Bhola, id. Gora, zd. Borelio, id. - Rerio, id. Dangila, zd. Balibola, zd. Bukrangi, id. ——— Loya, id, ——————-—- Phulchela, zd. Titius, zd. Terio, id. Sutiha, zd. Phutunio, zd. Gelius, id. Kanipunte, 7d. Casuatus, id. Cursis, zd. — Cursa, zd. Chola, id. Conchonius, id. Jogia, zd. Shakra, id. Barna, id. Vagra, id. Cyprinus Borila, zd. —— Anjana, id. Bata, id. Bangana, id. Pangusia, id. Sarana, zd. Kunta, id. Tor, zd. — Sada, zd. Lati, id. Gohama, 7d. Godeyava, id. ———— Dheno, id. Jauyali, zd. Paungsi, id. —_——— Bimaculatus, id. ————— Sucatio, id. Balitora, id. Cobitis Gongota, id. Balgara, id. Cucura, id. Guntea, id. Botea, zd. Pangia, id. Biltura, id. Turia, zd. Scuturiginum, id. Savona, zd. Corica, id. — me a nee er a * But although they seem to have been withheld from Buchanan himself, the following drawings from his original collection of unpublished figures of fishes have found their way from the Botanic Garden into Hardwicke’s ‘ Illustrations,’ without any acknowledgement to point out from whence they were derived. Tab. 84. Hypostomus sisor, Buch. ; Sisor Rabdophorus, id., Gan. Fish,, two drawings. Tab. 85. Malopterus Kazali, Buch. Two figures: name changed to ‘ Malopterus ( Ailia) Bengalensis,’ Gray, in the pirated figures. Tab. 86. fig. 1. Cyprinus angra, Buch. Pirated figure disguised under bad colouring, and named ‘ Cyprinus Hamiltonii,’ Gray.—Fig. 2, Cyprinus goha, Buch. Colouring much exaggerated. There are two figures of each species, so that this plate has been taken wholesale from Buchanan. Tab. 87. fig. 3, Cyprinus chedra, Buch. A good copy of a very beautiful drawing in Buchanan’s collection. Tab. 89. fig. 1. Syngnathus carce, Buch. (Kharke, id., orig. draw.) Note —an error in spelling the generic name of this species, as written by Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. 39 4, An examination of the viscera connected with the digest- ive organs, together with the form of the mouth, suggested the possibility of identifying something on which the natural arrangement of fishes might be founded. In those Carps whose mouths are constructed for the collection of vegetable food, I found, as might be expected, the greatest development of intestinal canal; in these the mouth is invariably either horizontal or directed downwards, as in the Cirrhins: all such Buchanan on the original drawing, is preserved in the pirated copy. Fig. 4. Syngnathus deokpata, Buch. Tab. 91. fig. 1. Mystus chitol, Buch. Colouring much exaggerated in the pirated copy. Tab. 93. fig. 1. Cyprinus mosal, Buch. Two figures, and two of Cyprinus morala, id. ‘The coloured copy of this last is so badly executed, that the characteristic marks of the species, though well depicted in the ori- ginal by the obscure transverse streaks crossing the sides, are quite _ omitted in the copy. Tab. 94. fig. 1. Cyprinus tileo, Buch. Tab. 95. fig. 1. Ophisurus boro, Buch. © This species is referred to Bucha- nan’s manuscripts, but nothing is said to point out from whence the drawing was obtained ; but it is so accurately traced from Buchanan’s original, as to remove any doubt on that score.—Fig. 2. Ophisurus ha- rancha, Buch. By mistake on the part of the plagiarists in numbering the figures, the details of the first are given to the second species. —F'ig. 4. Murena raitaborua, Buch., disguised under the names of Rataboura ‘ Hardwickii,’ Gray ; thus not only depriving Buchanan of the honour of figuring but also of naming a new species. As an instance of the little reliance to be placed on those who thus appropriate the works of others, it is necessary to observe, that the outline figure representing the lower parts of Murena raitaborua is transferred to Ophisurus bora, in return for that of the last having been given on the same plate to Ophisurus harancha. In other plates not numbered, forming the 19th and 20th parts, are pirated as follows :— Holocentrus ? Kalkaya, B. MS., two figures, name changed to ‘ Plerapon trivittatus.’—Cottus chaka, B. MS., name changed to ‘ Platycephalus chacca, marked ‘natural size.’—Checlodipterus Bhutibue, B. MS., name changed to ‘ Checlodipterus Butis,’ and the species referred to ‘ Hamilton,’ but nothing said of the source of the two figures.—Cyprinus morar, B. MS., two figures, and Cyprinus gora, B. MS., forming an entire folio plate; the name of the latter changed to ‘ Cyprinus cora.’—-Clupanodon chapra, B. MS.; pirated figure called ‘ Alosa chapra, N. Indian Ocean :’ what the latter terms mean I cannot say, as the figure is from Buchanan’s unpublished drawings of Gangetic species; like the remark ‘ natural size’ annexed to Cottus chaka, it is certainly calculated to impress the reader with the belief that the author had seen the specimens from which the drawings were made. Neither of the remarks in question appear on the original drawings, which are characterized in Buchanan’s hand-writing. Buchanan died in 1829. The work to which so much of his labour has been transferred was published in 1833; and although no descriptions of the plates have yet appeared, it is no excuse for having suppressed the source from whence so many of them at least were derived, especially when it was thought necessary to acknowledge the source of other figures in the same work, These circumstances induced me to visit the Botanic Garden, with 40 Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinidee. types I have included under the head of Peonomine or herbi- vorous Carps, of which the Gudgeons and Gonorhynchs are the most remarkable. 5. In the last-mentioned genera the mouth is situated com- pletely under the head, and is constructed in the Gudgeons for bruising soft vegetable substances, such as are found in the view of ascertaining if all the other plates in Hardwicke’s ‘ Illustrations,’ as well as those of fishes, were derived from the two folio volumes stated to be in the library of that institution. The following memorandum, which was made on the occasion, must be interesting to all who are in any way connected with zoological pursuits. “Botanic Garden, 3rd September 1838.—Having obtained the requisite permission, I inspected Buchanan’s zoological MSS. for the first time; they seem to contain descriptions and figures of the following animals :— “ Five species of Simia, one recently described by Dr. Harlan in the Ame- rican Phil. Transac. as Simia Hoolock. “« Five species of Feline, one grey above and spotted beneath, a Felis- leopardus albus, and an Ursus. : “* Six Cervide ; a Cervus niger, Buch. Several species of us, two bear- ing Buchanan’s specific names ; also an Ichneumon and a Hysteria opeigura, Buch. ; three species of Capra bearing his specific names, as well as several species of Tortoises, two species of flying Foxes, two Lacerte, and two Pa- radoxuri. “‘ Of birds I observed about sixty species of Falconide, about 150 Inses- sores, and about 74 Gralla, including many rare Tantalide, and the species of Ciconia recently described as C. cristata, which appears to have been named nearly thirty years ago by Buchanan Ardea crinita; all which, in addition to the fishes, are drawn in duplicate, thus amounting to about 900 drawings.” Although Buchanan was professedly a botanist, his re- searches appear to have extended to all branches of natural history except entomology, His volumes on Gangetic Fishes, published at his own ex~ pense, under the disadvantage of being deprived of the greater part of his figures, are the only part of his zoological labours that are known, yet his inquiries in other branches of zoology were equally extensive, and equally entitled to publicity. It now appears that two quarto volumes of MSS., written with his usual] erudition, have been retained in the library of the Botanic Garden since 1815; while every periodical that has since appeared deprived him of some portion of those claims to priority which his papers ought to have secured to him had they been placed in proper hands, or de- posited in an institution where their existence could have been known or appreciated. - Had such an injury to the advancement of information resulted from an oversight in an ordinary public office, the circumstance would excite less surprise ; but that the works of a naturalist should be so treated in a public institution expressly intended for the promotion of science, is so unaccount- able to me, that I cannot presume to express an opinion on the subject. But as the case stands, perhaps the best remedy that can now be applied, in jus- tice to Buchanan as well as to others who are still engaged in scientific pur- suits, would be to give a complete edition of his labours, botanical and zoological, to the public; at the same time it is right to say, that no atone- ment can now make amends for the injury that has been inflicted on Bu- chanan as a naturalist, or for the time that has been lost in allowing others to go over unnecessarily the ground which he investigated, instead of be- ginning where he left off, Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. 41 stagnant waters ; and in the Gonorhynchs for tearing and up- rooting certain kinds of confervoid plants, which form a short slimy covering to the rocks on which they grow in clear moun- tain streams. 6. The true Cyprins (Cyp. proprius, Cuv.), together with the Barbels, Cirrhins and Labes, subsist less exclusively on a ve- getable regimen. Their mouths are invariably small, and either directed downward or situated low in the head; and as far as my inquiries have extended, it is on such modifications of the mouth that we find the length of the intestines and the habits of the different groups to depend. 7. In the Gudgeons the mouth is formed simply for re- ceiving a kind of food that is obtained in abundance without any effort, and which requires no prehensile teeth or other organs for its collection or preparation before it is submitted at once to the process of digestion. The mouth is conse- quently small, and is opened and closed chiefly by the mus- cular structure of the snout; the jaws are weak, and the lips hard and cartilaginous, without sensibility or muscularity, and their intestinal canal varies from eight to eleven, and even twelve lengths of the body, including the head and caudal fin: except in the Hypostomi, Lacep., among fishes, Ostrich among birds, and perhaps some of the ruminants, such de- velopment of the abdominal canal is rare, a circumstance which it will be necessary afterwards to recollect when speak- ing of types. 8. In the Gonorhynchs the muscular power of the snout is greater than in the Gudgeons; the mouth is smaller, and si- tuated further back in the lower surface of the head ; the lips thicker, and though defended externally by a hard insensible cartilage, are formed for very powerful muscular action. In this genus the length of the intestinal canal js usually about eight lengths of the body, and exceeds that of all other Cy- prins except the Gudgeons. : 9. The development of the intestinal canal in Cyprinide differs with the habits of species, so as to afford something like a basis for true distinctions between the different genera, and is fortunately connected with such peculiarities of form and colour as to render it easily available as a guide to an improved method of classification. 10. The philosophical views of Mr. MacLeay regarding the circularity of groups, left it almost certain that the law which applied to other classes might be also applied to fishes ; and as the essence of that law consists in the tendency of the contents of natural groups to form a circle, it became highly probable, that as strictly herbivorous Carps were known, so, on the contrary, carnivorous species might be expected also to 42 Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. exist*. This is exemplified by a comparison of typical with subtypical groups, as Quadrumana with Fere in the orders of Mammalia, and Jnsessores with Raptores in the orders of birds; as this is true with regard to higher groups, it should be just as applicable to the lower assemblages when they happen to be equally complete in their parts. 11. The above inference, whether its principles be just or not, has proved to be perfectly correct, notwithstanding the remark of Linnzus, that Cyprins are perhaps the least carnf- vorous of the whole class of fishes, “ feeding chiefly on seeds, grass, and even mud ;” and the observation of Cuvier, “ that they are the least carnivorous of all fishes.” Those who have since written on the subject have for the most part adopted the views on this point of the great authorities just named. 12. A close investigation of our Indian species has led to very different results, and enabled me to form Cyprinide into three subfamilies. First, the Peonomine, or herbivorous Cy- prins, already adverted to, which consist of species whose ha- bits accord with the views of Cuvier and Linnzeus; and Sar- coborine, or carnivorous Cyprins, consisting of several natural genera, and Apalopterine, including the Coditine or Loaches, the Peciliane, Cyprinodons, and other genera, which in the ‘Régne Animal’ appear to have little connexion with the fa- mily, as well as some new forms peculiar to India. 13. As the peculiarities of the first subfamily, consisting in the form of their mouth and digestive organs, have been pointed out, I shall now proceed to notice the characteristics in structure and habits of the several groups of Sarcoborine. Two of the most remarkable genera of this subfamily are the Perilamps and Opsarions ; the first consisting of small insec- tivorous fishes remarkable for the brilliancy of their colours, always disposed in streaks. The second are lengthy, hand- some species, larger than the Perilamps, though still of small size, and very bright in their colours, which are however dis- posed in cross-bars ;—these are exclusively carnivorous, and remarkably voracious. 14, The Perilamps (Perilampus) form the connexion be- tween the Systoms and Leuciscs. The mouth is placed in a directly opposite position from that which it occupies in the typical forms of the Peonomine ; the jaws are directed up- ward, and their apices are placed on a level with the back or crown; their intestine is short, and in no instance exceeds the length of the body ; and their food consists of insects only, which they derive by springing from beneath the surface of * There refer particularly to what Mr. MacLeay calls affinity of transul- tation, or that relation which the opposite points of a circle of affinities bear to each other. ' Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. 43 the water, thus forming a direct contrast to the Gonorhynchs and other Peonomine, whose food is exclusively derived from sandy, rocky, or muddy bottoms. leven or twelve species of this new genus are described in this paper. 15. The Opsarions (Opsarius) differ from herbivorous Cy- prins still more widely in their ceconomy and habits. The body is long, the mouth widely-cleft and horizontal, and though without teeth, the symphysis of the lower jaw is armed with a sharp hook in the more characteristic, but which is blunter and less prominent the further we pass from the most typical forms; but this hook, more or less developed, is cha- racteristic not merely of the Opsarions, but of the subfamily (Sarcoborine) to which they belong. It is received into a cor- responding depression in the apex of the upper jaw when the mouth is closed. The back is straight ; the dorsal is placed opposite to a long anal, both fins being situated near the cau- dal extremity, by which the power of darting or springing is rendered most perfect*. The abdominal cavity is long, and is chiefly occupied by a straight stomach of equal length, which is divided by a strangulation from a short fleshy intes- tine connecting the stomach directly with the vent, without any convolutions or elongation of the tube. 16. “The energies of nature,” to use the words of Mr, Swainson, “are here concentrated as it were to the production of that form most adapted for one especial purpose,” that of springing on their prey like the Feline or Cats, which they seem to represent. It is no uncommon thing to find an Op- sarion so overgorged that the tail of its prey remains protru- ding from the mouth, to be swallowed after that portion which is capable of being received into the capacious stomach is suf- ficiently digested to admit of the introduction of the re- mainder t. 17. Two other genera of this subfamily remain to be no- ticed, viz. Systomus and Leuciscus. The first is made up chiefly of small species named Pungti by the Indian fisher- men. If we were merely guided by their general appearance and the form of their fins, the only principle of division hi- * The principal instrument of progressive motion in fishes is the caudal fin; other fins, as shown by Roget, are mere auxiliaries, serving to balance the body while it receives propulsion from the tail, Vide ‘ Bridgewater Treat.,’ 1. 286. This is correct in regard to fishes in general; but in the Opsarions and Perilamps, the dorsal and anal, from their position and size, contribute greatly to their velocity, being also situated on or near the tail; thus increasing the caudal surface, which, as Roget justly observes, operates as an oar does in sculling. + Ihave seen Opsarions so often in this state, that I presume they are easier caught in it than in any other. A similar power of deglutition is re- corded of sea-gulls by Blumenbach. 44 Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. therto adopted in this family, they might be brought into the several subgenera, Cyprinus proprius, Cirrhinus, &c. of the ‘Régne Animal. Buchanan, who published his ‘ Gangetic Fishes’ cotemporaneously with Cuvier’s system, had not an opportunity of consulting its divisions, while those of Lacé- pede, Bloch, and previous writers were not reconcilable to In- dian species; Buchanan therefore formed temporary groups for his own convenience, applicable to the local features of the family in this country. The Pungti, like all his other groups, were formed according to native opinions of their habits un- shackled by artificial views, and being better marked than most genera, Buchanan’s Pungti have more or less affinity to each other. 18. The stomach and intestine of the Systoms are in none of the species I have examined more than thrice the length of the body, and the former, which is thick and fleshy, usually contains the remains of insects. The mouth is small, and when opened the intermaxillaries project so as to form a nar- row tube,—hence their generic name. It is in the Systoms we first perceive a tendency to the hook or prominence on the apex of the lower jaw after quit- ting the herbivorous genera; and for this reason, as well as other peculiarities which appear to point them out as a typical or most perfect group, they are placed first in the list of car- nivorous genera. 19. The Leuciscs, or white fishes, succeed the Perilamps. In this genus the prominence on the lower jaw is more di- stinct, and I have restricted the genus to such as possess this character, having at the same time the dorsal and anal small— the former placed anterior to the latter. They are all carni- vorous, but not constructed for leaping above the surface like the Perilamps, nor for springing like the Opsarions ; although the shortness of the intestines, size of the stomach, and pro- minence of the tooth on the lower jaw prove them to be scarcely less rapacious, yet I am not sure as to the accuracy of separating them from one or other of the preceding genera merely on account of the size and position of the dorsal and anal fins, particularly as the dental hook is only of import- ance in distinguishing them from some of the Peonomine. 20. After this outline of the structure of Sarcoborine, a few remarks regarding their colours will be necessary, as embra- cing another principle on which the divisions have been formed. The whole of the subfamily Peonomine are remark- able for their uniformly plain colours, consisting of olive- green, bluish grey, or brown, extended along the back, and softened off on the sides, so as to leave the lower surface of the body an impure white, partaking more or less of the colours of Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinidz. 45 the back. The fins partake of the sober hues of the adjoining parts of the body, the pectorals and ventrals, as well as the branchial membranes and irides, usually displaying after death a slight blush of red, caused by the capillary effusion of blood in those parts. Of the species with which I am acquainted not one possesses a brilliant spot of any pure colour; but when we approach the limits of the next group, we begin to find in the Gonorhynchs obscure dark spots on either side of the tail of some of the species, as G. bimaculatus. 21. But, on the other hand, as soon as we cross the verge of the herbivorous group and enter the carnivorous, we find such spots as those alluded to become brighter and more nu- merous, and the opercula and fins to be stained with yellow and red in deep and natural tints. To Systomus, the first ge- nus of this group, the Gold-fishes*, commonly called Golden Carp, belong. The intestinal tube of the Systoms, though only thrice the length of the body, or half the length of the abdo- minal tube in those herbivorous species in which it is short- est, is nevertheless twice the length of the same organ in any of the other Sarcoborine. As we advance in this subfamily from the Systoms towards the Opsarions, we find, as has been shown, the abdominal tube diminishing in length ; and in pro- portion as this takes place, and the habits of species become more carnivorous, we observe the brilliancy of the colours be- comes more remarkable. 22. The Perilamps, as already stated, are followed by the Leuciscs. In these the diversity of colour is not great, but is compensated for by the metallic brilliancy of the nacre, or sil- very pigment with which the scales and opercula are covered, and from which the genus has derived its name, Leuciscus, Albus, or white fishes, though not applicable to all the species ; for there is one which is marked on each side with the bright longitudinal streak of the Perilamps; and, like the blending of the markings already observed between the Peonomine and Sarcoborine, the species in question, Leuciscus lateralist, seems to unite the white fishes with the Perilamps. 23. The Perilamps in their structure naturally follow the Systoms, and present numerous bright longitudinal lines of various colours, but particularly blue on their sides. They are all small species, of little or no direct utility to man; nor is it possible to account for the peculiar brilliancy of their colours in any other way than as an instance of that imscrutable de- * Cyprinus auratus auctorum. + Cyp. Daniconius, Buch., which appears to me to be identical with Cyp. Anjano, id. ; but if not, the latter species, on account of certain peculiarities about the mouth which seem to be wanting in the former, must be referred to the Perilamps. 46 Mr. T. C. Eyton’s Notes on Birds. sign, by which it would seem that, in pursuit of aquatic insects, on which they subsist, along the surface of waters, they be- come the better marks for Kingfishers, Skimmers, Terns, and other birds which are destined to keep the number of fishes in check, especially in deep waters beyond the reach of the Waders*. [To be continued. ] VIII.—Notes on Birds. By T. C. Eyton, Esq., F.L.S. No. IV. Psophodes Crepitans, Vig. and Horsf. ToneueE nearly the same as in Menura Lyra. Trachea largest at the upper extremity, but gradually contracted towards the inferior larynx; the tube bound firmly down in the angle made by the rami of the os furcatum. ‘The inferior larynx furnished with five pairs of muscles of voice, as among the Crows and Warblers ; the sterno-tra- cheales weak, the other pairs of muscles connected with the trachea moderately developed. Otsophagus of moderate size, largest at the upper extremity, narrowed near the middle, and again slightly swell- ing above the proventriculus, which is of moderate size. Gizzard filled with the remains of insects, muscular, and of moderate size. Intestinal canal of large diameter in proportion to the size of the bird, largest a little below the duodenum; rectum short, about equal in diameter to the duodenum ; ceca rudimentary; cloaca rather large. . Length of intestinal canal from stomach to cloaca 94 inches. Length of rectum 14 inch. Sternum rather elongated, and straight on the posterior margin between the fissures, which are two in number, one situated near each lateral margin, nearly closed poste- riorly, deep, oval, and large. Keel shallow, nearly straight on its inferior edge, traversed by raised bony ridges as in Menura; the an- terior edge of the keel and the manubrial process also resemble in shape those portions in the above-named genus. Os furcatum long, without any process at the point where it joins the sternum ; the rami rounded, and bending slightly inwards, so as to approach each other near the middle ; coracoids, pelvis, ribs, sca- pula, and caudal vertebree also as in Menura. The numbering of the vertebree is Cer. 11; Dor. 7; Sac. 11; Caud. 6; Ribs 8, 5 true, 3 false. Remarks.—In the structure of the soft parts and tongue Psophodes comes very near to Menura; the trachea however differs in not having the muscles of voice so strong, and in their being disposed as among the Warblers and Thrushes. Menura and Psophodes also agree in the form and length of the coracoids, scapula, and ribs, showing in these parts an affi- nity to Scansores, though not so strongly marked as in Me- * See remarks on P. perseus in a subsequent part of this paper. Bibliographical Notices. 47 nura and Pteroptochos. The bones forming the pelvis ap- proach very nearly in form and disposition to those of Menura, differing in no particular except in their smaller size. The sternum is broader in proportion to its length than in that genus, and agrees in the form of its posterior margin with the Thrushes and Shrikes, generally not having the portion be- tween the lateral fissures produced as in Menura. The os furcatum agrees with the last-named genus in having the rami rounded, and in being destitute of a process at the ex- tremity approaching the sternum; but in having the rami bent laterally inwards near the middle, so as to approach each other, it agrees with the Shrikes and Thrushes. Not having been able to obtain a specimen of the South American genus Thamnophilus to dissect, it is of course merely conjecture, when I state that I believe the anatomy of that genus will be found to approach very nearly to that of Psophodes ; referring to the external characters, although the bill differs much in form, the nature of the plumage and the form of the tail and wings are very similar. Craticus Tibicen, Vieill. Trachea, muscles of voice, tongue, and cesophagus as among the Corvide generally. Intestinal canal of moderate length ; ceca scarcely more than rudimentary; cloaca large; gizzard of moderate size, oval, flattened, muscular, interior surface (epithelium) hardened, transversely rugose, filled with the remains of insects. Length of cesophagus ............ -. 4 inches. Lengthy of recta: | Fiber. Sminthus. a d. Molares #. a. M. tuberculati. B. M. plani, incisi. Perognathus*. Saccomys. Distributed over the whole earth. IX. Castorina. Corpus robustum, magnum, pedes 5-dactyli, pos- teriores palmati; dentes primores validi, cestiformes, molares + complicati, latere altero triplicati, altero implicati. Castor, Myopotamus. Geog. distr. Northern & temperate districts of Old & New World. Myopotamus belongs to the southern half of South America. X. Hysrricrya. Corpus aculeis teretibus validis, setis intermixtis vestitum ; foramen infraorbitalemaximum ; clavicule incomplete; dentes molares + complicati. a. Philogzea. f. Philodendra. Hystriz. Erethizon. Atherura. Cercolabes. (Synetheres and Sphiggurus.) Southern Europe, Asia, Africa and America. XI. Susuneuxtata. Corpus pilis tectum, cauda brevissima aut nulla, ungues subunguleformes, foramen infraorbitale permagnum, clavicule incomplete, dentes molares +. a. Molares complicati. b. Molares compositi. Dasyprocta. , Hydrocherus. Celogenys. Cavia. Confined to South America. Kerodon. XII. Dupticrpenrata. Dentes primores superiores duplicati, foramen infraorbitale parvum, foramina optica conjuncta, palatum osseum singulariter coarctatum, clavicule partim incomplete, partim complete. Lepus, Lagomys. Distributed over the whole earth with the exception of NewHolland. * Dipodomys, Gray (see vol. vii. p. 521), will perhaps be placed here. Bibliographical Notices. | 53 The new genera and species described are :— Ruomsomys. Dentes primores superiores sulcati; molarium lami- nz obtuse rhomboidez, medio dilatatz ; os interparietale trans- versim coarctatum; habitus murinus, cauda longa crassius- cula, dense et breviter pilosa, apice subfloccosa. This genus is founded on Meriones robustus. Fr. Cuvier’s Gerbille indéter- minée (Trans. Zool. Soc. ii. 2. p. 143) belongs decidedly here. Rhombomys pallidus. Rh. supra pallide flavidus, subtus albido- lutescens, auriculis parvis ; ; cauda crassiuscula, supra isabellina, infra lutescente, apice nigro-fasciculata; dentibus primoribus superioribus bicanaliculatis. Body . 23). 34 hg Tail without hair 5! 1!" Projecting hair. O 6 Length ofear... 0 6 Hinder foot to apex of the claw .......... 1 5 Hab. South-eastern Russia. Mysrromys. Dentes primores leves haud sulcati, molarium la- mellz (2-3) medio anfracte, parte altera paululum post alte- ram posita; auricule pilose ample, cauda breviter et dense pilosa, mediocris, apicem versus attenuata. M. albipes. M. subbrunneo-griseus, nigro irroratus, subtus grised: albidus, pedibus albis, cauda supra fusca, infra albida. Body, in straight line.. 4” 11!" Body curved.. 5" 3!" Tail... a oa 2 4 £Lengthofear. 0 94 Hinder foot with claw .0 1 13 Breadth ofear 0 7 Hab. South Africa. Huryotis pallida, Wagn. E. supra flava, nigro intermixta, lateribus subtusque e lutescente albida; auriculis mediocribus; cauda supra nigra, basi flavida, subtus lutescente ; dentibus primori- bus superioribus bisulcatis, inferioribus unicanaliculatis. The length of the largest specimen in a straight line is 5’ 9!", curved 6” 1'"; of the tail, the apex of which is wanting, 2!" 7!""; of the smaller specimen, the body curved = 5! 3", tail 2" 6!", Hab. South Africa. Dendromys pumilio, Wagn. D. fulvus, subtus albus. Body in straight line 2" 8!"', cared Ql! s tail’ 3! 8Mts eae 0” 5!" ; front foot with claw 0! 42!’; hinder foot 0 8!"'. Hab. South point of Africa. Pteromys aurantiacus, Wagn. Pt. supra aurantio-fulvus, subtus al- bidus, sparsim ochraceo-lavatus; patagio prope carpum in an- gulum acuminatum excurrente, cauda plana, disticha, castanea. Body 5! 10!" tail somewhat mutilated 4" 3!”; ear O! 5!’, Hab. Island of Banca. Lepus Mediterraneus, Wagn. L. timido multo minor, auriculis capite longioribus, medio nudiusculis, apice nigris; nucha artubusque ochraceo-rufescentibus, cauda supra nigra, infra albida, stria alba post oculos. Body in straight line 13! 6'” Curved.... 15” 5!" BURL 23555. 8 pik otahsis B08 Bareenc. eV e.8 Tail with hair about 8 0 Ear-fissure. 3 8 Hab. Sardinia, Gibraltar ? 54 Bibliographical Notices. ‘ On the Genera and Species of the Comatule,’ uy Joh. Miller, which terminates the present part. In concluding this notice, we may express the wish that the va- rious parts may appear with more regularity than heretofore. W. Francis. The Naturalist’s Library: Mammalia. Vol. xi. Marsupialia, or Pouched Animals. By G. R. Waterhouse, Esq. .. Curator to the Zool. Soc. Lond. Tue eleventh volume of this valuable and deservedly popular work, containing a history of the ‘ Marsupialia, or Pouched Animals,’ has just appeared. The confusion in which the Marsupials have been hitherto involved, renders a volume exclusively devoted to them pe- culiarly teresting ; the author of the work being an able naturalist and possessing abundant facilities for the successful prosecution of his labours, of which he has availed himself with great acumen and industry in the execution of his task. Mr. Waterhouse commences by an Introduction, in which a con- cise review is taken of the history of the Marsupialia from the time of Linnzeus to the present day, in which the views of various natu- ralists are examined,—a preliminary step to an exposition of the principles by which he is guided in the arrangement of these singular mammals. The point at issue between some naturalists of great eminence—namely, whether the Marsupialia constitute a natural group, of which the component parts are linked together by such bonds of structural relationship as cannot be dissolved with pro- priety, or whether the group is unnatural, its assumed component parts belonging, in truth, to other orders—is discussed with great clearness. : Cuvier, Geoffroy St. Hilaire, De Blainville, and Owen, celebrated no less for anatomical than for zoological knowledge, insist upon the former position. Among their opponents are Storr, Illiger, Swainson, and Ogilby. After detailing the arguments of these scientific men, and giving the results of his own analysis of the Marsupials, which he considers as forming a natural order, Mr. Waterhouse, alluding to Mr. Swainson’s erroneous assertions, ‘‘ that nearly all our leading naturalists have acknowledged the artificial nature of the assem- blage,”’ thus writes : ‘I think we might, on the other hand, say with safety, that all the most eminent anatomists (these being at the same time zoologists) agree in uniting them..... I could wish, how- ever, that this important question should not rest upon authority ;— but to go through the train of reasoning by which the anatomists have arrived at their conclusions, would require more space than can be spared in a volume like the present.” “It has often been stated that the Marsupiata consist of animals of most dissimilar organization, and are united together only by a single peculiarity ; however little weight some zoologists may attach to this single peculiarity, its value was almost immediately appre- ciated by the anatomists and physiologists. But I will now proceed Royal Society. 55 to show that the animals under consideration are united by many pe- culiarities, these serving to distinguish them from all other quadru- peds; whilst the rich collections now in the British Museum, and in that of the Zoological Society, show that the most dissimilar forms of marsupial animals are linked together by species exhibiting the intermediate grades of structure.” Mr. Waterhouse next enters into an examination, brief but still satisfactory, of their structural peculiarities, in which he refers to the labours of Professor Owen and others who have thrown so much light upon them. With respect to the mode in which the species are worked out, we cannot speak too highly. In the instances (and they are not few) where a confusion of synonyms has perplexed the inquirer, we find the knot unravelled; and though, in many cases, names given by modern naturalists to old and previously described Species must sink, we feel assured that the imposers themselves of these names will rejoice, so that science be but benefited. The de- scriptions are full and clear; nearly all of them, indeed, says the author, were ‘‘ carefully drawn up -by myself from the original speci- mens contained either in the museum at Paris, the British Museum, or that of the Zoological Society*.” We cannot conclude our notice of the present really valuable con- tribution to natural history without referring to the plates. These, to the number of thirty-four, are faithful delineations of the species represented, and are at once effective and artistical. PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. ROYAL SOCIETY. May 20, 1841.—The following papers were read, viz.— 1. ‘‘ Catalogue of Geological Specimens procured from Kergue- len’s Land during the months of May, June, and July, 1840.” 2. “Catalogue of Birds collected on board Her Majesty’s Ship Terror, between the Cape of Good Hope and Van Diemen’s Land.” 3. “Description of Plants from Kerguelen’s Land, collected in May, June, and July, 1840.” The above papers are by John Robertson, Esq., Surgeon of Her Majesty’s Ship Terror, and were presented to the Society by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and communicated by the President of the Royal Society. 4. ‘On the Fossil Remains of Turtles discovered in the Chalk Formation of the South-East of England.” By Gideon Algernon Mantell, Esq., LL.D., F.R.S. In this paper, the author gives a description, accompanied with drawings of a remarkable fossil Turtle, referable to the genus Hmys, and named from its discoverer, Mr. Bensted, the Hmys Benstedi, which has been lately found in a quarry of the lower chalk of Kent, * And here it may be observed, that the number of species at present known, all of which are described in the volume before us, amounts to ninety- seven. Desmarest, in his ‘ Mammalogie’ (1820), has characterized only forty- three. 56 Geological Society. at Burham, which is situated near the banks of the Medway, between Chatham and Maidstone. The specimen discovered consists of the carapace or dorsal shell, six inches in length and nearly four inches in breadth, with some of the sternal plates, vertebra, eight ribs on each side of the dorsal ridge, a border of marginal plates, and one of the coracoid bones. It is adherent to a block of chalk by the external surface of the sternal plates. The marginal plates are joined to each other by finely indented sutures, and bear the impress of the horny scales or tortoise-shell with which they were originally covered. The expanded ribs are united together throughout the proximal half of their length, and gradually taper to their marginal extremities, which are protected by the plates of the osseous border. Mr. Bell ‘considers the species to which it belonged as being closely allied in form to the common European Emys, and as possessing a truly fluviatile or lacustrine character. ‘he plates of the plastron, however, as also the coracoid bone, resemble more the corresponding bones of marine than of freshwater turtles, GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Dec. 16, 1840.—A paper ‘‘On the Relative Connection of the Eastern and Western Chalk Denudations,” by P. J. Martin, Esq., F.G.S., was read. The author advances this as the first of a series of papers on the construction of that part of the country usually considered as appertaining to the great chalk denudation of the Weald, or more properly, the upburst of the secondary formations between the tertiary of the respective basins of Iondon and Hampshire. In venturing on this field of inquiry, he professes also to take up the subject where it was left by him in two former memoirs, one published in 1828 under the title of a‘ Geological Memoir of Western Sussex, with some Observations on Chalk Basins and the Weald Denudation,’ the other in the ‘ Philosophical Magazine’ for. Fe- bruary 1829; and to extend the number of demonstrative facts that bear upon the theory of denudation by disruptive violence and con- temporaneous aqueous abrasion, there brought forward as a corollary to Dr. Buckland’s theory of ‘ Valleys of Elevation.’ In pursuance of this object, he begins by an examination into the arrangement of the great chalk dome of Hampshire and Wiltshire,— the Patria of the chalk of Pennant and Conybeare; its anticlinal lines of disturbance or upheaval, and their connections with those of the Weald and the smaller western denudations of Pewsey, War- dour and Warminster. He finds that six great anticlinal lines are the main instruments of the upbearing of this abraded chalk; that the three which characterize the smaller anticlinal western valleys are projected onward, and in a manner decussate three others which emanate from the western extremity of the greater valley of the Weald, the vale of Wolmar Forest, from whence he starts his inquiry ; and that these lines do not inosculate or enter into each other ; approxima- ting, indeed, but little in any part of their course ; severally dying Geological Society. 57 out, and their respective synclinal lines playing off into each other. Their course is rather irregular, and their force exceedingly varia- ble ; but their general parallelism is maintained throughout, their progress being E. and W., with a point to the N. The Pewsey line, after passing through the valleys of Ham and Kingsclere, is traceable between Woolverton and Hannington, on towards Monks Sherborne, and fades away at Old Basing, apparently without entering the tertiary beds of the London basin*. This meets in synclinal relation with a line projected from the north- west corner of the Wolmar valley from Pease Marsh, near Guildford, through Farnham and the high chalk range of Froyle, Shaldon, Dummer and Popham, and appears to fade away in the country west of Andover, where it is lost in the greater swell of the Burgh- clere Hills, and the more dominant power of the Pewsey upheaval. The anticlinal line of Wardour, left by Dr. Fitton (in his ‘ History of the Beds below the Chalk’+) at Harnham Hill, S. of Salisbury, Mr. Martin finds traceable eastward, north of Dean Hill, and east of the Avon, to the banks of the Test, where it dips under the tertiary beds between Michaelmarsh and Romsey, and appears to fade away between the above-mentioned river and the Itching. In synclinal relation this line is also met and passed by a very remarkable anti- clinal, traceable in strict approximation with, and by-and-by to be proved to be the proximate cause of, the whole line of the South Down escarpment (with a small exception between Lewes and Poy- nings) from Beachy Head to East Meon. In the vicinity of this place, at Langrish, it enters the chalk, passes through the anticlinal valley of Chilcomb near Winchester and that city, and is lost in the Bos- sington Hills, pointing towards, but not satisfactorily traced into, the Warminster line. ; The details of all three lines of elevation are made out in the Ordnance Map, and sections given of the. most illustrative points : and Mr. Martin adds some observations respecting the entrance of the great central line of elevation of the Weald into the chalk at Selborne, and its progress westward between the lines of Pease- marsh on the north, and of Greenhurst or the South Down on the south, till it fades away in the great plateau of Salisbury Plain. The author concludes this paper with some reference to the sub- ject of transverse fractures in these several longitudinal fissures, and the cross drainage, to which, like that of the Weald, he proposes to return, in extension and emendation of the disquisitions formerly published by him, as above alluded to, and which will be adduced as illustrative of the strong probability, if they do not amount (in connexion with the phenomena of drift) to absolute proof, of the * The author thinks, that although this line fades away as it enters the tertiary beds at Old Basing, it is probable that, after passing silently along the London basin, it is revived again in the Isle of Thanet, which is a chalk outlier, by protrusion; in the same way that the parallel line of Portsdown Hill, High-down, near Worthing, and the Seaford Cliff (figured by Dr. Mantell) does on the southern coast. t+ Geol. Trans., Second Series, vol. iv. p. 244 e¢ seq. 58 Geological Sociely. close relation of the acts of upheaval and violent aqueous abrasion. This necessarily implies the belief that the date of these lines of disturbance is posterior to that of all the stratified beds of the south- east part of England, as maintained in the author’s former essays, but into the full discussion of which he declines to enter till the whole subject is before the Society. Jan. 20, 1841.—A paper was first read, ‘‘ On the Teeth of Species of the Genus Labyrinthodon (Mastodonsaurus Salamandroides, and Phytosaurus (?) of Jager) from the German Keuper and the Sand- stone of Warwick and Leamington,’ by Richard Owen, Esq., F.G.S., F.R.S. The Warwick sandstone having been considered by some geolo- gists to be the equivalent of the Keuper*, and by others of the Bunter Sandsteint, and as its true position remains to be deter- mined, Mr. Owen, in the preliminary remarks to his memoir, points out the assistance which the discovery of reptilian remains in the Warwick sandstone of the same generic characters as those of fossils obtained in the Keuper of Germany, may afford in determining the question. Before he proceeds to describe the fossils forming the immediate object of his paper, Mr. Owen shows that the genus Phytosaurus was established on the casts of the sockets of the teeth of Masto- donsaurus ; and that the latter generic appellation ought not to be retained, because it recalls unavoidably the idea of the mammalian genus Mastodon, or else a mammilloid form of the tooth, whereas all the teeth of the genus so designated are originally and, for the greater number, permanently of a cuspidate and not of a mammil- loid form; and because the second element of the word, saurus, indicates a false affinity, the remains belonging, not to the Saurian, but to the Batrachian order of Reptiles. For these reasons, and be- lieving that he has discovered the true and peculiarly distinctive dental characters of the fossil, he proposes to designate the genus by the term Labyrinthodon. The only portions of the Batrachian found in the Keuper of Ger- many, which have hitherto been described, consist of teeth, a frag- ment of the skull, and a few broken vertebre; and in the Warwick sandstone of teeth only. In this memoir, therefore, Mr. Owen confines his attention to a comparison of the dental structure of the Continental and English remains. The teeth of the Labyrinthodon Jaegeri (Mastodonsaurus Juegeri, Meyer) of the Keuper are of a simple, conical form, with numerous fine longitudinal striations ; and the teeth transmitted to Mr. Owen from the Warwick sandstone by Dr. Lloyd, beara very close resemblance tothem. Their external characters not being sufficient to establish either specific or generic identity, Mr. Owen had sections prepared for microscopic examina- tion of portions of teeth of the Labyrinthodon Jaegeri forwarded to him by Prof. Jager, and of the English reptile; and though, from his previous examination of the intimate texture of the teeth of the * See Proceedings, vol. ii. p. 453. + Ibid, vol. ii. p. 565. Geological Society. 59 Plesiosaur, Megalosaur, as well as of the Crocodile, Monitor, and most recent Lacertians, he did not hope to detect such modifications of structure as would obviously mark specific or even generic iden- tity, yet the slices exhibited such decided characters, and those of the German fossils agreed so intimately with the sections obtained from the Warwick specimen, that Mr. Owen was enabled not merely to separate these fossils from all known reptilian animals, but to establish a generic community of character in the Keuper and sand- stone remains. It was not, however, until he had caused sections to be made in various directions, and had studied them attentively in comparison with the teeth of true Saurians, Batrachians, and other animals, that he was enabled to comprehend the principle of the singular cerebriform convolutions which pervade the dental struc- ture of this remarkable reptile. The base of the tooth of the Jch- thyosaurus approaches most nearly in character to the peculiarities of nearly the entire tooth of the Labyrinthodon. It is impossible to convey clearly without illustrations the structure alluded to. It may, however, be stated, that in the fang of the tooth of the Ichthy- osaurus vertical folds of the external layer of cement (the enamel ceasing at the base of the crown) are inflected inwards, at pretty regular distances around the circumference of the tooth, towards the centre to a distance about equal the breadth of the interspaces of the inflected folds; the interspaces being occupied by correspond- ing processes of the dentine, which radiate from the central mass of that substance. The thickness of this interblended cement and dentine, surrounding the pulp-cavity, is about one-eighth of the dia- meter of the tooth. The plan and principle of the structure of the tooth of the Lady- rinthodon are the same as those of the tooth of the [chthyosaurus, but they are carried out to the highest degree of complication. The converging vertical folds of the external cement are continued close to the centre of the tooth, and, instead of being straight, simple la- melle, they present a series of irregular folds, increasing in com- plexity as they proceed inwards, and resembling the labyrinthic an- fractuosities of the surface of the brain; each converging fold is slightly dilated at its termination close to the pulp-cavity. The ordinary laws of dental structure are, however, strictly adhered to, and every space intercepted by a convolution of the folds of the cement is occupied by corresponding processes of the dentine. These characters were presented by a transverse section of a frag- ment of a tooth of the Labyrinthodon Jaegeri from the German Keuper, which included about the middle third part of a tooth, and Mr. Owen considers that the entire length of the tooth might be 34 inches, and the breadth at the basis 14 inch. The external longitudinal grooves, which correspond to the in- flected folds of the cement, extend upwards from the base of the tooth to about three-fourths of its height, decreasing in number as the tooth diminishes in thickness, and disappearing about half an inch from the summit of the tooth. Each fold of cement penetrates less deeply as the groove approaches its termination ; and Mr. Owen 60 Geological Society. conceives that the structure of the upper part of the tooth may be more simple than that of the lower, but he has not yet been able to extend his investigations to it. The dentine consists of a slender, central, conical column or ‘* modiolus,” hollow for a eertain distance from its base, and radi- ating outwards from its circumference a series of vertical plates, which divide into two, once or twice, before they terminate at the periphery of the tooth. Each of these diverging and dichotomizing vertical plates gives off throughout its course narrower vertical plates, which stand at nearly right angles to the main plate, in rela- tion to which they are generally opposite, but sometimes alternate. Many of the secondary plates, which are given off near the centre of the tooth, also divide into two before they terminate. They par- take of all the undulations which characterize the inflected folds of the cement. 5 The central pulp-cavity is reduced to a line, about the upper third of the tooth; but fissures radiate from it, corresponding in number with the radiating plates of the dentine. One of these fissures is continued along the middle of each plate, dividing where it divides, and penetrating each bifurcation and process; the main fissures ex- tend to within a line or half a line of the periphery of the tooth ; the terminations of these, as well as the fissures of the lateral pro- cesses, suddenly dilating into subcircular, oval, or pyriform spaces. All these spaces constitute centres of radiation of the fine calcige- rous tubes, which, with their uniting clear substance, constitute the dentine. The number of these calcigerous tubes, which are the centres of minor ramifications, defies all calculations. Their diameter is the sng oth of a line, with interspaces equal to seven diameters of their cavities. Mr. Owen then compares the structure of the section of a tooth procured in the sandstone of Coton-End Quarry, and lent to him by Dr. Lloyd of Leamington. The tooth nearly resembles in size and form the smaller teeth of Labyrinthodon figured by Prof. Jager. All the peculiarities of the labyrinthic structure of the Keuper tooth are so clearly preserved in this specimen, that the differences are merely of a specific nature. At the upper part of the tooth a thin layer of enamel*, besides a coating of cement, is inflected at each groove towards the centre of the dentine; but about the middle of the tooth the enamel disap- pears, and the convolutions consist of interblended layers of cement and dentine. Thus, on the supposition that the tooth of the Laby- rinthodon of the German Keuper be capped with enamel, its extent must be less than in the tooth of the Warwick sandstone. | The inflected folds are continued for a greater relative distance before the lateral inflections commence than in the German species, and the anfractuosities are fewer in number, and some of the folds * Mr. Owen has subsequently ascertained that this is not true enamel, but a layer of firm dentine, separated from the rest by a thin stratum of fine calcigerous cells. Geological Society. 61 are reflected backwards from near the central pulp-cavity for a short distance before they terminate. The modifications of the complex diverging plates of the dentine hardly exceed those of a specific character, and the dentine itself is composed of calcigerous tubes of the same relative size and dispo- sition as in the Labyrinthodon Jaegeri. In a section taken from the middle of a smaller and relatively broader and shorter conical tooth from the Warwick sandstone, Mr. Owen found that the anfractuosities were more complicated, with numerous secondary and tertiary foldings, and the external layer of cement was relatively thicker than in the Lab. Jaegeri. The generic identity of the Reptiles, indicated by the teeth from the Warwick sandstones, with the Mastodonsaurus of the German Keuper, Mr. Owen believes to be fully established by the concord- ance of their peculiar dental structure above described. And in con- clusion, he says, if, on the one hand, geology has in this instance really derived any essential aid from minute anatomy, on the other hand, in no instance has the comparative anatomist been more in- debted to geology than for the fossils which have revealed the most singular and complicated modification of dental structure hitherto known ; and of which not the slightest conception could have been gained from an investigation, however close and extensive, of the teeth of existing animals, A paper by C. Lyell, Esq., F.G.S., was afterwards read, ‘‘ On the Freshwater Fossil Fishes of Mundesley, as determined by M. Agassiz.” In a memoir on the boulder formation and associated freshwater deposits of Eastern Norfolk*, Mr. Lyell stated, on the authority of Mr. Yarrell and the Rev. L. Jenyns, that the scales and teeth of fishes which had been then procured in the fluviatile beds of Mundesley belonged to the Hsow lucius, to a trout or an undeterminable species of Salmo, to a carp, probably the Cyprinus carpio, and to a distinct species of Perca. This collection, with some additions recently sent to the author by Mr. Wigham, was examined by M. Agassiz during his late visit to England. The decision of Mr. Jenyns with respect to the distinct- ness of the perch, M. Agassiz fully confirmed ; but he was of opinion that the pike differs from the Hsow lucius, and that the supposed carp is a species of Leuciscus ; and that the trout is not truly a trout, al- though one of the same great family. From this examination, therefore, Mr. Lyell says it is apparent that these remains belong to species not identical with any European freshwater fishes hitherto described; but that they nevertheless be- long to an ichthyological fauna, more modern and more nearly re- sembling the recent than any other with which M. Agassiz is ac- quainted in a fossil state. Similar remains have been found by Mr. Lyell at Runton, near * See Proceedings, anté, p. 171. 62 Zoological Society. Cromer, but both there and at Mundesley the associated testacea all belong to living freshwater species ; even the Paludina minuta (Strick- land), which Mr. Morris has pointed out to the author to be iden- tical with the P. marginata of Michaud, a living French species. It is a question therefore, the author states, whether these unknown fishes may not still inhabit the rivers and lakes of the more northern parts of Europe or America, especially as M. Agassiz is at present unacquainted with the freshwater fishes of Norway, Sweden, Spitz- bergen, Iceland, Greenland, Labrador and Canada, and even of the northernmost parts of Scotland and the Shetland Islands; and in conclusion Mr. Lyell says, it seems natural to look northward for types analogous to the Mundesley fishes, because the beds in which they occur were deposited contemporaneously with the drift accu- mulated by the agency of floating ice. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Nov. 24, 1840.—William Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. A paper by W. J. Broderip, Esq., was read, in which the author proceeds with his descriptions of the new species of shells collected -in the Philippine islands by H. Cuming, Esq. Hexix (Cocntostyta) Ticaonica. Hel. testdé subpyramidali, trun- catd, anfractibus 5 ventricosis, ultimo longe maximo, apice sub- complanato, lineis incrementi subobliquis, levissimé striato; aper- turd modicd. Var. a. Brunnea, strigis oblique longitudinalibus latis albis picta; apice subpurpureo ; aperturd albidd ; labit limbo subpurpureo. Var. 6. Brunnea, strigis oblique longitudinalibus albis creberrimis fucata; fascia basali latd obscurd; labii limbo subpurpureo. In this variety the broad white stripes of the body-whorl are so frequent, that they run into each other, leaving only brown inter- stices here and there. Var. c. Brunneo-nigricans, strigis latis et maculis irregularibus albis rarioribus ornatis; labii limbo subpurpureo. In this variety, the stripes, so far as they go, are very distinct ; but on the last part of the body-whorl they are broken up and inter- rupted so as to form spots. The ground-colour of the body-whorl is very dark chestnut-brown, with a darker, but very obscure, broad basal band. _ Var. d. Flavescens strigis albis fucata, fascid latd basalt brunneo- nigricante ; Labi limbo purpureo-nigricante. Var. e. Kx albido flavescens seu subvirescens; anfractibus 2 ultimis strigis latis albis ornata ; anfractu basali lineis transversis basa- libus interruptis subobscuris vittato; aperturd albd; labii limbo ochraceo-rubro ; apice roseo. | _ Var. f. Ex albido flavescens seu virescens; anfractu ultimo strigis latis albis interdum subangulatis ornato; fascid basali brunneo- lineatd, latd ; aperturd albd ; labii limbo viz ochraceo-rubescens. Zoological Society. 63 . In this variety hardly any stripes are visible, except upon the body-whorl. Var. g- Ex albido pallide et obscure virescens, fascid basali lineatd latd ; aperturd albd ; columelld violaceo-subpurpured ; labii limbo vix pallidissime rubente. Var. h. Sordide virescens lineis transversis obscuris vittata; fascid basali sordidé brunned latd ; aperturd albd ; columella violascente; labii limbo pallide rubente. Var. i, Cinerascens; fascid basali latd, lineatd, brunned; aperturd sordide alba ; labii limbo brunneo-nigricante. The ground-colour beneath the epidermis is rich brown, which is exposed where the epidermis is abraded. Habitant varietates a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, et i, in insula Ticao. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. Var. k. Grandior, ex albido cinerascens lineis transversis obscure brunneis cincta ; fascid basali lineato-vittatd brunned latd ; aper- turd albidd ; labii limbo purpurascente. In this variety the ground-colour is brown: the riband-like, broad basal band is dark brown. Var. 1. Productior, e brunneo cinerascens, vittis brunneo-nigricanti- bus cincta; fascid basali latd brunneo-nigricante; aperturd obscure purpurascente ; labii limbo nigricante. The ground-colour of this variety is brown, which becomes deeper on the lower whorls, and is exposed where the epidermis is abraded. Habitant varietates k, et 1, in insulé Masbate. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. In none of the varieties do the markings appear before the third whorl, and in several only on the two last. This species varies in size from about 2% inches long by 2 broad, to 1 inch long by 1} inch broad. (W. J. B.) Buinus Guimarasensis. Bul. testd obovatd, nitide glabrd, anfrac- tibus 5 subventricosis ; lineis incrementi oblique longitudinalibus striatd ; aperturd et labii limbo albis. Var. a. Ex-albido-subvirescens ; fascid basali obscuriore ; apice sub- rosed. Var. b. Anfractibus superioribus, fascid suturali, ultimo fascid sub- basali castaneo cinctis ; apice castaneo-roseo. This species is nearly allied to Bulinus citrinus, but differs from it in many points. B. Guimarasensis is without transverse striz, and the whorls are comparatively ventricose. In B. citrinus all the striped varieties which I have seen are marked longitudinally. The var. 6. of Bul. Guimarasensis has a narrow chestnut trans- verse line very near the suture of the body-whorl, the base of which body-whorl, below the transverse band, becomes greenish. A brown stripe adjoins and borders the columella.; Var. a. is 24 inches long by 14 inch broad. Var. #. is less. Hab. in insula Guimaras. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. (W. J. B.) 64 Zoological Society. BULINUS CAMELOPARDALIS. Bul. testd productd, gracili, subpupi- Sormi, subdiaphand, anfractibus 6 haud ventricosis, ultimo ceteris longiore ; aperturd subovatd, mediocri; lineis incrementi creber- rime substriatd; ex albido flavescente, strigis fulvis, distinctis sublongitudinalibus ornatd ; aperturd albidd, labit limbo nigro- castaneo. Long. 2 poll. circiter; lat. £ poll. Hab. ad Sibonga in insula Zeba. Legit H. Cuming dumis adherentes. (W. J. B.) ~Buurnus Diana. Bul. testd valde productd, subdiaphand, anfracti- bus 7 haud ventricosis, ultimo ceteros interdum haud equante, pallide flavd strigis albidis creberrimis fucatd ; aperturd et apice albis. Var. a. long. 22; lat. 1 poll. far. b. Flava haud strigata, aperturd et apice albis. Legit H. Cuming. The first variety was found by Mr. Cuming on the leaves of bushes at Tanhay in the isle of Negros. The second or unstriped variety was taken by him in the island of Siquijor on leaves of trees. Among the latter, some faintly- striped individuals show the transition from one variety to the other. The young of the striped variety have stripes; but the young of the unstriped variety are of a uniform pale yellow. (W.J. B.) Buuinus Cauista. Bul. testd diaphand, anfractibus 7 subventri- cosis pallide flavd albido strigatd; apice subroseo vel roseo-cas- taneo ; labii limbo castaneo-purpurascente. Var. a. long. 23; lat. 14 poll. Intervals in the whitish epidermis leave the yellow ground-colour in sufficiently well-defined longitudinal irregular stripes, which are often zigzagged. Found on bushes. Var. 6. Gracilior, nana. Long. 1£; lat. 3 poll. The shell of this variety is rather thicker. Among them some occur with the lip barely tinged with ochraceous red and a white apex. Found on the leaves of trées. Var. c. Flava; apice roseo, labii timbo castaneo. Long. 2; lat. 44 poll. Found on the leaves of bushes. Some have an obscure narrow transverse band on the body-whorl. Var. d. Subflava, epidermide albo-cinerascente; fascid basali nitide flavd ; apice et labii limbo albis. Long. 14; lat. 14 poll. Found on the leaves of bushes. Among these some occur which still retain the coloured lip and tinged apex. In the very young state the shell is perfectly transparent. Hab. ad Tanhay in insula Negros. Legit H. Cuming. The last variety bears a strong resemblance to Bulinus Diana; nor should I be at all surprised to see some intervening varieties that Zoological Society. 65 would lead to the conclusion that Bulini Diana and Calista belong to the same species. (W. J. B.) . Buinus Catypso. Bul. testd diaphand, subventricosd, subpyra- midali, anfractibus 5, lineis incrementi levissim® striatis; co- lumelld subangulatd, albidd, teniis virescentibus cinctd ; apice et labii limbo roseo-purpurascentibus. Long. 14; lat. £ poll. Hab. ad Tanhay insule Negros. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. A dark rosy-purplish stripe borders the columella, which is itself tinged with red. I have seen but two specimens, one with an in- jured lip, and in that the columella is not subangulated as it is in the more perfect one. (W. J. B.) Buuinus Dacrytus. Bul. testd valde productd, attenuatd, anfrac- tibus 7, ultimo ceteros equante, brunned, epidermide cinerascente ; aperturd ovatd, carned. vel albidd; labii limbo castaneo-purpuras- cente. Long. 24; lat. 1} poll. Hab. in montibus Tayabas insule Luzoniz. Legit H. Cuming foliis arborum adheerentes. Through the ashy epidermis the brown ground-colour appears in most of the specimens in the shape of obscure longitudinal stripes: in very old specimens scarcely any striping is apparent. The brown ground-colour is well shown near the aperture, where the attrition of the animal has exposed it. Very old shells are all but opake : younger ones are subdiaphanous. ‘There is in all that I have seen an obscure brown fillet towards the base of the body-whorl. (W.J.B.) Buurnus Bonorensis. Bul. testd elongatd, graciliore, subdiaphand; anfractibus 6, lineis incrementi oblique striatis ; ochraceo-cine- rascente strigis longitudinalibus angulatis distinctis ornatd; labi limbo castaneo-nigricante. Var. a. Gracilis strigis valde distinctis anfractuum parte superiore suturam juxta castaneo-nigricante punctatd. Long. 13; lat. % poll. Hab. ad Loon insule Bohol. Var. b. Gracilior, strigis creberrimis valde angulatis. Long. 14; lat. $ poll. Hab. cum precedente. Var. c. Ventricosior, strigis valde distinctis, subangulatis. Long. 18; lat. 1 poll. Hab. ad Loboc insule Bohol. Var. d. Strigis rarioribus obscurioribus. Long. 14; lat. 3 poll. Hab. ad Baclayon insule Bohol. Legit H. Cuming arborum foliis adherentes. The brown ground-colour appearing through the ochraceous- cinerascent epidermis produces the stripes of this elegant shell. A small portion only of the ground-colour is exposed by the attrition Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. 66 Zoological Society. of the animal near the mouth of the shell, which is whitish or bluish- white, bordered with the dark chestnut of the lip. (W.J.B.) Buuinus Butiuta. Bul. testd ovato-rotundatd, diaphand, albidd, anfractibus 4 ventricosis, lineis incrementi oblique striatis ; aper- turd magnd, subumbilicatd. Long. 14; lat. 1 poll. Hab. in insula Mindoro. Legit H. Cuming. A milk-white line runs round the sutures. (W. J. B.) Mr. Gould resumed the exhibition of his new species of Austra- lian birds, and characterized the following species :— EPHTHIANURA TRICOLOR. Ephth. vertice, pectore, tectricibusque caude. coccineis ; gutture albo. - Male.—Crown of the head, upper tail-coverts, breast and abdo- men bright scarlet; lores, line above and beneath the eye, ear-co- verts; occiput and back dark brown; wings brown, each feather margined with brownish white; tail dark brown, each feather having a large spot of white on the inner web at the tip; chin, throat and under tail-coverts white; irides straw-white; bill and feet blackish brown. Female similar in colour, but having only a slight wash of the scarlet colouring, except on the upper tail-coverts, where it is as brilliant as in the male. Total length, 3} inches; bill, 9; wing, 23; tail, 14; tarsi, 3. Hab. ? Myzanrua oxpscura. Myz. fronte flavescente-olivaceo; gutture, uropygio, et corpore subtis cinereis,—plumis pectoralibus lunuld apicem versus notatis, et ad apicem pallideé cinereis. Forehead yellowish olive; lores, line beneath the eye and ear- coverts black; head and all the upper surface dull grey, with an indistinct line of brown down the centre of each feather, giving the whole a mottled appearance; wings and tail brown, margined at the base of the external webs with wax-yellow, the tail terminating in white; throat and under surface dull grey, becoming lighter on the lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; the feathers of the breast with a crescent-shaped mark of light brown near the . extremity, and tipped with light grey; irides dark brown; bare skin round the eye, bill, and bare patch on each side of the throat, bright yellow; legs and feet dull reddish-yellow; claws dark brown. Total length, 9 inches; bill, 14; wing, 54; tail, 4%; tarsi, 14. Hab. Western Australia. Prizotis sonorus. Pil. loris et strigd per oculos ductd, ad colli latera, nigris plumis auricularibus flavis,—et pone has, notd sor- didé alba ;—guiture et abdomine pallidé fluvescenti-cinereis, fusco- striatis. - Crown of the head and all the upper greyish olive; wings and tail brown, margined on their external webs with greenish yellow ; lores, space around the eye and broad line down the sides of the Zoological Society. 67 neck black; ear-coverts pale yellow, behind which is an obscure spot of greyish white; throat and under surface pale yellowish grey striated with light brown; irides dark brown; bill black; legs and feet greenish grey. The female like the male in colour, but smaller in all her dimensions. Total length, 74 inches; bill, 1; wing, 3%; tail, 34; tarsi, 1. Hab. South and Western Australia. Prizotis cratitius. Ptil. vertice cinereo,—loris, strigd superocu- lari, et plumis auricularibus nigris,—infra et pone has, penicillo angusto, et flavo; a rictu per gule latera ducta appendice nudo, corneo, ad marginem inferiorem libero, et belle e gilvo cerulescente. Crown of the head grey; all the upper surface olive-green; wings and tail brown, margined with greenish yellow; lores, a large space surrounding the eye and the ear-coverts black, below which is a narrow line of bright yellow; from the gape, down each side of the throat for five-eighths of an inch, a naked fleshy appendage, free at the lower end, of a beautiful lilac colour and very conspicuous in the living bird; anterior to this is a tuft of. bright yellow feathers ; throat and under surface olive-yellow; irides and eyelash black ; bill black ; feet blackish brown tinged with olive. The female is similar to the male, but smaller. Total length, 7 inches; bill, ; wing, 24; tail, 34; tarsi, {. Hab. Interior of South Australia and Kangaroo Island. GuycripHiLa ALBIFRONS. Glyc. facie albd ; gutture nigro, albo mi- nute adsperso; vertice nigro, plumis albo angusté. marginatis. Forehead, lores and a narrow ring round the eye, and a narrow line running from the angle of the lower mandible white ; crown of the head black, each feather slightly margined with white; ear- coverts silvery blackish gray, behind which an irregular line of white; all the upper surface brown, irregularly margined with white, pro- ducing a mottled appearance; wings and tails brown, the primaries margined externally with yellowish green; chin and throat brown- ish black, the former minutely speckled with white; under surface of the wing buff; chest and abdomen white, striped with blackish brown on the flanks; irides dark brown; bill black; feet blackish brown. The female is like the male in plumage, but smaller in size. Total length, 5% inches; bill, $; wing, 34; tail, 23; tarsi, £. Hab. Western Australia. Me.ipuaca mystacaLis. Mel. vertice et gutture nigris; strigd superoculari angustd, albd; plumis auricularibus densis, albis, et penicillum postice acutum efficientibus. Head, chin and throat black; over the eye a narrow line of white; ears covered by a conspicuous tuft of white feathers, which are closely set and terminate in a point towards the back; upper surface brownish black, the feathers edged with white; under surface white, with a broad stripe of black down the centre of each feather; wings and tail blackish brown, conspicuously margined with bright yellow; irides brown; bill black; feet blackish brown. F 2 68 Zoological Society. Total length, 64 inches; bill, 1; wing, 3; tail, 24; tarsi, Hab. Western Australia. ar, Nearly allied to Meliphaga sericea. Piatycercus ApeLaip®. Plat. vertice, pectore, abdomine medio, crissoque coccineis ; lateribus viridescenti-flavis ; uropygio sor- — didé olivaceo-flavo. Fully adult male.—Crown of the head, lores, sides of the neck, breast and all the under surface scarlet, passing into pale greenish yellow on the flanks; cheeks and wing-coverts light lazuline blue ; primaries deep blue, passing into black at the extremity; back of the neck yellowish buff; back black, each feather broadly margined with greenish yellow, some of these marginations tinged with blue, others with scarlet; rump and upper tail-coverts dull greenish yel- low, the latter tinged with scarlet; two centre tail-feathers greenish blue; the remainder deep blue at the base, gradually becoming lighter until almost white at the tip; irides brown; bill horn-colour; feet grayish brown. Total length, 133 inches; wing, 7; tail, 8; tarsi, #. Hab. South Australia. This species is subject to great change from youth to maturity ; during the first few months it is almost wholly green, and this gra- dually gives place to scarlet on the head, rump, under surface and the margins of the back-feathers. AQUILA MORPHNOIDES. Aq. capite cristd suboccipitali brevi, or- nato; facie nigrescente : corpore subtis rufo: plumis et pectoris et abdominis strigd centrali nigra notatis. Face, crown and throat blackish brown, tinged with rufous, giving it a striated appearance, bounded in front above the nostrils with whitish ; feathers at the back of the head, which are lengthened into a short occipital crest, back of the head, back, and sides of the neck, all the under surface, thighs and under tail-coverts rufous, all but the thighs and under tail-coverts with a stripe of black down the centre of each feather ; back, rump and wings brown, the centre of the wing lighter; primaries brownish black, becoming darker at the tip, and barred throughout with grayish buff, which is conspicu- ous on the under surface, but scarcely perceptible on the upper, except at the base of the inner webs; under surface of the wing mottled with reddish brown and black ; tail mottled grayish brown, crossed by seven or eight distinct bars of blackish brown, the tips being lighter ; cere and bill lead-colour, passing into black at the tip; eye reddish hazel, surrounded by a narrow blackish brown eyelash ; feet and toes very light lead-colour. Total length, 214 inches; bill, 12; wing, 15; tail, 94; tarsi, 23. This species is very robust, and although but a small bird, is in every respect a true Aquila. It is nearly allied to, but much stouter than Aquila pennata. Hab. Yarrundi on the Upper Hunter, New South Wales. BuTro MELANOSTERNON. 3B. rostro grandi, et elongato : guld, pec- Zoological Society. 69 tore et abdomine nigris ; primariis ad basin subtis albis ; caudd cinered, Crown of the head, face, chin, chest and centre of the abdomen, deep black, passing into chestnut-red on the flanks, thighs and un- der tail-coverts ; back of the head chestnut-red, becoming black in the centre of each feather; shoulders whitish buff; all the upper surface deep brownish black, margined with chestnut-red ; primaries white at the base, deep black for the remainder of their length; cere and base of the bill purplish flesh-colour, passing into black at the tip ; irides wood-brown ; feet white tinged with lilac. Total length, 22 inches; bill, 24; wing, 194; tail, 85; tarsi, 23. This species is nearly allied to the Red-tailed Hawk of North America, and the Buteo Jackal of South Africa, but from both of these it may be distinguished by the jet-black colouring and by its more lengthened bill. During flight the white at the base of the primaries is very conspicuous, and is strikingly contrasted with the black of the chest and the brown of the other part of the wings. Hab. Interior of New South Wales. Faico nypotevcos. Fal. corpore superné cinereo-fusco : singulis plumis margine dilutiore cinctis : corpore subtis albo; plumis strigd Suscd apud apicem in maculam latam desinente, ornatis. Head and all the upper surface grayish brown, the feathers of the head having a fine stripe of black down the centre, the remainder dark brown in the centre; chin and all the under surface white, with a fine line of black down the centre, passing into a spatulate form near the tip; outer webs and tips of the primaries brownish black, the extreme ends being whitish; their inner webs whitish, crossed by numerous narrow bars, fading into a point as they approach the edge; tail gray, obscurely barred with brown, and tipped with buff, Total length 17 inches; bill, 14; wing, 124; tail, 73; tarsi, 13. Considerably smaller, but closely allied to the Jerfalcon, Falco Islandicus. Hab. Western Australia. PoDARGUS BRACHYPTERUS or MACRORHYNCHUS. Pod. rostro pre- grandi (ad magnitudinem corporis ratione habitd) et producto ; colore corporis obscuro, et minuté punctulato. Crown of the head and all the upper surface finely freckled gray and brown, with a stripe of black down the centre of each feather, the light colour predominating on the scapularies ; feathers between the eyes and the nostrils chestnut-brown, sprinkled with black and tipped with white ; shoulders and lesser wing-coverts deep reddish brown ; some of the feathers tipped with a white spot, freckled with red in the centre; greater coverts and secondaries mingled gray and reddish brown, the former tipped like the lesser coverts ; primaries reddish brown, regularly barred with buffy-white on their outer webs, and with interrupted tawny bands on their inner webs; tail light- brown, freckled with black and gray, and crossed by numerous irre- gular, narrow, dark-brown bands, freckled with gray ; .all the under ‘ 70 Zoological Society. surface grayish white, each feather crossed by numerous fine and irregular bars of tawny and with a stripe of brown down the centre, the latter colour becoming chestnut and forming a semilunar mark down each side of the neck; thighs black; irides light yellow; bill and feet brown. Total length 15 inches; bill, 25; wing, 9; tail, 7; tarsi, 12. In its general appearance this bird closely resembles the Podargus humeralis, but is even smaller in size than P. Cuvieri, while at the same time the bill is fully equal in size to that of the former species ; it also projects much farther from the face than in any other species inhabiting Australia. Hab. Swan River, Western Australia. Maturvus mextanotus. Mal. vertice, guid, abdomine, humeris, cau- deque tectricibus lazulino-ceruleis ; loris, nuchd, vittd pectorali et dorso imo nigris. Male.—Crown of the head, crescent-shaped mark on the back, upper tail-coverts, throat and under surface rich metallic lazuline blue ; ear-coverts metallic verditer-blue ; lores, collar round the back of the neck, line from the base of the lower mandible down the sides of the neck, band across the breast and lower part of the back jet- black ; wings brown, margined with pale green ; tail greenish blue, tipped with grayish white ; irides, bill and feet black. Female.—Lores rufous; head and all the upper surface rufous brown; all the under surface brownish white; tail bluish green, tipped with grayish white; bill rufous; irides blackish brown ; feet brown. Total length, 43 inches; bill, 4; wing, 2; tail, 24; tarsi, 4 This beautiful species may be distinguished from the Malurus pectoralis by its rather smaller size, and by the black band aéross the back. Hab. Western belts of the Murray in Western Australia. COLLURICINCLA BRUNNEA. Coll. corpore superneé fusco ; sic et cor- pore subtis, at colore multo dilutiore ; rostro nigro. All the upper surface pale brown; primaries and tail the same, but somewhat lighter; all the under surface brownish white, be- coming almost pure white on the vent and under tail-coverts ; thighs grayish brown; bill black ; feet blackish brown. Total length, 93 inches ; bill, 14; wing, 42; tail, 44; tarsi, 11. The sexes are alike in plumage. This species rather exceeds in size the Colluricincla cinerea, Vig. and Horsf., and has a more curved, longer and stouter bill. Hab. The north-west coast of Australia. CoLLURICINCLA RUFIVENTRIS. Coll. corpore superné intense cinereo, olivaceo leviter tincto ; abdomine imo, crissoque rufis. Lores grayish white ; crown of the head and all the upper surface deep gray, slightly tinged with olive ; primaries and tail dark brown, margined with brownish gray; throat and under surface darkish gray, passing into buff on the vent and under tail-coverts ; all the Zoological Society. 71 feathers of the under surface have a narrow dark line down the cen- tre ; thighs gray ; irides dark brown; bill black ; feet dark brown. Total length 83 inches; bill, 1; wing, 5; tail, 4}; tarsi, 1}. The sexes are alike in colour. About the size of Colluricincla cinerea, Vig. and Horsf., from which it may be distinguished by the uniform colouring of the back and the buffy tint of the lower part of the abdomen and under tail-coverts. Hab. Swan River, Western Australia. PAcCHYCEPHALA RUFOGULARIS. Pach. mas: corpore superné fusces- centi-cinereo ; guld et corpore subtis rufis ; pectore vittd fusces- centi-cinered obscure notatd. Fem. a mare differt corpore subtis albescenti-cinereo haud rufo. Male,—Crown of the head and all the upper surface deep brown- ish gray ; wings and tail dark brown, the feathers margined with grayish brown; lores, chin, throat, under surface of the shoulder and all the under surface reddish sandy brown, crossed on the breast by a broad irregular band of grayish brown; irides reddish brown; Dill black; feet blackish brown. Female.—Differs from the male in having the throat and under surface grayish white, the chest being crossed by an obscure mark of grayish brown and with a line down the centre of each feather. Total length, 7 inches; bill, $; wing, 44; tail, 35; tarsi, 1. This species is somewhat allied to P. pectoralis, but may be di- stinguished from it by the rufous colouring of the throat, and by the band across the chest being grayish brown instead of black, Hab. South Australia. PacHYCEPHALA INORNATA. Pach. olivaceo-fusca, abdomine palli- diore; plumis corporis inferioris strigd fuscd centrali leviter no- tatis. All the upper surface grayish olive; wings and tail brown, the feathers of the former broadly margined with lighter brown; all the under surface brownish gray, becoming nearly white on the vent and under tail-coverts, with a fine stripe of pale brown down each fea- ther; irides dark brown; bill blackish brown, fleshy towards the base; feet blackish brown. Total length, 7 inches ; bill, $; wing, 3%; tail, 34; tarsi, 1. This bird has somewhat the appearance of the young or female of P. gutturalis, but its larger size and shorter and more robust bill distinguish it from that species. Hab. Belts of the Murray in South Australia. ZOSTEROPS CHLORONOTUS. Zos. dorso olivaceo-viridi ; gutture et crisso virescenti-flavis. Lores black; crown of the head and all the upper surface olive- green ; primaries and tail feathers brown, margined with olive-green; throat and under tail-coverts light greenish yellow; breast and under surface gray, tinged with brown on the abdomen and flanks; irides wood-brown ; bill brown, lighter on the under mandible; legs and feet dark-gray. Total length, 4} inches; bill, ;%; wing, 24; tail, 12; tarsi, 2. Hab. Western Australia. : 72 Zoological Society. December 8.—W. H. Lloyd, Esq., in the Chair. A paper by G. B. Sowerby, Esq., was read, in which the author continues his descriptions of the new shells collected in the Philip- pine Islands by H. Cuming, Esq. Hexix Monticura. Hel. testd suborbiculari, subconicd, tenui, pal- lescente, levi; spird brevi, subpyramidali, obtusd ; anfractibus quatuor tenerrimeé (lineis increment?) striatis, depressiusculis, ulti- mo magno, obtusissime angulato, anticé depressiusculo, viridi ; aper- turd subtrapeziformi, ungulis posticis acutiusculis ; peritremate angusto, tenuitér reflexo, albo ; columellé alba. Long. 0°9; lat. 0°9 poll. Hab. supra foliis arborum apud Lallo, provincize Cagayan insule Luzon, Philippinarum. All the varieties of this pretty species are green in front, and the apex appears to be always colourless. ‘The following six varieties occur :— a. Yellow above; circumference orange-yellow; front green. From Lallo. 5. Yellow above; circumference orange-yellow, with a dark brown slightly interrupted band; green in front. From St. Jaun, in the province of Cagayan. e. Yellowish white above, with a narrow dull yellowish green circumferential band ; green in front. From Gattarang, in the pro- vince of Cagayan. d. Volutions banded in the following order: band next to the su- ture yellowish white ; then a pale green broader band; then a yel- lowish white band; then a dark brown circumferential band, with jagged edges ; then another yellowish white band, and then green in front. From Lallo. e. Small; pale yellowish, with a light band, consisting of short dark brown lines near to the suture; a dark brown circumferential band; front dull yellowish green. From St. Jaun. jf. Antesutural band consisting of irregular dark brown lines ar- ranged side by side; then a yellowish white band; then a broad, dark brown, somewhat mottled and interrupted band; then another yellowish white band, and then the green front. From Abulug, in the province of Cagayan. | Hxxix Coccometos. Hel. testd subglobosd, tenuiusculd, levi, an- Sractibus quatuor rotundatis, levigatis, striis incrementi solim in- sculptis, ultimo. maximo ; aperturd suborbiculari, peritremate re- flexo ; labio columellari albo, declivi, obtuso, depressiusculo. Long. 1°3 ; lat. 1:4 poll. Hab. supra foliis arborum ad insulam Tablas dictam Philippinarum. In general this species bears a great resemblance to a plum, for which reason I have called it H. Coccomelos. Several varieties may be distinguished. : a. Apex dark brownish red, softened off gradually to a pale yellow- green, which becomes gradually darker, until the body of the last volution is of a fine dark green: lip whites. 6. Similar to a, only dark brown instead of green. Zoological Society. 73 e. Of a uniform very dark chocolate-brown, except the second and third volutions, which have a rather paler central band: lip chocolate. d. Apex dark chocolate-brown; upper part of the spire of a pale dull yellowish colour, becoming darker and greener toward the last volution, where the ground-colour is olive-green; an antesutural dark red-brown broad band ; a circumferential band of a rather darker colour, but rather narrower, and the columellar lip surrounded by a broad dark band, which is softened off into the dark olive- “green ground-colour. e. Of an uniform pale yellow-brown, becoming very dark near the back of the lip, where it is nearly black: lip chocolate. From Cal- bayog, island of Samar : found on leaves of trees. Jf. Similar to e, but having two narrow dark brown bands: lip nearly black behind; white in front. From Calbayog. o Hexuix 1nrorta. Hel. testd suborbiculari, subdepressd, tenui, levi, anfractibus 44, ventricosis, tenuissimé striatis, plerumque palles- cente-flavidis, fasciis tribus castaneis ornatis ; aperturd sublunart, peritremate tenui, tenuiter reflexo; labio columellari rectiusculo, extus inclinato, obtuso. Long. 1; lat. 1°5 poll. Hab. Supra foliis fruticum ad Loboc, insulee Bohol, Philippinarum. Several varieties of this beautiful species occur; most of them are marked with two brown bands, and have the circumference of the columella of the same colour; one is of an uniform pale brownish colour, and another is almost entirely of a very dark chocolate colour : a white line may be observed close to the suture in most of the va- rieties. The following are the most distinct varieties :— a. Ground-colour pale yellowish; antesutural band very dark chestnut-brown ; circumferential band of the same colour, and a broad band of the same surrounding the columella. From Loboc. © 6. Similar to a, but considerably larger, and having a broader circumferential band. From Loboc. ce. Ground-colour of a pale brown hue ; bands the same as ina. d. Smaller than a@.: ground-colour pale greenish brown; bands nearly the same, but very dark and brilliant. From Loboc. e. Ground-colour pale yellowish brown ; antesutural band softened off in front ; in other respects like a. fs Ground-colour pale yellowish; bands pale chestnut-brown. From Loboc. g.- Ground-colour pale yellow; bands increasing in width toward the back of the mouth, where they unite, and where the brown colour extends from front to back of the shell: the peritreme is entirely white, and the circumference of the columella also. Found on leaves of trees on the island of Siquijor. h. Ground-colour very pale yellowish ; antesutural band very nar- row and indistinct; circumferential band broad, pale, and rather ir- regular; lip and circumference of the columella white. From the — of Siquijor. . Shell entirely of a pale lemon-yellow, except only a narrow an- 74 , Miscellaneous. tesutural dark brown band, which becomes broader towards the lip. Found on leaves of bushes at Tanhay, in the Isle of Negros. k. Ground-colour very pale yellow-brown ; a brown circumferential band, which is only perceptible on the latter half of the last volution. From Loboc. J. Shell of an uniform pale brownish colour. From Loboc. m. Apex reddish-brown; upper part of the shell pale yellowish — brown, increasing rapidly in intensity, so that nearly the whole of the last volution is of a dark chocolate-brown ; columella white ; lip nearly black. From Loboc. MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. At a meeting of the Microscopical Society held July 21st, J. S. Bowerbank, Esq., in the Chair, a paper was read from the Rey, J. B. Reade, M.A., F.R.S., on the process of charring vegetable tissue, as applied to the examination of the stomata in the epidermis of Garden Rhubarb. The author, after mentioning the great advantages derivable from charring objects for the microscope, which he first suggested, goes on to state that it is peculiarly advantageous for ex- hibiting delicate membranes, which cannot from their transparency be well seen by the ordinary method of viewing objects, in water between glasses. It having long been a disputed point with bota- nists, whether the stomata in plants were open or closed by a mem- brane, the author was led to examine the subject, and for this pur- pose took the cuticle of the common garden rhubarb, which was obtained by macerating the sheaths investing the flower-stalks for a few days in water and then charring it; from his observations he arrives at the following conclusions: That the application of the process of charring proves beyond a doubt, that the stomata in this tissue of the rhubarb are distinct openings into the hollow chambers of the parenchyma of the leaf; that the perforation is the rule and not the exception in the structure; and that the exception, where it exists, 7. e. where the stomata are closed, proves the existence of the overlying membrane discovered and described by Dr. Brown. Some discussion then followed, in which Messrs. Gray, Lindley, and Quekett took a part. MISCELLANEOUS. Analogies of European and Indian Geology,— Notwithstanding the difficulty of establishing the identity in remote quarters of the world, of rocks so vaguely characterized as the saliferous marls, yet when we have coal-measures affording a certain fixed point, or land- mark to guide us, we cannot be very far out in fixing upon the green marls, or often friable sandstone, which extend along the lower ridges of many parts of the great Himalayan chain, immediately ad- joining the plains of Hindostan, as the Indian equivalent of the beds "in question. Along the southern side of Assam we have the same rocks as well as brine-springs, and an earthy limestone, probably Miscellaneous. "5 equivalent to the English lias. On the face of the Cherra mountain the green marl rests unconformably on old red sandstone (or that on which the coal formation rests), and gives support to the deposits of sand in which the marine remains are contained. It is here by no means destitute of fossils as in other localities; on the contrary, we found in it six species of univalve shells, a small species of Echinus and a large spined Cidaris. Ina note which we made on the cha- racters of a fragment of rock brought away from a submerged reef near Arracan, by the hull of a ship which struck upon it, we pointed out the resemblance between its appearance and that of the green conglomerates in question*. ** A description of the salt formations at the head of the Indus, and their relative position to the coal-measures recently found there by Mr. Jameson, will be the means of casting much important light on this subject in regard to India, and we have fortunately in the gen- tleman alluded to a geologist near the spot, fully alive to the import- ance of this and other questions of a similar nature. Another equally important question is the situation of the great repositories of salt in the vicinity of Ajmeer and other situations in Central India, where salt lakes abound. Lieut. Fraser, of the Engineers, we recollect, sent us a fragment of rock-salt, which was found imbedded in a ba- saltic rock when sinking a well at Mhow, about three feet from the surface. We have not heard that this curious fact has led to any further discovery or research in the neighbourhood alluded to. ‘It would be extremely important if we could establish good distin- guishing characters between the limestone of the coal-measures and that of the more ancient formations, but this, if a matter of difficulty in. England, is at least an equally difficult thing in India. It is true, the subject has here been as yet little investigated, but we cannot place the least confidence in those practical men who employ names without thinking of their meaning, and speak confidently of lias, and carboniferous limestone, primitive limestone, &c., according as they happen to suppose any particular specimen they meet with in India to be one or other. The limestone so abundant in Kemaon, as to form the greater portion of that mountainous district, is so much like the limestone of the coal-measures at Cherra Ponji, that no one unacquainted with the peculiar relations of the two rocks would sup- pose them to be at all different. The geologist, however, perceives the vast difference between them at once: the one reposes on clay- slate, the other on sandstone; the one occurs in thick continuous beds, the other alternates with shale; the one abounds in fossils, which scientific men alone would think of looking for, and in the other the geologist alone would know that he might look for fossils in vain. Speaking of the difference between the limestone of the Silurian system and that of Coalbrook dale, Mr. Murchison says, that the organic remains, which are in great profusion in the latter, con- sist of shells and corals which are characteristic of the carboniferous limestone in many other parts of Great Britain, and never occur in * Journ. Beng. As. Soc. 1838, p. 936. 76 Miscellaneous. the inferior limestones of the Silurian system. Among these the most prominent are the large Productus hemisphericus, and many co- rals, including Lithodendron sexdecimale (Clodocora of Ehrenberg), which is so abundant that it constitutes the greater part of the layers of black calcareous shale which divide the beds of limestone. ‘The black limestone in which these remains are found is overlaid by a sandstone which separates it from the productive coal-beds, and is underlaid by strata belonging to the lower limestone. “« Mr. Murchison particularly alludes to a specimen of Lithosortion floriforme, a species of coral two feet five inches broad by one and a half high, which appeared in a quarry to retain the original position in which it grew, and conveyed the impression that it had remained undisturbed beneath the sea, while fine red sand at one time, and mud at another, were deposited around it. ‘« These corals are also found in the limestone of the Cherra Ponji coal-measures ; and in a large heap of limestone collected by Mr. Inglis of Chattack, for the purpose of burning for lime, I found the first fossil I had observed in a similar rock in India, thus indi- cating the presence of a coal district. The object of the journey would not, however, admit of my visiting the quarry, but there can be no question that the rock alluded to is connected with the nume- rous indications of coal formations that have been found in that vici- nity. One other corresponding character may be mentioned between the Cherra Ponji coal-beds and those of Coalbrook dale, namely, that the coal-measures do not graduate downwards into the older rocks. The limestone of Cherra, which alternates with beds of sandstone and shale, seems to rest immediately on the old red sandstone, as in the Coalbrook dale beds. Mr. Murchison observes, that the carboniferous limestone has not in Coalbrook dale any regular downward passage into the old red sandstone, as in other districts; on the contrary, the old red terminates at the southern end of the tract, and has never been found beneath the coal-measures. On the north bank of the Severn the underlying stratified rocks throughout the productive coal- field consists of various members of the Silurian system. ‘«« Mr. Murchison concludes his observations on this coal-field by a notice of the faults and dislocations occasioned by trap rocks. The district affords proofs of having been raised up from beneath the sur- rounding new red sandstone in separate wedge-shaped tracts, the most remarkable dislocation being that which bounds the coal-field to the east. The coal-measures along this line are not less than 1000 feet thick, and as some of the lower seams of coal are thrown up to the level of the overlying strata of new red sandstone, the upcast is thus shown to have exceeded 1000 feet, though to what further extent has not yet been ascertained. It will be recollected that we formerly explained the elevated position of the Cherra coal- measures in precisely the same way that Mr. Prestwich and Mr. Murchison now account for the great upcast of the Coalbrook dale field*, the only difference in the two cases being, that in India the * See Report of a Committee for phar tae the Coal and Mineral Re- sources of India. Calcutta, 1838, p. 24. Miscelluneous. ED dislocation is not confined to the coal-measures, but extends to the old red sandstone, the whole series of which, with the coal-measures reposing on them, having been at Cherra Ponji thrown 3000 feet above those which have been recently found by Major Lister and others at the bottom of the same mountains. It is of much import- ance to draw comparisons between geological phenomena of this na- ture in remote parts of the earth, as tending not only to put our theories to the test, but also to correct and give confidence to our views, which, however complicated they may appear when derived from a narrow field of observation, become gradually simplified and important in proportion as our data become general.””—M‘Clelland’s Calcutta Journal of Natural History. Suggestions for Experiments on the Conservation of Vegetative Powers in Seeds, circulated by a Committee of the British Asso- ciation.— These experiments are intended to determine the follow- ing questions :— | 1. What is the longest period during which the seeds of any plant under any circumstances can retain their vegetative powers ? 2. What is the extent of this period in each of the natural orders, genera and species of plants? and how far is it a distinctive cha- racter of such groups ? 3. How far is the extent of this period dependent on the apparent characters of the seed ; such as size, hardness of covering, hardness of internal substance, oiliness, mucilage, &c. ? 4. What are the circumstances of situation, temperature, dryness, seclusion from the atmosphere, &c. most favourable to the preser- vation of seeds ? - To answer these questions satisfactorily will require the accumu- lation of a large mass of facts; and although there are many diffi- culties in the way of such an investigation, and many years may elapse before it can be brought to maturity, yet it is desirable that. the British Association should commence the collection of materials for the purpose. It is proposed then to invite botanists and others to undertake the following series of experiments, and to communi- cate the results to the British Association. _- These experiments are either Retrospective or Prospective. A. RETROSPECTIVE EXPERIMENTS. 1. By collecting samples of ancient soils from situations where vegetation cannot now take place, and by exposing these soils to air, light, warmth, and moisture, to ascertain whether any, and if any, what, species of plants spontaneously vegetate in them. N.B.—Care must of course be taken that no seeds obtain ad- mittance into these soils from external sources,—such as the air or water introduced to promote vegetation. These ancient soils are either natural or artificial deposits. The natural deposits belong either to past geological periods or to the recent period. | a. The deposits of past periods are either secondary or tertiary. N.B.—There seems every reason to believe that the age even of the latest of these deposits is far beyond the maximum 78 Miscellaneous. period through which vegetative powers can be preserved ; yet as many accounts are recorded of seeds vegetating spon- taneously in such soils, it would be well to set these state- ments at rest by actual experiment. In such experiments, state the formation, and describe the geolo- gical phenomena of the locality, together with the depth from the present surface at which the soil was obtained. b. Natural deposits of the recent period may be classed as fol- lows :-— Alluvions of rivers. Tidal warp land. Shell marl. Peat. Surface-soil buried by landslips. Ditto ditto by volcanic eruptions. ) In these cases, state the nature of the soil, the depth from the sur- face, &c.; and especially endeavour to obtain an approximate date to each specimen of soil, by comparing its depth from the surface with the present rate of deposition, or by consulting historical re- cords. It would be well to submit to experiment a series of samples of soil taken from successive depths at the same locality. e. Artificial deposits are as follows :— Ancient tumuli. Ancient encampments. The soil beneath the foundation of buildings. The soil with which graves, wells, mines, or other excava- tions have been filled up. Ridges of arable land, &c. ' In these cases, state, as before, the depth from the surface, and ascertain from historical sources the approximate age of the deposit. 2. By trying experiments on actual seeds which exist in artificial repositories. These are,— Seeds in old herbaria and botanical museums. Seeds obtained from mummies, funereal urns, at Pompeii, Herculaneum, &c. : Dated samples of old seeds from nurserymen and seedsmen. In these cases, state the circumstances in which the seeds have been preserved, and their date as nearly as it can be ascertained. B. Prospective EXPERIMENTS. In this department of the inquiry, it is proposed to form de- posits of various kinds of seeds under different conditions, and to place a portion of them at successive periods under circumstances calculated to excite the process of vegetation. In the case of cer- tain species or families of plants, it would perhaps require many cen- turies to determine the limit of their vegetative powers, yet it is probable that a very few years would suffice to fix the maximum duration of the greater number, and that many interesting results might thus be obtained even by the present generation of botanists. It-is proposed then to form a collection of the seeds of a great variety of plants, (including, wherever it is possible, at least one species of every genus,) and to pack them up (carefully labelled) Meteorological Observations. 19 either alone, or mixed with various materials, as sand, sawdust, melted wax or tallow, clay, garden mould, &c. in various vessels, as glass bottles, porous earthen jars, wooden boxes, metal cases, &c., placed in various situations, as under-ground, in cellars, dry apart- ments, &c. At certain intervals increasing in extent,—say at first every two years, then every five, every ten, and, at the lapse of a century, every twenty years, a small number (say twenty) of each kind of seed, from each combination of circumstances, to be taken out and sown in an appropriate soil and temperature, and an exact register kept of the number of seeds which vegetate compared with those which fail. Should it appear desirable for this project to be carried out by the British Association, they might most. effectually accomplish it hy committing a collection of seeds, formed on the above plan, to some qualified person, whose duty it should be, in consideration of a small annual stipend, to take charge of them, and at stated periods to select. portions for experiment, keeping an accurate register of the results. In this manner it is believed, that in regard to the large majority of plants, the limit of their vegetative durability would be deter- mined in a very few years, and that a large mass of vulgar errors on this subject, which now pass current for facts, would be cancelled and exploded. N.B.—The most effectual way of exciting vegetation in seeds of great antiquity, is to sow them in a hot-bed, under glass, and in a light soil moderately watered. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR JULY 1841. Chiswick.—July 1. Overcast. 2. Hazy: overcast and fine: slight rain. 3. Hazy and mild: very fine. 4, 5. Very fine. 6. Rain: fine. 7. Fine: rain, 8. Fine: clear. 9. Very fine. 10. Fine: rain. 11. Overcast. 12. Cloudy and mild. 13. Cloudy. 14. Showery. 15. Heavy thunder-showers : constant heavy rain. 16, Cloudy. 17,18. Fine. 19. Very fine. 20. Heavy rain. 21. Overcast: rain, 22. Cloudy. 23. Cloudy and fine. 24, 25. Cloudy. 26,27. Light haze: fine. 28. Cloudy. 29. Cold and dry: cloudy: slight rain. 30. Fine but cool. 31. Rain: cloudy.—The quantity of rain which fell on the 15th was unusually great, amounting to nearly an inch and a half in the course of the twenty-four hours. Boston.—July 1. Rain. 2. Cloudy. 3. Fine. 4. Cloudy: rain pw. 5, Cloudy. 6. Rain and stormy: rain early a.m.: rainr.m. 7. Cloudy: rain p.m. 8. Fine. 9. Cloudy: rainr.m. 10. Fine: rain early a.m. 11. Cloudy. 12. Fine: raine.m. 13. Cloudy: raine.m. 14. Fine. 15, 16. Fine: rain p.m. 17. Fine. 18. Cloudy: rainr.m. 19. Fine: rainp.m. 20. Rain: rainy day. 21. Cloudy: rainr.m. 22. Cloudy: rain p.m., with thunder and lightning. 23. Cloudy: rainr.m. 24—28. Cloudy. 29. Cloudy and stormy: rain a.m. and P.M. 30. Fine. 31. Cloudy : thunder and lightning v.m. Applegarth Manse, Dumfries-shire.—July 1. Fine: one shower. 2. Fine and fair, but cloudy. 3. Sunshine and rain. 4. Slight showers. 5. Rain all day. 6. Fajr and fine. 7. Cloudy a.m.: fine p.m. 8. Fine: one shower. 9. The same. 10. Wet afternoon. 11. Slightshowers. 12. Slight showers, but heavier. 13. Heavy showers: thunder. 14. Incessant showers. 15. Heavy rain till noon. 16. Fair and fine. 17. Fair but threatening. 18. Fair and warm: thunder. 19, Fine with a few drops. 20, 21. Rain e.m. 22. Slight showers. 23. Cloudy but fair, 24, Fine all day. 25. Remarkably fine. 26. Showers. 27. Showers P.M, 28. Oneslight shower. 29, Fair throughout. 30. Fair but threatening, 31, Fair with a few drops. EE PLE OSE 1-67) 19| 09 |00-0S/19-89 Z89-62| 189-62 62-62% | VOL-6z | LL8-6z “Uz cyl Giekts I. 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No. 49. OCTOBER 1841. ; the entering folds of enamel are very simple, there being but one external and one internal deep fold to each tooth. In Orycterus the upper incisors are shorter and much more curved, and are furnished with a deep longitudinal groove in front ; those of the lower jaw are destitute of grooves, are very deep from front to back, and slightly concave at the sides. The molars are 4—%, nearly cylindrical, but their antero-pos- terior diameter is the shortest, excepting in the front molar of the lower jaw. In the skulls before me the teeth are worn, and exhibit scarcely any trace of folds of enamel entering into the body of the tooth. In both genera the enamel of the incisors is colourless, and the incisors of the lower jaw are extended backwards to the condyle. The skull of the Bathyergide is rather broad, much con- tracted between the orbits, and (as in other Rodents which live for the most part underground*) the cranial cavity is pro- portionally small. The nasal bones are narrow and elongated. In Orycterus they are nearly of equal width throughout, whilst in Bathyergus capensis they are considerably broader behind than before. The anterior root of the zygomatic arch is formed entirely of the superior maxillary bone, and incloses a small ant-orbital opening: the lower boundary of the zygo- matic process of the maxillary is slightly concave, so that the anterior portion of the zygomatic arch is slightly thrown up from the plane of the palate. This is more decidedly the case in Bathyergus Capensis, in which the ant-orbital foramen is rather larger. The malar bone is of moderate size, and is ex- tended backwards so as to enter into the composition of the glenoid-cavity. The portion of the palate situated between the molar teeth is remarkably contracted, and this part de- scends below the level of the anterior portion of the palate, and is continued some distance beyond the last molar. The incisive foramina are very small, and there are no openings in the posterior portion of the palate. The glenoid cavity of the temporal bone is very broad. In Orycterus the posterior por- tion of the. malar bone forms a longitudinal ridge, which no doubt tends to restrain to a certain extent the lateral motion of the condyles of the lower jaw, but in B. capensis this ridge is wanting. The auditory bulle are of moderate size—larger in Orycterus maritimus than in B. capensis. In the former animal the upper surface of the skull forms nearly a straight * Compare the skull of the burrowing Marmots with that of their con- geners the Squirrels, and that of Spalax with the Rats. Mr. G. R. Waterhouse on the Rodentia. 83 line in the longitudinal direction, being but slightly arched, and the plane of the occiput is vertical; whereas in B. Capensis the plane of the occiput is slightly oblique, receding from the upper part. Lower Jaw.—The lower jaw has the descending ramus (a) Plate II, thrown out from the outer side of the alveolus of the inferior incisor (0). In Bathyergus Capensis the descending ramus approaches somewhat to a semicircular form : its greatest extent is in the longitudinal direction of the jaw, and its greatest depth is be- neath the condyle; in front it is curved suddenly upwards and inwards so as to form an obtuse angle at (c). In Orycterus maritimus the descending ramus is thrown much more boldly out from the alveolar portion of the jaw, and is of very great extent; the lower part is curved inwards, and the posterior part is produced far beyond the line of the condyle, becoming gradually narrower towards the extremity. The coronoid process is small in these two genera, and situ- ated in a line with the last molar. The condyloid process is short, and the articular surface is large and rounded. As regards the characters furnished by the skull and lower jaw, the present group is very isolated. In the structure of the molar teeth and in the contracted form of the palate be- tween them, Bathyergus approaches most nearly to Spalax*, but in other cranial characters there is a wide difference. The skull of the animal figured by Dr. Ruppell under the name Bathyergus splendens agrees in most of its characters with that of Spalav, and in some respects links that genus with Rhizomys; here the ant-orbital foramen is of moderate * I was induced, owing to the remarkable form of the lower jaw, to place Spalax near to Geomys, but upon re-examination I fear I have given too much weight to that character. This genus I have no doubt will prove an aberrant form of the Muride, and I think it will be more correct to regard the Arvicolide as constituting a subfamily of that group than as a section of equal importance. Since the publication of the former parts of this paper I have had an opportunity of examining several skulls belonging to species of these sections which I had not before seen. The skull of Rhizomys I was only acquainted with through Temminck’s figure ; the skull itself I have now examined, and I am quite satisfied that the animal belongs to the family Muride. The skull of Ascomys mexicanus I find agrees in all essential characters with that of Geomys (see fig. 71. p. 596, Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. iii. New Series). The differences between dscomys, Geomys, Diplostoma (Richardson) and Pseudostoma are, it appears to me, not of sufficient im- portance to entitle them to rank as distinct genera. These genera or sub- genera form a very natural little section of the Arvicolida, differing from the more typical species of that group in having 4 molars, and these small and of very simple structure, and also in the absence of any ant-orbital fo- ramen for the transmission of a portion of the masseter muscle: the very small slit found-at the root of the zygoma in these animals evidently serves only to admit the passage of the ant-orbital nerve. G2 84 Mr. Hassall on the Functions performed by the Hairs size and opens obliquely upwards, the coronoid process is long as in Spalax, the lower incisor runs backwards and out- wards, and the thin layer of bone covering its base forms a protuberance (d) on the outer side of the condyle (e), in this respect resembling both Rhizomys and Spalax. The descend- ing ramus springs from the under side of the alveolus of the inferior incisor, and not from the outer side, as in the true Bathyergide. 'The posterior part of the descending ramus is not directed outwards, as in Spalax; but is on the same plane as the horizontal ramus, as in Rhizomys. The molar teeth agree closely with those of Spalax, as well as with Ba- thyergus, being nearly cylindrical, of equal size, and having but one external and one internal fold of enamel ; the incisors are proportionally broader than in Spalaz. The great difference between the skull of Bathyergus splen- dens and that of Spalax typhlus consists in the form of the occiput, it being vertical in the former, or very nearly so; but I very much suspect that the peculiar form of occiput which we observe in Spalax typhlus (which is the only species of the genus the skull of which I have seen) does not constitute a character indicative of affinity. I think it very likely to vary in the different species of the genus. On the whole, it appears to me, that the animal called Ba- thyergus splendens by Ruppell should be removed from the genus in which he has placed it, and might be arranged either with the species of Spalax or perhaps between that genus and Rhizomys, and I think it probable Rodents may hereafter be found connecting the Bathyergide with these genera. 7 EXPLANATION OF PLATE II, Fig. 1. Skull of Orycterus mariti-| Fig.2a. Lowerjaw'of Bathyergus ca- mus. pensis, viewed from beneath. - 1a. Under side of do. 2 b. Side view of do. 1 6. Under side of lower jaw. Fig. 3. Bathyergus splendens of Rup- a,a. Descending ramus, pell. b. Alveolus of incisor. 3 a. Side view of skull. 1 c. Lower jaw viewed from above, 3 4. Lower jaw, view from above. 1 d. Side view of do. d. Termination of incisor. Fig. 2. Bathyergus capensis. e. Condyle. X.—Observations* on the Functions performed by the Hairs on the Stigma in Campanulaceze, Composite, and other Plants. By ArrHuR Hiuu Hassautz, M.R.C.S.L., Corre- sponding Member of the Dublin Natural History Society. I HAveE read with much interest some observations by M. Adolphe Brongniart on the ‘ Functions of the Hairs on the * The principal of these observations were written during the summer of ast year. a Ann.d Mag. Nat 7ist VolL8&PLi. 7 eatin. aa 3 FBVAOUS 1AAPTCEMNMS. 2BACHVAGUS CAPCHSLS. Meter house ded? IBathyergus splerilers of Tuppelt, TDC Sowerhy foutp. on the Stigma in Campanulacee, &c. 85 Stigma in the Fecundation of Campanulacez,’ contained in a recent Number of the ‘ Annals,’ and translated by W. A. Leighton, Esq. To this subject, previously to the appearance of these remarks, I had paid some attention. I do not, how- ever, concur in all the conclusions arrived at by that able in- vestigator. If the flower-bud of any of the Campanule be examined a day or two prior to the expansion of the corolla, the sta- mens will be observed to envelope and conceal the whole sur- face of the pistil. Ifit be again examined, about the period of the unfolding of the blossom, the anthers may be seen to open and disclose their contents. As soon as this has oc- curred, the stamens having performed the office allotted them, begin to wither away, in consequence of the juices destined for their nourishment being now directed into a new channel. The pistil, immediately on the dehiscence of the anthers, in- creases rapidly in size, carrying with it in its upward pro- gress, (as by a brush) by means of the hairs upon its surface, the pollen granules. This increase, amounting frequently to thrice the original length of the pistil, arises, partly, from the excitation of the new action now set up in it, but mainly from the accession of the nutriment formerly sent to the stamens, but now no longer required by them. These hairs are found in all the Campanulacee, save only the small genus Petromarula, extending from the base of the style to the apex of the stigma, externally, and arranged in lines, corresponding in number and position with the sta- mens ; they are directed horizontally and slightly curved at their extremities. Their surface is lubricated by a secretion, or perhaps, I should rather say, an exudation, serving to retain the pollen in contact with them. ‘The office per- formed by these hairs is undoubtedly purely mechanical, acting, first, as collectors of the pollen, and subsequently, as props, to sustain it in contact with the fecundating surface— entangled amidst the hairs it is not readily scattered or dis- turbed. Adolphe Brongniart’s account of the anatomy of the hairs I consider to be satisfactory ; although I do not deem his comparison of their retractile movements to that of cer- tain Annelides, or the tentacula of snails, to be at all analo- gous, the phenomenon in the latter cases being voluntary and vital, the result of complex organization ; and, in the former, merely mechanical, presenting nothing peculiar or extraor- dinary in its nature, but arising simply from the absorption or drying up of the fluid contained in the hair itself, and in the expansion at its base*. * The retraction of the hairs does not take place until some days after the application of the pollen, the greater part of which then falls offin con- 86 Mr. Hassall on the Stigma in Campanulacee, &c. M. Brongniart states, “that the pollen grains undergo no modification either during their application to the hairs or when drawn along with them in their retractile movement, and con- sequently no connexion exists between them and the interior of the style.” From this it follows, that fertilization can only take place through the medium of what are considered to be true stigmas, viz. the internal surfaces of the three (occasion- ally four) diverging rays on the top of the style. This state- ment is wholly opposed to the result of my investigations. The outer of the mass of pollen grains adherent to the hairs. certainly suffer no material change; but if those in contact with the style be examined, a single pollen tube of consider- able length may be observed to pass from the greater number of the granules, apparently losing itself in the tissue of the style, which I believe it to penetrate through the interspaces between the hairs. This view of the matter is further sup- ported by the following corroborative evidence. Ist. The great mass of pollen collected on these hairs, contrasted with the small quantity, or even occasional absence of it, on what is called the true stigmatic surface. 2ndly. The structure of the surface itself—it being covered with papilla resembling the hairs themselves in all save length. 3rdly. That this surface sometimes does not expand, and when it does, frequently but toa small extent, and this only when the process of fertili- zation is evidently far advanced, and the flower itself some- times even beginning to fade. From the observation of these facts, I have come to the conclusion, that not only the surface of the true stigma, but more particularly of that portion of the style itself which is covered with hairs, is essentially concerned in the fecundation of Campanulacee. These collecting hairs are by no means peculiar to the Cam- panulz, but exist in the whole of the family Composite, and im many genera of other orders. I have observed them in Col- lomia grandiflora, Veronica chamedrys, Hyacinthus orientalis, Ivia maculata, Haworthia radula, Godetia rubicunda, and Epilobium hirsutum. In the Composite they are admirably adapted to the office they are destined to perform, viz. that of harrowing up the pollen grains, being all sloped upwards and terminating in a sharp point. These hairs in Haworthia ra- dula cover the true stigmatic surface, are longest near the cir- cumference, and become mere papille towards the centre of the stigma. In Veronica chamedrys they also cover the stigmatic surface, but a depression is to be observed in the middle free sequence of the loss of their support.—Adolphe Brongniart speaks of this retraction of the hairs as presenting a phenomenon unexampled in the vegetable kingdom. Capt. S. E. Widdrington on European Pines. 87 from hairs, while in Jvia they are arranged along the edges of the stigmata. It is however to the structure of the stigmata of Epilobium hirsutum and Godetia rubicunda that I would par- ticularly call attention, conceiving them to confirm in the strongest manner my opinion that the stigmatic function in the Campanulacee is not limited to that part which is usually considered to constitute the proper stigma. ‘These are quadri- partite, and each division of their true stigmatic surface is covered with hairs precisely resembling those of the Campa- nulaceze. I am about to try an experiment, the issue of which will determine the truth or fallacy of my deductions, as far as the Campanulacez are concerned. As each flower of Campanula pyramidalis comes into blossom, I intend to cut. away the whole of the true stigmatic branches, leaving only the lower portion of the style covered with hairs and pollen. Should perfect seeds ripen upon this plant, the question will, I think, be satisfactorily decided. | August 1841. X1I.—On some species of European Pines. By Capt. 8. E. Wipprineton*, R.N. In a paper which was read before the British Association at Newcastle (Ann. Nat. Hist., vol. iil. p. 163), the two species of P. austriaca and P. Pumilio were not fully described, nor their places in the system as to elevation assigned. This de- ficiency, which was caused by my not having seen these spe- cies growing in their natural sites, a recent tour in Austria and Upper Germany has enabled me to supply. The Pinus austriaca of the English, P. nigrescens of the German botanists, partly covers, as it no doubt once did en- tirely, the plain of Austria to the south and east of Vienna. “There is an extensive remnant of it between Neustadt and the, foot of the Semering range, which divides Austria and Styria. It also partly clothes the hills near Baden ; but in ascending the range it soon disappears, and is replaced by the spruce and Scotch firs. I am not aware of its being seen to the north of the localities | have mentioned, nor in the northern pro- longation of the range, there called the Wiener Wald. In Styria I never saw it to the north of the river Muhr ; but it ranges to the south of Styria, forming a sort of link between the European pine series and that of the Caucasus and of Asia. On considering the elevation and geography of these ha- * Late Cook. Read in the Section of Zoology and Botany at the meeting ‘of the British Association, Plymouth, and communicated by the Author. See his paper on Pinus and Abies, Ann. Nat. Hist., vol. iii. p. 296. 88 Capt. S. E. Widdrington on European Pines. bitats, it must undoubtedly be placed in the zone below P. sy/- vestris. At the same time there is no question that it is suffi- ciently hardy to resist any cold to which it is liable to be ex- posed in these islands. The thermometer at Vienna fell last winter to 19° of Reaumur, and in 1830 to 22°, or nearly 18° below zero of Fahrenheit, a degree I believe seldom, if ever, seen in Britain, at least in modern times. This species is very nearly connected with P. taurica or Pallasiana ; the foliage is scarcely to be distinguished ; but on comparing the cones of the two species, as grown in the Bota- nical Garden at Vienna, I was struck with a difference in the form of the seales, and had the satisfaction of being imme- diately told that the same remark had been made by Mr. Brown, who had examined them. As, however, experience has shown me the mistakes which are made by judging of pines from spe- cimens grown in gardens, and especially in nursery grounds, where the treatment sometimes entirely alters the habit of the tree, I made application for, and was promised by the en- lightened director of the botanical department, Mr. End- licher, cones of both species taken from the natural forests at the proper season, which will probably enable the question of their identity or distinctness to be decided. From the quick growth of this tree, the great beauty of its foliage, which is long, thick and tangled, and of the deepest green, as well as the great value of the timber, which the Austrian woodmen consider superior to that of P. sylvestris, it cannot be too strongly recommended to the attention of planters. It is equally fitted for the forest or the park, for use or for ornament, and its deep tints would form an admirable contrast with the light and transparent foliage of the elegant Pinus hispanica. The country is very much indebted to Mr. Lawson of Edinburgh, who first introduced this interesting species, and it cannot be too generally used with the Laricio, a congener, as a substitute for the Pinaster, which has rather unfortunately been tried in some parts of the West of England, the timber being comparatively valueless, and in every other respect very inferior to the species we are now considering. It cannot be too strongly urged on those who have the care of making fir plantations for future utility, to plant the ever- greens, which are to remain, at the requisite distances, and to have the fillings-up entirely of larch. By adopting this method several advantages accrue. The woodmen make no mistakes in selecting, during the process of thinning, and no spaces are left too open or too close. The evergreens, which require more or less care when young, are more readily looked after, and their places supplied where necessary, in case of failure. The larch should be planted a year or two before the ever- Capt. S. E. Widdrington on European Pines. 89 greens, by which time the grass is grown, and affords a shelter and protection against the destruction of game, &c. The tri- fling difference in the shelter between the evergreen and deci- duous species is more apparent than real, and is more than compensated by the superior value of the larch thinning and the additional fertility imparted to the soil by the fall of the spicule. By having only a definite number of evergreens, the landlord can afford to have better sorts, and expend more care upon the rearing and looking after them. On Pinus Pumilio. I have found the difficulty of obtaining information respect- ing this curious tree so great, that if, from the inspection of the beautiful specimens at Dropmore and in some other col- lections, I had not been quite satisfied of its being a distinct species, I might have been incredulous, and in the words of the schools, asked, “ Quid est Pumilio?” or in the summary mode of writers and compilers who treat on trees they never saw in their natural forests, set it down as a “ mountain va- riety” of some other species. All doubt however on the sub- ject my late tour in Upper Germany has completely enabled me to set aside, and more satisfactorily than I could possi- bly have anticipated. I first met with it, though sparingly, in Upper Styria. In the Saltzkammergut it is abundant, though high up, and above the Scotch and spruce, which form the mass of the forests in that beautiful region. By far the largest portion was met with in the Bavarian Alps, which it inhabits from the base almost to the summit, and in every sort of ground ; an extensive swamp or morass adjoining the Chiemsee, the principal lake of Bavaria, is covered with it, and the effect of its dwarf and even surface a few feet above the ground is curiously contrasted with the lofty forests of spruce and Scotch fir which surround the marsh wherever the ground is sufficiently dry to bear them. Although it flourishes in this strange locality, where no other fir or scarcely any other tree can exist, marshy ground is by no means its only or favoured habitat. In the neigh- bouring mountains, where it is extremely abundant, I found it at the base of the chain, in the dry gravelly beds of the tor- rents, and it gradually creeps up the arid limestone to the very summit of the range which separates Bavaria and the Austrian Tyrol, living above its congeners of the forest and to the very limits of arboreal vegetation. When seen in these situations from below, it could not, by the unpractised eye, be distinguished from furze or gorse. The peculiar form of this tree consists in its having no 90 _ M. Hering on new Alge regular leader. Immediately above the ground it divides into a number of smaller stems and branches, which either sweep along the ground, their extremities pointing upwards, or rise at once at an angle of 30° to 45°, according as the neighbours or the locality have permitted it to expand. Very rarely— amongst countless thousands I did not see above one or two examples—one tree makes an attempt to grow straight and throws up a single stem, but the failure of attaining size or _ elevation shows in these instances the creeping, true habit of the tree. The height attained is rarely above 5 or 6 feet, the diameter of the largest trees being from 20 to 25 feet; though this size is rare, and the appearance is so regular, that in looking over an extensive level planted with it, it is quite as even as the surface of a gorse cover. | The foliage in form and colour resembles that of P. unci- nata, but the spiculze are shorter, though standing out in the peculiarly rigid manner of that species. The cones are small, dark-coloured, and differ from both P. sylvestris and P. un- cinata. From the localities it inhabits it must be placed very high in the series, by the side of P. Cembra and P. uncinata. I have been the more particular in describing this singular spe- cies, in order to guard those who may not have the opportu- nity of seeing it in situ from confounding it, as so many who ought to know better have done, with the stunted individuals of P. Cemobra, P. sylvestris and P. uncinata, which are always found at the summit of their respective zones in the high Alps and Pyrenees, and have been called and compiled un- der the general name of Pumilio. As to the ceconomical uses of this tree, it is clear they amount to very little, its wood being only used for inlaying for furniture, such as parts of chairs and the like. To those, however, who possess extensive parks, by planting them fifteen feet apart, and taking care of them during their early growth, they would be curious and useful covers for game. XII.— Diagnoses Algarum novarum a cl. Dre. Ferdinand Krauss in Africéd Australi lectarum, auctore Dno. HeRine, Stuttgartiensi*. Conferva natalensis, Hering. Pilis simplicibus tenuissimis, articulis diametro sesquilongioribus, superioribus equalibus. Conferva implexa, Dillw. proxima. Port Natal. Dasya tenella, Hg. Fronde continua, tereti, vage ramosa, ramulis bipinnatis, divaricatis. * Communicated by Mr. Daniel Cooper. collected in Africa by Dr. Krauss. 91 Frons vix uncialis, crassitie capillari, hyalina; granula angulata, coccinea, in fronde hyalina seriatim digesta ; ad Port Natal, ste- rilis. 222*. Bryopsis setacea, Hg. Pilis setaceis, silssainonits apice plu- mosis. Fila tenacia, nitida, 2—3-pollicaria, setacea, simplicia vel rarius ramulo laterali instructa, apice ramentis brevibus, simplicissimis, lanceolato-pinnata. Color obscure viridis, charte arcté adheret. Bryops. Balbisiane proxima. Hab. ad Port Natal Point, Africee me- ridionalis, scopulis littoralibus insidens. Caulerpa filiformis, Hg. Frondibus planis, linearibus, subdichotomis, integerrimis. Surculus cylindricus, aitioraiia, stramineus, inferné emittens radices fibrosas, fasciculatas ; frons spithamza, adscendens, basi cylin- drica, annulato-rugosa, deinde plana, linearis, integerrima, sub- dichotoma, lineam lata; color gramineus, substantia membra- nacea. Synon. Amphibolis filiformis, Sch. Var. 8. Fronde latiore ligulata. Var. y. Fronde breviore palmata. Forsan distincta species Caulerpa palmata nominanda. Ad Cape Lagullas, Africee meridionalis, in arena repens. Alsidium ericoides, Hg. Fronde tereti, continua, filiformi, ramosa ; ramentis brevibus, subarticulatis, subulatis, densé imbricatis ves- tita. Radix callus exiguus, frons spithamea, teres, ramosa, pyramidata, ramenta obtusiuscula, zonis obscurioribus notata. Hab. ad Port Natal. Sub Rhodomela ericoides in collectione signata. Spherococcus (Chondrus) scutellatus, Hg. Fronde compressa, dicho- toma, segmentis linearibus ; capsulis sphericis in margine disco- que ramulorum sessilibus, scutellatis. Habitus Spheroc. crispi var. linearis; frons cartilaginea, bipolli- caris, vix lineam lata, segmentis superioribus cuneatis, obtusis ; color exsiccati atro-purpureus. Spherococcus (Gigartina) nodiferus, Hg. Fronde cartilaginea, tereti, subdichotoma, segmentis irregulariter dentatis, obtusis, denti- bus apice capsuliferis. Color purpureus, frons crassiuscula. Ad Port Natal, spec. manca. Spherococcus (Gelidium) aculeatus, Hg. Fronde cartilagineo-cornea, ramosa, verticillato-aculeata. : Radix callus exiguus, frons cartilagineo-cornea, 4—6- polieaits, inferné teretiuscula, nuda, mox bi- vel trichotoma, lineam crassa, compressa, vel tri- aut quadrangularis, aculeata ; aculei oppositi, terni aut quaterni verticillati, lineam longi, basi dilatati, subu- * The numbers prefixed to the species refer to the numbers in Dr. Krauss’s Fasciculi of Natal Specimens. A series of the species here described ° has been forwarded to the Herbarium of the Botanical Society of London, where they may be consulted on application. 92 Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule. lati, horizontales, interstitia bilinearia. Fructus ignoti, color coccineus; exsiccatus rigidus, charte minimé adherens. Hab. ad Port Natal. 272. Martensia, gen. nov. Frons plana, areolata, avenia, margine fenestrata ; fructus duplex; spherospermia longitudinaliter in reticulo simplici serie disposita; capsule spherice, reticulo affixee, sporidia subglobosa foventes. M. elegans, Hg. Fronde tenuissima, lobata, segmentis cuneato-rotun- datis. Frons basi affixa, semi usque pollicaris, tenerrima, tenax, cellulis angulatis areolata, margine demum fructificante, clathrato-fene- strata. Color amcené roseus fugax. Charte arcté adherens. Port Natal ad lapides. In memoriam amicissimi Georgii de Martens, auctoris Floree Wiur- tembergice, algarum maris Mediterranei scrutatoris indefessi. —Hering. 197. Nemalion Natalense, Hg. Fronde filiformi, ramosa, ramis elon- gatis, villosis, villis articulatis. Color olivaceus, chartz arcté adherens. Hab. ad Port Natal Point, Afr. meridionalis. Fucus minimus, Hg. Fronde plana ecostata, lineari, dichotoma, in- tegerrima. Vix pollicaris, fronde semilineam lata, spiraliter torta. Port Natal. XIII.— Observations on the Structure of the Pollen Granule, considered principally in reference to its eligibility as a means of Classification. By ArtruurR Hiti Hassan, M.R.C.S.L., Corresponding Member of the Dublin Na- tural History Society. Ir has often been a matter of surprise to me, that no one of the numerous and gifted votaries of those bright and beau- tiful creations, flowers, which are scattered with so profuse a hand over moor and mountain, on hill and through dale, should have fully investigated the structure of the pollen gra- nule in the various tribes of plants, with a view to ascertain whether it could be rendered available for the purpose of clas- sification. Much has indeed been written upon its general anatomy ; but the characters of the granules, as they occur in each ge- nus of plants, appear to have been scarcely at all considered in this country, and almost the only figures which we possess of individual pollen grains are contained in Lindley’s ‘ Introduc- tion to Botany,’ and were derived from a work of Purkinje on the subject *, _* These figures are but little more than mere outlines, and even in this single particular are generally very far from being correct. Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule. 93 On the Continent entire works have been published upon the pollen, accompanied by numerous figures: I allude parti- cularly to Purkinje’s work, ‘ De Cellulis Antherarum fibrosis,’ &e.; to that by Fritzsche; and to a memoir by Mohl in the ‘Annales des Sciences Naturelles,’ all of which have appeared within, I believe, the last ten years. With the opinions contained in these works I am only acquainted in so far as they are given us by Lindley, as I wished, before consulting them, to form a separate and in- dependent opinion, so that all I shall advance in this paper is to be regarded only as the result of my own investi- gations, and rests upon my own responsibility. It is my intention to publish, from time to time, a series of papers upon the subject of the Pollen, in some of which I shall give the opinions of the authors to whom I have referred more at length; thus my not doing so at present will be of but little consequence. Although I do not anticipate that the results of this inquiry will be very considerable in a practical point of view, I yet feel that I ought not to be deterred from the pursuit because I am not at once able to perceive any great utility attached to it; the subject is one of much interest in itself, and may ul- timately lead to more than is at present looked for. I could have wished that an investigation of such nicety and extent had fallen to the lot of some individual of greater capability and experience in microscopical research ; but as this is merely an essay, and as I shall advance nothing but what I have fully made’ out, I trust that the inquiry will not suffer by reason of my comparative inefficiency for the task I have undertaken. Conceiving then that the want of an accurate knowledge of the form and structure of the pollen grain in the different ge- nera of plants constituted a desideratum in botanical science, I commenced the investigations the results of which I am about to detail early in the spring of last year, continued them throughout the greater part of the summer, and the small amount of time which I have this season been able to spare from professional pursuits has been employed in correcting and confirming the conclusions previously arrived at. I shall divide my subject into three heads. Under the first head, the pollen generally will be spoken of; under the se- cond, the individual peculiarities of the pollen granule will be noticed ; and lastly, the pollen will be considered with a view to ascertain whether it can be rendered available as a means of classification. First then, of the pollen generally : 94 Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule. The structure, form, and size of the pollen granule varies considerably in different tribes of plants. There are, however, certain types of structure and of form which occur more frequently than others. Of these, the cy- lindrical and elliptical are by far the most common ; and next, in frequency of occurrence, are those granules of either a tri- angular or circular form, which are met with in nearly an equal proportion. A great variety of other forms are to be noticed, which it is the object of this paper especially to describe. The term cylindrical is applied to all those grains which are more or less of an elongated form, are somewhat triangular, and taper towards each extremity, which exhibit a furrow along their upper surface, and are furnished with three pollen tubes; while the word elliptical is used to designate those granules which agreeing somewhat with the former in their lengthened shape, having also a line upon their surface, yet possess but one pollen tube. | On the application of any fluid to pollen of an elongated form, of less density than the fovilla contained in the cells, a remarkable alteration of shape takes place with great quick- ness. Each grain of pollen, prior to the contact of the liquid, lies on the object-glass of the microscope with its long diameter placed horizontally ; immediately on its touching it the position of the long diameter is changed, it becomes ver- tical, and the pollen grain, losing in length, dilates and becomes of a triangular or circular form; and this change of form, which is here produced by the direct application of the water, occurs also naturally previous to the’ emission of the pollen tubes, arising partly from the absorption of fluid from the tissue of the anther, but mainly from the imbibition of the stigmatic secretion. But if a fluid of greater density than that within the cell be applied, no such change is seen to occur, a contraction of the pollen grain and an exudation of a — portion of its contents taking place. This alteration of form, in both instances, is very satisfac- torily explained by a reference to the principle of endosmosis and exosmosis, which is most beautifully exemplified in the interesting though minute subjects of the present inquiry, and all the varied phznomena of which are referred by Du- trochet to capillary attraction. Each pollen grain consists of a turbid fluid called fovilla, containing numerous active molecular particles ; and this fluid is enclosed, according to most observers, in at least two mem- branes, the outer being called extine, the inner intine, and this is of a highly extensible nature. The only exception to this, according to Mohl, is the pollen of Asclepiadaceous Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule. 95 plants, which has but one envelope ; but Fritzsche has asserted, according to Lindley, that these plants have both an extine and intine. Fritzsche also states, that in Caulinia fragilis, Zan- nichellia pedunculata, Zostera marina, and Naias minor, the pollen has really nothing but the intine present. That there really are two coatings to the great majority of pollen granules does not admit of a doubt ; while a third mem- brane, intermediate between the extine and intine, has been noticed, first by Mohl and subsequently by Fritzsche, who calls it exintine. Mohl observed it in the pollen of Taxus, Juni- perus, Cupressus and Thuja; and Fritzsche finds it not only in these plants, but also in Pinus, Cucurbita Pepo, and Tigridia Pavonia ; while Mr. Giraud* states (in the third volume of the ‘Annals and Magazine of Natural History,’ p. 127) that he has noticed it in the pollen of Crocus vernus. 'l'o these I may add the pollen of the different species of Banksia and Dryandra as possessing a third membrane, as well as the following list of plants, Fuchsia fulgens, F. cylindrica, F. thymifolia, F. gracilis, and F. coccinea, Stachytarpheta mutabilis, Tilia americana, Calothamnus villosus, Zizyphus Paliurus, and probably also Grevillea linearis; Hakia pedunculata, Erythrina laurifolia, Didiscus ceruleus, Fumaria officinalis, and all other species of Fuchsia. It is necessary to observe great caution in deciding upon the presence of a third membrane, as an appearance is frequently observed which might mislead; it arises from the entrance of water within the sac of the intine, separating the fovilla from it, forcing it inwards, and giving it a very defined margin, — : At the commencement of this inquiry, I was induced to con- sider that the reticulation observable on the pollen of Pancra- tium, Armeria, Statice, Passifiora, &c. constituted the basis of a distinct membrane, and in the figures of these'which will follow it is so represented. ‘To this opinion I was led by no- ticing the raised appearance which it presents, especially round the circumference of the granules, as well as from the circumstance of the ends of each grain of pollen in Pancra- tium being destitute of the reticulation; but it is more cor- rect, perhaps, to regard this reticulated appearance as pro- duced by the apposition of the cells of which the extine is formed in these instances. _ Fritzsche also speaks of a fourth coat, which is next the ex- tine, and which he calls intextine, as belonging to the pollen of Clarkia elegans and other Onagrarie. Of the existence * Mr. Giraud, in the same communication, mentions having seen small opake particles on the surface of the pollen grain of Polemonium ceruleum, which exhibit a peculiar motion when the granules are placed in water. 96 Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Poilen Granule. of this membrane in Clarkia I have but little doubt, and I believe that it is also present in those species of Fuchsia which I have mentioned as possessing a third tunic, as there are in the pollen of these precisely the same appearances upon which the opinion of its presence is founded in Clarkia elegans. The pollen granules of Saponaria viscida present, when viewed through the medium of oil, a very remarkable appear- ance, which I am only able to explain by supposing that it depends upon some peculiar inversion or pitting of the ex- tine. It conveys the idea of a membrane of a circular form, smaller than the extine, being placed within it, and pollen tubes to the number of ten escaping through apertures in it and extending to the margin of the outer membrane. I refer to this appearance here in the hope of directing the attention of other observers to it, who may perhaps be able to afford a more particular explanation of its nature. In the long axis of those granules to which the terms cylindrical and elliptical are here applied, as well as of many others, a line or furrow, as has been already remarked, is noticed, concerning the nature of which various conjectures have been hazarded, and none of which afford the true expla- nation of the phenomenon. Malpighi compared granules of pollen of this kind to grains of wheat, on one side of which a furrow exists ; but this does not account for the furrow being visible in every grain at the same time; Guillemin, attempt- ing to account for the constant presence of the line, says that it exists on both sides of the grain.. He further supposes this furrow to be a slit intended to facilitate the admission of water into the interior of the granules, and the emission of their contents; neither is this explanation more satisfactory. Fritzsche states it to be a thin part of the extine where the sides of the pollen grain are contracted and meet, producing the appearance of a furrow; while Mr. Giraud regards this line as a mere furrow in the extine which disappears on the application of moisture, in which opinion Professor Graham coincides*; but neither of these gentlemen offer any expla- nation either as to its origin or use. The true explanation of the nature of this furrow, about which there are so many opinions, is, that it is a deficiency in the external membrane of the pollen grain, intended to facilitate the egress of the pollen tubes, one of which may be distinctly seen to issue from each; and the fact of its being seen at the same moment in every grain of pollen is accounted for by reference to the form of these granules. Those grains * See Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist. already referred to, and Prof. Graham’s Third Annual Report, read before the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, March 1841. Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule. 97 of pollen to which the term cylindrical is applied, are, as has been already noticed, more or less of a triangular or trilobate form, and at each angle, or between each lobe, a furrow exists ; so that, as each granule, from its shape, must rest upon one or other of its sides, one angle and one line will necessarily be presented to the eye of the observer. But another explanation is requisite to account for its constant presence in those granules to which the term elliptical is as- signed; these, though of an elongated form, like the others, are rounded in their short axes, except on one side, which is slightly flattened and indented. In this indenture the single furrow possessed by these granules is placed ; hence it results that each must rest either on its flattened surface, with the furrow looking downwards, as most frequently happens, in which case it will still be apparent through the body of the granule, owing to its transparency; or it will fall on the rounded surface opposite the furrow, which now looks di- rectly upwards. ‘Thus, in whichever way the grain rests, the furrow will still be apparent. Should it alight upon its side it will not remain in this position, but will roll over to the convex surface, which constitutes its centre of gravity*. The pollen grain of Crinum amabile is flattened and broad on two surfaces, differing in this particular from the pollen of all other Amaryllidacee which I have examined, down each of which a furrow is placed ; and from this form also it fol- lows that one line will ever be opposed to view, as the granules rest upon one of their broad surfaces. And again in Citrus aurantium, Ranunculus acris and Rubus fruticosus, the gra- nules are somewhat elongated, and consist of four lobes, be- tween which the fissures are placed; and as they most gene- rally lie on two of the lobes, the other two, with a fissure be- tween them, will, as a matter of course, be turned upwards, Lastly, many kinds of pollen, as of the Polygale, Crucianella, Labiate, &c., are furnished with a number of furrows, some of which, in all postures, will be visible. A careful examination of the pollen granules of Convolvulus arvensis, Lilium longi- florum, Crinum amabile, and Ranunculus acris, will convince any one of. the correctness of this explanation; both of the nature of these lines, and of the reasons for their invariable appearance in each granule at the same moment. In most elliptical pollen, covering each of the fissures, an oval piece of membrane is to be observed, the use of which I conceive to be to prevent the pollen tubes from escaping too * Malpighi’s comparison of granules of this form to grains of wheat is by no means inapt, but still without the above explanation it is incomplete, in- asmuch as it does not account for the constant appearance of the furrow. Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. vii. 98 Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule. readily from the extine, to which it does not appear to be organically united, as on the application of water it is seen to curl up and fall off the granules. It is also met with in Centaurium, Scolymus, Dipsacus, Scabiosa, and some allied genera; in these instances it sometimes has an attachment to the extine. The extine, or protective membrane of the pollen grain, on which its shape depends, is of much greater substance than the intine, which is so fine, that rarely can any appreciable thickness of it be detected. Itis seldom, if ever, a simple ho- mogeneous membrane, being most generally formed by the apposition of a number of cellules held together by “ organic mucus,” which give to it a reticulated appearance, very obvious in many of the Liliacee, as well as in a great variety of other plants. In most hispid pollen, where the same reticulated structure may be traced, from the centre of each cell of the net- work, either one of the numerous spines which cover this form of pollen grain may be seen to arise, or, where this is absent, - an aperture for the passage of a pollen tube will be apparent. If this view of the structure of the extine be correct, then must it consist of two layers, as each cell forms a shut-sac. _ By some observers the external tunic of the pollen grain is said to present a granular structure. It often presents a gra- nular appearance, which is deceptive, and which I have found to arise from the circumstance of the particles in the fovilla being visible through their transparent coverings. It has been matter of doubt whether the extine be exten- sible or not; that it really is so in some cases to a consider- able extent, is apparent from the following fact, the only one with which I am acquainted which distinctly proves it. The surface of the pollen granule of Canna indica is covered with numerous points, having their free extremities perforated. When the pollen is immersed in water the spines disappear, leaving small apertures on the surface of the now smooth ex- tine; each granule at the same time having enlarged to about thrice its original size. This change occurs with greater ra- pidity if a dilute mineral acid be used instead of water. All kinds of pollen appear somewhat larger in water, but this de- pends upon the magnifying power of that liquid. The intine does not expand in an equal proportion with the extine ; but being pressed upon equally on all sides by the water which is imbibed by the extine, is forced inwards, and a large space filled with fluid is left between the two membranes. After diligent and repeated search, I have at last succeeded in making out the plano-convex bodies (Zwischenorpern) de- scribed by Fritzsche as being particularly visible in some Mal- Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule. 99 vace@, in a species of Hibiscus, H. africanus. He represents them as existing in most hispid pollen, the apertures in which for the passage of the pollen tubes they close, being placed between the extine and intine, with their convex surfaces rest- ing upon the latter. Ifthe pollen of the above-named species of Hibiscus be allowed to remain in water for a short time, the pollen tubes will be seen to have emerged some distance from the intine; and upon the extremities of many of them those pieces of membrane will be noticed, which are however more frequently concavo-convex than plano-convex. Although I have not seen these bodies closing the apertures in the extine, it may be inferred with tolerable certainty that they perform the office ascribed to them, from their position at the termi- nations of the pollen tubes. Those who may wish to observe them will not experience the same difficulty that I have done, knowing the species and the manner in which to look for them. They are not present in the pollen of the Ipo- Mee. The surface of all pollen is covered with a thick tenacious matter, which, according to Mohl, is most abundant upon that which is hispid ; but it is at least as much so on the pollen of many species of Liliacee, which are not hispid, but reti- culated. If this viscid substance is to be regarded as a se- cretion, then must the extine be provided with glands, or some other peculiar organization for its formation ; for a true secretion can only result from organization of some kind or other, and, in the vegetable kingdom, may be defined to be a new product, eliminated from the sap through the instru- mentality of glands or other structural media. My own opinion is, that it is a secretion, if not formed by the external membrane of the pollen grain itself, derived from the cell in which it is originally developed. I was at first inclined to consider it as a mere exudation, consisting of the thinner parts of the fovilla; but its appearance and consistence differ so much from this, that I believe the opinion to be scarcely tenable. This secretion fulfills an important indication in preventing the too easy dispersion of the pollen granules, which it slightly holds together, and which would be scatter- ed far and near, wide of its destined mark, by every breath of wind. Pollen granules, though usually separate, are occasionally found united. This union is either temporary, the medium which retains them in contact with each other being either a tenacious secretion, or filaments of the cellular tissue derived from the breaking up of the cells in which the granules are originally developed ; or it is permanent and organic. We H 2 100 Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule. find the first mode of union in the pollen grains of the Epz- lobia*, Salpiglossis atropurpurea, and in Lechenaultia formosa, while the seeond is met with in all the genera of the natural order Ericacee which I have had an opportunity of exami- ning, in the Acacie, Mimose, Junci, many species of Orchi- dacee, and in Oxyanthus speciosa. Some of these grains, though they usually are permanently attached, are yet ca- pable of separation; but others of them again, as the Hri- cacee, &c., are so intimately joined, that they never become separated. The number of pollen grains thus united together is definite, being either four, or multiples of four up to sixteen, but the first number is of the most frequent occurrence; thus there are four in the Ericacee, Epilobia, Junci, Orchidacee, Oxyanthus speciosa, and Salpiglossis atropurpurea, Lechenaul- tia formosa and Mimosa mexicana. In Acacia rigens there are eight, disposed on the same plane; in Acacia decipiens twelve, six being disposed on the same plane, while three are placed in the centre, on either side of the flat figure so formed ; and in Acacia linearis there are sixteen, eight upon the same plane and four on either side. It is to be observed, that dark lines run between every four grains, indicating either their original separation or their tendency to become so separated. When the union of pollen grains occurs in fours, they are either disposed upon the same plane, as in the Hpilobia and Le- chenaultia formosa, or they appear as if one was placed upon the other three, all the granules bearing precisely the same relations to each other, and whichever one is uppermost, the rest being similarly circumstanced in reference to it. One ex- ception occurs to the law of the union of pollen grains in fours in Epilobium roseum, where they generally unite in threes. As a rule, but one mode of arrangement prevails among the pollen grains of the same species. Pollen grains are often held together by a thready sub- stance, supposed to be derived from the rupture and breaking up of the cells in which they are primarily formed, in the meshes of which they become either entangled, or to which they are attached by the secretion which covers their surface. It appears to me that neither the origin nor use of these threads are rightly made out. They are found in great abun- dance in the pollen of the Ericacee ; Fuchsia, Einothere, and other Onagrarie. The size of the pollen granule differs as. materially as does its form and structure, as will be obvious from a perusal of the following table of relative sizes, although in the same * The granules in Epilobium angustifolium are not united, resembling much more those of the Clarkias than the Epilobiums. Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule. 101 pcring and in genera of the same family it is pretty uni- orm. a ‘The micrometer employed was a glass one, and divided in the ratio of 249,000 spaces to the inch. Cobzea stipularis ........ : 4 sag 0 4 | sam 25 4 aston { 2 249,000 Lavatera acerifolia eswervveeeere ee ae Geranium sylvaticum .......... Fuchsia fulgens C6 a SS 66 0a & 6 Ge 4 06 3 | Length .... eon Lilium tigrinum 249,000 3: Breadth .... 4 249,000 1 [ Length a. 1 s3a¢an Viola tricolor ...... ae Bree ee Gee eae i ptt 4 sas a0 eae Sal oe aS Me ely eet eee ee via patens 4 sana ] Length ; See Anagallis arvensis . . mai na 3 Breadth 4 4 249,000 1 101 Lemos PCTA. FOOSE SF 5 ae a bs 349.000 1 Myosoti DVR Res eer pros r fiz yosotis palustris { sha Mimosa marginata .............. { 549.600- The colour of the pollen is extremely various and often bril- liant. In Gilia achilleefolia and Petunia violacea it is of a dark blue. In Collomia rosea it is of a bright cerulean blue ; deep red in Cleome spinosa; of a reddish brown or maho- gany colour in Lilium tigrinum; and scarlet in Huchera americana and Verbascum Thapsus. In Papaver Rheas and Tulipa Gesneriana nearly black. In Convolvulus sepium opake white ; and yellow, the most common colour of the pollen, in Lilium album and longiflorum, owing to the dense yellow- coloured secretion with which the granules are covered. Dr. Lindley says that the pollen occasionally assumes every co- lour except green ; it is however perfectly green in Pentstemon 102 Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule. pentaphyllum, Bessera elegans and Lythrum Salicaria ; in this last it is curious to notice, that while the pollen of the upper ' stamina is green, that of the lower ones is of a bright yellow. Pollen tubes are prolongations of the intine, and are filled with the fovilla, which passes into them by gravitation. They vary much in number, size, and arrangement; they issue either through fissures or apertures in the extine, and where there are three envelopes, through similar provisions in the second also. Except in some few instances, I have not been able to discover any provision in the extine for the escape of the pollen tubes. These exceptions occur in the genera Canna, Strelitzia, Roscoea and Hedychium, all of which belong to closely-allied orders, and in which the extine, which is of great thickness, forms a shut-sac. If water, and more quickly if dilute nitric acid, be applied to the pollen, the granules are seen to enlarge a little, and the extine to crack irregularly, but often separating into three unequal pieces; while the intine, having undergone no change except a slight increase of size, and still containing the fovilla, frequently disengages itself from its envelope and floats away from it. This cracking of the extine is assuredly the natural means by which the pollen tubes are afforded an outlet ; and it is not necessary that the intine should be denuded at any particular spot, for wherever it is so it possesses the power of elongation, or ra- ther growth. In one or two cases the apertures are provided with valves, as in the different species of Passiflora, as first noticed by Purkinje. Fritzsche has described one valve in the grasses, two in the nettle, four in the orange, and six in the primrose. Although I have searched with care for these valves, I have notbeen able to detect any trace of them, and am strongly inclined to deny their existence in any of these plants. The primary form of the pollen of the orange precludes the possibility of its being furnished with regular valves, the pollen tubes issuing through fissures and not circular aper- tures; while had a valve been present in the grasses, I think I must have detected it in the pollen of the Zea Mays, which is of a very large size, and in which the apertures for the escape of the pollen tubes are very visible. The nettle I believe to possess ¢hree pollen tubes. The emission of the pollen tubes is produced, artificially, by the action of the mmeral acids and water, and naturally, partly by the rarefaction of the contents of each pollen gra- nule by the sun’s heat * (the rarefied fovilla distends the shell * The effect of heat upon the pollen has occasionally been demonstrated when I have been examining it under a strong reflected light of the sun, by the ‘emission of the pollen tubes, and even rupture of the intine. Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule. 103 of the pollen grain, which produces pressure upon its contents, and assists in forcing them out in the only direction in which they can issue, namely, through the openings provided for the purpose), partly by the granules imbibing a portion of the stigmatic secretion, some of which gets between the outer and inner membranes, producing pressure upon the latter, and partly by the stimulating effect of that secretion. Pollen tubes are supposed to be elongated by means of the distension or stretching of the intine. This opinion appears to me to be erroneously entertained. It is difficult to con- ceive any membrane to be endowed with such immense powers of expansion as would be required for it to afford a covering to the whole pollen tube, lengthened as it often is to such a great extent in its passage through the style. Thus in Crinum amabile the pollen tube has to pass through a space 1875 times the diameter of the pollen grain before reaching the ovarium. In Cleome spinosa 2719 times. In Oxyanthus speciosa 4489 times the diameter of the pollen grain, and in Colchicum autumnale 9000 times. Pollen tubes are frequently met with of considerable length on parts of the flower distant from the stigma, proving that the stigmatic fluid is not essen- tial for their growth, although it doubtless favours it. _ Lam of opinion, therefore, that pollen tubes are growths and not mere elongations of the intine; and that as they grow a vacuum is formed within them, into which the fovilla passes. At the same time, I do not mean to deny the fact of the in- tine being extensible ; it is no doubt highly so, as proved by the great length of the pollen tubes emitted under the action of dilute nitric acid in some cases. Were pollen tubes but mere extensions of the intine, it might with reason be expected that the size of the granules and consequent extent of the intine would bear some relation to the distance which they have to travel through the stig- matic tissue before reaching the ovary, and that the greater the distance the larger would be the pollen grains; but no such relation exists. I am at present inclined to regard the active molecular bodies in the fovilla, which have attracted so much the inter- est and attention of physiologists, as nothing more than par- ticles of that fluid which have become separated into little masses or globules. The fluid nature of these particles is proved by their great diversity of form and size, by their transparency, and by their trailing, or “ tailing *,” as they * «Tailing ” is a term used by druggists to signify the elongation of form which the globules of impure quicksilver undergo in passing over paper, 104. Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule. pass along the surface of glass. Again, the internal mem- brane of the pollen grain of Strelitzia humilis, when denuded of the extine, presents a cellular appearance, which is owing to the presence of numerous globules of various sizes contain- ed in the fovilla, of which, in this instance, it appears to be entirely composed, and which are seen through its transpa- rent envelope. I could not detect any other bodies but these globules, which I regard as fluid for the reasons just given. The application of iodine to the fovilla, contrary to expecta- tion, produced no effect, and a solution of potash but little apparent results. I look forward to another opportunity of making more ex- tended observations upon the nature of these so-called mole- cules. Being anxious to ascertain whether stimuli would produce any effect upon the pollen, various solutions were applied with a view to determine this point. The results following the various applications employed were as follows :—solutions of the mineral acids, whether sulphuric, nitric or hydrochloric, all occasioned, with more or less degree of force, the protru- sion of the pollen tubes. Their mode of action is not very clear; but it may be that they produce some astringent ef- fect upon the outer coating of the pollen grain, so as to cause the principle of endosmosis to operate with greater power. Sometimes these acids, and more particularly the dilute sul- phuric acid, rupture the inner membrane, and then the fovilla escapes from its interior; but most frequently the pol- len tubes are emitted, covered by the intine, which remains entire, and it is to explain this protrusion of them that the above explanation is offered. ‘The concentrated sulphuric acid almost always destroys the intine, and frequently also blackens and chars the extine. A solution of the nitric acid, in the proportion of two of the strong acid to three of water, is perhaps the best application for occasioning the emission of the pollen tubes; but it is as well to have solutions of all the acids of various strengths, for where one fails another will often produce the desired effect. The action of the hydrochlo- ric acid is weaker than that of either of the others. Solutions of ether and sal volatile produced a marked effect. When either of these were allowed to fall from a glass on the pollen, its granules became distinctly agitated and moved about with considerable velocity, sometimes for the space of two or three minutes. A like effect, but to a much less extent, resulted from the employment of tincture of cantharides, tincture of capsicum, proof spirit, solution of nitrate of silver in proof spirit, and essence of ginger, while liquor ammonie and po- Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule. 105 tassee produced no result. It is to be remarked, that all those applications which occasioned any motion of the pollen con- tained a greater or less proportion of spirit in them, and that the most volatile liquids, zther and sal volatile, gave rise to the most marked effect. This very obvious motion of the pollen granules is certainly not to be referred to any action of the irritants employed upon them, but to currents in the fluids. That this is the real explanation to be given of the phzno- menon is satisfactorily proved by the two following facts: 1st. If a small quantity of either ether or sal volatile be al- lowed to remain for a few minutes in a watch-glass and the pollen be then added, no motion will follow, the more volatile portion of these liquids having evaporated ; and 2nd, the particles of flour will be equally affected by the applica- tion of the before-mentioned solutions. Water also will some- times cause the emission of the pollen tubes, the principle of endosmosis being called into operation. This emission of the pollen tubes is not the act of an instant, but occupies an ap- preciable time, producing the impression on the mind of some continuous force operating in occasioning it, such as that of endosmosis already referred to. The extreme care taken by nature to ensure the fertilization of the seed, a process so essential to the well-being and al- most the existence of man, is very striking, and some of the beautiful provisions by which this important effect is so con- stantly brought about, it is my intention now to notice. First, then, the lining membrane of the anther, as pointed out by Mirbel in 1808, is composed of cellular tissue of a fibrous character, which forms an innumerable quantity of little springs* which are highly elastic, and when dry contract and pull open the valves of the anther, allowing the pollen to escape. ‘This elastic tissue is deprived of its fluid by means of the endosmosis carried on by each individual grain of pol- len, and this exhaustion of its fluid is only completed at the period of the maturity of the pollen. Thus by this unerring contrivance, not alone is the precise period of the opening of the anther, viz. at the perfection of the pollen, provided for and determined on, but it results from it also, that the pollen only should be exposed in the weather most suitable for the performance of its function, that is, in dry weather. The in- jurious effect of a continuance of rain in destroying the ferti- lizing power of the pollen is well known, and is to be ex- plained by the rupture of the granules from the great quan- tity of water imbibed by endosmosis ; and this consequence of * This peculiar arrangement of the fibres of the lining membrane of the anther is very plainly seen in the common nettle. 106 -Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule. wet would be attended with more serious results were it not for another wise and effectual provision. The individual flow- ers composing a bunch, as well as the different bunches of a plant or shrub, come into blossom at successive intervals, the order of their expansion depending mainly, I believe, upon the position of the flower, whether it be in a more direct line or not for the accession of sap, on the size of the peduncle, as well as on the order of the development of the flower buds themselves* : thus, if the pollen at one period be destroyed, it is soon replaced by the unfolding of more blossoms and burst- ing of anthers: this constitutes the second means by which the efficiency of the pollen is ensured. We find a third in the position of the stamens in reference to the pistil, which they often surround, embrace, or overhang, so as to render the ap- plication of the pollen to the stigmatic surface a matter of certainty. Again the filaments of some anthers are furnished with elastic joints, which at a certain period, that is, when the pollen and stigma are in a fit condition, contract and start towards the pistil with a jerk, dispersing the contents of the anthers around them by the suddenness and violence of the motion. I may perhaps under this head refer to two instances of irritability, which I have never seen mentioned in books, and which are certainly not generally known. The first oc- curs in Cornus canadensis: the corolla of each flower, a num- ber of which are contained in a common involucrum, consists of four segments; these for some time are folded over the other floral organs and meet in a common central point, where they cohere by means of some secretion. Towards their tips, on what is the upper surface, while thus closed, arises a long spine or hair. The stamina are also four in num- ber, and arise from the top of the calyx in the intervals be- tween the petals, and at about half their length are bent in- wards towards the pistil at a very acute angle, being retained in this position by the corolla which infolds them. The base of each petal, as well as the angle of inflection of each fila- ment, are furnished with an elastic joint, so that if one of the spines be slightly touched; not only does each segment of the corolla fly back, but the stamina, the restraint being removed from off them, start up, scattering the pollen of the anthers around them, some of which, it is beautiful to observe, in viewing this phenomenon under a low power of the micro- scope, invariably alights upon the stigma, and is there re- tained by means of the secretion with which it is furnished. * The cause of the irregular ripening of many kinds of fruits and seeds admits of a similar explanation. Mr. Hassall on the Structure of the Pollen Granule.. 107 If the joint of the filament be touched where it protrudes between the petals, no such effect as I have described will be produced, but the moment the hair is touched it takes place ; now the presence of these hairs affords a very inter- esting instance of design. They are connected with the joint of each petal by means of a raised line of elastic tissue which runs along their centre, and which doubtless serves to convey the impression or shock, imparted to the hairs most frequently by means of insects, to the joint, causing it to contract; the dispersion of the pollen and consequent fecundation of the ovule being thereby rendered more certain. The second instance to which I shall refer is witnessed in the common stinging nettle, Urtica dioica: the number of stamina in this plant is likewise four; these are inclosed in a chalice or cup composed of four sepals, and the filaments are coiled inwards; on the reflection of these sepals, or on the occurrence of any shock, the filaments disengage themselves, and not merely straighten, but turn as much outwards as they were previously coiled inwards, the pollen being scattered, as in the former case, around them. If the filament of each sta- men be examined with the microscope, one surface of it, that is, the one which formed the concavity before its disengage- ment, but after, the convexity, is observed to be ringed, in the same way as the elastic spring of the sporangia of Ferns. An analogous instance of irritability occurs in Parietaria, an al- lied genus*, The stigmata of some plants, as for example of Pavetta Caffra, the Campanule &c., extend so much beyond and above the anthers, that it is difficult to conceive in what way the pollen can reach them ; but observation affords an expla- nation of the means: at the time of the bursting of the anthers the stigma is on a level with them, and, apparently stimulated by contact with the pollen grains, subsequently rises up, carry- ing with it in its progress a quantity of the pollen. Moreover, the application of the pollen to the stigma is ren- dered more certain by a cause, which, when not rightly consi- dered, may appear trifling, but which, in its results, is far from being so. JL allude to the agency of insects, and of these, especially to the Aphides, and our benefactor the Bee, that busy labourer for man, who in rifling a flower of part of its sweets, yet in doing so confers upon it the means of its per- petuity by dispersing the pollen around, some of which never fails to reach the stigma. ‘To many insects the pollen doubt- * T now know that this second example of vegetable irritability or elasti- city of tissue is alluded to in Lindley’s ‘ Natural Arrangement,’ and also in Henslow’s ‘ Descriptive and Physiological Botany.’ 108 - Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. less forms an important article of food, as does also the honeyed secretion found in so many flowers, and are both the induce- ments which bring them so many visitants. The chief use of honey in the ceconomy of a plant I conceive to be to allure insects for the purpose referred to. The last provision to which I shall advert, consists in the amazing number of pollen granules produced by most flowers. In a single blossom of Leontodon Taraxacum 1 counted no less than 243.600 pollen granules. A flower of Peony fur- nishes on an average 174 stamina, each containing 21,000 granules ; these multiplied together give a total of 3,654,000 ; and in an entire Rhododendron plant the pollen grains amount- ed to the wonderful number of 72,620,000. This last result was arrived at by computing the number of anthers in each flower, with the contents of one, and the number of flowers and bunches. Great as these amounts are, they sink into comparative insignificance when contrasted with the myriads produced by a single forest tree. A bulrush gave 144 grs. by weight of pollen. Immense as the quantity of pollen is, pro- vided for the fertilization of each flower, it is yet all necessary, so much being destroyed by various instrumentalities, to en- sure the certainty of a process, the failure of which would be attended with such calamitous results. Nature is seldom uselessly prodigal of her resources. ; It is interesting ‘to observe the relation which frequently exists between the quantity of pollen and the more or less di- rect means of its application to the stigma ; this relation, how- ever, is modified by the number of ova to be fertilized. Upon this subject I hope shortly to make some detailed observa- tions. Various particulars referred to in the foregoing pages will be exhibited in the figures which are to accompany the second portion of this communication. [To be continued. ] XIV.-—Indian Cyprinide. By Joun M‘CLELLAND, Assist- ant Surgeon Bengal Medical Service. {Continued from p. 46. ] 24. Tuer Opsarions are Cyprinide that live upon other spe- cies of their own class; they are no less remarkable for the peculiarity of their colours than for their remarkable structure and habits. Instead of the longitudinal stripes of the Peri- lamps, they are characterized by transverse bands or spots, having a tendency to form cross bars on the sides. The ana- logy between the structure and character of the Opsarions Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinidz. 109 and Feline has already been referred to (16.).. Why the former should present similar external markings to those which be- long to the most destructive types of quadrupeds and birds, cannot well be accounted for on other principles than those of symbolical representation, by which an uniformity of design appears to extend throughout all the infinite forms in the ani- mal kingdom. As an ignorant confidence in this or any other doctrine would be as absurd as a denial of anything else with which we are imperfectly acquainted, the only way in which we can evince our respect for those who have opened so vast a field for inquiry is, to imitate their industry, leaving our views to be slowly formed and matured with the progress of inquiry—the only way in which sound or useful results ever were or can be elicited in scientific pursuits*. Green appears to be the characteristic colour of the mark- ings on the sides of Opsarions, as blue or purple forms those of the Perilamps ; and those Opsarions that are not either marked with transverse green bars, or oblong ‘spots of the same colour transversely placed with regard to the body, are covered with a silvery pigment similar to that of the Leuciscs. 25. In consequence of the important connexion between colour and structure here pointed out, 1am in some doubt as to the nature of. four small species described by Buchanan 7+, and figured in the collection of his drawings at the Botanic Garden. ‘Two of them have been figured in the ‘ Gangetic Fishes,’ and one a second time in Hardwicke’s ¢ Illustrations’; but in the published figures, the peculiarity of the colours to which I allude, and which seems to have been preserved in the original drawings, has been overlooked. They have the form of Cirrhins, but they are each marked with a dark spot at the end of the tail, and the colours of the back descend partially across the sides in bars as low as the situation of the lateral line. I have added the species in question to the Cirrhins as Cirrhinoids, until we know something more of them. Should they prove, from the length of the abdominal canal, to belong to Sarcodorine, as their colours indicate, they will occupy a place between the Opsarions and the Loaches. * Nothing is more easy, or more common because it is easy, than to an- nounce as discoveries the startling results of immature inquiry into obscure subjects ; yet when we consider the comparatively small amount of real dis- covery solely attributable to Newton, compared with the extent of his appli- cation, and how seldom a Newton appears, we should always receive with suspicion the supposed discoveries of persons, who, from their frequent ap- pearance in public, and the number of their occupations, argue a sad defi- ciency in all those qualities essential to the promotion of any science. + Cyp. Dero, Buch. Gang. Fis., pl. xxii. f. 78. Cyp. Morala, id., pl. xviii. f.91. Cyp. joalius, id. op. cit. 316. Cyp, Pausius, id, loc. cit. 110 Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. 26. The third subfamily, Apalopterine, consists of the old Linnzan genus Cobditis, the Anableps, Pecilia, Lebias, Fun- dulus, Molinesia and Cyprinodons, as well as two other genera, Platycara* and Psilorhynchus, to be described in a subsequent part of this paper. These fishes are all remarkable for their long cylindric bodies, covered with a slimy mucus, the absence of spines in any of the fins, and the shortness of their aliment- ary canal. Mr. Gray has recently separated the Loaches with subor- bitar spines from those that are without these singular or- gans, I have endeavoured to find further reasons to strengthen this division, a single character being insufficient to distin- guish a natural group without some more general reference to habits and structure. Not having been successful, I am obliged to resort to another arrangement, which appears to be more natural, and at the same time equally obvious, the caudal of the one subgenus (Cobitis propria) being entire, and that of the other (Schistura) bifid, or divided into two lobes, as in the ordinary Cyprins. Colour is here a no less important guide than we have found it to be in Sarcoborine. Green, disposed in bars and zones crossing the body, charac- terizes all the Schisture except a single species (Botia grandis, Gray), in which the colour is green, with oblong light yellow spots, or rather short interrupted streaks, irregularly disposed in all directions. The true Loaches (Cobitis prop.), on the contrary, are all brown, inclining in different species to red or yellow, disposed in nebulous blotches or obscure bars having a transverse tendency. 27. The structure of the digestive organs in the Loaches and Schisture does not appear to be very different ; but in the latter the intestine seems to be somewhat longer than in the former, exceeding in the one genus the length of the body, while in the other it falls short of this. In both the stomach is a small lunate sac, placed crosswise with regard to the body, with both orifices in the front, thus differing in this peculiarity from all other Cyprinide that I have examined. The mouth is small, and placed in the lower surface of the head, and surrounded by minute cirri. Besides the differ- ence in the caudal fins, length of intestine, and colour, in the two subgenera of Cobitine, the body in Schistura is often arched above and below, and compressed, the same as in Cirrhinus and the generality of Cyprins ; but in Cobitis pro- * Named by Mr. Gray as Buchanan’s Balitora, which rather corresponds with my Psilorhynchus; Psil. variegatus being Buchanan’s Cyprinus Ba- litora. Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. 111 pria, or true Loaches, it is almost cylindrical, and generally very long. Some of the Schisture are possessed of an air- vessel, placed as usual in the upper part of the abdomen, of an oval shape, and divided into two lateral cells by a longitu- dinal septum; but in Coditis prop., or Loaches with entire caudal, I have not found any trace of that organ in the ordi- nary position: but in different species that I have dissected, it is placed in a small bony case over the entrance to the ceso- phagus ; this case consists of a single subglobular cell, al- though in the European species it has been found to be bilo- bate. In those Schisture, on the other hand, which are with- out the abdominal natatory bladder, I find the organ situated over the entrance to the cesophagus, as in Cobitis prop., but formed of two small globular cells, joined together by an in- termediate tube. 28. Having thus explained the general principles on which I have subdivided the family, it may be useful to examine how far the results are likely to correspond with those laws that have been laid down as the basis of natural classification. With this view we should first of all endeavour to ascertain the denomination of the family, or its relation in point of rank to fishes in general ; but as this could only be done after ana- lysis of the whole class, we can only attempt to form an esti- mate on the subject by comparing Cyprinide with what seem to be analogous groups in other classes, to which the philo- sophical views of Mr. MacLeay, Mr. Swainson, Mr. Vigors, and other writers on the natural system, have been extended. 29. It might be unnecessary, in a communication of this kind, to offer any remarks on the general priciples of the natural method of arrangement, as these are fully expounded in po- pular introductions that ought to be universally read, as well as in several papers that have been published within these last twenty years in the Transactions of the Linnzan and. other learned societies ; I may however remark, that in addition to those affinities by which animals are immediately connected, there are more remote relations, called relations of analogy, by which they typify or represent each other, “a principle which,” as Swainson observes, “was in some degree perceived by Linnzus when he compared ruminating quadrupeds to galli- naceous birds*, both of which evince the greatest intelligence, docility and contentment under the domestication of man.” Appendages to the head, whether in the shape of horns, crests, or fleshy protuberances, and the property of affording whole- * Such analogies were, as Mr. MacLeay has shown, known to Aristotle, by whom, however, as well as by all subsequent writers up to the time of Mr. MacLeay himself, they were mistaken for affinities, 112 Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinidee. some and nutritious food, and otherwise contributing to the ease and support of man, are, according to Swainson, the chief attributes of the type to which the above analogy refers. 30. The Elephant, horned cattle, domestic poultry, &c., are common instances of the type alluded to; and if we com- pare their properties in their respective circles with the Cy- prinide in the order of abdominal Malacopterygians, we may venture perhaps to look upon that family as the equivalent in its circle to other rasorial groups in theirs. ! 31. The mouth of Cyp. Calbasus, Buch., is small,and directe downwards; the anterior lip is compressed by a pendulous muscular snout, to which four short muscular cirri, different from the nervous filaments of Stluride, are attached*, and the posterior lip is fixed to the ligamentous union of the trans- verse apophyses of the lower jaw. In the Cirrhins the lower jaw is composed of two short branches or bony limbs, ob- liquely inclined towards each other from their articulation to the blunt apex of the jaw, where they are united by ligaments instead of symphysis at the approximation of a slender apo- physis from each side. Figs. 4,5, 20, 21, plate 54, show the under side of the right ramus of the lower jaw (natural size) of four species ; a, being the point of approximation with its fellow at the chin, and 8, the articulating extremity behind. 32. This structure is evidently adapted to the habit of col- lecting fruits, seeds, and other soft substances from the muddy and sandy bottoms of indolent streams, in which loose de- tached objects of the kind are most likely to occur, and where they may be easily collected, without bodily effort, by means of these soft pendulous and prehensile organs attached to the lips. If to these characters we add the great size of the spe- cies compared with the rest of the family, and the plain dusky colour of the Cirrhins, their analogy to the proboscidian types of quadrupeds seems almost complete. But there are still other remarkable points of resemblance between the Cirrhins and rasorial forms among the quadrupeds, in the de- ficiency of teeth, and the weakness of the union of the two limbs of the lower jaw. 33. In the Elephant this jaw is only formed for grinding such substances as are introduced to the mouth by the proboscis ; * The cirri of Cyprinide are soft, and capable of being contracted and elongated, as well as the loose muscular appendages of the snout to which they are attached, particularly in the genus Cirrhinus, Cuv. ; but in Pime- lodus aor, Buch., and most of the Siluride, 1 find the cirri are flat and car- tilaginous, with a groove on either edge for the protection of a large nerve, an artery, and avein. A cirrus so constructed is incapable of muscular ac- tion, and is strictly an organ of sense only, and not of prehension as in Cy- prinide, and ought to be called a filament. Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. 113 there are no cutting teeth, the use of these in gathering food being superseded bythe trunk. In all animals possessed of such an organ, prehensile and cutting teeth appear to be less pro- minent according to the degree of its development ; of this we have instances in the Tapirs and Edentates. In the Sarco- borine the incisors and prehensile teeth are represented by a formidable knob on the symphysis of the lower jaw ; and in the Peonomine, where even this symbol is wanting, we find such of the genera as are without strong muscular appendages to the snout, furnished with a cartilaginous rim to the mouth, which in some, as the Gonorhynchs, is confined to the edge of the lower lip, as a covering or defence when employed in detaching their peculiar food from the rocks to which it is fixed, and may for this reason be considered as the last sem- blance of a structure equivalent to cutting teeth* ; but in the Cirrhins even this is quite deficient. Nor does the analogy between these fishes and proboscidian quadrupeds end here : the presence of cutting teeth implies a strong solid union of the two bony limbs of the lower jaw at the symphysis for their insertion ; but in the Edentates and Elephants the symphysis is remarkably feeble, the two sides of the jaw being nearly separated by a deep fissure, almost detaching its limbs from each other, as actually occurs in the Cirrhins, with which I in- clude Labeos, which are also furnished with similar prehensile organs in the form of thick pendulous lips. So many corre- sponding circumstances between animals so remote from each other in the scale of affinity cannot be referred merely to co- incidence, but rather to a law of symbolical representation, by which the same type appears throughout an infinity of forms in the several classes. 34.. If Cyprinide be a rasorial group, as the above analogies of their most perfect forms with rasorial quadrupeds would seem to indicate, the same relation should appear on contrast- ing them with other classes, the corresponding points beco- ming more striking or faint in proportion as the groups with which they are compared are contiguous or remote from them ; therefore, as birds are nearer to fishes than quadrupeds, the comparison of analogous types between these classes should afford more striking results than those I have cited. * Mr. Evans pointed out to me a peculiarity, for which he could see no object, in our skeleton of an Indian Rhinoceros, consisting of two minute incisors scarcely larger than those of a Rabbit, and hardly projecting from the alveolar; yet these teeth, so small as to be utterly unfit for any useful purpose, are found in every individual of the species. We can only regard these, and all such organs, of which the animal kingdom presents innume- rable examples, as the characters by which nature distinguishes her various types. Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. I 114 Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. The most remarkable characteristic of rasorial birds is their shortness of wing, terrestrial habits, and consequent strength and size of their legs, which are formed for the principal sup- port of the body, and in some almost supersede the use of wings. It may be thought difficult to find among fishes a terrestrial type; but as water is the natural element of this class, so the ocean is its metropolis; and those kinds that are confined to rivers and the interior of continents may be safely looked upon as more terrestrial than the rest, and consequently so far equivalent in their habits to rasorial birds ; and while there is no instance of rasorial birds possessed of aquatic habits, or, as Swainson observes, “ frequenting water or even its vici- nity *,” so no species of Cyprinide is known to belong to the sea. In India the Cyprinide are exclusively confined to fresh water, mostly keeping beyond the influence of the tides ; thus evincing a propensity for land analogous to that of Rasores. 35. There is perhaps no point better settled in comparative anatomy, than that the pectorals of fishes represent the upper extremities of the higher classes of animals; short pectorals may therefore be said to be equivalent to short wings in birds ; but it is a question of much interest to determine fully how this applies to the case before us, andif it is to be relied upon as a true analogy. In the Frog and several reptiles the scapula has been found by Cuvier and Geoffroy to be composed of two osseous pieces, agreeing with the two upper bones of the posterior frame or jamb of the branchial aperture in fishes ; and a third or lower bone assists in forming a girdle to which the pectoral fins are fixed in Siluride and most fishes of the same order, with the exception of the Cyprinide, and particularly the herbivorous section of the family (P@onomine). These bones were found by the most satisfactory analysis to represent the humerus, or bone which gives support to the third row of quill-feathers in birds. Below this bone there is a stylet, which in Cyprins is merely rudimental. It was found by Cuvier to represent the ulna and radius, or in other words, to be equivalent tv the cu- bitus or bone which sustains the secondary quills in the wings of birds. 36. Thus two. bones, which in birds constitute the larger portion of the wing, may be said to be almost deficient in her- bivorous Cyprins, though they are more developed in many species of the carnivorous section of the family, and still more complete and uniform in other families of the same order, as Siluride. : 37. It is hardly necessary to enter into further analysis to * Geog. Dist. and Class. of Animals, p. 259. Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. 115 prove that the pectorals of Cyprinide in general, but particu- larly of herbivorous Cyprins, are less complete than those of neighbouring groups, for we are at once struck with the fact on observing the small size of the pectoral fins in all our Peonomine, and the slenderness of the rays of which they are composed ; while the large clumsy rays of the ventrals, and the strength of these fins, are circumstances that cannot be overlooked, and which, when viewed in comparison with the strong and fully-developed legs of Rasores (34.), supply all that is essential in the analogies between the groups in question. 38. In the most carnivorous species of Sarcoborine, on the other hand, and especially in some of the Opsarions, as O. poloxus and O. pholicephalus*, remarkable instances are observed of excessive development in the pectoral fins; and this is always, as far as I have seen, attended with a pro- portionate want of size in the ventrals, which are so slen- der and small in this genus, and their structure so delicate, as to render it hardly possible to conceive that they can be of much use in aiding the movements of the body. Now the widely-cleft mouth or beak, great breadth of wings or pectorals, obsolete ventrals or feet, are common to Opsa- rions and Fissirostres, so that the first would thus appear to be a natatorial type of Sarcoborine, corresponding with that type in the order of perching-birds. To this, however, there is some objection ; for if the Sarcoborine represent the Fere, the most carnivorous genus of the subfamily (which Opsa- rions would seem to be) ought to represent the Falconide, in which there is only one genus (Gypaétus) remarkable for short feet and great breadth of wing; but the cruel habits and voracious appetite of the Opsarions go to establish this last as the true analogy ; this, however, as well as many other points, must remain to be decided by further inquiry. In the mean time we may be justified in the conclusion, that the Fere among the Mammalia, and the Falconide among birds, have their representatives among the Cyprinide, and that the same type in each of the three groups seems to possess cer- tain corresponding characteristics which may distinguish them from all adjoining groups, and that in describing these cha- racters the same terms are as applicable to the one as to the other, which is quite sufficient to prove their corresponding analogies. 39. It may be objected to by those who have not paid much attention to the subject, that detached comparisons of this nature are of little value; still they are important, as the means of directing attention to characters that would other- * Tab. 47, f. 2, 3. 12 116 Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. wise be liable to be passed over unobserved; I am therefore disposed to pay little regard to such objections... The number of species and groups are now so much multiplied in every department of natural history, that detached descriptions are daily diminishing in value ; and besides, it is so easy to make a new genus if not required to show our reason for doing so, that we need not be surprised that it should now have become a regular trade, and that many acquire a temporary fame with the unthinking part of mankind by the practice. 40. The first test of a natural group isthe circularity of its contents. ‘To ascertain whether the affinities of the Cypri- nideé are circular, it is necessary to recollect that the herbivo- rous Cyprins are characterized by their plain colours and great length of intestinal canal, which varies from six to twelve _ lengths of the body in the different groups; those with the shortest intestine (the Barbels) being in the centre of the sub- family, it follows that the two extremes must meet, or show a tendency to approximate or close. The herbivorous Carps are united to the Sarcoborine by means of the Gonorhynchs and Systoms, and show, like the last, a tendency to form a circle of themselves, though it is probable that the group is yet far from being complete. The Sarcoborine and the Loaches are united by two new types, the Platycara and Psi- lorhynchus; and the Schistura, in addition to approximating to the Platycara, unites, or shows a tendency to unite, both in form and habits, with the Peonomine, the group with which we set out; thus exemplifying the first principle of natural classification; namely, that every natural series of beings, in its progress from a given point, either actually returns, or evinces a tendency to return again to that point, thereby forming a circle*, 41. The second test of a natural group relates to the num- ber of its types. On this point there exists some difference of opinion among writers on the natural system, which their profound inquiries are now doing much to remove. It is a question which, to understand sufficiently for practical pur- poses, requires an extensive knowledge of natural history, and a mind somewhat more imbued with the spirit of philosophy than has hitherto been considered requisite in those who ven- tured to name new genera. It has already been said that the lower jaw of the |Labeos agrees with that of the Cirrhins, in being formed of two bones articulated behind to the anterior process of the preoperculum, and that in front a transverse apophysis is given off on either side, so as to meet nearly in the middle, where they are united by ligaments and muscles at the chin, which is square, with a fissure in the middle. * Swains. Nat. Class. and Geog. Dist. Anim., p. 224. Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinidee. 117 The lower jaw of the Barbels is composed of two longer limbs (fig. 6, plate 54) articulated behind as in the Cirrhins, but without transverse apophyses in front, where the two bones are united by symphysis, or close union, firmly ce- mented as it were with cartilage. In the Gudgeons the chin is rounded horizontally, without the depression in the middle observed in that of the Cirrhins, or the acute lengthened apex of the Barbels, and is composed of a solid bony rim, formed of a transverse process directed from each corner of the mouth to the centre, where it is firmly united to its fellow by symphysis at the chin; at the corners of the mouth these transverse processes turn backwards at right angles (as in Cyp. bata, Buch., fig. 3, plate 54), and some- times at still greater angles, as in (fig. 2, plate 54) Cyp. mri- gala, Buch. This last process is articulated behind to the anterior process of the preoperculum, and corresponds with Cuvier’s angular bone in the Perch. 42. The angular transverse processes in this last form have every appearance of being two distinct pieces (c¢ and d, fig. 2, plate 54), consolidated in adults by a bony union at the corner of the mouth, yet formed from distinct centres of osseous de- posit. Now as these three forms are each attended with pe- culiar traits of character in regard to the nature of food and the manner of obtaining it, as well as in the structure of their digestive organs, we may be sufficiently justified in regarding them as characterizing three types, which, if we like, we may term primary. This view is further supported by the fact, that to one or other of the three forms in question, variously modified, the lower jaw of all the Cyprins of this country may be referred. In Cyprinus semiplotus (fig. 1, plate 54) the an- gular process is merged into the transverse, the first being only distinguished by the pterygoid process (c, fig. 1, plate 54), which we know, from all the other species examined, to belong to the angular limb (d, fig. 2, plate 54), and not to the transverse process on which it is in this species placed ; while the analogy to the type of the Gudgeons is preserved by an additional transverse bone being placed parallel to and in front of the first (e, e, fig. 1 and 2, plate 54). Of the positive value of these characters, I may mention that Cyprinus mrigala, Buch., is indicated by Cuvier as a Cirrhinus, but proved by this method of analysis to belong to the Gudgeons (Godio prop., J. M.), having, as well as the peculiar affinity here pointed out, the lengthened alimentary canal of that genus. Cyprinus prop., Cuvier, I suspect will be found, according to these principles, to agree in its natural affinities either with the Barbels or Cirrhins, as the length of the dorsal and the 118 Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. presence or absence of a spinous ray are scarcely sufficient distinctions even for a subgenus; and the Catastomi and La- beos of America will, I presume, be found to arrange them- selves naturally with the Cirrhins. The lower jaw of the Gonorhynchs is composed of two limbs placed nearly parallel to each other, and, as in the Cir- rhins, not united in front, but with this peculiarity, that the os hyoides is prolonged to the chin, at which situation the ante- rior extremities of the three bones are tied together with li- gaments*, | In the Opsarions, and generally throughout the Sarcobo- ring, the second form of jaw prevails, with the addition of being more acute at the symphysis; this form also seems to prevail in the Coditine, but in these the bones of the jaw are soft and flexible. The limbs of this organ are round and slender in Cobitis prop., but firmly united in front by means of two expanded apophyses; while in Schistwra they are flat and ob- liquely inclined to each other, so as to form, by means of their inner edges, a lengthened symphysis. 43. Thus we appear to have three primary types: the first distinguishes the Cirrhins, Labeos, and probably Catastoms ; a second is peculiar to the Barbels, Opsarions, and numerous other genera; and a third is seen in the Gudgeons. From these three types being so prominently developed in the Peo- nomine, while one principle chiefly seems to run throuch all the Sarcoborine, it is perfectly legitimate to conclude, even from this circumstance alone, that the former should be the most perfect group of the two, and that its species should con- sequently be endowed with more diversified instincts ; hence, although a vegetable regimen is the great characteristic of the Peonomine, still many of the species are omnivorous, and this is to be expected, especially among the Cirrhins and the true Carps (Cyprinus prop., Cuy.). The Barbels, however, as well perhaps as the Breams, which appear to be peculiar to Europe,. seem to partake more of carnivorous habits, and therefore roust be held as the subtypical, while the Cirrhins are the ty- pical+ ; and the Gudgeons and Gonorhynchs, from their pos- sessing in the greatest perfection the single instinct for a ten- dency to which the Peonomine are most remarkable, viz. sub- sisting exclusively on a vegetable regimen, are as unques- tionably the aberrant forms of Peonomine: on the other hand, the rapacious habits of the Sarcoborine mark them so con- * Vide Journ. As. Soc. Beng., 1835, p. 40, where I described this struc- ture in Gonorhynchus petrophilus. + The Cirrhins being the most perfect forms of a typical group, are strictly, in the language of Mr. Swainson, pre-eminently typical, Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. 119 spicuously as a subtypical group, corresponding as they do with the habit of that group in devouring other animals, that it is unnecessary in this place to offer a remark in support of a fact so plain. ; 44. The consideration of the third or aberrant group in Cyprinide involves some points which will not be so clear to those who have not studied the principles of natural classi- fication. This group should possess three types, and these should be so related as to form a circle of affinities among themselves. This property has suggested the following pro- position to Mr. Swainson, which tends to reconcile some di- versity of opinion that formerly prevailed as to the number of primary types :—“ The primary circular divisions of every group are three actually, or five apparently.” The three aberrant types are named by Mr. Vigors (‘ Linn. Transac.,’ - vol. xiv.) from the corresponding groups in ornithology, na- tatorial, suctorial, and rasorial*. The third type I find to be represented by the Loaches ; but before we enter into a consi- deration of that part of the subject, it is necessary to point out the two first types, which I have already only alluded to; this I must do by entering into more particulars than may seem to be necessary. 45. Buchanan, in defining his ninth division of the old ge- nus Cyprinus, which is composed of Gonorhynchs, as I have already pointed out, gave them the barbarous name of Garra, and compares their habits to those of the Loaches, and ob- serves that they are called Balitora, or sand-diggers, by the natives ; a name, I may observe, which in Assam, and I pre- sume also in Bengal, is applied to Loaches only. Indeed the Gonorhynchs, or Garra of Buchanan, are peculiar to moun- tains, from whence they are driven down during floods, and do not extend beyond the rapids that skirt their base ; so that they can scarcely be said to be entitled to any Bengal name. In this group Mr. Gray detected a new genus, to which I wish he had given a more appropriate name than Balitora ; for in- dependently of the species being different from any of those described by Buchanan, and supposed by him to be the Ba- litora of the natives, Mr. Gray’s genus is peculiar to moun- tain-torrents, the beds of which are usually rocky rather than sandy : for this reason, as well as from the fact of the Balitora of Gray forming a new type, distinguished by a flat head and * As these terms have been applied conditionally by Mr. Swainson to Mammalia, I need make no apology for following the example of so good an authority in applying them to fishes. Indeed I have been guided en- tirely by the views of Mr. MacLeay, as exhibited in the ‘ Linnean Transac- tions,’ and the works of Mr. Swainson, from beginning to end of this paper. 120 Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. other remarkable characters, I propose for it the generic name Platycara*. Several specimens of this genus, corre- sponding, I suspect, with the spotted species of Gray, P. macu- lata, plate 49, fig. 2+, were brought down from Bouton by Mr. Griffith, but they were unfortunately in such a decayed state when opened that we have been unable to obtain from them a very full specific description. I have however, from these specimens, been able to satisfy myself on other points con- nected with their structure, and find not merely that they are distinct from the Gonorhynchs (Garra, Buch.), in consequence of their short fleshy abdominal tube, which does not, inclu- ding the stomach, exceed the length of the body, while that of the Gonorhynchs is equal to eight lengths of the body ; but that their broad and blunt head is more like that of a Stlurus than a Cyprinus. Their character is rendered still more re- markable by the great breadth and position of the pectorals, situated almost beneath the eyes, and the fleshy pedicles or arms on which they are placed are decided analogies to nata- torial forms. If we compare the characters of the Platycara with those of the natatorial types in the other classes, we are struck with the analogy—“ a blunt truncated muzzle, an ob- tuse head with strong jaws for seizing animal food.” The short intestines of the Platycara prove their habits to be car- nivorous; and though the mouth is not very large, the jaws are remarkably strong, composed, as in the Gudgeons, of two limbs soldered in the middle, but much stronger than in the instance referred to. Among birds, the Owls, the natatorial. group of Raptores, and the Fissirostres in the circle of perehers, as well as most of the Natatores, are distinguished above other birds for their breadth of wing, and the blunt or flattened form of the rostrum or the head, as has been proved by the philosophical analysis of the class by Vigors and Swainson{. 46. For the next cr suctorial form (plate 50, fig. 1, 2) we are * From platus, broad, and kara, the head. + From the importance here given these species as forming a new type, I have transferred the two figuyes from Hardwicke’s ‘ Illustrations,’ in which there is no description of sem, t plate 49. Since the above was written, the-¢ollectors employed by my friend Mr. Griffith in the Kasyah mountains have obtained an additional species; and as their liberal employer has no object to serve beyond the interest of sci- ence, he has freely permitted me to make use of this or any similar object of zoological interest contained in his collections. The species alluded to, P. nasuta, is described in Prinsep’s Journal of the Asiatic Society for No- vember 1838, plate 55, fig. 2. See also plate 57, fig. 2 of this paper: in this species the pectoral pedicles are very slightly dedaped. { The Peciliane, Schn., to which I have added a subgenus Aplochelus, as well as the adjoining genera with flat heads and teeth, I also refer to the same type, plate 42, fig. 2, 3, plate 55, fig. 4. Mr. Westwood on the Sexes in certain Lucanide. 121 indebted to two drawings in Buchanan’s collection, which are marked ‘ Stolephorus ;” but the Stolephore (Engraulis, Cuv.) or Anchovies belong to the Clupeide, a family remarkable for its narrow or compressed forms. The two figures referred to are not compressed nor sharp beneath, so that they could not belong to the genus Buchanan had in view when he named them on the drawings ; and this mistake he seems afterwards to have corrected, as the same two species appear unquestion- ably to be those described in the ‘ Gangetic Fishes,’ p. 347-8, under the names of Cyprinus Sucatio and Cyp. Balitora*, The muzzle of these species is remarkably flattened and thin, but there is nothing remarkable about the pectoral fins ; and the eyes, instead of being placed on the upper surface of the head, as in Platycara, are situated on its edges ; the mouth is remarkably small, placed far behind the long and thin muzzle, without any appearance of cirri, as in the Loaches, to’ which Buchanan supposed them to bear a resemblance. This genus, which appears to be the suctorial type, I propose to name Psilorhynchust. The peculiarities just noticed, as well as the position of the eyes, which are far back in the head, as we see in the Moles, Ant-eaters, and other analogous types among quadrupeds, together with their well-formed and fully- developed fins, are indicative of powers of rapid motion, such as distinguishes the Humming-birds, Cinnyris, Waders, and other suctorial types in the same class. Unfortunately we are not acquainted with the habits of the two interesting species under consideration, further than that they were obtained by Buchanan in the northern parts of Bengal, to which they have been probably swept from the mountains. The information to be derived from their intestines is however of the less im- portance as affecting their type, as they would be equally suc- torial whether they derived their food from the juices of plants or from shell-fish or ova. [To be continued. | XV.—-Notice of a hitherto undescribed character distinctive of the Sexes in certain Lucanide. .By J. O. Westwoopn, F.L.S. Dvurine the late visit of Professor Burmeister to London, he mentioned to me, whilst looking over my collection of ento- mological drawings, that a Brazilian insect therein represented, * It was probably Buchanan’s descriptions of these species Mr. Gray had in view when he bestowed the name Balitora on the genus which I now call Platycara, + From psilo, thin or attenuated, and rhynchus, a snout or beak, 122 Mr. Westwood on the Sexes in certain Lucanide. and which had been regarded by the Rev. F. W. Hope as a species of Pholidotus (Ph. irroratus, H., Trans. Zool. Soc.*), and by myself as constituting a subgenus of Pholidotus (Scor- tizus, W., in Ann. d. Sci. Nat., 2nd Ser. t. i. p. 119), was na- turally referable to the group of Lucanide typified by Figulus, MacL. (consisting of the genera Figulus, Nigidius, Cardanus, W.., and Ceratognathus,W.), being, like those genera, furnished with a corneous hook at the extremity of the mando or in- ternal lobe of the maxille. My drawings comprised a repre- sentation of the maxilla, and exhibited this hook ; but in the plate published in the ‘ Transactions of the Zoological Society ’ the figure of this organ was omitted. The existence of two other Brazilian species of Lucanide closely allied to Scortizus, but of a narrower form, approach- ing that of the Figulides, and which also possessed a similar hook, appeared to confirm Dr. Burmeister’s views, although the general form of Scortizus irroratus, and especially the par- tially squamose surface of the body, seemed equally to bring it into connexion with Pholidotus. Having years ago discovered that the females of Pholidotus possess a similar hook+, although it is wanting in the males, it appeared to me that this circumstance gave a more direct clue to the solution of the question than any other that could be offered. The unique specimen, however, in Mr. Hope’s collection being a female, it became necessary to examine the other sex, and fortunately the valuable collection of Brazilian insects of Mr. Miers afforded an example of both sexes; and on dissecting the male, I found, as I had anticipated, that its rnaxillee were destitute of any corneous hook, thus proving the relationship of Scortizus and Pholidotus. Being further anxious to ascertain whether this sexual distinction might not also exist amongst the Figulideous species, the specimens of which hitherto dissected might possibly have been females alone—whilst the males hitherto undissected might have been destitute of such hook, which latter is in fact the character assigned by Mr. MacLeay to his genus Figulus in the ‘ Horee Entomologice,—I submitted all my exotic Lucanide (except those of the genus Lucanus) to the test of dissection, and the result has been the discovery of the existence of a similar sex- ual distinction in the genus Lamprima; whereas in Nigidius and Ceratognathus, W., the males of which are at once recog- nisable by the increased size of the mandibles, I found the * Lucanus maculatus, Klug, in Nova Acta. + Mr. Macleay formed the female of this genus into the genus Casignetus in the ‘ Hore Entomologice,’ overlooking however this curious character, but suggesting its generic identity with Pholidotus. Mr. Westwood on new Insects. 123 maxillz in this sex furnished with the hook as well as in the females. All my specimens of Figulus and Cardanus, W., are also similarly provided with the hook, but I have not distin- guished between the sexes ; so that I cannot affirm, although I fully believe, that both sexes of those two genera are also fur- nished with a hook, and consequently that the description of Mr. MacLeay of the genus Figulus is erroneous. The genera in which I have found neither sex furnished with the hook are Ceruchus, Platycerus, Ceratognathus, W., Syndesus and Rhyssonotus. In Lepidodes, W., a new subgenus of Lucanus which exhi- bits several of the characters of Pholidotus and Rhyssonotus, I found the unique female in Mr. Melly’s collection to be de- stitute of a tooth. I also found the females of Chiasognathus and Sphenogna- thus similarly destitute of the hook, although, from their close relationship with Pholidotus, I fully expected to find that they possessed it. XVI.—Insectorum novorum Centuria, auctore J.O. Westwoop, F.L.S. Decadis prime Coleopterorum Synopsis*. Carenum, Bon.; C. Spencit. Subopacum, nigrum; tibiis anticis valde palmatis, elytris excavationibus rotundatis numerosis tri- plici serie (in utroque elytro) ordinatis; spatiis intermediis ele- vatis. Long. corp. lin. 9. NovaHollandia. Mus. Melly. Hetora, MachL.; H. Thibetana. Ainea, lateribus cupreo-tinctis, valde rugosa et punctata tuberculisque oblongis distincta, elytris guttis 4-elevatis fulvis, antennis piceo-luteis, femoribus fulvis, apicibus zeneis, tibiis fulvo piceoque annulatis. Long. corp. lin. 4. Habitat Thibet. Mus. Melly. Triptatomat, Westw., in Griff. An. K.; T. apicalis. Nigra, levis, prothoracis lateribus luteis macula oblongo-oyvali nigra; elytris fascia valde angusta ante medium alteraque pone medium (in medio interrupta) et subobliqua luteis; apicibus apiceque ab- dominis rufis. Long. corp. lin. 94. Habitat Africa tropicali. D. Raddon. Mus. nostr. Elater cecus, Fabr., Pal. B. Col. pl. 7. f. 4. valde affinis. Sternoromis, Perch. (Sternodonta, Dej., Lap.); S. amena. Nigra, opaca, pronoto maculis duabus mediis lateribusque, scutello, maculis lateribusque elytrorum viridi-lacteis, maculis duabus in * Figures and detailed descriptions of these insects are prepared, and will be published hereafter. + Evotylide oblonge, palpis maxillaribus simplicibus, 124 Mr. Westwood’s Century of new Insects. medio elytrorum maximis ; alterisque duabus posticis elongatis et valde angustis. Long. corp. lin. 11—16. Habitat Africa tropicali. D. Raddon. Mus. Melly, nostr. Saperpa, Fab.; S. carissima. Brevis, opaca, supra viridi-lactea, pronoto vittis tribus brunneo-fulvis, elytris fascia lata irregulari (in medio interrupta) ex humeris fere ad suturam ducta, macu- laque magna communi discoidali, brunneo-fulvis; his etiam ma- culis 10, nigris rotundatis ornatis. Long. corp.lin.5. Habitat Africa tropicali. Mus. Raddon. Paristem1A, Westw. (n. g. Longicorn. Lophonocero et Pteracanthze Newm. affinis). Antenne breves, crass, caput parvum, protho- rax utrinque obtuse spinosus, elytra lateribus rotundato-dilatatis, apicibus simplicibus. Palpi breves.—P. platyptera. Nigra, pro- thorace rufo, utrinque striga e capite ad angulos posticos ducta nigra, elytris fascia latissima postice angulata et fere ad apicem extensa rufa. Long. corp. lin. 124. Habitat Africa tropicali. Mus. Raddon. Lucanvs, Linn.; LZ. Dux. Ater, elytris nitidis, capite utrinque rugose punctato, pronoto tenuissime punctato, mandibulis longitudine capiti et thoraci zqualibus, valde curvatis, intus (dentibus tribus subapicalibus exceptis) inermibus; capite pone oculos utrinque obtuse spinoso, prothorace utrinque bispinoso, angulis- que posticis acutis, tibiis anticis apice externo 3-dentato ; 4 pos- ticis inermibus. Long. corp. cum mandibulis unc. 4, lin. 2. Habitat Manilla. D. Cuming. In Mus. Brit. Affinis L. belli- coso, Lap., at major, et mandibulis basi intus inermibus. Vix varietas D. Alcidis. Lucanus DeHaanii. ®neo-rufescens, elytris pedibusque fulves- centibus, capite maximo antice latiori; oculis vix septatis ; mandibulis elongatis, dente uno ante, alteroque pone medium tribusque subapicalibus intus armatis ; antennis valde elongatis, clava 4-phylla, 1™° articulo clave maximo; pronoto postice angustiori, pedibus longis, tibiis anticis in medio 1-spinosis, 4 posticis inermibus. Long. corp. cum mandibulis lin. 19. Ha- bitat Borneo. Mus. Melly. Conf. L. metallicus, Bdy. Voy. Astrol. Lucanvs. (S. g. nov. Leripoprs. Corpus punctatum punctis albi- do-squamosis, caput ¢ magnum quadratum; mandibulis cras- sis, porrectis subrectis intus et ad apicem valde dentatis, protho- rax subrotundatus lateribus crenulatis ; oculis omnino septatis, antennarum clava 3-phylla; tibize antics 5-dentate, 4 posticz inermes. L. (Chalcodi) erato proximus.) L. (L.) rotundicollis. Purpureo-fuscus, subnitidus, capite thoraceque dense punctatis, punctis albido-squamosis; elytris tenuissime punctatis et squa- mosis. Corpore infra ut supra colorato et squamoso. Long. corp. lin. 10—14. Habitat Nova Hollandia. Mus. Curtis et Melly. Passatus, Fab.; P. fronticornis. Niger, nitidus, subcylindricus ; clypeo in cornu longitudine capitis apice emarginato porrecto, Mr. W. Thompson on migratory Birds. 125 mandibulisque porrectis, apertis, longitudine cornu clypei, intus ad basin multi-dentatis, pronoto serie punctorum margine antico, parallela, punctisque duobus majoribus versus angulos posticos. Long. corp. 1 unc. Habitat Thibet. Mus. Melly. XVII.—WNotice of migratory Birds which alighted on, or were seen from, H.M.S. Beacon, Capt. Graves, on the passage From Malta to the Morea at the end of April 1841. By Wma. Toompson, Esq., Vice-Pres. Nat. Hist. Society of Belfast. Havine been favoured by my friend Capt. Graves, R.N., with an invitation to accompany him during the projected government survey of the island of Candia, I, with Mr. E. Forbes (who had received from the Admiralty the honorary appointment of Naturalist on the occasion), left Malta in H.M.S. Beacon on the 21st of April. The first port we sailed for was Navarino, for the purpose of watering the ship. The passage occupied seven days. It being just the period of the year when many species of birds which make Europe their abode only in the more genial seasons, were, after having passed the winter in Africa, crossing the Mediterranean to their summer quarters, we were often gratified by a sight of them, either passing, resting briefly on the rigging, or re- maining sometimes so long as a day or more about the ship. The following notes were made upon the subject. The prevailing wind of the day is set down: the progress noted is what we had made at sunset. April 22.—Wind W., forty miles E. of Malta. An Owl alighted on the vessel and remained a short time. I saw it very well and near, but could not be certain of its species. Looking over the collection at the British Museum and refer- ring to Gould’s ‘ Birds of Europe’ since my return, have not satisfied me on the point. Other examples of the same spe- cles were seen on the passage, and afterwards in the island of Paros. It seems to be the most common of the small migra- tory owls to the south of Europe, and I have little doubt is the species noticed by Sibthorp in his papers on Greece (pub- lished in Walpole’s Memoirs) as the Striz passerina.—Blue- headed Wagtail (Motacilla neglecta, Gould): two of these birds, both females, were about the vessel all day, and very tame ; one of them flew into our cabin. It was amusing to see them fly-catching on the deck, where they appeared to great advantage, and met with considerable success. Their manner is, poking out the neck most ludicrously, opening 126 Mr. W. Thompson on migratory Birds wide the bill, and then—making the unerring dart at their victim*. Common Swallow (Hirundo rustica). Two remained some time about the ship, perching on the rigging, and hawking over the deck in pursuit of flies. April 23.—Wind S.E., 80 miles from Malta, and 50 from Cape Passaro, the nearest land. A Lesser Grey-shrike (Lanius minor), of which I had a near view several times; a Whitethroat (Sylvia cinerea), a Willow-Wren (Sylvia Trochi- lus), and a Black-headed Bunting + (Emberiza melanocephala), flew on board. Two individuals of the Motacilla neglecta re- mained for some time in the vessel, as did a Wheatear (Saz- icola Ginanthe) all day. A House Marten (Hirundo urbica) flew into the cabin and was found dead shortly afterwards : it had not met with any molestation on board. The officers of the Beacon have frequently known birds of different spe- cies when crossing the Mediterranean thus fly into the cabin, secrete themselves and die. A Quail (Perdix Coturnix) was captured on board, and appeared to be dying at the time. April 24.—Wind S.E., 90 miles E. of Sicily: Syracuse the nearest land. Several of the Motacilla neglecta flew on board ; one of them entered'the cabin very boldly, and enter- tained us much by its familiarity. Persons passing in and out of the room frighted it not from fly-catching, in which it succeeded by running, leaping, or taking short flights at its prey : this bird even alighted on ourselves and picked flies off our clothes. Two or three Hoopoes (Upupa Epops) came on board, fested for a short time, and proceeded on their flight ; a Tur- tle Dove (Columba Turtur) did the same. A flock consisting of twelve Ibises (Ibis falcinellus, Temm.) were seen first at a distance coming from the south-west, flew close past the vessel, and continued directly in the same course, or towards the north-east, until lost to view. April 25.—Wind N.E., 58 miles from Calabria, the near- est land: 135 miles from Mount Etna at sunset, when it was visible. A Scops-eared Owl (Strix Scops) was knocked down and captured just as he had clutched a Lesser White- throat (Sylvia Curruca), of which species two or three indi- viduals came on board. A Shrike (Lanius ——), which from *, When, on the 16th of April, on our passage from Marseilles to Malta, and about twenty miles southward of the most southern point of Italy, two of the Motacilla neglecta, both males, flew on board the steam-packet; they were very tame, and remained in the vessel for half an hour. + Acontinental species, and not the bird—Emberiza Scheniculus—known in some parts of the British Islands by this name. seen on the passage from Malta to the Morea. 127 the height it generally kept at I could not see well enough to distinguish its species, seized a Sylvia Trochilus, all of which it eat except the bill: of the latter species, one which was taken by ourselves met with better treatment, and perch- ing quietly on the finger was so carried about to feed on flies, which, when taken near to, it seized, never leaving the hand if the fly could possibly be captured from it. A female Golden Oriole (Oriolus Galbula), a Redstart (Phenicura ruticilla), and a Lark (dlauda ), of what species I could not be certain, came on board—the Redstart was caught. Several of the Hirundo rustica about the ship. A Wryneck (Yunex torquilla) was captured, and on being taken within reach of flies, at once picked them up*. When turning about its neck in the manner peculiar to the species, this bird was compared by some of the officers to a particular species of snake found -in Greece, and which, like it, has a dark band on the head and neck. Two or three of the Upupa Epops and a Columba Turtur as yesterday flew on board, but did not remain long. “ Large and small hawks” were reported to me as seen about the ship ; but the Goatsucker and Cuckoo might, from their general ap- pearance and mode of flight, be not improbably looked upon as “small hawks.” April 26.—Wind N.E., 86 miles from Zante, the nearest land: 130 miles from Navarino. : A + ie # % i M Y us , : ’ @ ~ > - ry gs y y . t A A 34 ON 4 oh ‘ bakigs i} oy \ 7 i By) » ‘ \ é . 2 « > 4 NY, en - 5 ¥ . . A » ¥ f ‘ ; E , 4 i ‘ A ate e, ‘ - * Sa, TT i. ‘ t a » . | Lay 7 Z , ms 4 a J * 2 , * Z & wa ory ‘ ° , ’ < ‘ i PET wd me ey i at . M4 4 aa aa ¥ 7 sy ’ , * . - ‘ ‘* * i ow gc ‘ f ‘ . ich) 2 le o ed ° : ie Sus) : f : » » s+ at . rs, , = 3 b. Y Wel i > ¥ i" in ay S M ) +) an ¥ Ms ,Oo8 ab ar a ey. . . 2 dl ‘ oe ‘ s < r 4 “4 7, ' y if . " ” . 2 5 st «i " t Aka \ os : ee ; ; i pot We ; Coe fs ; ‘ i : 1 - is ‘ ; , ’ Reena i i \ wn rE \ 4, t Y a 7 c vial yg Pe F+¢ WI Boaky Fag # Chart lth WE Laly Lig: 4 Ge hith) athug. Lin. & Mag Nad Lhst VN ol: 8 PLIL ' AT, > i MAG Ste. g , re) a > ee Rit) C6: esate hh Rep aeas elven he a, oe me HS % % poe, Sees . Ret ren ig an la aah as Te Hants ca ‘ Z Vol.8. PI. IV. » Nak Les Ann: & May @elet bith : te Baty aor hae ewe | ‘hepa cree je eee WH Barly delet Lith 4 eine’ penta ere) is iy ae i, eae ut Na ay ey ; THE ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. No. 50. NOVEMBER 1841. Deen, el _X1IX.—Description of some new Species of Ammonites found in the Oxford Clay on the line of the Great Western Railway near Christian Malford. By Samun. Peace Pratt, Esq., F.L.S., F.G.S. [ With Four Plates. ] THE cuttings for the Great Western Railwa: i betw een Chip-— penham and Wootton Basset having been a most entirely in the Oxford clay, and having exposed nearly the whole of that deposit, numerous fossil remains have been discovered, inclu- ding many new species. The Oxford clay, in this neighbour- hood, forms three distinct beds, viz. the upper and lower blue clays, separated by the ferruginous Kelloway rock ; and each division has its distinct fossils, although several species are common to each of the three divisions. Besides the undescribed species, many have been found:throughout the series which had hitherto been considered as characteristic of either higher or much lower beds; thus Ostrea. deltoidea and Gryphea vir- gula are numerous in both the upper and lower beds, though formerly considered to betenfined to the Kimmeridge clay ; and several shells belon, ine to the inferior oolite, as Astarte modiolaris and Lima preboscidea, with some others, are found in the upper beds nea¥Wootton Basset. In the neighbour- hood of Christian Malford, about four miles from Chippen- ham, the site of the Kelloway rock appears to be represented by a bed of gravel a few feet in thickness, which, besides the usual fossils of that bed, contains also numerous rolled “pe cimens from the neighbouring hills of coral rag and cale reous grit. Bones of the Elephant and other mammalia haveé also been found in it. Beyond the gravel to the N.W., in the direction of the rise of the strata, the clay assumes a slaty character, and contains numerous fossils, chiefly peculiar to the spot, such as ten or twelve species of Ammonites, more than half of which are undescribed, several species of Belem- nites, Sepize, Fishes, and numerous shells, which although much compressed are beautifully perfect. The Ammonites are remarkable for having the aperture in Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. M 162 Mr. 8. P. Pratt on some new species of Ammonites. a nearly perfect condition, but from their flattened state it is often difficult to determine their distinctive characters ; this has however been attempted in the following descriptions, which have been drawn up after an inspection of several hundred specimens ; and of a few individuals, which, having fortunately been found in indurated nodules in the clay, and thus preserved from compression, exhibit characters which the usual state of the fossils do not afford. The specimens described are partly from the author’s collection, and partly from that of the Bristol Institution, which possesses an ex- tensive series of fossils found in the same locality, collected by the zeal of Mr. S. Stutchbury. Some apology may seem necessary for having employed proper names so extensively in the designation of the species ; but in a genus, the general characters of which are so similar, and in which the species are sO numerous, it is difficult to find characteristic distinc- tions: this genus has also, by almost general consent, been adopted to commemorate the names of individuals, who have distinguished themselves either by their discoveries in the science, or by their love and patronage of it. 1. Ammonites Elizabethe. Pl. III. fig. 1, 2, 3, 4. Shell angular, arising from a series of spines on each dorsal edge, and two rows of tubercles on the sides of the vo- lution, one near the middle, another smaller and com- pressed near the inner margin ; radiated, the rays varying very much in number and elevation, curved or undulated, but becoming angular near the aperture of the adult shell, which has on each side a long, narrow, spatulate projec- tion, the prolonged rays forming waves or loops on its surface; volutions six or seven, about 2rds exposed; back narrow, concave, the rays passing over it and form- ing low obtuse ridges; siphunculus not visible. The number and length of the spines and tubercles, and the mode in which they are combined with the rays, appear to indicate several distinct species, but on closer examination it is seen that all the varieties pass into each other, the same specimen sometimes containing more than one form. The spines and rays vary from sixteen to upwards of sixty on the last volution, and they are large and elongated in pro- portion to the smallness of their number; in the simplest form, a single irregular ray, terminated on the dorsal edge by a long sharp spine, connects it with the tubercles, scarcely reaching the inner one in others; two, three, and sometimes four rays arise from the spine and unite in the middle tu- Mr. S. P. Pratt on some new species of Ammonites. 163 bercle. The prolongation of the aperture appears to depend upon the meowth of the shell, and it varies from a slight pro- jection to 14 inch long; it is concave externally and convex internally. 2. Ammonites Comptoni. Pl. IV. fig. 1. Shell discoidal, radiated, the rays alternately two short and one long; the long rays proceeding from the dorsal to the inner margin, where they become thickened, the two short rays not passing beyond the middle of the volu- tion ; they are curved backwards near the dorsal edge: in the young shell the rays are close, sharp, and slightly elevated; when full-grown the last volution has a few obtuse undulations, but is nearly smooth ; back rounded, with a slight depression in the middle, formed by the nearly meeting rays; the whole shell without spines or tubercles ; volutions 6 or 7, 2rds exposed ; aperture ter- minated on each side with a spatulate projection about 13 inch long when fully grown, and of similar characters with Am. Elizabethe. 3. Ammonites Stuichburit. Pl. IV. fig. 2 and 3. Shell discoidal, radiated; the rays curved, very regular, form- ing raised lines which reach from the dorsal edge to about the middle of the volution, where they meet a row of small, compressed, distant tubercles, beyond which is another row near the i inner margin ; these tubercles vary much in number and relative size; volutions 2rds ex- posed; aperture forming a projecting beak, with waved strize on its surface; back narrow, marked. by the rays passing over it, and terminated on each edge by a range of serrated sharp points formed by the termination of the rays; volutions exposed, showing both ranges of tu- bercles. 4. Ammonites Sedgwickii. Pl. V. fig. 1. Shell discoidal, nearly smooth on the last volution, but having a row of tubercles upon the inner margin ; the spaces be- tween them twice as large as the tubercles: in the young shell sharp raised lines proceed from the rounded back to about the centre of the volution, but do not reach the tubercles; they become indistinct towards the aperture ; volutions "1th exposed, the last about half the diameter of the shell; aperture not projecting, forming a well- defined twice-curved termination. M 2 164 Mr. 8S. P. Pratt on some new species of Ammonites. 5. Ammonites Lonsdalii.. Pl. V. fig. 2, Shell discoidal, radiated (when young) with numerous waved, well-defined, raised lines, which become more obtuse and fewer as the shell increases in size; near the aperture they pass into fine striz; the rays rise from the dorsal edges, and scarcely reach the middle of the side; the aperture forms a regular concave termination, except on the inner edge, where it bends back like the handle of a sickle ; volutions $rd exposed, the last more than half the diameter of the shell. 6. Ammonites fluctuosus. Pl. VI. fig. 1 and 2. Shell discoidal or lenticular, radiated (when young) with nu- merous sharp raised lines, which are alternately long and short; the short combining in twos or threes with the longer ones about the middle of the side, some remain- ing distinct: as the shell advances in age the inner half of the long rays becomes much thickened, until they form obtuse elevated ridges, with broad, concave, smooth spaces between, the short rays gradually disappearing ; volutions numerous, 2rds exposed; shell reaching 6 inches in diameter, without any appearance of projecting aperture. 7. Ammonites Brightti. Pl. VI. fig. 3, 4. Shell discoidal, nearly smooth, but having several flat, obtuse ridges arising from the dorsal edge, which combine a little beyond the middle of the volution into a com- pressed elongated tubercle which reaches the inner mar- gin; the tubercles are about one-third as numerous as the ridges, and meet them in a rounded right angle: in the young shell they are hardly visible, and also become obsolete near the aperture, the sides of which suddenly contracting to about one-third, again expand into a trans- verse oval projection, finely waved or striated; the back of the shell also projects in a point, and forms with the sides a concave arch; a sharp ridge on the back marks the siphunculus ; volutions about 7, 2rds exposed. 8. Ammonites Gulielmi, Sowerby, Min. Con., pl. 311. This species differs considerably from the description given by Sowerby, although there can be no doubt of its being the same shell; when fully grown to about 5 inches in diameter, the inner thickened rays form strong, elevated, compressed spines or tubercles. Mr. Jeffreys on the Mollusca of Shetland. — 165 Ammonites sublevis, Am. lenticularis, and Am. mutabilis, and some other indistinct species, are also found in the same locality, generally compressed. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. All the figures are of the natural size, with the exception of Fig. 1. Pl. VI., which is about one-half. Prare III. Fig. 1, 2, 3. Am. Elizabethe. : Simplest form. . Most usual character. . An uncompressed specimen. . Exhibits characters proving the specific identity of Figs. 1, 2, 3. . Am. Compitoni. . Am. Stutchburii. . Part of the aperture of ditto. Puate V. Fig. 1. dm. Sedgwickit. 2. dm. Lonsdalii. Puate VI. Fig. 1. Am. fluctuosus, half the natural size. 2. Ditto young. 3. Am. Brightii. 4, Ditto uncompressed. keg to Puate IV. Fig. Gobo — XX.—A List of Testaceous Mollusca collected in the Shet- land Isles during a few days’ residence there in the autumn of this year, and not noticed by Dr. Fleming in his * History of British Animals’ as indigenous to that country. By J. Gwyn Jerrreys, Esq., F.R. & LS., &c. 1. Helix alliacea (var.). At Lerwick, under stones near the sea- shore. . Rissoa purpurea (n.s.). At Scalloway. . Pyramidella (?) interstincta [Odostomia interstinota, Fleming]. In Lerwick Sound, among coral. (2) insculpta [Odostomia insculpta, Fleming]. With the lant’ (?) pallida [Phasianella pallida, Fleming]. With the last. . Eulima Donovani (Phasianella polita, Fleming]. Lerwick Sound: not uncommon. 7. Natica Helicoides. Dr. Johnson in Trans. of Berwickshire Nat. Hist. Society. One specimen (the second which appears to have been recorded) was found by me while dredging in Lerwick Sound; it presents some generic differences (particularly in the aperture and umbilicus) from Natica. The figure in the Transactions of the Berwickshire Natural History Society is erroneously represented as reversed, and in other respects does not give a good idea of the shell. usus albus (n.s.). In Lerwick Sound; a single specimen, but very distinct from any of its congeners. ra A bh who 166 _ Sir F. A. Mackenzie on the Breeding 9. Trichotropis acuminatus. Jeffreys in ‘ Malacological and Concho- logical Magazine,’ No. Il. p. 36. In Lerwick Sound : not un- common. I found one specimen of the Chiton albus which was half an inch long. Pecten obsoletus, var. omnino alba. In Lerwick Sound ; only one specimen. 10. Crenelila elliptica, Brown [Mytilus decussatus, Montagu]. In Lerwick Sound: not uncommon. 11. Arca fusca. In Lerwick Sound : a single valve. 12. Montacuta substriata, Turton. Lerwick, attached to the ventral spines of the Spatangus purpureus, its usual habitat. 13. ————— ferruginosa, Turton. Scalloway; a single valve. 14. Lucina lactea. At Scalloway: rare. — spinifera [Venus spinifera, Montagu]. In Lerwick Sound : rare. 16. Cyprina minima, Turton. In Lerwick Sound: not uncommon. 17. Astarte? triangularis [Mactra triangularis, Montagu]. In Ler- wick Sound ; one specimen only. 18. Venus Virginea and var. Sarniensis, Turton. Lerwick: not un- common. 19. Anatina pretenuis. Lerwick and Scalloway : rare. intermedia. Jeffreys in ‘ Malacological and Conchological Magazine,’ No. II. p. 45. In Lerwick Sound : not uncommon. 21. Psammobia florida. In Lerwick Sound: not uncommon. Swansea, Sept. 1841. XXI.—Brief and Practical Instructions for the Breeding of Salmon and other Fish artificially. By Sir Francis A. MacKkeEnzik, Bart. | In the autumn of 1840, having chosen a brook flowing ra- pidly into the river Ewe, a hollow spot adjoining to it was selected and cleared out, of the following dimensions: length 23 yards, breadth from 12 to 18 feet; and all large stones ha- ving been taken away, the bottom was covered 1 foot thick with coarse sand and small gravel, the largest stones not ex- ceeding the size of a walnut. Quadrumanz. Insessores. Conirostres. zation; claws, spines or | nails not acute. Subtypical. Rapacious, feeding upon live animals; claws or other organs of torture acute. Sarcoborine... Fetes.‘ Siiteees Raptores. _Dentirostres. Aberrant. Natatorial. Head or rostrum flat and f large; anterior extre- Platycara and, mities more developed Peecilianz 4 in proportion than the 1 posterior—habits car- | nivorous. J ‘SCetacea wees Natatores. Fissirostres. Suctorial. Size diminutive; upper jaw, mandible or snout gin prolonged; run, fly, or swim very fast. Pailorlivnchug.< 0 dc trai yas) oS GIRCR: ssi canis Grallatores. Tenuirostres. Rasorial. { Head ornamented either) with horns or soft ap- Cobitinae 0 pendages—habits gra- png seaede Rasores. Scansores. nivorous or herbivo- L rous. 50. It would be too much to expect from the materials of one zoological province to demonstrate satisfactorily all the properties of natural groups in the minor divisions of this fa- mily. That its typical and subtypical groups are circular is plain enough, from the diminution in the Jength of the intes- tinal canal we experience in passing from the Cirrhins to the Barbels ; and again, from the Barbels through the Gono- rhynchs to the Gudgeons that canal becomes longer, indi- cating an union between the latter and the group from which we Set out. | The same thing is observed in passing from the Systoms through the Opsarions, Perilamps and Leuciscs; a tendency Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. 197 between the former and latter to unite is indicated, thus form- ing the subtypical group (Sarcoborine) into a circle. A similar thing may be seen in the aberrant group (Apa- lopterine), in which the Schisture form one extremity and the Platycara the other, the intermediate space being occupied with the Peciliane, Psilorhynchi, and true Loaches. The en- tire caudal of the former points out their relation to Cobitis prop.; but until analysis be extended to all known species, « European and American, the attempt to reduce the smaller groups to anything like precision would be difficult and un- certain, from the greater chance there is of the series being less complete than in the higher groups, of which we might always hope to possess at least a specimen of each genus. I shall therefore content myself with having submitted the preceding tabular view of the principal group, referring to the elucidation of genera for further details, in the confident ex- pectation that what has already been demonstrated will induce naturalists to investigate the subject from the materials of other countries as well as of this. We are far from being prepared to point out the most cha- racteristic types even of our Indian groups of this family. In- deed there may yet be some unexpected forms unknown to us, the discovery of which would necessarily derange any attempt we could now make to trace in further detail the parallel rela- tions of the minor groups among themselves. Six species collected in the mountain-streams at Simla by Dr. MacLeod, and obligingly submitted to me, have proved to be all unde- scribed, and one of them affords the type of a new genus, Oreinus, or Mountain Barbels, of which I had before received from Mr. Griffith a species from Boutan (O. guttatus) ; but as there was but one specimen in Mr. Griffith’s collections, and that considerably injured, I hesitated to form from it alone the characters of a new group*. This genus has the form of Gonorhynchus ; the mouth is situated in like manner under the head, but the alimentary canal is considerably shorter, and the dorsal is preceded by a spine, as in the Barbels. 51. I am uncertain as to the habits of the European Breams, not having examined them myself; but from all that I can glean on the subject, they appear to be insectivorous, and in the best figures I can find of them the mouth appears to be directed upward, and the anal fin to be long: these charac- ters may prove to be analogies rather than affinities to the Perilamps ; and until the point be decided, the parallel rela- * Cyprinus Richardsonii figured in Hardwicke’s ‘ Illust.,’ tab. 94, fig. 2, is an Oreinus, and may be appropriately named O. punctatus. 198 Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. tions of the two groups cannot be made out. The only Indian Bream I am acquainted with (Cyp. cotis, Buch.) has the cha- racter of the Perilamps both in the form of its mouth and length of its alimentary canal; while, on the other hand, the old genus Leuciscus is not a natural group, some of the Euro- pean species, as Cyprinus cultratus, being doubtless an Op- sarius*, while others are certainly herbivorous}, and might perhaps be referred to the Gudgeons; but until all these points be settled, it would be idle to dwell further on the par- allel relations between the typical and subtypical groups. 52. Cyprinide, of all fishes of equal importance, are those that appear to have occupied least the attention of naturalists ; a circumstance the more curious, as, in consequence of their being peculiar to fresh waters, they are more universally dis- tributed in the interior of continents, where they ought to be more familiar and useful to man than any other family of the same class. Regarding their distribution, little has hitherto been made known. It would not appear that there is any one species common to Europe and America; it is not however to be sup- posed that we are yet prepared to form an accurate compari- son between the Cyprinide of the Old and New Worlds, since the majority of species in either seems as yet to be but ill defined. Nor is it to be supposed that ichthyology has yet been prosecuted in America to an extent at all likely to make us acquainted with the numerous species that must inhabit the extensive lakes and rivers of that continent. Of African species, few only are referred to by Cuvier, while the Nile is known to present some species that are not found in the south of Europe. The Chinese species may yet be said to be al- most unknown, with the exception of a few determined by Cuvier from the very doubtful data afforded by paintings ; although it is seldom that so favourable an opportunity is afforded for collecting information on any branch of natural history as that which the British embassies in China pos- sessed for investigating the peculiarities of the freshwater fishes of that empire, from the length of time they passed in boats on some of the principal rivers. Nor is anything what- * Leuciscus ceruleus, Yarrell, and L. erythrophthalmus, Cuv., appear to be Perilamps; LZ. doubla, L. Lancasiriensis, Yarr., and L. alburnus are also insectivorous. I have mentioned this in a letter to Mr. Swainson in October last, and I have no doubt the hint will be sufficient to direct the attention of this philosophical naturalist to an examination of the whole of the English species. + Leuciscus vulgaris, L. idus and L. rutilus are probably herbivorous, and, according to the length of their intestine, may either be added to one or other of the groups here indicated. Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. 199 ever known, as far as I am aware, of the existence of Cyprins in New Holland, or any of the Polynesian Islands*. In India the fishes of several of the great rivers yet remain to be in- vestigated, as those of the Irrawaddi, the Indus, and the Ner- budda. A collection of drawings of the fishes of the Indus, prepared during a scientific mission under Capt. Burnes, has recently been deposited in the museum of the Asiatic Society ; and Mr, Griffith, to whom every branch of science is as dear * This and other blanks in our knowledge of the animals of New Hol- land are now about to be supplied by Mr. MacLeay himself, who, in Au- gust last, embarked with the intention of pursuing researches in every de- partment of the natural history of New Holland. On his departure from England, Mr. MacLeay intimated his desire to receive at Sydney, where he may remain for three or four years, insects, crustacea, and other neglected objects of a similar nature from India, in exchange for the productions of New South Wales, which he would be happy to supply. Few who enter- tain a just pride for the scientific character of our country, which Mr. Mac- Leay has been the means of elevating, would require the stipulation pro- posed to induce them to forward the views of one of our countrymen who has already been the means of exalting zoological pursuits to the highest place among intellectual occupations. Considering the intimate intercourse now established between Calcutta and Sydney, it is to be hoped that an ap- peal to India from such a quarter will not have been made in vain, and that all who are interested in the advancement of natural history will collect and forward whatever objects their particular localities may afford, with a view to facilitate the researches of the illustrious author of ‘Hore Entomologice.’ Mr. MacLeay writes from London, 12th August 1838 : ‘I am now on the eve of embarking for Sydney, where I intend to remain for the next three or four years; and what I would ask of you is, to exchange invertebrated ani- mals, collected in India, as the Annelida, Annulosa, Cirripedes, Radiata, and Acrita, for other objects collected in New Holland ; insects, spiders, and crustacea of India I at present desire above all, and shall feel obliged by any notes on their metamorphosis or economy. With regard to such notes, I need not say I shall bear in mind the axiom ‘Suum cuique.’ If you will point out your particular desiderata in natural history, I will endeavour to add to your collections.” | Mr. Swainson also writes as follows:—‘‘ At present I am engaged in ichthyological volumes, but as these will be published before you would have time to render me any assistance, I will rather entreat your aid in the class of Insects, which will next succeed in the ‘ Cabinet of Natural History.’ My cabinet is remarkably deficient in the entomology of India, particularly among the smaller and less showy species. The best way of preserving beetles or coleopterous insects, as well as spiders, is by putting them into spirits ; all other insects should be stuck upon cork. Common bazaar spirits answers the purpose of preserving insects very well, if it be strong enough to burn, which it would be well to try always before trusting to it; and in- stead of cork, remarkably light and convenient trays may be made of a com- mon species of Zischynomene, called in Bengal Sola, and may be made so that a number of them fit into a box. The paste with which the Sola is fastened might be poisoned, and a little camphor rolled up in thin paper placed in each tray as a security against ants. I shall be happy to afford my aid to any friends of science in India, by forwarding any collections that may be entrusted to me for the eminent persons who have applied to us.” 200 Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. as the one in which he is fast rising to the highest station, is now engaged in making extensive collections of, and obser- vations on, the fishes of the same river. The museums of Paris must already be well stored with Indian species col- lected by Messrs. Duvaucel, Jaquemont, and DeLessert, but I doubt if any of our British museums contain many of the commonest species of the Ganges. Natural history is now assuming a station so important in the highest scale of intellectual pursuits, that any remarks at all calculated to impress on the minds of those who are connected with missions into new countries a lively sense of the inter- est that attaches to its most minute details, will not, we may be assured, be taken amiss. Information, however carefully collected on such occasions as those referred to, becomes com- paratively useless when unaccompanied with specimens of the things to which it relates. We should ever recollect, that the easiest and best way to promote our own fame, and con- tribute at the same time to the advancement of natural history, is by making collections ; nor are we without examples of the highest awards having been, though somewhat prematurely, conceded to collectors. Nevertheless, to render collections of the highest degree of real value in the present advanced state of science, those who make them should gather at the same time as much information as possible regarding the circum- stances under which the various objects comprised in them live or occur; and it is in this that the intelligence of the na- turalist may be best and most profitably displayed during his journeys in new countries. 53. The following tabular view of the distribution of Cypri- nide, though avowedly imperfect, will serve to show how the leading groups are generally dispersed. Cirrhins, for instance, appear to be peculiar to India, or at least to the tropical parts of Asia, and the Catastoms to America; while both are repre- sented in Europe by the true Carps. From the number of Gangetic species, the Barbels, like the Cirrhins, would seem to have their metropolis in India, from whence the genus is extended over the Caspian Sea and the Nile into Europe. ‘The Gonorhynchs would also seem, as a group, to be na- tives of the Kast, one species only having been found in South Africa, none in Europe, and eleven in India. The greater part of the Sarcoborine are probably also Kast- ern fishes, with the exception of the Breams and Leuciscs, although some of the European forms set down under the latter genera may be found to belong either to the Perilamps | or Opsarions. The small subgenera of Pecilia appear to be equally distri- buted in all parts of the world, one having been already found Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. 201 in Africa, two species in India, where a few more may be ex- pected, seven species in America, and seven in Europe ; but in every case the species of one continent have been found to be distinct from those of another. The Loaches (Coditis prop., Linn.) afford another instance of the concentration of numerous species in India, while three only are found in Europe, and none whatever in America. The annexed table exhibits the general distribution of the fa- mily. A a Asia, a 4 Sub EB : 18 ¢ a 2 family. Genus. Subgenus. 5 i g E z & & nn?) & - f Girevbinaa, Coser | iaeticas ccs eds ebat Pease vedacbhs of ed lees 13}.. disihesstiys] 13 Labeo, Cuv....... seas Oy Veasbisl. Sk Oo C 3S RRLESORNURS LODE eel sh en Sidecltvteianeccyerrises |e | Bears ry bees rad ete Ey S| | Barbus, Cue. 2605. ei leet ced ddseeceeees 4 |...) 11}...{ 2} 1...) 18 aS 4 Oreinus,: 14° Clell. : veseveice| vee lees Mespicrtdestses| 4 5 S| | Cyprinus prop., Cuv. |......seceeessseeerenes se iasoges 6 coo} 424 Pl ensh scala b4? & REIS CNG Crisps eslon sta cceceaereednutessuseceriencs fausl’ LOlstclassiseeiesst ES Tina; Cte 65 eee 1 A PES rs Cn boa a 1 | Gonorhynchus, G7 On.|....sssccrscveesesseecees eevee weg beef AO as bidet APs.) 11 r fSystomus, M‘Clell. ...j..0cecreseocssove pAeenue tal rene Se geet be leseicaxlsontecat Le x yl ADERIOIS. CROs coc tised vies Dit al @hiesleealers 7 Ss 3 S : perenyy akg ass. | |Fossil genera in the lacustrine deposit of @ningen, S| J S| | Perilampus, M‘Cledl. .|...sssecseesscserreesersersereee| eos el ie) ae ie Fee OP al) & PPUCISCURD MCEEss iss clsihascecr yee s uh C6Ge OG Sy oneee es 1347) Oech 262 Bes, + | Opsdrius, MIGlely «isles. ccidsssceaedsscsatissedebiid ote (ool 12). i 12 oy { Peecilia prop., Schn. Si Jat oocectenstcestanmrect a Liebias,: CHO. isasicty ns enesi | MA ag Da eal eet Corer Fond | at Agee td 2 Fundulus, Lacép.......... ST oliees tuesiens 7 Poecilia, M*Ciell. ...... " Molinesia, Leseur. ...... ae PRL cbse RAS, J Py Cyprinodon, Lacép. ...| 2 | 4)... ‘aides a a A ms | Aplochelus, BF°Clelh. 2.) 00 eee], Blecplesefoos me ae 281) ARADIODS, Tis, occ occ beers vas eee fee He | 3 a> Platyenta,: DEC: 55.3. casteivetileebdded cdtecs dbbace Sikeatle.| 3 a5 Paplorhiynebns, Af Oteb iis. css lins sivesascvgedccoge sds cachesas 2 vo bie Un 2 | <4 Fis has Cobitis propria, M‘Clell.| 3 |...) 12)...!...Je)... 15 ‘dubesianasaronana aint. Schistura, M'Clll. 1.00) 1 as 11 Totales.s.. sides 42 |37|139] 4) 2) 4] 11229 The American species of this family referred to in the ‘Régne Animal’ only amount to thirty-three; but Dr. Richard- .son, in his report on North American Zoology, mentions nearly as many more, imperfectly indicated by Rafinesque- Schmaltz and other writers as belonging to the rivers and lakes of the New World* ; still however the preponderance of * I have not yet seen the volume of ‘ Fauna Boreali-Americana,’ by Dr. Richardson, which is devoted to ichthyology, the volume on birds being the only part of that important work which has reached India. 202 Mr. J. M‘Clelland on Indian Cyprinide. species in favour of India is so remarkable, that it is only by extending our consideration to other genera of the order Malacopterygi abdominales, that we find the equilibrium re- stored in the distribution of freshwater fishes. Thus the Salmonide, which form a large proportion of that order in the rivers of both Europe and America, are in India quite un- known; not one species of that extensive family having yet been found in this country, where the blank appears to be filled up by the excessive development of the Cyprinide. 54. One species of Tench*, four Leuciscs+, and one Gud- geont, are enumerated among the fossils of Ciningen by M. Agassiz, who also describes two new genera§, Rhodeus and Apius, nearly allied to, but distinct from, the Perilamps and Systoms. ‘They are distinct from the first by the dorsal and ventral margins being equally arched, and the caudal and anal fins being less developed; and from the second, by the absence of spines in either of the latter fins: both belong however to Sarcoborine, and will serve to render that group far more complete than it appeared to me to be before I saw M. Agassiz’s splendid work. Two fossil species of Cobitine are also found in the same locality ; one of these, C. cephalotus, Agass., belongs to Schistura. 'The marlstone in which these remains are found is justly considered by M. Agassiz to be a lacustrine deposit, and supposed to be coeval with the molasse of Switzerland and the sandstone of Fon- tainbleau, and consequently to correspond with the miocene or early tertiary period. 55. That the external covering of animals indicates the medium in which they live, we know by the hairy coat of the Mammalia, the feathers of birds, and the scales of fishes and Amphibia; nevertheless there are several families of fishes without scales, and many terrestrial Mammalia that are sup- plied with them instead of hair. In the naked fishes the body is defended by a copious oily mucus, which saves it no less effectually than scales from the abrasive influence of the dense medium through which they are destined to move ; while their habits and form render the necessity for a scaly armour less essential to their safety, being capable of con- cealing themselves from enemies in sand and mud, as the * Tinca leptosoma, Agass., ‘ Recherches sur les Poissons Fossiles,’ vol. v. t. 51. + Leuciscus papyraceus, Agass., vol. v. t. 36; L. leptus, Agass., vol. v. t.57; L. pusillus, id.1.c.; L. Giningensis, id. and L. heterurus, id. |. c. + Gobio analis, Agass., t. 57. § Rhodeus elongatus, Agass., t. 54, and R. latior, id. 1.c. Of the genus Apius, M. Agassiz describes 4. gracilis and 4. Brongniarii, vol. v. t. 55 ; but the latter, as well as Leuciscus papyraceus, are from the lignites of Ménat. Mr. Westwood on new Insects. 203 Rays (Raia) and Eels (Murena), or are of such a formidable character as to render any security against the injuries of their class unnecessary ; such are the Squalide or Sharks, which may be said to be predominant among the fishes of the ocean, and the Stluride, which maintain a corresponding place in freshwater lakes and rivers. Notwithstanding this diversity, M. Agassiz has turned the external covering of fishes to a happy account in the study of fossil species, of which the scales alone are often the only vestiges that remain; thus a knowledge of eight hundred extinct species has been attained that could not have been characterized by ordinary means. Although the researches of M. Agassiz have added largely to the science of zoology, they have done still more if possible for geology, by “introducing a new element” into our calculations*; no one however is more aware than M. Agassiz himself, of the error into which some are led in sup- posing the lepidermal system to be based on principles that are in any way at variance with the natural classification of animals. By that system M. Agassiz has extended our know- ledge of the natural characters of species, and introduced to the calculations of the zoologist as well as geologist a new element by which we must be guided in the study of fossil fishes, rather than a principle opposed to the classification of these or other animals according to their structure and habits. XXV.—IJnsectorum novorum Centuria, auctore J. O. Westwoop, F.L.S., &c. Decadis secunde, ex ordine Coleopterorum, Synopsis. 1. CrcinpELA cupreola, W. C. nigro-cuprea, purpurascenti tincta, sericans, capite magno, inter oculos striatulo; prothorace sub- cylindrico lateribus vix rotundatis, anticé et posticé parum con- stricto, elytris concoloribus immaculatis subvariolosis, punctis nonnullis majoribus aureis, lateribus nitidis, lineaque obliqua mediana in singulo quasi elevata et magis cuprea; pedibus fuscis, femoribus articuloque 1™° antennarum luteis, labro ¢ inermi, ? tridenticulato. Long. corp. lin. 4. Habitat in insula Mauritii, D. Desjardin. Mus. Westw. 2. CrcinpELA (Megalomma, W.S. g. nov. Caput maximum, oculis valdé prominentibus. Labrum magnum, anticé integrum. Man- dibulz dentibus duobus inter apicem et dentem magnum basa- lem. Palpi labiales articulo penultimo valde inflato. Antenne et pedes longissimi. Prothorax capite multo angustior subglo- bosus, anticé et posticé constrictus. Elytra subbrevia, Tarsi * Dr, Buckland’s Bridgewater Treatise, p. 270. 204 Mr. Westwood on new Insects. antici ¢ articulis 3°S basalibus subtus setis clavatis obsitis.) C. (M.) vigilans, W. Nigro-znea; capite inter oculos purpu- rascenti longitudinaliter striatulo, prothorace nitido zneo, an- nulo postico et elytrorum basi subaureis, elytris obscuris punc- tatis posticé magis sneis, antennarum articulo 1™, supra et subtus albido, palpis albidis articulo ultimo nigro, pedibus fuscis, femoribus ad basin coxis mandibulisque albidis, harum dentibus piceo-nigris. Long. corp. lin. 4. Habitat in insulé Mauritii, D. Desjardin. Mus. Westw. Obs. C. viridula, Quens., Sch. 1. 243, ex India orientali valdé af- finis : differt imprimis tibiis tarsisque luteis. 3. Goxniarnus (Kudicellus) ignitus, W. Viridi-cupreo micans; capite ¢ tricorni, cornu medio capite plus duplo longiori, por- recto recurvo bifido luteo-brunneo, ramis divergentibus apice tuberculatis, elytris concoloribus immaculatis, tibiis castaneis, tarsis antennisque nigris. Long. corp. (corn. capit. excl.) lin. 1735. Lat. ad basin elytr. lin. 8. Habitat Gold Coast, Africa occid. Mus. Raddon. 4. Gour1atTuus (Eudicellus) auratus, W. lLeete viridi-aureus; an- tennis et clypei marginibus. nigris; hujus margine antico ? subrecto ; elytris maculis duabus parvis triangularibus hume- ralibus alterisque duabus apicalibus ‘nigris ; marginibus fulvo- aureis, tibiis tarsisque aureo-viridibus. Long. corp. lin. 163. Lat. ad basin elytr. lin. 8. Habitat Cammaroons River, Africa occid. Mus. Turner. 5. Gouiatuus (Eudicellus) frontalis, W. Leete viridis, subaureo ni- tens; capite ¢ tricorni, cornu medio fulvo, capite paullo longiori, basi crasso ante medium in ramos duos subparallelos lateribus serrulatis apiceque recurvis, diviso elytris flavo-circumdatis, ma- culisque duabus humeralibus alterisque duabus apicalibus nigris ; clava antennarum fulva, ? clypeo antice feré recto fulvo. Long. corp. ¢ (corn. cap. excl.) lm. 17, 2? lin. 16. Habitat Gold Coast, Africa occid. Mus. Turner. 6. Parastasia, W. (gen. nov. Asiaticum! Rutelidarum). Corpus breve crassum valdé gibbosum ; clypeo bifido mandibulisque an- gulo supero in dentem porrectum abienti; maxille dentibus acutis armatze ; tibize anticee 3-dentate, dentibus 2>"5 basalibus inter se approximatis, apicali remoto ; unguibus inequalibus, uno bifido.—P. canaliculata, W. P. nigra nitida, elytris fulvo-va- riegatis, plagis duabus elevatis obliquis utrinque (canali divisis) versus scutellum positis. Long. corp. lin. 95. Habitat in in- sulis Philippinarum, D. Cuming. Mus. Hope. 7. Aturnus, Fabr. ; A. Cassideus, W. Niger, pronoto utrinque luteo setoso, elytris feré cordiformibus parum convexis luteo-fulvis, margine tenui nigro, plaga maxima triangularie basi ad medium extensa et cum fascia transversa (posticé 4-furcata), media, con- nexa. Long. corp. lin. 12. Habitatin Mexico. Mus. Melly. 8. Cassrpa (Calaspidea, Hope); C. Alurna, W. Nigra, pronoto in medio Mr. G. R. Waterhouse on names of Carabideous Insects. 205 parum carinato, elytris parum convexis, feré rotundatis, medio nigris areolatis ; lateribus late luteo-fulvis, intus irregularibus, maculis 5 vel 6 rotundatis nigris in utroque, margineque tenui nigro. Long. corp. lin. 10. Habitat Mexico. Mus. Melly. Obs. Heec duo insecta sese mutuo singulariter repreesentant. 9. Tanoprema, Laporte., Erichs. ; 7. cincta, W. Czeruleo-nigra, pro- noto 3-carinato, abdomine nigro segmentis 1—4 fascia lata in margine postico rufa (in medio interrupta) segmentoque apicali rufo, labro in medio fisso, scutello elongato-triangulari articulo- que 4‘, tarsorum posticorum magno. Long. corp. lin. 104. Habitat Brasilia. Mus. Melly. 10. Amprepus, Meg.; A.perpulcher, W. Fulvo-rufus, leviter punctatus, scutello et elytris late czeruleis tenuissime punctatis, tarsis an- tennis (articulo basali fulvo excepto) abdomineque nigris tarso- rum articulis 3"8 basalibus subtus laminiferis, antennis articulis 2 et 3 minutis. Long. corp. lin. 10:- Habitat Africa tropicali. Mus. Melly. XXVI.—On the names Promecoderus, Cnemacanthus - and Odontoscelis, as applied to certain genera of Carabideous Insects. By G. R. Waternouss, Esq., Curator to the Zoological Society of London. To the Editors of the Annals and Magazine of Natural History. GENTLEMEN, You will oblige me by inserting in the ‘ Annals’ the follow- ing observations upon some remarks contained in the ‘ Revue Zoologique. In that periodical I am accused of adopting a generic name given by one of my own countrymen in prefer- ence to one previously given to the same group by a French entomologist. It is stated that “ M. Waterhouse, par un esprit national que nous devons respecter, a adopté le nom de Odontoscelis, Curtis, de préférence a celui de Cnemacanthus, Brullé, quoique ce dernier fit bien antérieur.” This is the first time I have been accused of this esprit national, which M. Reiche considers ne serait rien moins que respectable*. 'These remarks I should not have noticed, but the editor of the ‘ Revue’ has inserted a kind of defence of my proceedings, giving me an opening for escape on the score of ignorance of certain facts, which facts however, strange to say, were first pointed out by myself in the very paper in which I am supposed to have committed myself. It would be supposed from what has been stated, that the name Cnemacanthus originated with M. Brullé; it so happens * M. Reiche endeavours to exonerate me from the charge, for which I owe him many thanks, though I do not consider he has succeeded in the attempt. 206 Mr. G. R. Waterhouse on names of Carabideous Insects. however that that name has never been given by that author to any genus of insects, but was adopted by him by mistake —he supposing that certain Carabide of South America be- longed to the genus Cnemacanthus, founded by Mr. G. Gray upon an insect which proves to be a native of Australia, which insect had previously received the generic name Promecode- rus by Dejean. But in the notice in the ‘ Revue,’ before men- tioned, M. Guérin seems to think I may be excused, “ne sa- chant pas que le Cnemacanthus figuré par M. Gray était un vrai Promecoderus*.” Now I will venture to assert that the author of those remarks learnt those very facts from my paper, for they were there pointed out for the first time ; and in the ‘Magazine de Zoologie’ he describes several species of Odon- toscelis as members of Mr. Gray’s genus Cnemacanthus. To make the matter more clear, I may mention that, according to the views of Dejean and Brullé, the genus Cnemacanthus or Promecoderus (these being synonymous) belongs to the fa- mily Harpalide, having the intermediate as well as the ante- rior tarsi dilated, and the genus Odonfoscelis belongs to the family Feronide. We will call the first of these genera A, and the second B. In 1829, Dejean names the genus A, Promecoderus, and in 1832 Gray names the same genus Cnemacanthus. In 1835 Brullé uses the name Cnemacanthus (quoting Gray as his au- thority for that name) for the genus B; and in 1838 Guérin follows Brullé in using the name Cnemacanthus (also quoting Gray as his authority for the name) for genus B, neither of these entomologists being aware that the insects they described belonged to a different section to that described by Gray under the name Cnemacanthus, though they might have suspected as much from the difference of habitat given. In 1838 (published in 1839) genus B receives a name for the first time, viz. Odontoscelis +. * To show how ignorant I was of this fact, I will quote two passages from my paper—“Cnemacanthus of Gray (which is the Promecoderus of Dejean).”’ Again, ‘‘ Cnemacanthus gibbosus of Gray appears to me to be the Promeco- derus brunnipes of Dejean, which is from Van Diemen’s Land, and perhaps from some other parts of Australia, and not from Africa, as has been stated. The genus Cnemacanthus of Guérin and Brullé, being synonymous with Mr. Curtis’s genus Odontoscelis, the species of which are from South America, must not be confounded with Cnemacanthus of Gray.” + 1 was not aware, when my first paper was written, that the name Odon- toscelis had been previously used for a genus of Hemipterous insects (not that this in any way affects the question at issue) ; this fact I however soon afterwards had pointed out tome by Mr. White, and in my next paper I called Mr. Curtis’s attention to it, and begged of him to propose some other name in its stead. To this request Mr. Curtis paid no attention; I shall therefore propose that the name Scaritidea be used to designate the Capt. S. E. Widdrington on the Eel. 207 In 1840, Mr. Waterhouse having some new species of genus B to describe, characterized them under the name Odontoscelis, and did not call those insects Cnemacanthus simply because they did not belong to that group. In 1841 Mr. Waterhouse is accused of partiality for his own countrymen’s names, in adopting the term Odontoscelis instead of Cnemacanthus (a practice allowed to be of most per- nicious consequences to the science) ; but both of these names being given by his own countrymen, the accusation is absurd. Yours, &c. G. R. WATERHOUSE. XXVII.—On the Eel, and on the Freshwater Fish of Austria. By Carr. 8. E. Wipprineton*, R.N. On the Eel. In his accoynt of this genus, Mr. Yarrell quotes a writer who appears to have paid some attention to the subject, and who states that its susceptibility of cold prevents its inhabiting various northern rivers, amongst others the Danube. Not- withstanding this high authority, being aware of the habits of the-fish of burying itself in the mud during the winter, I con- fess I was not quite satisfied with this theory, and considered that if they were wanting in the Danube, some other cause must be found than the one assigned. During arecent tour in Germany I was surprised to see eels put upon the table at Wurtzburg, which is high up the Mayn, and in avery cold country, during winter. I was subsequently informed that they are abundant at Hanau, lower down the same river, the waters of which must be at least as cold as those of the Danube. On arriving at Vienna I mentioned the circumstance to Professor Heckel, who has charge of the ichthyological de- partment, who informed me that great numbers were brought to Vienna from Ulm, which is high up the river, but that they had never been seen lower down. Subsequent inquiry, and having ascertained the very great pains which have been taken in investigating the natural history of the river, satisfied me that this account was true, and that it is next to impossible they should not have been detected had they frequented the Lower Danube. genus of which I published a monograph, under the name Odontoscelis— unless M. Guérin is willing to use his sectional name Cnemalobus in a ge- neric sense for the same group. * Late Cook. Read in the Section of Zoology and Botany at the meeting of the British Association, Plymouth, and communicated by the Author. 208 Capt. S. IE. Widdrington on the Eel, The fish-market at Vienna is held on the river, well-boats being moored to the shore, whence the inhabitants of that luxurious capital are supplied with the most delicious fish brought from all sides. These people informed me that they drew part of their supplies of eels from Ulm, but that the greater part came from Bohemia, consequently from the head waters of the Elbe, which ought to be a still colder river than either the Rhine or Danube! This winter the thermo- meter was at 19° at Vienna, whilst at Dresden I was told it fell to 24° Reaumur. Now, assuming the case to be as I have stated, that the ha- bitat of the genus is confined to the upper streams of the Da- nube, we have the fact, that migration is not necessary to them*, although it is certainly their habit in this country. It must be remembered that Ulm is in a very cold country, being considerably higher than Vienna. There can be little doubt that the eels there hybernate in the mud. But why do they not remove to the more genial region, and to the admirable locality of the delta of that great river? The reason I take to be the following: the waters of the Danube may be divided into three classes; first, those of the Black Forest and that vicinity, and those which fall into the river from the left, towards Bohemia. These waters are more or less rich and fat, and of the description which afford the most abun- dant nutriment to fish, especially of the genus we have under consideration. Below Ulm, however, a change soon becomes visible; the great tributaries from the Alps begin to pour in, and soon alter the character of the water. ‘These Alpine streams may be divided into two classes, those which proceed at once from the glaciers and the upper valleys, without meet- ing with large lakes to filter and purify them, like the Rhine, Rhone, and some others: these waters are charged with the comminuted particles of the rocks they have passed over, and are not only rapid, but have a peculiar strength and rawness, which I consider, combined with the want of food, renders them uninhabitable by the eel and by many other sorts of fish; even the trout are scarce and of bad quality which are taken from them, and the only good trout in the Alps are those from the lakes or the streams of the plains, where better nourishment is afforded to them. ‘The second class of Alpine waters are those which have passed through and been purified by the lakes, from which they issue clear, softer and warmer than those we have mentioned. Even these rivers are not fa- vourable to the propagation of fish in general, and I was sur- * A paper by Chr. Drewsen, on the Migration of Young Eels, is to be found in Kréyer’s Tidskrift, vol.i. and on the Freshwater Fish of Austria. 209 prised to find, that in the country so eloquently described by Sir H. Davy, and which I expected to find teeming with fish, that it was scarce and dear, though full of the most beautiful lakes and rivers. I was first struck with the difference of these filtered and unfiltered waters at Geneva, by bathing successively in the Rhone and in the Arve, and have often experienced it since in alpine travelling, where the difference is very sensible in fording the torrents. In descending the Danube, after the Ivar and some minor torrents have joined it, the Inn rolls in its magnificent stream, of the true alpine character. The vo- lume is so great, that it is the true, or as the Arabs would have termed it, “the great river,” and with the assistance of the Traun, Inn, and some minor streams, the Danube arrives at Vienna so completely alpine in its character, that any one unacquainted with the geography, but familiar with the moun- tain-streams, would immediately pronounce it to be an alpine river at no great distance from its sources. Lower down the Save and Drave add their waters to this mighty stream, which although probably rather warmer, are exactly of the same character as those of the northern Alps. It is this vast volume of alpine water, which is not only un- favourable to, but I really believe uninhabitable by the eel, not from the temperature, but from the want of food and the ra- pidity of its current, which I conceive to be the cause of the fact I have stated, and that the genus is unwilling to encoun- ter the inconvenience of the long passage to the comparatively genial coast of the Black Sea, where the locality would appear to be perfectly suited to their production to any extent. The same character of water applies to the Rhine, which is completely alpine until it has received the Moselle and other tributaries of a lower country ; and it will afford a curious sub- ject for investigation, whether the eels of the Mayn migrate or remain in the upper country during the winter. The Elbe is quite different, not receiving a true alpine stream during its whole course ; and it is equally desirable to ascertain whether the tribe remain stationary in Bohemia, or visit the shores of the North Sea like their congeners on the other side of it. On the Freshwater Fish of Austria. Allusion has been made to the care which has been taken to investigate the ichthyology of the Danube, and which I have great satisfaction in announcing has been extended to every part of the Austrian dominions. Some idea may be formed of the variety of this family, when it is mentioned, that in the Danube no less than seven species of Sturgeon have been Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. 210 Information respecting Travellers. made out, all different from the Acipenser, that of the North Sea, and that last year a new genus was discovered in Dal- matia. In fact, the extent of the rivers and lakes, and the variety of climates and situation in the Austrian monarchy, probably make it the richest country in freshwater ichthy- ology in Europe. Nearly one hundred species have been made out, and are on the point of being made known to the public, by M. Heckel, to whose zeal and intelligence the science will be deeply indebted. The genera and species which have not been figured elsewhere are given with a degree of accuracy which, it is impossible to excel, and which will form an epoch in designing. The figures are drawn by a sort of pantograph, of M. Heckel’s own invention, which performs its office with a minute precision I believe hitherto unknown, especially for the de- tails of the scales. The more common species are given sim- ply in outline, and the work, which is far advanced, is of ex- traordinary low price. XXVIII.—Information respecting Zoological and Botanical Travellers. Private letters from Demerara, of date 18th of August, inform us of the return of Mr. Schomburgk in safety from his first expedition. That gentleman writes, ‘“‘ The object of my last journey was to mark the boundary between British and Venezuelan Guiana, and in this object I have succeeded ; but with regard to scientific researches, very little has been done. We had the most unfavourable weather ; rain every day, and the rivers having inundated their banks contributed to our ill success. My brother is just about to despatch to Berlin such collections as he has made, viz. 220 species of birds, 800 in- sects, and 288 species of plants, with about 200 different objects in spirits.” | : «‘T procured” (he continues) ‘‘ today a skin of that scarce animal the Black Tiger, Felis nigra ; it is unfortunately much mutilated by the Indian who shot it, the tail and legs being cut off; bad as it is, it is another proof of the existence of that animal, of which we pos- sess such uncertain knowledge. The skin measures from the nose to the insertion of the tail 4 feet 5 inches; at first sight the colour appears a glossy black ; but on inspecting it closer, it will be observed that the ground-colour is a dark brown, covered with a number of spots of a shining jet, which are closer to each other than I have ob- served in any of the American Feline. ‘These dark spots, which are of a less size than a shilling, extend still closer from the eyes to the region of the shoulders. On the abdomen and interior of the thighs the colour is lighter, and a slight admixture of strong white hairs is observed. To judge from the length of the skin, the animal it came from must have been approaching in size the greater Jaguar. I have Bibliographical Notices. 211 a skin of the latter before me, which measures from the nose to the tail 4 feet 5 inches, the width of the skin being 2 feet 8 inches ; while that of the Black Tiger, which is half an inch less in size, measures in width 2 feet 10} inches. This may arise from the skin being more stretched ; it proves nevertheless the strong make of the animal. I do not observe the tawny spot above each eye mentioned in my de- scription of a skin from a similar animal given in the ‘ Annals’ (iv. p. 325); this spot may vanish with the more advanced age of the animal.” The next journey which our traveller, at the date of his letters, was about to undertake, would last for a period of from eighteen months to two years, the expedition proposing to winter at Pirara. Mr. Forbes.—Letters received from Mr. Forbes, dated Paros, Sept. 26th, inform us that he is successfully prosecuting his imves- tigations among the Greek islands. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. A Manual of the British Alge. By William Henry Harvey, Esq. London, 1841. 8vo. Van Voorst. WE hail with pleasure another of Mr. Van Voorst’s excellent publi- cations on natural history—A ‘ Manual of the British Alge,’ by Mr. Harvey. The author remarks in the Introduction, p. 53, “ The want of a work in the English language, entirely devoted to the British Algze, in which fuller descriptions should be given than the scope of Hooker’s ‘ British Flora’ admitted of, and in which all the known species should be included, has long been felt by lovers of this branch of botany. Had my friend Dr. Greville completed, as was once his intention, his ad- mirable ‘ Algz Britannicz,’ no room would have been left for my humble labours, nor should I for a moment wish to take the subject out of such able hands. But his work unfortunately stopped short with the ‘ inarticulate ’ tribes, nor has he at present any intention of resuming it. The task has consequently fallen on my shoulders, and my object will be gained and my ambition fully satisfied, if, in the following pages, I have succeeded in af- fording any assistance to the researches of my fellow-students. I could have wished, and indeed had intended, that the work should be illustrated with figures, at least of the genera ; but my limited stay in Europe did not afford time to prepare them, and it does not now appear desirable to delay the publication till they could he got ready. However they might have added to the beauty of the book, the student will experience little loss by their omission who takes this Manvat for what I wish it to be, a companion to the ‘Arc Damnoniensses, published and sold by Mary Wyatt, dealer in shells, Torquay ;’ a most important work, now extending to four volumes, with a Supplement, composed of specimens of 234 species, beautifully dried and correctly named. ‘These volumes furnish the student with a help, such as no figures, however correctly executed, can at all equal—Nature’s own pencil illustrating herself.”’ Mr. Harvey’s Manual is got up in the style and typography of the ‘English Flora’ of Sir J. E. Smith, and will range with it as a sup- plementary volume. That a work such as the one now before us, embodying all the species added to our catalogue since the publication of the 2nd vol. Ys gif Bibliographical Notices. of the ‘ British Flora’ (or ‘ English Flora,’ vol. v. part 1.), the ‘ Flora Hibernica,’ and Berkeley’s ‘Gleanings of British Algz,’ was very much required, will at once be evident when we enumerate the great accessions made to this most attractive department of our native bo- tany. ‘These are really most surprising, when it is considered that the works just named have all been published within the last very few years. We have in this Manual thirty species described for the first time —these are, three Hctocarpi, a second species of Myriotrichia, a Nitophyllum, a Polysiphonia, a Ceramium, four Conferve, a Scytonema, a Calothrizx, three Palmella, a Nostoc, a Meloseira, a Styllaria, a Gom- phonema, seven Schizoneme, and three Cymbelle. ; Eleven species before known only as foreign, and belonging to as many genera, are for the first time added to the British flora,— they are Laminaria fascia, Ag., Mesogloia moniliformis, Griff. (M. attenuata, Ag.), Polysiphonia formosa, Suhr., Callithamnion barba- tum, Ag., Thorea ramosissima, Bory., Conferva refracta, Ag., Hydru- rus Ducluzeliit, Ag., Hygrocrocis Rose, Ag., Meloseira varians, Ag.?, Styllaria bidentata, Ag., and Schizonema ramosissimum, Ag. ‘Ten species, announced in different scientific periodicals since the pub- lication of the three works just alluded to, here for the first time, in a consecutive work on the British Algze, fall into the ranks in systematic order. The genera Thorea and Hydrurus are published for the first time as British, whilst Aphanizomenon and Anabaina make their earliest appearance in a systematic work upon our Alge. Anew genus which he calls Kutomia is proposed by the author for the Hchinella rotata, Grev., and Ech. oblonga, Grev. ; and he proposes to substitute Helminthocladia for Trichocladia of the ‘Flora Hibernica,’ in consequence of the latter so nearly approach- ing Trichocladus in sound. The much-disputed plant lastly named Delesseria alata, var. 3. angustissima (‘ Brit. Fl.’ vol. ii. p. 286), is raised to the rank of a species by the name of Gelidium? rostratum, but it still remains a desideratum to what genus it belongs! What will perhaps be almost equally interesting to many of the lovers of this delightful portion of our flora, will be found in Mr. Har- vey’s volume in the additional localities enumerated for species with which they have already become familiar ; and here we particularly mark the progress that has been made since the excellent introduc- tion to Greville’s ‘ Algz Britannice’ appeared—genera and species there particularized as known only to the British Islands, from being found on the southern shores of England, being now ascertained to range to the northern coasts of Ireland. We are greatly pleased with the comprehensive manner, the en- tireness with which the general subject of Algze is brought before us in the Introduction. This extends to fifty-seven pages, and affords a most gratifying illustration of the addition made to our know- ledge as the stream of time rolls on. Already in our language have Dr. Neill in his Encyclopzedia article on Fucr, and Dr. Greville in the introduction to his ‘ Alge Britannice,’ treated admirably of the general subject; but here we have it brought down to the pre- sent period, and by a botanist, than whom perhaps no one living is Bibliographical Notices. , 233 better suited to the task, both in regard to his having been of late years the chief describer of the collections of Alge brought to this country from all quarters of the globe, and to his study of the living plants in a subtropical as well as a temperate climate. At p. 15 of the Introduction we have the personal observation of the author on the Sargassum or ‘‘ Gulf-weed.”” He remarks :— “‘T have made the voyage three times, and only once met with sea-weed in sufficient quantity to claim any attention. It did not then occur in strata resembling fields, but rather in ridges, from ten to twenty yards broad and of great length, stretched across the sea. The species invariably found in these was S. bacciferum. Of a large quantity that we dredged up for se- veral successive days, not a particle belonged to S. vulgare ; and I am much inclined to suspect that most, if not all, of the stories related by voyagers as of that species, belong to S. bacciferum, a plant which has never been found in any other situation than floating about in the deep sea; whereas S. vui- gare (the Fucus natans of Turner) is well known in many tropical countries to grow on the rocks, within the reach of the tide, like others of the genus. It is therefore much to be regretted that the name of. natans was not re- tained for S. bacciferum, to which it is chiefly, if not only, applicable. Authors who have written on this Fucus have much disputed, both respect- ing its origin and whether it continues to grow whilst floating about. No- thing at all bearing on the former question has yet been discovered ; for though species of Sargassum abound along the shores of tropical countries, none exactly corresponds with S. bacciferum. That the ancestors of the present banks have originally migrated from some fixed station is probable, but further than probability we can say nothing. ‘That it continues to flourish and grow in its present situation is most certain. Whoever has picked it up at sea, and examined it with any common attention, must have perceived, not only that the plants were in vigorous life, but that new fronds were continually pushing out from the old, the limit being most clearly de- fined by the colour, which in the old fronds is fuxy-brown, in the young shoots, pale, transparent olive. But how is it propagated? for it never pro- duces fructification. It appears to me that it is by breakage. The old frond, which is exceedingly brittle, is broken by accident, and the branches, continuing to live, push out young shoots from all sides. Many minute pieces that I examined were as vigorous as those of larger size, but they were certainly not seedlings, and appeared to me to be broken branches, all having a piece of old frond, from which the young shoots sprung. As the plant increases in size it takes something of a globular figure, from the branches issuing out in all directions as from a centre. On our own shores we have two species analogous to S. bacciferum in their mode of growth, namely, Fucus Mackayi, and the variety 6. sub-costatus of Fucus vesicu- losus (I. balticus, Ag.). Neither of these has ever yet been found attached, though they often occur in immense strata; the one on the muddy sea-shore, the other in salt-marshes, in which situations, respectively, they continue to grow and flourish ; and it is remarkable that neither has ever yet been found in fructification, in which respect also they strikingly coincide with S. bacci- ferum. And if it be hereafter shown that F. Mackay? is merely F. nodosus, altered by growing under peculiar circumstances, may it not be inferred that S. bacciferum—which differs about as much from S. vulgare as F. Mackayi does from /. nodosus—is merely a pelagic variety of that variable plant ?’’ That Fucus Mackay? is a legitimate species, or anything more than a remarkable variety of F. nodosus, we never could believe, and have been further strengthened in this opinion by finding near one of the 214 Bibliographical Notices. localities noted for F. Mackayi, an equally anomalous state of that plant (at least, as we considered), when it appeared growing in dense round balls of various size, but generally such as could be spanned by the hands—the fronds were extremely narrow, vesicles generally, and receptacles entirely wanting. At p. 44 (Introduction) it is remarked, under the head of “ uses”’ of Algz, that—‘‘ On many of our coasts, as along the west coast of Ire- land, the poorer classes are almost entirely dependent for the culti- vation of their potatoes on the manure afforded by their rocky shores and frequent gales of wind.” Of this we had a notable example when at the town of Galway some years ago. ‘Turf-boats were dis- charging their cargoes of sea-weed (Laminariee) at the quay ; and on inquiring whence it was brought, we learned, from Slyne Head, a place distant between fifty and sixty miles, and that some of the pur- chasers were, for the purpose of manure, about to convey it inland thirty miles ! At p. 36 the author observes, with reference to a passage extracted from the ‘Algz Britannicee’-—‘‘ Several of these [species], it is worthy of remarking, which are in England confined to the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, are found in Ireland along the shores of Clare and Galway, where the Land Flora, it will be remembered, contains se- veral species otherwise peculiar to the South of Europe.” There is, however, this important difference to be noted ; that, while the Land Flora of the west of Ireland produces a few of the south European species which are not found elsewhere in the British Islands, and are their most northern stations, the Marine Flora has not presented us with any one of the southern plants which are not found upon other parts of the British shores. Mr. Harvey is silent upon one point which we could have wished he had adverted to, namely, the causes of the comparatively gigantic size that species attain in particular localities. At p. 41 it is remarked that—‘‘ The Delesseri@ appear in greatest perfection about 52° and 538°, those from the north of Ireland being much larger than individuals of the same species from the southern coasts of England.” And again—‘ The Nitophylla are also chiefly northern, six being found in the Atlantic basin, and in greatest per- fection on the north coast of Ireland.””’ Now we cannot believe (and perhaps the author does not intend that we should) that the mere difference in latitude between the south of England and north of Ireland, or more strictly speaking, the county of Antrim, can so affect the size of these plants. We are instead rather disposed to attribute the magnitude which they attain in the latter locality, at least in part, to the limestone or chalk on which they grow, corrobo- rative of which it may be mentioned, that on the different geological formation of the neighbouring coast of Down, the same species do not exceed one-third of the size. We have remarked too, though in a less degree, a difference of the same kind between the northern and southern shores of the Isle of Wight, the chalk of the latter pro- ducing examples of the same species incomparably finer and larger than the different formation of the other portion. The influence of different rocks upon Algz, as affecting their distribution, growth, Bibliographical Notices. 21 5 &c., is a highly interesting inquiry, which has not yet met with the attention it deserves. It would be a pleasure to us to comment on many parts of Mr. Harvey’s Introduction, but we must spare our readers, and refer them to what will- be found much more to their taste—the book itself. Here they will find the subject amply dis- cussed under the different heads—definition of Algz; their colour and its characteristics ; structure ; propagation ; geographical distri- bution ; uses; the species resorted to for human food, for medicine, the fine arts, &c. We have evidence of the care bestowed by the author upon the work, in now for the first time separating plants hitherto overlooked as identical, and again, bringing others together which had no claim to rank as distinct species. In both respects we are much gratified to find our own views very generally confirmed. We will look to some of these points. The second species of Myriotrichia we are pleased to see, having been long under the impression, (but without critical examination,) that the form now described as M. filiformis was distinct from M. claveformis. Nitophyllum punctatum and N. ocel- latum are judiciously brought together—in the same specimen we occasionally find both united. Rhodomenia ciliata and RK. jubata run so into each other, that we are not satisfied of the propriety of keep- ing them distinct. The different seasons at which they are said to bear capsules—the former in winter, the latter in summer—seems a good reason for so considering them ; but this is not a constant cha- racter, as we have found typical examples of R. ciliata, with fronds three-fourths of an inch in breadth, producing fruit plentifully throughout the month of August. These were procured on the southern coast of the Isle of Wight, where the species grows in re- markable luxuriance. Rhodomenia sobolifera we can hardly consider otherwise than a form of R. palmata: we have gathered it in pro- fusion in two British localities, in one of which, both on stones, stems of Laminaria, &c., it takes the place of the ordinary R. palmata, which is nowhere to be found. Ceramium Agardhianum, or rather C. Deslongchampii (see note to p. 100), now for the first time noticed in a British work, has always seemed to us so different from C. dia- phanum, particularly that of ‘ English Botany,’ that we kept them se- parated in our herbarium. Mr. Harvey believes them however not to be specifically distinct. Need we dwell on the unparalleled advantages our “ island home” presents for this attractive study, or observe, that whilst many of our flowering plants are unfortunately, when dried, but ‘‘ mummies,” as has been well observed, of their former selves, and generally in beauty yield to those of warmer climes, most of our Algz retain in the Hortus Siccus their pristine loveliness, and in delicacy of form and splendour of colouring rival those of any country on the globe? Torn from their places of growth, and scattered abroad by the waves, they inspire * A rapture on the loneliest shore.” But it is in their natural places of growth that they are especially to be admired. How beautiful to gaze upon the variety of foliage 216 Bibliographical Notices. waving in the basins of the rocky coast, when rendered approachable by the retiring tide! and here we shall occasionally perceive the fronds of the Chondrus tipped with a ‘‘ paly flame” of bluish phosphoric light. A little deeper, we may sail over beds of Cystoseira ericoides clothed with iridescence so as strongly to resemble a tract of heath with its dew-drops presenting the hues of the rainbow at early sunrise. Still deeper appear the woods, as they may comparatively be called, of the Laminurie with numerous fishes moving gracefully about, or quietly sheltering beneath their palm-like umbrage; whilst amid hosts of ‘‘ creatures of the element,” the beautiful sea-urchin conspi- cuously presents itself, moored to their stems or leaves. Even from their annihilation, from the smoke of the kelp-fire, the wild marine landscape occasionally derives its only image of softened beauty. Often on the lofty mountain’s top, when enraptured with the ma- jesty of nature, has the column of smoke, rising at a distance above the bleakest and least frequented shores, pointed out to us the pre- sence of man and his labours, when none else was visible. But it is not necessary to go to the sea for Alge. In the fresh- water and on the land—nay, within our houses—they are likewise to be found. ‘“‘ The stream that with a thousand crystal bubbles Bursts from the bosom of the desert rock In secret solitude,” displays them on the first pebbles that it moistens; and in all our waters, from the petty drain to the expansive lake, do they occur, and many species are of considerable size and beauty. But the most minute sometimes enact the greatest part, as appears in former vo- lumes of these ‘Annals.’ Glaslough (or Green-lake) in Ireland derives its name, according to Dr. Drummond, from a minute Oscillatoria that colours it* ; and more recently Mr. Thompson has shown that an Alga belonging to a different tribe, and whose full length is but one- fortieth of an inch, is distributed in such quantity through a lake near Belfast, as to impart to the whole of its waters a dull green hue for a portion of every year+. The reputation of Mr. Harvey as a botanist, and one who has especially studied the class of plants which forms the subject of the volume before us, is so high, that it would be quite supererogatory to dwell upon the excellent manner in which every part is executed. Again do we hail with sincere pleasure the appearance of this Manual, the first work which, containing full descriptions of every species, has been devoted solely to the British Algee. A work upon our Mosses— ‘ Muscologia Britannica’—reached a second edition long since : one treating of our Fungi has been some years in existence ; and we hope, that at no very distant day, the volume at present under considera- tion will be followed by one illustrative of our native Lichens. * Annals of Nat. Hist., vol. i. p. 1. { 7d., vol. v. p. 75. Entomological Society. } 217 PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. March lst, 1841.—W. W. Saunders, Esq., F.L.S., President, in the Chair. Mr. Parry exhibited a variety of new Coleoptera, especially several fine Cetoniide, from New Holland. Mr. Westwood exhibited dried specimens of a Chinese larva, from the back of the neck of each of which a slender fungus, twice as long as the body of the insect, had been produced. ‘This insect, when thus attacked, is esteemed of great efficacy as a drug in China, where, from its very great rarity, it is only used by the emperor’s physicians ; and an extract from Du Halde’s History of China was read, in which its virtues are elaborately detailed, being especially serviceable in cases of bodily debility, particularly when a small portion of it is boiled in the body of aduck. The Chinese philosophers consider it as a herb during the summer season, but as soon as winter appears it changes into a worm. It is named Hia Tsao Tong Tchong in Du Halde’s Gen. Hist. of China done into English, 8vo, 1736, 4 vols., vol. iv. p. 41-42; the first two names meaning summer-herb, and the last two winter- worm. In Rees’s Cyclopedia it is called Hiastaotomtchom ; but its proper name (according to Mr. Reeves, who had forwarded a number of specimens to the Linnzan Society from Canton) is Hea Tsaon Taong Chung. It is brought to Canton tied up in small bundles, each containing about a dozen individuals, and where it is better known under the name of Ting Ching Hea Tsam, which seems but a transposition of the former name. The parasitic plant (which is analogous to that which infests the larve sent from New Zealand, of which notices have been brought before the Society on former occasions) is the Clavaria Entomorhiza. Mr. Westwood also exhibited two remarkable moths from Assam, collected by Mr. Griffith, and forming part of Mr. R. H. Solly’s collection, which had all the appearance of black species of the genus Papilio with red spots (Epicopeia Polydora and Philenora, W., in Arcana Entomol., No. 2, pl. 5.). A letter was read from Dr. Cantor, addressed to the Rev. F. W. Hope, from Sincapore, dated May 21, 1840, giving an account of his proceedings and travels. A communication was read from the Rev. F. W. Hope, relative to the formation of committees for undertaking the investigation of the entomology of various regions of the globe ; but as he was not pre- sent, the consideration thereof was deferred until his return to En- gland. A letter was read, announcing that the next meeting of the Italian naturalists would be held at Florence. The completion of Mr. Westwood’s memoir on the Linnean Sta- phylinide was read. A memoir was also read, containing descriptions of the species of the Curculionideous genus Pacuyruyncuus, Sch., collected by H. 218 Entomological Society. Cuming, Esq., in the Philippine Islands. By G. R. Waterhouse, Esq., V.P.E.S. Sp. 1. Pachyrhynchus venustus, W. Niger, levis ; capite maculd unicd inter oculos, thorace maculis duabus supra, maculdque und ad utrumque marginem, elytris viginti-duobus ovatis ornatis ; his a squamis auratis, vel aureo-cupreis, effectis. Var. (2. differt elytris maculis octodecim ornatis. Var. y. differt elytris maculis sexdecim ornatis. Long. corp. lin. 104 ;— 7. Sp. 2. Pachyrhynchus gemmatus, W. Niger vel cupreus, levis ; capite supra maculis duabus, thorace supra tribus, infra duabus, et elytris sexdecim (duabus apud suturam) ornatis ; his maculis a congerie squamarum metallicé splendentium effectis ; squamis cen- tralibus nitidé viridibus, circumgyrantibus aureo-rubris, et inde ocellos efficientibus. Var. 2. differt elytris maculis viginti-duobus ornatis. Sp. 3. Pachyrhynchus perpulcher, W. Niger, levis; thorace maculis (subocellatis) supra quatuor, subtis duabus, elytris octo- decim ornatis ; his a squamis metallicé viridibus et cupreis effectis. Sp. 4. Pachyrhynchus Cumingii, W. Splendid? cupreus ; elytris leviter punctato-striatis ; rostro notd transversd basali, capite maculis oblongis tribus, harum und interoculari, und utrinque suboculari ; thorace lineis marginalibus, et supra lineis tribus, et und transversd interruptd, notato ; elytris lineé marginali, l- neisque duabus longitudinalibus dorsalibus, necnon lined transversd per medium excurrente, atque lineis duabus abbreviatis et ad an- gulos basales et ad subapicales; his lineis maculisque pallide cyaneo-viridibus. Long. corp. lin. 63. Sp. 5. Pachyrhynchus speciosus, W. Splendide cupreus, vel niger ; elytris punctato-striatis ; capite lineis tribus longitudinalibus no- tatis ; thorace annulis tribus elongato-ovatis ; elytro utroque fasciis duabus transversis humeralibus ad marginem elytrorum externum confluentibus et prope suturam ; duabus centralibus et ad sutu- ram et ad marginem externum ductis necnon confluentibus ; et lined aream-semilunarem circumdante apicali, ornato. Sp. 6. Pachyrhynchus decussatus, W. After, lined transversd apud thoracis medium et pone hanc lineis tribus longitudinalibus, necnon margine externo aureo-viridibus ; elytris, lined centrali transversd, lineis quatuor ad basin longitudinalibus, et pone trans- versam, lineis duabus longitudinalibus, his lineam parvulam incur- vam lateralem emittentibus ; lineis omnibus sic et marginibus elytro- rum splendidé aureo-viridibus. Long. corp. lin. 74. Sp. 7. Pachyrhynchus phaleratus, W. Afer, lined transversd apud thoracem medium, ad utrumque latus in duos ramulos divisd spa- tium inequale circumdantes ; pone transversam, lined centrali lon- gitudinalt ; elytris lined medid transversd, lineis duabus ad basin longitudinalibus, et pone transversam tribus longitudinalibus ; his Entomological Society. 219 sic et marginibus externis et basalibus, aureo-viridibus. Long. corp. lin. 73. Sp. 8. Pachyrhynchus Scheenherri, W. Splendidé cupreus ; capite maculis tribus, earum und interoculari, und utrinque suboculart ; thorace nitido, dorso binotato, ad latera lineis duabus ; elytris octo- decim punctis, (duobus apud suturam) ornatis; his notis, lineis maculisque pallide viridibus. Long. corp. lin. 54. Sp. 9. Pachyrhynchus Erichsoni, W. ineus ; capite maculis tribus, earum und interoculari, und utrinque suboculari ; thoracis dorso binotato, lateribus bimaculatis ; elytris maculis sexdecim ornatis ; maculis omnibus colore flavo. Long. corp. lin. 6. Sp. 10. Pachyrhynchus Eschscholtzii, W. After, nitore violaceo ; thorace maculis duabus ; elytris maculis quatuor rotundatis ad basin ; sex ad medium, sex prope apicem, duabusque ad apicem, albescentibus. Sp. 11. Pachyrhynchus striatus, W. After; elytris profundeé punctato-striatis ; capite maculd inter oculos ; thorace supra tri- maculato ; elytris duodecim maculatis ; maculis aureis ; illis ely- trorum ad basin quatuor, et ad apicem quatuor elongatis, ad me- dium quatuor, scilicet duabus externis rotundatis, et duabus dorsa- libus transversis. Long. corp. lin. 6. Sp. 12. Pachyrhynchus roseomaculatus, W. Niger; elytris dis- tincté punctato-striatis ; capite maculd inter oculos ; thorace supra trimaculato ; elytris undecim maculatis ; his maculis roseis ; ple- risque oblongis ; maculd und suturali obcordatd. Long. corp. lin. 64. Sp. 18. Pachyrhynchus jugifer, W. Pee ‘aarys alee ‘ure 6 rar xey| oo | curr | oxepy | * : oo Oe 2. : 2 za ae : 208404 “ane 0d 28 he ee Roe tiasae aged eh i Ta dhe Ries TE | | ares "adag asaul @ | cy Spied PS Ol} anys | BE], wee pet ‘s0g ‘fou | “LPSI oa tee -salajuing YOIMSTYD | ‘90g *AoY ¢ UOpUOT }‘artys-saryuIng 2 *yormsty9 -uopuo’'l | -qquory “ule . we Pulm *J9JOUIOULAIY, J, -Jajawoleg joskeq ‘aunys-snsfiuncy ‘asuvyyr yjunsaddp naq ‘aq 4 I Aca 4 puoy we Aya1o0g adeate 2 ID AVAENNGT* : 2 I 1 4Sisspy IY] hg hyana0g qohowy ay] fo Sjuaupvdp ay} 4v apou suo1zvasasqcC 70990]0.409}2 J t) 214 ‘VhIMOSU) C7 Lf TIATd 8 12 292 CLV OLY p eur THE ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. No. 51. DECEMBER 1841. — XXIX.—Notice of a new genus of Mammalia discovered by J. Stuart, Esq., in New South Wales. By W.S. Mac- Leay, Esq., &c. &c. [ With a Plate. ] Durin@ a residence of two years in this colony, the expe- rience of each day shows me that as yet but little is known of the productions of New Holland. The natural history of the interior of this vast island may indeed be considered as altogether unknown ; and with respect to the coast, we can only be said tobe in a considerable degree acquainted with thé birds and phzenogamous plants of certain of its particular districts. An animal lately discovered by Sir T. L. Mitchell, and called Cheropus ecaudatus, appears to connect the genera Perameles and Hypsiprymnus. Being so singular in the dentition and the structure of its feet, this animal may lead us to imagine the sort of novelties that exist inland; but it is also very sure that the neighbourhood of Sydney still offers the discovery of many new quadrupeds to the research of an active collector. The marsupial called by the colonists “the Red Shrew Mouse,” and which has been supposed by Sir T. L. Mitchell to be a Myrmecobius, proves now to be a new and minute species of Perameles; that is, if I may be aliowed to judge from the feet of the two stuffed specimens in the Colonial Museum, the only ones I have seen*.. Al- though not giving much attention to the study of the species of Mammalia, I hear frequently of the occurrence of small Marsupials, which I suspect will prove, when described, en- tirely new to zoologists. One thing is certain, that many small Rodents remain undescribed, from their having been confounded with the rats and mice imported from Europe ; and I think sufficient reasons will be given in the present notice for believing that a new insectivorous quadruped is to be found in the immediate vicinity of Sydney. The cause of the small quadrupeds having so long escaped notice appears to be, that they are all, whether marsupial or not, in their habits nocturnal; but the truth also is, that few persons here have leisure to look for them. Birds, however worthless for * The teeth are not visible in either of the specimens, Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. 242 Mr. W. 8. MacLeay on a new Quadruped. the table, afford practice and amusement to the sportsman ; but these minute Mammalia are despised even by the native, who moreover, from his custom of suspending all chase of game after dark, is little likely ever to fall in with them. J. Stuart, Esq., is a surgeon in the army, who has been frequently employed by the Colonial Government in super- intending the quarantine to which vessels arriving unhealthy m Port Jackson are subjected. On entering between the heads of this noble firth, every vessel is boarded by the medical officers, and if found in a sickly state, instead of sail- ing up to Sydney, a distance of about seven miles, she is carried off to the right, and enters Spring Cove, where the passengers are landed at a Lazaretto, established on the north shore. Here they remain under the care of a surgeon for the necessary period; and Mr. Stuart, who has often un- dertaken this painful charge, has, by means of his admirable skill in drawing objects of natural history, and his powers of accurate observation, been enabled to employ to the advan- tage of every department of science those spare hours, which otherwise, in the midst of contagion and disease, would have proved so dreary. From among several great novelties which I have found in his collection of drawings, I have selected the representation (natural size) here given, Pl. VII., ofa quadruped which I shall call Antechinus Stuartii, and of which Mr. Stuart killed one male specimen at Spring Cove in August 1837. As this specimen has been unfortunately lost, and I have never seen it, I am obliged to describe it from his notes, hoping that the attention of naturalists will be drawn to the animal, and that some further knowledge may soon be acquired with respect to the habits and structure of the species. Genus ANTECHINUS. Dentes incisores a3 canini ; pseudomolares = ; molares Se 44, Caput elongatum, rhinario valdé producto. Aures grandes ad apicem angustiores obtuse. Oculi mediocres prominuli. Corpus pyri- forme anticé angustius. Cauda teres pilosa gracilis. Pedes digitis liberis plantigradi; anticé pentadactyli; digitis tribus intermediis longioribus ; posticé pentadactyli digitis secundo et tertio longioribus, pollice brevi, unguibus brevibus acutis. ANTECHINUS STUARTII. Antechinus fulvus abdomine artubusque subtis albescentibus, cauda feré corporis longitudinem zquante. Long. tot. usque ad apicem caudee 95 une. This genus appears, in its system of dentition, to approach Phascogale, but it differs from that and all other carnivorous Marsupials in the formula of the incisors ; for those carnivo- hy lu AL ae 10) sal An?n.d Mag Nat Hist Nols PLVIil. | Sl] iii» i sii CUD 7---3, Acti titi Lrore Fe MG CUT» VCH. 6-72. Anrcletle Port... DP L Borbkes. JDBC Sowers Ay Sis ; Byons funneled. Z Mr. E. Forbes on new Marine Animals. 243 rous Marsupialia of which the dentition is known, have all more incisors in the upper than in the lower jaw. In the number of incisors and canines, Antechinus agrees with Centenes among Insectivora, and with the Urside, Canide, and Felide in general. From its number of teeth and general aspect, I conceiye it will, when better known, be indubitably assigned to the group of Insectivora. XXX.—On two remarkable Marine Invertebrata inhabiting the Afigean Sea. By Enywarp Forses. M.W.S., For. Sec. BS., &c.* [With a Plate. ] Tue harbour of Nousa, in the island of Paros, though of small extent, is extremely rich in marine animals, abounding in Fish of various kinds, Mollusca, Annelida, and Radiata. As the surveying ship Beacon, Capt. Graves, has made this bay its summer quarters, I am enabled to examine its zoology under very favourable circumstances; and, through the kind assistance of the commander and his officers, especially Lieut. Freeland and Mr. Sprat, a number of rare and_ interesting animals undergo a careful examination daily. The depth of the bay generally is from seven to ten fathoms ; the bottom sand and weed, chiefly Zostera ; at the entrance there is deeper water, from seventeen to thirty fathoms, with a bottom of corallines. ‘The animals are different, according to the bottom and depth. The coast is generally of rock; in some places mica-slate, in others white marble. There are also a number of sandy bights, which in places where streams run in are crowded with Cerithia, in others are inhabited by sand-burrowing bivalves. Mixed with the sand are great numbers of minute Testacea and Foraminifera. In these sandy nooks live two animals, the one an Annelide, the other a Polype, so remarkable on account of peculiarities of form or habit that I have thought it might prove interesting to transmit this short notice of them to the Association, re- serving the general natural history of the bay for a connected view of the marine zoology of the Cyclades, which I hope to submit to the Association at a future meeting. The animals in question are, Ist, a Zoophyte of the family Actiniade which is free and vermiform, and which lives in a tube of its own constructing, a combination of characters, as far as I know, hitherto unnoticed among the Helianthoid Po- lypes; and 2nd, a tubicolar Annelide which lives in a strong gelatinous tube, bearing a remarkable analogy to the sac of certain Entozoa. : * Read in the Section of Zoology and Botany at the Meeting of the British Association, Plymouth, and communicated by the Author. R 2 244 Mr. EK. Forbes on two remarkable Marine Invertebrata I notice them together, as, in each case, the peculiarity of the organization and habit is the result of a similar adaptation of form in two very distant tribes to a similar locality. The body of the Actinia is cylindrical, terminating poste- riorly in an obtuse extremity, anteriorly in a disc, in the cen- tre of which is a circular mouth surrounded by numerous, rather short, linear tentacula, which spring from its internal margin. Round the margin of the disc is another circle of tentacula, thirty-two in number, very long, tubular and sim- ple, resembling the tentacula of an ordinary Actinia or An- thea. ‘These tentacula cannot be drawn within the mouth, but are highly contractile, and can be shortened to small di- mensions. The disc and oral tentacula are white, the mar- ginal tentacula are banded with yellowish brown; the neck or upper part of the body is white, and the remainder to the extremity yellowish brown. _ The body can be greatly length- ened, so as to assume the form of a worm or Holothuria. It is protected by a membranous tube, which is itself strength- ened by an incrustation of gravel and shells in the manner of a Terebellum. In this tube the Actinia can move up and down freely ; and when kept for some time in sea-water, the tube being injured, it came out of it altogether, and moved about, twisting its body in the manner of some Annelides. On being supplied with sand and gravel it proceeded to con- struct another tube, rolling itself in the sand, and secreting glutinous matter for the membranous lining. It eats vora- ciously, and attacks other animals that come within reach of its tentacula. It lives buried in sand, in places a few inches below the sea-level. Internally its structure is similar to that of others of its tribe. There are eight yellowish. ovaries ter- minating in as many long, contorted threads. : In its habit of protecting itself by sand and gravel it resem- bles Actinia viduata and some other species, none of which, however, construct a regular tube. In its being free, and having no adhesive disc at its posterior termination, it re- minds us of Iluanthos, a genus of Actiniade which I dis- covered three years ago on the Scottish coast, and which I de- scribed and figured in the § Annals of Natural History,’ vol. v. p- 181. It is evident the animal I now describe fills up an important gap among the Polypes, and leads to analogical considerations of great interest to the philosophical zoologist. Whether the second animal I would notice, the tubicolar Annelide, be described, I do not know, but have reason to think it is not. It is one of the most beautiful creatures in a beautiful but much-neglected family. It lives in sand where the sea is three or four feet deep, and its position is indicated by funnel-shaped cavities. At times, in sailing over their ha- inhabiting the Atyean Sea. 245 bitat, the sea-bottom seems studded with dark brown sea-ur- chins; but, on touching these supposed sea-eggs, they in- stantly shrink into the sand. These are expanded tufts of branchiz which adorn the head of the animal. It lives in a tough gelatinous case of its own construction, which case is smooth within and without, and of considerable length and thickness. The inhabitant is quite free within, and moves up and down with facility ; but the hinder part of the case, which tapers into an acute tail, is solid for some way, and probably is So in consequence of the creature filling it up as it grows older and larger. The worm has a highly extensile body, composed of above 140 rings, blunt anteriorly and tapering posteriorly. The rings are of a reddish brown hue, the belts between paler, and there are two very narrow pale lines on the margins of each. They are very contractile. Each of them is furnished with a minute tuft of bristles on each side, serving as feet. There is no well-defined head, nor eyes, nor tentacula; but there is a broader and more prominent whitish band at the junction of the branchial funnel with the body than elsewhere. The funnel consists of two fasciculi of long setose filaments, about twenty-eight in each bundle; each of these filaments (which are all webbed together, saving near ‘their extremities,) is furnished with a comb of long finer fila- ments on the inner margin, which project into the interior of ‘the funnel, and define its shape very prettily. Up and down the funnel currents of water may be seen flowing with great rapidity. These are caused by the cilia which cover the se- condary filaments, and which are of considerable size. The secondary filaments are notched at regular intervals, and are very flexible, twisting about like worms when separated from their origin. | In the absence of works of reference, though I believe both these forms to be new, generically as well as specifically, I have abstained from naming them at present. DESCRIPTION OF PLATE VIII. Actinia. Fig. 1, 2,3. Attitudes of the animal freed from the tube. Fig. 4. The animal in its tube. fig. 5. The animal leaving its membranous case. Annelide. Fig. 6. The animal within its tube. Fig. 7. Head Noe branchiz expanded, protruded from the tube in the sand. dig. 8. Animal out of the tube extending itself. Fig. 9. Animal contracted. Fig. 10. Segments magnified, showing the feet. Fig. 11. One of the pinnated branchiz. #ig. 12. A pinna magnified, showing the cilia and the joints. 246 Mr. W. A. Leighton on Epilobium angustifolium. XXXI.—On Epilobium angustifolium, Linn., and species which have been confounded withit. By W. A. Le1euton, Ksq., B.A., F.B.S.E., &c. WirxHovt wishing to derogate in the most remote degree from the merit of Mr. H. O, Stephens and Mr. G. K. Thwaites as the discriminator and discoverer of Eypilobium macrocarpum, I deem it but an act of simple justice to mention, that Mr. George Jorden, of Bewdley, has for very many years past ob- served two Epilobiums growing wild in the Shropshire portion of the Forest of Wyre, which he has always considered as speci- fically distinct; one, a large-flowered plant with a short stout capsule, and the other with smaller flowers and a very long capsule, which he considers an undescribed species. From the acute and careful observation to which Mr. Jorden has sub- jected these plants in the constant opportunities he has availed himself of in studying their habits and structure in their na- tive localities, his opinion of their being distinct species is en- titled to very considerable weight, more especially as he has con- firmed it by the experience of long cultivation. He writes :— “To me the specification of plants is not very clear and defi- nite: those plants which are distinct in their Generation ought to be considered Specifically distinct, which, I believe, these two plants ever have been and ever will remain, and likewise in their structure, in the greater size of the flowers and seed- vessel. If I rightly understand the true meaning of Variety, it is the differing of a plant from its parent, and such differ- ence not hereditary. Nature will not be shackled by rules nor bound by systems. I have grown these two plants between thirty and forty years in a highly manured soil, and regularly compared them with specimens growing in their native lo- calities, but never found any perceptible difference in their structure, except that last year the stamens ran into petals from excess of nutriment. I suspect the large-flowered plant is not indigenous to this country by not producing fertile seeds, and its not being found but in few places except gar- dens ; probably it is a continental plant, the plant [.H. angus- tifolium] of Linnzeus. The small-flowered plant [ £. macrocar- pum] is undoubtedly indigenous, and propagates itself by seed abundantly. This latter plant is grown, | find, in gardens in the neighbourhood of London: I never find it in gardens here, but only the large-flowered plant [H. angustifolium|, probably furnished from the very old locality near Bewdley, and considered wild by botanists.” In July last Mr. Jorden kindly sent me living specimens and roots of these two plants, from which I then drew up the Mr. W. A. Leighton on Epilobium angustifolium. 247 following descriptions, which although agreeing in all essen- tials with Mr. Stephens’s characters, will perhaps afford a few additional particulars not altogether uninteresting, as evincing the very close approximation of the two plants in everything except size of the flowers and the form and size of the capsules. Their chief differences are marked in italics. E. angustifolium, Linn. Stem 3—4 feet or more high, roundish, glabrous, shining, simple, * virgate, branched. Leaves alternate, on very short petioles, linear, acuminate, more or less rounded at the base, mucronate, shallowly but distinctly calloso-denticulate, with a strong central rib, from which smaller lateral ribs are given off in an oblique direction, which again unite in curves at a short distance from the margins, dark opake green and wrinkled with veins on the upper sur- face, pale glaucous green beneath, glabrous. Racemes terminal and axillary, simple, leafy, smooth, slightly pubescent above. Flowers solitary, on simple densely pubescent peduncles about equal to the germen, lower ones in the axils of the upper leaves which diminish upwards into bracteas, arcuate in flower, more or less erect afterwards. Flower-buds linear-oblong, obliquely acute. Sepals 4, linear, acute, one-third shorter than petals, spread- ing, pubescent externally, glabrous within, purplish-red, 5—7- nerved. Petals 4, spreading, orbicular, suddenly contracted into a short claw, emarginate, wavy or wrinkled at the margin, pale pinky purple withdarker veins. Filaments dilated and converging at the base, declined upwards, thickened immediately beneath the anther. Pollen triquetrous, occupying four divisions in length on a micrometer of ;5'55th of an inch, pale whitish green. Capsule scarcely an inch long, linear -oblong, subattenuate at both ends, slightly curved, subpatulous, distinctly tetragonous. Pistil filiform, dilated upwards, hairy above the base, at first as long as, afterwards one-third longer than, the stamens, decurved, 4-cleft ; segments circinato-revolute. . macrocarpum, Steph. Stem 3—4 feet or more high, roundish, glabrous, shining, simple, virgate, branched above. Leaves alternate, on very short petioles, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, somewhat attenuate at the base, acute, entire, obsoletely calloso-denticulate, with a strong central rib, from which numerous lateral ribs are given off in a nearly hori- zontal and very slightly oblique direction, which are again united in curves ata short distance from the margins ; dark opake green and wrinkled with veins on the upper surface, pale glaucous green beneath, glabrous. Racemes terminal and axillary, simple, leafy, smooth, «slightly pubescent above. Flowers solitary, on simple densely pubescent peduncles shorter than the germen, lower ones in the axils of the leaves, which gradually diminish upwards into bracteas, arcuate in flower, more or less erect “248 «4Mr. W. A. Leighton on Epilobium angustifolium. afterwards. Flower-buds obovate, somewhat attenuate at the base, suddenly contracted at the apex into a compressed curved point. Sepals 4, linear-lanceolate, attenuate into an acute point, as long as or slightly longer than the petals, spreading, pubescent on the exterior, purplish red, glabrous within, 3-nerved. Petals 4, spreading, subrotundo-obovate, subattenuate into a short claw, emarginate, wavy or wrinkled at the margin, bright and deep rose-colour with darker veins. Filaments dilated and conver- ging at the base, declined upwards, thickened immediately be- neath the anther. Pollen triquetrous, occupying three divisions in length on a micrometer of so00th of an inch, pale, nearly white. Capsule about 24 inches long, linear, straight, erect, nearly parallel with the stem, tetragonous, the angles rounded and nearly obsolete, covered with pale dense minute pubescence. Pistil fili- form, swollen upwards, with a few hairs a little above the base, at first shorter than, afterwards as long as, or slightly longer than, the stamens, decurved, 4-cleft; segments at first erect, finally revolute. Some of these fresh specimens I forwarded with my de- scriptions to Mr. Borrer, who replies, (August 11, 1841,) “I have been used to the sight of a larger and a smaller E. an- gustifolium, the former in gardens and the latter in our Sussex forests, but it never came into my mind to compare them. I now find the latter to be your No. 1. [macrocarpum]; the former | have no doubt is your No. 2. [angustifolium], but I am not aware that it is in any Henfield garden. In my own I have the wild one only lately brought in. It agrees, as do my dried specimens, with your No. 1. in every respect, except that the flower-bud has not the remarkable pinched point, or in a few flowers only and in a very slight degree, and the se- pals have traces, varying in distinctness, of a second lateral pair of nerves. I have a dried specimen of No. 2. from Mr. Dalton, labelled by him ‘ E. angustifolium, without any men- tion of the place it came from. Upon the whole, notwith- standing the very remarkable *, 1 cannot persuade myself that the plants are specifically distinct. I suspect that we have No. 2. [angustifolium] wild in the west of Sussex, which I must take the first opportunity of ascertaining.” It would be very desirable that the plants in the Linnzan Herbarium should be ascertained. The synonomy of conti- nental botanists will be difficult to be determined by reason of the form of the capsule not entering into their characters, at least in such writers as I have means of consulting. W. A. LEIGHTON. Shrewsbury, Nov. 1, 1841. * Hiatus in Mr. B.’s letter.—Eb. Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany. 249 XX XII.—Report of the Results of Researches in Physiological Botany made in the year 1839. By F. J. Meyen, M.D., Professor of Botany in the University of Berlin*. [Continued from p. 137.] M. ScuueEIDEn tf, in a treatise on the spiral formations in the cells of plants, has collected together the results both of former observations and also of his own. | His views respecting the metamorphoses of the spiral tubes are certainly for the most part correct: he says, “The layers which are deposited upon the primary structureless cellular membrane have in every case, at their first appearance; a regular arrangement which may be made evident in different ways, and a spiral band or fibre as their foundation, and from this basis all the different forms of the walls of the so-called vessels and cells are de- veloped ; but the one cannot be considered as a stage of trans- ition to the others.” M. Schleiden then gives a view of the phenomena which occur during the growth and metamor- phoses of the cells of plants. In the first period, the simple membranes which form the cell increase throughout their whole substance by true intersusception; but whether the same kind of growth takes place at a later period could not be determined, although in some cases it cannot be denied that it is so. Now the deposition of new layers on the inner sur- face which follows is in the form of one or more spiral closely wound bands, and M. Schleiden thinks that from some as yet imperfect observations, he may conclude that originally two such bands at least occur, which correspond to the ascending and descending streams of the gummous formative substance. According to M. Schleiden’s views, it is from these second- ary deposits that all the various formations of the walls of cells and vessels proceed according to the influence of the following causes :-— 1, Either the cell has or has not reached its full extension when the secondary deposits commence, and upon this ap- pears to depend the production of the spiral vessels and of the porous formations. Then are mentioned the different cases which may occur during the formation of the spiral fibres, and from this is derived the production of different forms of simple and metamorphosed spiral tubes. Here how- ever many statements are put forward, which partly contra- dict existing observations, and which partly open a wide field for discussion. * Translated and cominunicated by Henry Croft, Esq. ft Flora von 1839, pp. 321—334 and 337—344. Translated in our Journal, vol, vi. p. 35, 250. Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany. 2. A circumstance which need only be cursorily mentioned here is the form of the cells in the different intervening steps in combination with the actual perforation of the primary membranes by resorption. 3. Another circumstance is more important. Generally several spiral deposits appear, and the rule is here that the succeeding deposits are arranged conformably with the pre- ceding ones; however some exceptions are known, as for in- stance, after the first spiral deposit has become changed by the extension of the cell, a new layer is deposited over the whole inner surface and assumes the porous form. The dif- ferent metamorphoses which are exhibited in such a striking manner by the spiral tubes in the fibro-vascular bundles of Monocotyledons, are explained by the author as resulting from a different extension of the several single elementary organs of these bundles. The distant banded annular vessels are said to be formed first, and in the form of spiral vessels; by the extension of the internodium the development is said to ex- tend towards the exterior, and therefore the outer spiral tubes are wound so closely because the extension of the cells longi- tudinally is already nearly completed when the spiral depo- sits take place. M. Schleiden comes next to the explanation of the produc- tion of the annular ducts, concerning which there has been so much written and disputed: he thinks that he has observed that the annular vessels are the cells in which the spiral de- posits are earliest formed. By drawings from the bud of Campelia Zannonia, Rich., M. Schleiden endeavours to explain the production of the annu- lar ducts; they are formed out of spiral vessels: two whole whorls of the spiral fibre grow together and form a per- fect rmg, while the connecting ends of the fibre are corroded and at length completely absorbed by the cell; all the stages of transition are often visible in one and the same vessel, but in more advanced vessels the connecting volution is wholly dis- solved. This is M. Schleiden’s new hypothesis; I have read it through several times, but am not able to form an idea how rings can be produced from spiral volutions, if the free (eroded, or torn off, or absorbed) ends of the single whorls of the late spiral fibre do not join together. In the porous cells of the Conifere M. Schleiden thinks he has seen, in Pinus sy/- vestris, even in the latest zones, the cambium-cells before the formation of pores divided by fine black lines into narrow spi- ral bands, and these vanish when the pores are formed; of course, adds M. Schleiden, the primary wall of the cell being perfectly homogeneous. [I may be allowed to ask here, how Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany. 251 M. Schleiden convinced himself of the homogeneousness of this membrane. I formerly made known, that in old coniferous wood there is often an actual splitting of the entire walls of the cellular membrane, always in the direction of the juncture of the spiral bands of which the walls are composed, and that these clefts, which are often very large, always pass through the pores. | The reticular figures on the bast-cells of the Apocynee, M. Schleiden derives from the superposition of two very fine lay- ers which consist of oppositely wound spirals; and finally, he makes some remarks on the direction of the windings of spi-’ rals. M.Schleiden has laid down the following rule :—Of all spiral formations which are developed simultaneously, those which lie together in the direction of the radius are homodro- mous, those which lie together in the direction of the parallels to the periphery are heterodromous. As exceptions are men- tioned the annular and spirally fibrous cells of the Cacti; but as confirmatory of the first statement, the general crossing of the pore-clefts of neighbouring cells, which was first observed by me, is brought forward. M. Mohl* has endeavoured to disprove some of the views of M. Schleiden with which he does not agree, particularly that one, as M. Mohl says, which has extended to the present time, but is perfectly false, viz. that the annular vessels are produced from spiral vessels. He says, that even since the ap- pearance of Schleiden’s new theory, he still adheres to his former statements with regard to their origin. M. Mobhl first gives some descriptions of the structure of the spiral and annular fibres in their perfect state, in order to make clearer some points which M. Schleiden in his observa- tions on the formation of the annular tubes had stated incor- rectly ; he describes particularly the lines and grooves which are often seen on the broad fibres of the Commelinee. Some- times these lines and grooves penetrate the whole thickness of the fibre, so that it is divided in some places into two or three fibres, and these either proceed in their course parallel to each other, or then join again after a longer or shorter course, or one of these fibres passes in a more perpendicular direction than the others, and joins the next whorl of the fibre. The direction of the winding of the spiral fibre is next spoken of: he had formerly shown that the spiral vessels are generally wound to the right, and he states that he cannot agree with M. Schleiden and other phytotomists who main- * Flora von 1839, p. 673 —685, &c. Translated at p. 16 of our present volume ; see also Dr. Schleiden in reply at p. 25. 252 Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany: tain that spiral vessels are indifferently wound either right or left. He finds left-wound vessels so extremely rare, that they may rather be regarded as exceptions to the rule. In a vas- cular tube in a gourd, M. Mohl saw that the different divi- sions of the spiral fibre which are separated from each other by rings were wound in opposite directions. M. Schleiden demonstrated his new view of the formation of the annular ducts principally by means of the young shoots of Campelia; M. Mohl found, however, the roots of Commelina tuberosa much better, and gives excellent figures on the sub- ject. All the modifications which have been observed under which the rings appear in the vascular tubes of this plant are fully described, and their connexion with the spiral fibre ex- plained. According to my idea, M. Schleiden had quite cor- rectly stated that the line of division in the broad spiral fibres of the Commelinee is caused by two whorls of the fibre grow- ing together, or in other words, that those spiral fibres con- sist of two fibres which lie close and parallel to each other ; however M. Mohl makes objections to this, but which I can- not quite clearly understand. M. Mohl found, as others have done, that the rings in the annular tubes are generally quite unconnected with each other, but that the connecting fibres of the rings (when such exist) do not stand in any determinate relation to the breadth of the annular fibres. ['This is however in general the case only in the broad and compound spiral fibres of the Comme- linee.—Mey.| During the formation of the annular tubes in the stem of Commelina tuberosa, M. Mohl thinks that he ob- served distinctly that these tubes at their first appearance were not spirally wound, but that the fibres formed, as in the perfect vessels, isolated rings of different breadths, or else rays between which were seen some spiral fibres, so that, with ex- ception of the small thickness and the short distance between the rings, there was no difference between these young ves- sels and the fully developed ones. This formation could be still better followed, step for step, in the roots of the Comme- lina; and from these observations M. Mohl draws the conclu- sion, that annular ducts, spiral vessels, and reticular vessels are three very nearly related forms which pass into each other, but that they cannot be regarded as temporary grades in the metamorphosis of the same vascular tube. Much has been said in the former reports concerning this metamorphosis of the spiral into annular fibres, and it is to be hoped that the discussion will soon be ended ; all that M. Mohl has brought forward against the new theory of Schleiden I myself can fully confirm, if that were necessary, both by former Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany. 253 and also by new observations, and I have often declared that no one has ever seen the tearing of the spiral fibres ; but that the reticular spiral tubes are produced from developed annu- lar tubes, I think I may positively assert; Impatiens Balsa- mina, and the flower-stalk of Musa, showed me this very plainly. In the cells of the outer layer of the capsule of Hepatice, where rings only are almost always found, and interrupted, inasmuch as they do not extend over the outer wall of the cells, one can see that they are really original, and are not pro- duced by the resorption of isolated ends of the spiral fibres *. M. Decaisnet+ has laid before the Academy at Paris a trea- tise on the structure of the beetroot, on which M. Brongniart has given a report. M. Decaisne observed the development of the beet from the germination of the seed up to its perfect state; he saw that the beet consisted as tt were of two parts of distinct origin ; the upper part formed out of the enlarged stipes, the lower out of the rootlets of the embryo. The se- paration of both parts may be seen in sections of the root by means of the pith, which is continued in the form of a cone as far as the commencement of the root, but is wanting in the true root. Round about the pith are true spiral tubes, but in the true root there are only reticular tubes. The vascular bundles stand in regular circles, and their number increases toward the exterior ; outwardly they are sur- rounded by fine elongated cells which represent the woody tissue of plants. In the beet there are three different tissues : 1. Parenchyma, which is colourless in the common beet, but in others is filled with a red or yellow sap. 2. The reticular spiral tubes. 3. Elongated cellular tissue, which is very fine and transparent, and accompanies the spiral tubes, but is ge- nerally deposited towards the exterior. This tissue represents, by the position it occupies as well as by the lacteous vessels it contains, both the ligneous tissue and the bast of the bark. That the parenchyma of the beet con- tains little or no sugar is well known; it may be distinguished by the taste alone, that the cellulo-vascular parts of the beet are sweeter than the others. M. Raspail’s hypothesis, that the sugar is found in the spiral tubes, is, as might be expected, completely disproved by M. Decaisne’s researches, and he con- cludes that the sugar is formed principally in the fine tissue which surrounds the spiral tubes. The upper part of the root * Vide Miiller’s Archiv, 1839, tab. xiii. fig. 47. + Rapport fait a l’Académie par M. Ad. Brongniart, Janv. 14, 1839.— Annales des Sciences Nat., xi. p. 49. 254 Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany. which projects out of the earth contains the smallest quan- tity of sugar, but often exhibits a large number of crystals, which are also very commonly found in the leaves of this plant. In the report published in Berlin, 1838, p. 21, we an- nounced M. Decaisne’s excellent work on the Lardizabalee, which has now appeared*. M. Decaisne speaks at large on the anatomical structure of the stem of the Menispermee and the Aristolochia, in order to show that the arrangement of the natural families cannot be effected by means of the structure of the plant. The porous tubes of the Conifere and Cycadee have been found in Gnetum and Tasmannia, &c.; he more- over shows that Prof. Lindley made a great mistake in stating the structures of the Menispermee and Aristolochia to be similar, and that the want of zones in the stems which he ex- amined led him to consider the Menispermee as standing in the middle between the Mono- and Dicotyledons. M. Decaisne then describes the structure of the wood of Aristolochia la- biosa, Ar. sypho, Ar. clematitis ; the latter is exactly similar to the first. He also examined Menispermum canadense and Cocculus laurifolius, and draws the following conclusions :— 1. That the Menispermee are developed differently from the other Dicotyledons: annual zones are not present; each lig- neous fascicle remains simple, and the bast when once formed does not visibly enlarge. 2. That the single ligneous fascicle of the Menispermee cannot be compared with those of the Monocotyledons, as is done by Prof. Lindley, for they increase annually, and are placed regularly around the pith; moreover the bast takes no part in their formation. 3. Some plants, as for instance Cocculus laurifolius and Cissampelos Pareira, have a very anomalous structure; and M. Decaisne here describes that of the stem of Cocc. laurifolius, which is quite similar to that of Cissampelos which I have described in my ‘ Physiology,’ vol. i. p. 374. In Coce. laurifolius, as in the Dicotyledons, a layer of spiral tubes the fibre of which could be unrolled was found only in the first deposit of wood, and close to the pith. Finally, 4. M. Decaisne declares that the Aristolochie cannot, on account of their structure, be so strictly classed with the Menispermee: their ligneous fascicles divide towards the bark ; and the bast, which in a young state forms a circle, divides afterwards into two nearly equal parts, and these di- vide and subdivide again as the diameter of the branch in- creases ; but the bundles of bast always bear a relation to * Archives du Muséum d’Hist. Nat., i. Paris, 1839, p. 143. Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany. 255 the number of the ligneous bundles which have been formed by the above-mentioned division. M. Schleiden has published ‘ Botanical Notices’ (Wieg- mann’s Archiv, i. p. 211), in which several points of anatomy and physiology are treated of; [ must refer the reader to the original treatise. Observations on the presence of certain assimilated and secreted substances in Plants. M. Morren* has published a short memoir on the presence of fatty and volatile oils in the cellular tissue of different plants, wherein attention is directed to several new facts. The author first gives a view of the results of observations on this subject, extracted from my works, and mentions that fatty or fixed oils are only formed within the cells, while the zthe- real oils make their appearance in peculiar, more complicated organs, as in glands, oil-channels, &c. M. Morren says, that from this one might believe that the ethereal oils, on account of their many peculiarities, are more perfectly elaborated, and therefore require peculiar organs for their formation, while the simple fatty oils are produced in the common cells. However these statements are not complete, for in my ‘ Physiology,’ vol. i. p. 493, it is stated expressly, “ The secretion of these volatile oils takes place in peculiar glands, either simple or compound ; but in greater quantity in the internal glands. In general however the volatile oil is deposited in the common cells of the different parts of the plant, where it appears in the sap more or less plainly in the form of small oily drops or even in large masses. 'This is almost always the case in the petals, and it is very rare that the oil is secreted in internal glands.” M. Morren observed the presence of drops of an ethereal oil in the cells of the epidermis of the stamens of Sparmannia africana, where it was first yellow and afterwards became red, and it is stated, that during the formation of this oil, the walls of the cells became thickened. Also in the cells of the epidermis of the upper surface of the leaf of Ophrys ovata, M. Morren found an ethereal oil, but it appears that it is only there during the time the plant is in blossom. [In another of the Orchidee, namely, in Pleurothallis ruscifolia, in the cells of the upper epidermis of the leaves, I have observed an oil, which had some similarity with a fatty oil—Mey.] For ata later period M. Morren could not discover it, and therefore he says that these observations prove to a certainty that the ethereal oil is formed in the cells and preserved there some * Bulletin de l'Acad. Roy. de Bruxelles, vi. No. 6. 256 Meyen’s Report for 1839 on Physiological Botany. time, until it is absorbed in order to grease the cuticle (le derme), so that it may not be wetted by the rain. As yet, it has always been believed that the bluish wax-like substance which is found on plums executes this office ; however he now begins to believe that it is the ethereal oil which is formed in the cells and then exudes. In the epidermal cells of the leaves of Colchicum autumnale, M. Morren also found an oil (in spring), which did not move in water as the oils in the two above-mentioned plants did, and therefore it is probably a fatty oil; M. Morren thinks that this also exudes through the walls of the cells to the cuticle and protects it from rain. In the oily seeds of Linum austri- acum, Papaver spectabile and Brassica campestris oleracea, it appeared to M. Morren that the oil was between the cells, and that within them there was no trace of it. Finally M. Morren mentions the large-stalked glands of Passiflora fetida as secreting an ethereal oil on the surface. This is however by no means uncommon, and is the case more or less with all such stalked compound glands, and I have described the same in the simple glands on the surface of Melissa offici- nalis. In a short memoir M. Morren* has described the circum- stances under which gum is found in the reservoirs in the leaf-stalk of the Cycadee ; he remarks, that when one cuts off the frond (wedel) of this plant so that more or less of the leaf- stalks remain on the stem, the gum exudes on this surface from the gum-passages ; and that from this it follows that the gum ascends from the stem into the frond, but does not, as physiologists have up to this time believed [? ?], descend from the leaves into the stem. If the stumps of the leaf-stalks are only two or three inches long, the gum exudes in the form of a long vermicular body ; M. Morren observed it two or even above four centimetres long ; in all experiments the gum was seen to-proceed upwards, but not downwards. I have repeated several of these experiments and certainly found them to be correct, but I have also made some others which perhaps like- wise explain the phenomenon. If a strong frond be bent into pieces six to eight inches long, and these inverted in-water, the exudation of gum from the openings of the reservoirs is ob- served; but here it passes downwards, and it seems to me that it may be explained by assuming an absorption of water by which the gum is expanded, and thus a quantity is forced out of the upper opening. When the gum exudes from the stumps left on the stem, one may suppose that a quantity of the nutritive * Bulletin de l’Acad. Roy. de Bruxelles, vi. No. 8. On the Phosphorescence of Zoophytes. 257 sap of the stem is absorbed by the gum which thereby ex- pands and at length exudes from the openings ; but it appears to me that the facts with which we are as yet acquainted do not allow us to assume an actual motion of the gum in the containing vessels. M. Morren assumes that this gum is formed by the meta- morphosis of the amylum in the interior of the stem, and that it thence passes into the frond. Although this assumption appears to me as yet groundless, still I can myself bring for- ward an observation which shows that a very large quantity of gum is contained in the interior of the pith of the stem of Encephalartos Frederici Gulielmi. A cavity had been formed in the interior of the pith into which the amylum metamor- phosed into gum flowed from the neighbouring cells, and was collected in a considerable mass, which gradually increased the size of the cavity. M. Morren describes moreover the position of the gum-pas- sages in the frond of Cycas revoluta: they are found both in the centre and in the circumference in considerable numbers, and may easily be seen by means of a simple microscope in every transverse section of the leaf-stalk. In the leaves these passages are found only on either side of the nerve. M. Morren saw the ramification of a gum-pas- sage in the leaf-stalk ; in the bark of the stem it was already known. The former statements concerning the production of the gum-vessels and on the structure are also confirmed. Finally, M. de Coninck has examined chemically the gum from the leaves of Cycas revolutu, but for this purpose he could not obtain a perfectly pure substance: the incinerated leaves con- tained 4°95 per cent. of inorganic substances consisting prin- cipally of carbonate of lime, which was probably produced from the oxalate ; moreover free oxalic acid was found in the leaflets. [To be continued. ] XXXIII.—On the Phosphorescence of Zoophytes. By the Rev. Davin Lanpssoroven, of Stevenston, in Ayrshire. In Dr. Johnston’s ‘ History of British Zoophytes,’ he quotes, in his description of Sertularia pumila, the following passage from Stewart :—“ This species, and probably many others, in some particular states of the atmosphere, gives out a phos- phoric light in the dark. If a leaf ofthe above Fucus serratus with the Sertularia upon it, receive a smart stroke with a stick in the dark, the whole. coralline is most beautifully illu- Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. 258 The Rev. D. Landsborough on minated, every denticle seeming to be on fire’ I have lately discovered that it is not only prodadle that many others ex- hibit the same phenomenon, but that it is absolutely certain that they do so. I had thought that in making the experi- ment it would be necessary to put the sea-weed to which the Sertularia was attached into a vessel of sea-water, but I find that it can be made with less trouble. About two months ago I brought from the shore in a pocket vasculum or tin box, some Zoophytes attached to sea- weeds, and laid the vasculum on the lobby table till I should have leisure to examine them. When night came I put my hand into the vasculum to remove some of the Zoophytes for inspection, and on moving them I found to my surprise and delight that they began to sparkle. Remembering what I had read in the extract given above, as I took them up, I gave them a hearty shake, and they instantly became quite bril- liant, like handfuls of little stars or sparkling diamonds. To ascertain what were the Zoophytes that emitted this phos- phorescent light, it was necessary to take them up singly by candle-light, and afterwards to make the experiment in the dark. The first I tried was Valckeria cuscuta, with which I was successful. From Sertularia polyzonias and Cellularia reptans little light arose ; Laomedea geniculata was very lumi- nous, every cell for a few moments becoming a star; and as each polype had a will of its own, they lighted and. extin- guished their little lamps, not simultaneously, but with rapid irregularity, so that this running fire had a very lively ap- pearance. Jlustra membranacea also was very beautiful, though very different from the former ; for as the cells are so closely and regularly arranged, it exhibited, when shaken, a simultaneous blaze, and became for a little like a sheet of fire. With Flustra pilosa I was very successful. That variety of it which is spread on a flat surface, and which, from the form that the polypidom assumes, is the Membranipora stellata of Thompson, on being bent or shaken, became doubly enti- tled to the name of stellated, for every polype in its cell lighted up a very brilliant little star, and for a short time the polypidom became like an illuminated city. After some days, I repeated the experiment with other Zoophytes, and with similar success. A third time I brought home a well-filled vasculum ; but as I happened to be other- wise occupied, it was allowed to lie unopened for five or six days, when, thinking that the Zoophytes would be dead, I cast them out along with the sea-weeds to which they were ad- hering. They lay in the open air for a night and a day, and as it rained heavily during the whole time, weeds and Zo- the Phosphorescence of Zoophytes. 259 ophytes were constantly drenched. When the second night had set in, I thought I would try whether there were any symptoms of remaining life. I shook Laomedea geniculata, but its tiny fires were quenched. Membranipora stellata lighted up just one bright star; and Flustra membranacea shed one faint gleam of light, and refused to repeat the fire, however much shaken. About a week after, I brought home a fresh supply ; and on repeating the experiment, not only did the Zoophytes sparkle, but my fingers in handling them became brilliant, being adorned with little stars. The next time I made trial of these “ minims” was in the end of October, when a’very frosty morning had been suc- ceeded by a very sunny day. On that occasion Sertularia po- lyzonias, Cellularia reptans, Flustra membranacea, and Mem- branipora stellata would emit no light. As the specimens had lain for hours on the shore exposed to the morning frost and the midday sun, it is probable that the polypes were dead. Laomedea geniculata was taken up quite moist and fresh, ha- ving been covered with sea-weeds; and when the darkness of evening came, not only did they brightly sparkle when roughly handled, but they emitted a strong smell of phosphorus. On being allowed to rest, they immediately ceased to be luminous ; and though on being shaken or pressed with the fingers they shone forth again, if often repeated the light became fainter. On this occasion I made an experiment with a creature belonging to another department. Having found a very large specimen of Botryllus Schiosseri, one of the Mollusca tuni- cata, I subjected it to the experimentum crucis by shaking it roughly in the dark, and I had the satisfaction of seeing that it was as much disposed as the Zoophytes to resent the in- sult. In this case, however, it was not the sparkling wrath of a pigmy multitude, but the overspreading glow of one massy creature, which all shone, though with a lurid and sullen- looking fire. | The last time I repeated the experiment was in the begin- ning of the present month of November. I tried Sertularia pumila, the Zoophyte mentioned by Mr. Stewart as phospho- rescent ; but though roughly shaken, it remained dark. I was equally unsuccessful with several others; but the tiny polypes had lain for hours on the shore, under a November sky, and the spark of life I suppose had become extinct. A specimen of Laomedea geniculata, which from being covered was quite fresh, was as brilliant as usual, and emitted as formerly its phosphoric odour. I tried for the first time the elegant Plu- =) 260 Dr. R. Wight on the Fruit of the mularia cristata, and though it had been too long exposed to the cold air, it emitted, on being shaken, a little light. Only a few of the denticles sent forth their stars, and they were very minute, and of a darker red. From these experiments, may we not surmise that the power of emitting phosphoric light is more generally pos- sessed by the inhabitants of the deep than we are apt to imagine? We are not yet at liberty to say that it is pos- sessed by all marine Zoophytes; but certain it is that it is by many. Neither are we entitled to say that it is possessed by all Mollusca tunicata; but we know for certain, what f think was not known before, that it is the property of one of them; and what is possessed by one, may also belong to more. As little are we entitled to say that it is possessed by all the little Meduse which as transparent jellies abound in the sea; but as it is known that it is possessed by some of them, may they not in general be phosphorescent when agi- tated? And as they are at times very numerous in the sea, may not the beautiful phosphorescence of sea-water at certain seasons, when put in motion, be owing to them and to marine Infusories, which in numbers numberless are found in the deep? And is it certain that it is not possessed by some fishes? The first time I spent a summer night at sea was in the herring fishing season ; and the sailors showed me how to ascertain whether the herring shoals were near at hand. When a smart blow was given to the vessel, the percussion was communicated to the deep, and immediately a flash of light was seen at a considerable depth, and this the sailors as- sured me was from the shoal of herrings. If this was phos- phoric light emitted by these finny wanderers, then is this phosphorescent quality possessed by Zoophytes, Meduse, Mollusca tunicata, and fishes. D. L. XXXIV.—Remarks on the Fruit of the Natural Order Cucur- bitacee. By Rospert Wieut, M.D., F.L.S., &c.* Tue order Cucurbitacee is perhaps one of the most curious and inexplicable in the system of plants, and though at differ- ent times much studied by several eminent botanists, is still imperfectly understood; at least if we may judge from the fact, that no two writers on the distribution of plants accord- ing to their natural affinities seem to agree as to what families are its nearest allies. It is not now my intention to examine * From the Madras Journal of Literature and Science, No. 28, p..43. Natural Order Cucurbitaceze. 261 this question, for which, indeed, I have not at present leisure, even supposing I possessed the requisite materials, which I do not; but merely to offer a few observations on the general character of the family and fruit, introductory to a Conspectus of the genera of the order, with which Dr. Arnott kindly favoured me, and at the same time permitted me to place on the pages of the [Madras] Society’s Journal, should I deem that desirable. Deeming the conspectus really a most desi- rable addition to our Indian botanical literature, I have much pleasure in submitting it for that purpose, in the hope that the Society may be of the same opinion. The Cucurbitacee are a tribe of plants so very unlike the rest of the vegetable kingdom, that I think I may safely say, no one having the slightest knowledge of family likeness among plants could ever mistake so far as to refer one of them to any other family. Though thus isolated from all around, and without a single near relation with whom they ean be justly compared or confounded, they yet stretch their more remote affinities on all sides ; hence the difficulties which systematic writers find in decisively referring them to any one place, more than another, in the series of orders. Nearly all, however, now agree in placing them among orders having pa- rietal placenta, that is, among plants the ovary of which is one-celled. To any one who will take the trouble to look attentively at a slice of a young cucumber this must appear strange, but is yet not the less true. In one of the latest and best introduc- tions to botany in the English language, Dr. Lindley’s, a pe- ponida, the peculiar fruit of the order, is thus defined :— “ One-celled, many-seeded, inferior, indehiscent, fleshy ; the seeds attached to parietal pulpy placentz. This fruit has its cavity frequently filled at maturity with pulp, in which the seeds are imbedded ; their point of attachment is, however, never lost. The cavity is also occasionally divided by pro- jections of the placentz into spurious cells, which has given rise to the belief that in Pepo macrocarpus there is a central cell, which is not only untrue but impossible.” Dr. Arnott, in the article Botany, ‘ Encyclop. Brit.,’ ed. 7, gives a different account of it, but still, it appears to me, far from a correct one, namely,—“ A pepo or peponida is a fleshy inferior fruit, either indehiscent or bursting irregularly, and consisting of about three carpels, each of which is divided into two cells by its placentiferous margin, being so introflexed as to reach the dorsal suture. The sides of the carpel, and even sometimes the introflexed portion, usually become extremely thick and fleshy, forming the great mass of the ripe fruit, so 262 Dr. R. Wight on the Fruit of the that by losing the general character of dissepiments they might almost be said to disappear; and thus at first sight a pepo would be said to be, and has been so described, a one- celled, fleshy, indehiscent fruit, with parietal placenta, that send out sometimes false dissepiments towards the axis, as the cucumber and gourd.” This view, therefore, is essentially different from Dr. Lind- ley’s; for, according to Arnott, the placenta are virtually central, not parietal; the only difference between a pepo and an apple being, according to him, that the placentiferous margins of the carpellary leaf are introflexed, and extend out- wards nearly to the parietes of the fruit, in place of remain- ing in the axis. Lindley, on the other hand, views a pepo simply as a one-celled fruit with parietal placentz, the cavity being occasionally divided into spurious cells by projections of the placentz. Neither are altogether consonant with ap- pearances, though that of Arnott appears the most so; but both, in common with all others that have yet been promul- gated, are incorrect both as to theory and fact. While our ideas of the structure of the most essential or- gan of the plant, with reference to natural affinities, are thus vague, can it be matter of surprise that we are unable to trace its relations, and determine its affinities in the system of plants ? What then is a peponida? I have said above that it is neither a one-celled fruit with parietal placentz, nor a three- celled one with introflexed central placente. But before I can say what it is, and point out the difference between it and a fruit of the usual construction, it is necessary to state what the usual structure is. This I shall do by means of a short extract from Lindley’s ‘ Key to Structural Botany.’ “354. A CarpE. is formed by a folded leaf, the upper sur- face of which is turned inwards, the lower outwards; and the margins. of which develope one or a greater number of buds, which are the ovules. “355. When the carpels are stalked, they are said to be seated upon a thecaphore, or gynophore; Ex. Cleome, Passiflora. Their stalk is analogous to the petiole of a leaf. “*355 a. When the carpels are all distinct, or are separable with facility, they are apocarpous ; when they all grow into a solid body, which cannot be separated into its constituent parts, they are syncarpous. “356. The ovary is the lamina of the leaf. “357. The style is an elongation of the midrib (174.). “358. The stigma is the denuded, secreting, humid apex of the midrib. : Natural Order Cucurbitacez. 263 “ 359, Where the margins of the folded leaf, out of which the carpel is formed, meet and unite, a copious development of cellular tissue takes place, forming what is called the pla- centa. “360. Every placenta is therefore composed of two parts, one of which belongs to one margin of the carpel, and one to the other. z “361. As the carpels are modified leaves, they necessarily obey the laws of arrangement of leaves, and are therefore de- veloped round a common axis. : “° 362. And as they are leaves folded inwards, their margins are necessarily turned towards the axis. The placentz, there- fore, being formed by the union of those margins, will be in- variably next the axis.” £ From this we learn, in few words, that the carpellary leaf is always so folded that its midrib is towards the circumference, or forms the dorsum of the cell or carpel, while the placenti- ferous margins are placed in the axis ; that the difference be- tween a one-celled and many-celled fruit merely consists in the placentiferous margins of the carpellary leaves of the former not extending inwards to the axis, but stopping in the circumference and bearing their ovules attached to the walls of the cell—hence parietal. This position of the carpellary leaf is so constant, that the possibility of an inversion of this order of things in a pepo seems never to have entered into the calculations of any one of the numerous botanists who have given their attention to the investigation of the structure of this curious fruit; and yet such is simply the case. Ina pepo the normal position of the midrib of the carpellary leaf is reversed, that is, is placed in the axis, and the placentife- rous margins towards the circumference. That such is actually the case requires no argument to prove; we have only to cut the ovary of any true cucurbitaceous plant to be made sen- sible, at a glance, that it is so; though I confess that in none have I seen it so clearly made out as in Coccinia indica, owing to the carpels of that species remaining distinct, merely held together, not as usual by cohesion between the respective car- pels, but by the tube of the calyx in which they are enclosed. Did I wish to illustrate the theory by means of a diagram, I could not devise one more perfect than a simple section of the ovary of that plant, merely extending the natural divisions, by dividing the calyx, so as to allow each of the carpels to be slightly separated in the representation, to facilitate the de- monstration. This, however, is I think even unnecessary, for with the clue to the true structure which this species fur- nishes, there can no longer be any difficulty in understand- 264 Dr. R. Wight on the Fruit of the ing it from the examination of any genuine species of the order*. | What effect this new exposition of the structure of the ova- rium may have on the determination of the affinities of this order, I am, up to the present time, quite unprepared to say; but of this I feel certain, that, in so far as structure is con- cerned, they are as far removed from all their now reputed al- les, as their peculiar habit removes them from all the parietose families, except Passiflore, among which Bartling, Endlicher and Lindley have placed them. .This very unusual structure, in short, marks them as a peculiar order, the affinities of which have still to be sought for. I am equally unprepared to say to what extent this unlooked- for structure may influence our views in regard to other ano- _ malous orders, especially those with solitary carpels; since, having established the fact that the usual structure may be inverted, it will naturally lead to new investigations, which may prove that the solitary carpels of Leguminose are not, as now supposed, necessarily the result of constant abortion of one of two carpella, but may be explained on some other theory more consonant with the almost invariably observed structure in that large and interesting order; which, like Cu- curbitacee, stands an isolated family in the system of plants, through this one remarkable peculiarity,—a peculiarity so constant, in this tribe, that it goes far to prove the existence of that botanical nonentity, a terminal leaf. But, being un- prepared to offer any matured opinions on these points, I for- bear further speculation, and shall at once proceed with the Conspectus ; trusting however, ere long, to be able to re-enter more at large on the consideration of this interesting inquiry. The subjoined remarks I copy from the article Cucurdi- tacee in my forthcoming Number of the ‘ Illustrations of In- dian Botany.’ “The following explanatory extracts from the letter which accompanied the Conspectus may not inappropriately be in- troduced. **¢ J have lately been revising our Kast Indian Cucurbitacee, in consequence of Schrader’s paper in the ‘ Linnea,’ vol. xii. At first I was inclined to consider it worse than useless to sub- divide old genera, especially Bryonia, as he has done; but * After this paper was in the printer’s hands, it was suggested that some illustrations were desirable to render the verbal description more easily un- derstood. The accompanying figures representing the three different forms of ovaries—one-celled with parietal placente, several-celled with central placentz, and a peponida—were therefore prepared. Natural Order Cucurbitaceze. 265 when I came to consider his sectional characters, and that the form and position of the stamens and anthers and stigma and fruit are really the only characters hitherto employed for ge- nera by other botanists ; and that all Schrader has done, is to keep only those species in their old genera that agree with the character, and turning out and making new genera of those that do not, then I felt inclined to go great lengths towards adopting his views. I intend here to give you a Conspectus, or abridged generic characters, which I have drawn up, not only for the Indian, but also for the whole world, which I shall not object to your publishing as ‘ abridged characters of the genera of the tribe Cucurbitee of Schrader.’ ’ “At the conclusion of the Conspectus he continues,— ‘These seem to be all the genera known that truly belong to Cucurbitee ; they have all unisexual flowers. . Gronovia has them bisexual, but is otherwise very closely allied. Allasia cannot be of this order unless we suppose the description quite erroneous; and if so, Loureiro may have had before him, in part at least, the Telfairia pedata; Myrianthus cannot belong to Cucurbitacee. “< Thladianthus Runge is imperfectly described as to the stamens, but may perhaps form a seventh tribe. **¢T have laboured under great difficulty in making out these characters, partly because the published descriptions were very imperfect, partly because I had not several of the genera, and partly from the extreme difficulty of examining the anthers after being dried and pressed. I would therefore suggest to you and other Indian botanists to re-examine all the Indian ones on living plants, and have drawings made, paying particular attention to the representation of the anthers. ** ¢ At first you may, as I did, confuse section 7 with section 9; butif you will compare the flower of Citrullus, Momordica or Lagenaria with Cucurbita or Coccinia, you will readily see the difference. In section 7 the connectivum is lobed, and the anther-cells are placed along the edge of the lobes ; in sections 8 and 9 the connectivum is not itself lobed, but the anther- cell is bent (it winds upwards and downwards along the back of the connectivum).’ “Warned by the concluding paragraph of the difficulty at- tending the description of these plants from dried specimens, I took occasion, as opportunity offered, to compare some of the sectional characters with recent specimens, and feel dis- posed to think the sections too numerous and not sufficiently distinguished. I have not yet succeeded in comparing the whole, but would suggest the following alterations, which I think would improve the arrangement. ; 266 Dr. R. Wight on the Fruit of the * Section 6 might with advantage be suppressed, and its only genus referred to section 5. Sections 7 and 9 would be better united, the anthers being the same in both; transfer- ring, however, Cucurbita to section 8, on account of the an- thers, which are similar to those of Trichosanthes, making the insertion of the filaments a matter of secondary consideration —a generic, not a sectional distinction. “The difference between sections 7 and 8 would then be, not that in the former the anther is lobed and in the other entire, but that in section 7 the back is traversed by an ele- vated gyrose ridge, of the top of which the long gyrose anther is placed ; while in section 8 there is no such elevation, the anther-cell being sunk into the substance of the connectivum, not elevated on a ridge with a deep furrow between each bend. To this may be added, that the connectiva in section 8 are elongated; hence, from the union of the three, a cylinder re- sults, while in the other their union produces a sort of capi- tulum. * Bryonia Garcini, doubtfully referred to Bryonia, is anew species of Pilogyne: Bryonia leiosperma, I find, from the ex- amination of dried specimens, is a second species of Mukia, with which it agrees well in habit. “ Notwithstanding these differences of opinion, it is not my intention to alter the Conspectus, but print it simply as it reached me, the few additions I have to make being included within brackets—thus [ ]. Before proceeding further it may be well to explain what is meant by the term tri-adelphous, as applied to this family, which is of such frequent occurrence in the following characters. The normal structure of Cucurbi- tacee is to have five stamens, in place of which we usually find only three ; but when these are carefully examined, it ap- pears that two of them are twice the size of the third, and are actually made up of two united: each set is then called an adelphia or brotherhood, and the three together, tri-adelphous. This structure is readily seen in the Pekunkei (Cucumis acu- tangulus, Ainsley), where the anthers do not cohere. In those where they do cohere it is not so clearly seen, as they then require to be separated artificially before it can be made out. “In some genera the anthers are described as being one- or two-celled: these characters require to be used with caution, as being generally of very difficult application in practice. Theoretically every anther is two-celled ; and here, in exami- ning a number of instances with particular care, under a high “magnifier, I have found most of them actually two-celled, though on less careful examination they appeared only one- celled. If such is the case when examined with fresh speci- Natural Order Cucurbitacez. 267 mens, how much more liable to error must we be when work- ing with dried ones ! CONSPECTUS, OR ABRIDGED CHARACTERS OF THE GE- NERA OF THE TRIBE CUCURBITEA:* OF SCHRADER. § 1. Filaments 5, inserted on the throat of the corolla ; anthers distinct or 3-adelphous, anticous, straight ; fruit baccate, few- seeded. 1. Conranpra (Schrad.). Corolla 5-partite ; connectiva conniving, oblong, conical ; fruit beaked. South Africa. 2. Cyrtronema (Schrad.). Limb of corolla 5-partite; filaments 5, incurved; connectiva incrassated, 3-adelphous ; anthers fixed laterally under the apex. South Africa. § 2. Filaments di- or tri-adelphous, inserted on the tube of the corolla ; anthers lateral, straight, 2—3-adelphous. 3. Sicyp1um (Schlecht). Corolla 5-petaled, petals undivided ; fila- ments 3-adelphous, dilated and incurved at the apex ; anthers without a beak. Mexico. 4. Bryonopsis (Arn.). Corolla 5-partite ; lobes obovate, entire, un- dulated ; filaments 3-adelphous, inserted on the throat, straight ; anthers pointless; stigma fringed; berry few-seeded. ast Indies—Courtallum. 5. Acumanpra (Arn.). Lobes of the corolla undivided; filaments tri-adelphous, very short; anthers anticous, inserted along the margins of the connectivum, linear, oblong; connectivum pro- longed into a short beak beyond the anther; fruit baccate (al- ways?) beaked. ast Indies. Bryonia epigea, rostrata, del- toidea, and an undescribed species from Malabar. Obs. Perhaps this and the two last genera might be joined to Melothria. ‘ 6. Metoruria (Linn.). Lobes of the corolla undivided, denticu- lated ; filaments 3-adelphous ; connectivum pointless ; fruit bac- cate, not beaked. America. Obs. Schrader notices an East Indian one, but that may perhaps be an Achmandra. 7. CeratosantHEs (Schrad.). Lobes of the corolla linear, bifid ; filaments 3-adelphous. America. 8. Aneuria (Linn.). Lobes of the corolla entire; stamens di-adel- phous; fruit somewhat 4-angled. America. § 3. Filaments 3-adelphous, inserted on the top of the tube ; anthers all cohering by means of their connectiva, and applied at the back along the margins of the connectiva, sigmoid. 2-celled. (?) 9. Scuizostiema (Arn.). Style simple; stigma peltate, fleshy, cleft * This tribe contains all the East Indian genera except Zanonia. Schrader refers Erythropalum of Blume to Cucurbitee, but that genus is very closely allied to Mackaya (Arnott in Jardine’s Mag. of Zool. and Bot., vol. ii.), and dves not belong to the order. 268 Dr. R. Wight on the Fruit of the into 10O—12 radiating linear lobes. Andes of Mendosa. (Cucur- bita asperata, Gill.) § 4. Filaments distinct or 3-adelphous, inserted on the throat of the corolla ; anthers 6- or 3-adelphous, gyrose, anticous. 10. Spuenantue (Schrad.). Mezico. § 5. Filaments 3-adelphous, inserted at the base of the corolla ; anthers lateral, straight, 3-adelphous. 11. Prnoeynz (Schrad.). Calyx campanulate ; segments of the co- rolla patent, much longer than the calyx; anthers 1-celled ; style entire; stigma 1, pileate; fruit baccate, few-seeded, ob- tuse. South Africa. [Hast Indies—Bryonia Garcini ?] 12. Zeuneria (Endl.?). Lobes of the corolla quite entire ; style trifid ; stigmas 3, flabelliform, quite entire ; fruit baccate, few- seeded, blunt. South Africa, East Indies, and ? Norfolk Island. —Bryonia Mysorensis, B. Hookeriana. Perhaps this is only a subgenus of, Pilogyne. 13. Kartvia (Arn.). Calyx urceolate; corolla scarcely exserted ; lobes minute, quite entire ; anthers 2-celled; style entire ; stigma pileate, 3-fid; fruit a peponida, many-seeded, blunt, or with a short thick beak. Hast Indies, Bryonia umbellata. B. amplezxi- caulis. 14. Rayncnocarpa (Schrad.). Lobes of the corolla denticulate, ciliated ; style trifid ; stigmas 3, jagged and toothed ; fruit with along slender beak. Guinea. | § 6. Filaments tri-adelphous, inserted at the base of the corolla; anthers all cohering, posticous, linear, straight. 15. Muxra (Arn.). Style entire ; stigmas 3, more or less cohering, erect; anthers distinct, l-celled, lateral: [connectivum pro- longed, forming a projecting point: a globose abortive ovary in the bottom of the calyx.] Hast Indies—Bryonia scabrella. [B. leiosperma. | § 7. Filaments 5- or 3-adelphous, inserted at the base of the co- rolla; connectiva toothed or lobed ; anthers applied at the back along the margins of the connectivum, and therefore flexuose, gyrose, or anfractuose. 16. Bryonra (Linn.). Corolla 5-cleft; anthers tri-adelphous, 1- celled ; style trifid ; stigmas subreniform or bifid ; fruit ovoid or globose, baccate, few-seeded. Europe and Kast Indies—B. la- ciniosa, India. B. alba, B. dioica, Europe. Perhaps also B. Gar- cini and leiosperma, but of these I have no male flowers by me to examine. [B. Garcini. Stamens tri-adelphous, 1-celled ; cells linear, marginal, not sigmoid, anticous ; style one; stigma di- lated, peltate; ovary few-seeded; pepo inverse, reniform, 2- seeded. This is probably a new genus ; but if not, seems to be- long to Pilogyne rather than any other here. It cannot pos- sibly belong to Bryonia.] In the European plants, the type of the genus, there are two ovules Natural Order Cucurbitacez. 269 in each of the three cells of the ovary: nearly all Blume’s spe- cies belong to other genera. | 17. Crrruxtuus (Schrad.). Corolla persistent, 5-parted, subrotate ; anthers tri-adelphous, bilocular; style trifid; stigma obcordate, convex; fruit a fleshy or dry and fibrous, many-seeded pepo- nida. Africa, Hast Indies—Cucurbita Citrullus and Cucumis co- locynthis. 18. Ecpatiam (Rich.). Corolla 5-cleft; anthers tri-adelphous ; ovules in 2 rows in each cell; stigmas 3, 2-horned; fruit an elastically and irregularly bursting peponida. Hurope-—Momor- dica Elaterium. 19. Momorpica (Linn.). Petals 5, adnate to the base of the calyx, deciduous ; anthers all cohering; ovules in a single row* in each cell ; stigma 2-lobed ; fruit a capsular, elastically bursting, 3-valved peponida. Hast Indies, South Africa and America, To this genus seem to belong Muricia, Loureiro, and Neurosper- mum, Raf. 20. Lurra (Cav.). Petals 5, inserted in the base of the calyx, de- ciduous ; anthers all distinct or di-tri-adelphous; style 3-fid ; stigma reniform or bipartite ; fruit a peponida, at length dry and internally fibrous, usually opening by a terminal lid, rarely in- dehiscent. Hast Indies and Arabia. ‘There are three sections of this genus. Ist..Stamens distinct, Luffa pentandra, acutangula, and Kleinii. 2nd. Stamens 3-adelphous. L. amara, Roxb., and nearly all the species of Turia, Forsk. 3rd. Stamens di-adelphous—QL. tuberosa, Roxb. 21. Benincassa (Sav.). Corolla (yellow) 5-parted, patent ; anthers 3-adelphous ; style undivided, very short; stigma large, thick, irregularly lobed and plaited; peponida fleshy, indehiscent. Asia. 22. Lacrenaria (Ser.). Corolla (white) 5-petaled; anthers 3-adel- phous ; style almost none; stigmas 3, thick and 2-lobed ; pepo- nida fleshy and indehiscent. India, South Africa. § 8. Filaments 3-adelphous, inserted on the tube of the corolla ; connectiva entire ; anthers 3- or mon-adelphous, posticous, linear, bent upwards and downwards ; calyx long, tubular. 23. Tricnosantues (Linn.). Segments of the corolla lacerated and fringed; anthers 3-adelphous? or all united; style trifid; stigmas oblong, subulate ; fruit a peponida, many-seeded. ast Indies. [In all the species I have had an opportunity of carefully examining, the anthers are mon-adelphous or united. The style is not trifid, nor pro- * This, though practically correct, is not theoretically so, the carpellary structure being the same here as in others; each margin has its placenta and ovules: and though at any one section only.one row appears, we do not find the ovules always attached to the same line of placenta on slicing the ovary successively from end to end, but sometimes on the one, sometimes on the other side of the cell; such, at least, I find it in Momordica Charantia, 270 ‘Dr. R. Wight on the Fruit of the I perly speaking the stigmas subulate, as they cohere nearly to the apex by their central face, though the stigmatic surface extends for some di- stance outwardly, and presents a somewhat subulate outline. | reunite Involucrarea to this as a mere section depending on the bracteas, the character taken from the anther not holding good, at least T. cucumerina has frequently the anthers all united, and I suspect also 7. anguina; perhaps they only become tri-adel- phous after fecundating. [In F. anguina they are never tri-adelphous, the anthers cohere to the 24. bo 25. 26. last as represented in the accompanying figure. This last species, with T. globosa and trifoliata, Blume, and J/nvolucrarea, Serange (7. Wat- lichana), form avery characteristic section, perhaps a subgenus, distin- guished by their curiously bracteated male flowers.--R. W.] Gymnoperatum (Arn.). Calyx constricted at the mouth; co- rolla (yellow) 5-parted; segments quite entire; anthers all closely cohering ; fruit baccate, ovate, beaked, few-seeded ; seeds large, roundish, with a blunt margin. Hast Indies. There are two species :— . G. Ceylanicum (Arn.). Leaves deeply 5-lobed; perianth gla- brous. Bryonia tubiflora. W. and A. . G. Wightii (Arn.). Leaves 3—5, angle-lobed; perianth hairy. Courtallum. § 9. Filaments usually tri-adelphous, inserted at the base of the perianth ; connectiva entire, unless when produced into append- ages beyond the anthers; anthers linear, posticous, bent up- wards and downwards (calyx campanulate or rarely infundibu- liform). Cucumis (Linn.). Corolla 5-parted ; anthers tri-adelphous, or all of them slightly cohering, with appendages at the apex! Peponida fleshy, indehiscent, or rarely irregularly dehiscent, po- lyspermous ; seeds ovate, compressed, sharp-edged. Asia, Africa and America. Cucursita (Linn.). Corolla campanulate, 5-cleft; filaments tri-adelphous at the base, or quite mon-adelphous ; anthers all cohering, without appendages ; peponida fleshy, indehiscent, polyspermous ; seed with a slightly thickened edge. Asia and America. 27. ELaAtertum (Linn.). Petals scarcely united at the base; _fila- 28. ments mon-adelphous ; anthers all cohering ; style thick ; stigma capitate ; fruit a coriaceous, 1-celled, few-seeded capsule, burst- ing elastically by two or three valves. America. Scuizocarpeum (Schlch.). Corolla infundibuliform, quite en- tire ; filaments 3-adelphous ; anthers all cohering; peponida many-seeded, bursting by several valves that cohere by their apex. Mezico. 29. Coccrnra (W. and A.). Corolla campanulate; segments acu- minated; filaments mon-adelphous; anthers tri-adelphous, conni- ving, without appendages; peponida somewhat baccate, many- seeded. [Usually of an oblong oval shape, and bright red when ripe.| Hast Indies. Natural Order Cucurbitacez. 271 § 10. Filaments mon-adelphous, connate into a column, which is ca- pitate at the apex, and then bearing the gyrose posticous anthers. 30. CepHALANDRA (Schrad.). South Africa. EXPLANATION OF THE FIGURES, Fig. 1. A tricarpellary 1-celled ovary ; that is, the placentiferous margins of the carpellary leaves meeting in the circumference, and bearing their ovules on the walls or parietes of the cell. a. Supposed position of the midrib. b. Placentz parietal. lig. 2. A tricarpellary 3-celled ovary, the lamine of the ap tend leaves folded inwards until they meet in the axis, and there produce ovules. a. Supposed position of midribs, b. Placente axillary. Fig. 3. An imaginary section of a‘ pepo explanatory of Dr. Arnott’s theory of its construction ; copied, but with some modification, to render it more explanatory, from his figure in the Encycl. Brit. a. Supposed position of the midrib. b. The placentiferous margins represented introflexed, reaching nearly to the dorsal suture, dividing the carpel into two cells. Fig. 4. Section of the ovary of Coccinia indica; the calyx divided in the line of the partitions of the carpella, by which they are permitted to fall apart. Fig. 5. Section of the same; the parts in situ. Obs.—The original is also accompanied by dissections of Mo- mordica Charantiu, Trichosanthes anguina, Cucurbita maxima, Coccinia indica, Lagenaria vulgaris, and Mukia scabrella, prepared with the view of showing that sections 7 and 9 are not distinguishable by the characters assigned, the anthers being lobed or entire; and that, by taking our characters rather from the form of the anthers than the insertion of the filaments, Trichosanthes and Cucurbita might be ad- vantageously placed in the same section, leaving the character taken from insertion available as a generic distinction between them. 272 Mr. Westwood on new Insects. XXXV.—Insectorum novorum Centuria, auctore J. O. Westwoopn, F.L.S., &c. Decadis tertia, ex ordine Dermapterorum, DeG., Synopsis. Familia Manripz. Vates (Burm. = Theoclytes, Serv.) Ashmolianus, W. Fuscus, ca- pitis vertice rotundato, antennis gracillimis, prothorace longis- simo angusto, lateribus serrulatis; hemelytris et alis abdomen haud tegentibus, cercis analibus latis foliatis, pedibus 4 posticis brevibus, femoribus ad apicemi 3-foliatis tibiisque ante medium supra parm foliatis. Long. corp. unc. 44; (prothor. unc. 12.) Habitat ? In Mus. Ashmol. Oxon. ToxopeEra (Serv.) tenuipes, W. Fusca, tegminibus brunneis posticé pallidis, alis infumatis, nigro fasciatis cyaneo-iridescentibus, coxis anticis longis anticé lobatis et spinosis, femoribus anticis basi vix crassioribus, femoribus 4 posticis longis apice subtus foliolis duobus minutis instructis, supra inermibus, cercis anali- bus latis foliatis, ut videtur 6-articulatis. Long. corp. unc. 5. Expans. tegmin. unc. 43. Habitat in Senegallia. Mus. Hope. Familia Locustip#. Mastax vitrea, W. Fusca, facie fulvescente abdomine medio palli- diori, pedibus fuscis, femoribus posticis pallidius fasciatis, tegmi- nibus et alis hyalinis partm infumatis. Long. corp. unc. 1. Expans. tegmin. unc. 13. Habitat in insula Java. Mus. Hope. Mastax apicalis,W. Lutea, capite supra, thoracis et abdominis dorso nigricantibus, hoc fascia pone medium apiceque extremo luteis, pedibus luteis nigro-maculatis, tegminibus et alis hyalinis, ad apicem tenuiter fusco-coloratis. Long. corp. unc. 3. Expans. tegmin. unc. 1?. Habitat in insula Sumatra, D. Rafiles. Mus. Soc. Zool. Lond. Mastax guttata, W. Nigricans, subtus paulld pallidior, facie ge- nisque luteis vertice angulato; abdomine ¢ ad apicem valdé clavato, femoribus posticis fulvo oblique bifasciatis, tegminibus fuscis, nitidis, guttis duabus versus apicem hyalinis, postica majori et ad marginem posticum extensa ; alis hyalinis margine postico fusco. Long. corp. lin. 7. Expans. tegmin. lin. 144. Habitat in Sumatra, D. Raffles. Mus. Soc. Zool. Lond.; et in ins. Philipp., D. Cuming. Mus. Britann. Obs. Genus Mastaz, antennarum articulis paucis capiteque elevato Proscopiam approximat. Orsomata gladiator, W. Luteo-fusca, virescenti partim tincta, ca- pite anticé in rostrum (prothorace feré duplo longius) producto, antennis gracilibus, rostro brevioribus, prothorace carina mediana feré obliterata, tegminibus pallidé fuscis, angustis, alis hyalinis vix incoloratis, abdomine longissimo, pedibus 4 anticis brevissi- mis, posticis vix abdomine longioribus. Long. corp. unc. 34. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 273 Long. capitis ante oculos, unc. 8. Expans. tegmin. unc, 33. Habitat in Sierra Leone. Mus. Hope. Terrix laticeps, W. Fusca, capite lato, oculis valdé prominentibus, facie carina elevata, antennis longioribus 10-articulatis, nigris, articulo ultimo albo, prothorace abdomine multo longiori apice gracili parim recurvo, dorso (supra thoracem) in folium mem- branaceum elevato, lateribus inter pedes 4 anticos in spinam utrinque productis, pedibus posticis scabris, supra dentatis tarsis articulo basali et basi articuli ultimi albis. Long. ad apicem pro- thoracis, lin. 7. Habitat in Brasilia. Mus. Westwood. Terrix ensifer, W. Fusco-ferruginosa opaca, prothorace supra ca- put in rostrum compressum (dimidii abdominis longitudine) por- rectum apice subbifido; dorso longitudinaliter carinato, parte postica abdomine longiore, supra abdomen oblique carinato, apice acuto, femoribus posticis supra tuberculatis. Long. ad apicem prothoracis, lin. 9. Habitat in insulis Philippinensibus, D. Cu- ming. Mus. Britann. Variat rostro prothoracico subtis in spinam, faciem impendentem, producto, dorsoque supra abdo- men impressionibus variis ovalibus, magnitudine decrescentibus. Long. lin. 10. Tetrix dimidiata, W. Fusco-ferruginosa opaca, prothorace sub- compresso, dorso feré recto acuto, supra caput parim porrecto, apice antico deflexo, apice postico dimidium abdominis haud su- perante, subtruncato, femoribus posticis supra vix tuberculatis. Long. ad apicem abdominis, lin. 9. Habitat cum precedente, D. Cuming. Mus. Britann. Terrix areolata, W. Fusco-arenosa rugosa opaca, setis brevibus fuscis induta, prothorace supra caput cucullato, margine antico biemarginato, dorso acute carinato carina subsinuata, parte pos- tica (supra abdomen in areas angulatas, lineis elevatis divisa; lateribus supra basin pedum posticorum puncto pallido margi- nali) ad apicem abdominis extensa, extremo apice subbifido, fe- moribus tuberculatis. Long. ad apicem prothoracis, lin. 8. Habitat cum precedente, D. Cuming. Mus. Britann. Obs. Figures and detailed descriptions of the insects described in this Century are already prepared, and will be published hereafter. XXX VI.—The Birds of Ireland (Family Fringillide). By Wn. Tuompson, Esq., Vice-Pres, Nat. Hist. Society of Belfast. - [Continued from vol. i. p. 195.*] Tue SxkyLarKk, Alauda arvensis, Linn., Is common throughout Ireland. Judging from works in which this bird is treated of, its song, recommenced in the * Bonemran Wax-wina. An example of this bird killed in Ireland, is here erroneously stated to be in the collection of Dr. R. Graves, of Dublin. Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. T 274 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. autumn, would seem to be continued further into the winter in this island than elsewhere, a result attributable to the hu- midity and mildness of the climate. Its song may be heard as frequently in fine bright days during the month of October, and in the bird’s most elevated haunts in the mountain pas- tures about Belfast, as at any other season. One note may be given on this subject: under the date of November 7, 1835, the following appears in my journal—I never heard more sky- larks singing at any period of the year than in the early part of this day in the high pastures bounded by the heath in the Belfast mountains. ‘The day was very fine and bright; the ground very wet from continued rain throughout the days and nights of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, early part of the 5th, and oc- casionally since, up to this morning. The skylark is gene- rally noticed by authors as singing merely upon the wing, but it not very unfrequently does so when upon the ground, and an intelligent observer mentions that he has often seen it perched on whins when pouring forth its song. Montagu remarks, that this bird is “rarely seen on the extended moors at a distance from arable land,” and later British authors re- peat the observation. This may be of general application to England, but in Ireland the wild mountain pasture is a fa- vourite abode, and there, as mentioned in the following note, the “most sweet voice” of the skylark may occasionally be heard at a rather late hour mingling with the bleating of the snipe:—June 22, 1840. When at half-past seven o’clock this evening on the highest part of the old road from Belfast to Crumlin (perhaps 850 feet above the sea), larks were bu- sily engaged in singing on every side at the same time that snipes (Scolopax Gallinago) were bleating and giving utter- ance to their other calls. The mingling of their notes, which are so very dissimilar, had a singular but very pleasing effect. In hard winters our indigenous larks congregate in large flocks, which remain with us unless the weather become ex- traordinarily severe, when they move more or less southwards: even when the winter is mild in the north of Ireland, these birds, generally in small or moderate flocks, migrate hither from Scotland, and have repeatedly been seen crossing the Channel by my friend Capt. Fayrer, R.N., during the several years that he commanded the government mail-packet which plies between Portpatrick and Donaghadee. Although the autumn of the year 1832 had been very fine and mild, so early as the 17th of October I saw a very large flock of larks, which had doubtless migrated to this country. In the winter of 1837-38, larks remained in flocks to a late period—on the 24th of March I remarked not less than sixty congregated. Mr. W. Thompson. on the:Birds of Ireland. 275 An observant friend has on different occasions known several circular holes to be made by pairs of these birds, before fixing upon one for their nest. The skylark occasionally exhibits variety in its plumage, though less frequently than some others of our small birds. The collection of my friend Wm. Sinclaire, Esq., of Milltown, near Belfast, contains one of a black colour, which was shot in a wild state among a flock, and a white one is reported to me by a correspondent as in his possession. The stomachs of several larks which I exa- mined, especially in winter, contained seeds and the remains of other vegetable matter, with an occasional insect-larva: they all exhibited fragments of stone. As a sporting friend was shooting upon his moors in Ayr- shire in the month of October, a lark pursued by a merlin (Falco Atsalon) came from the distance of about a hundred yards directly towards him and his servant, and alighted near their feet, apparently for safety—when it reached the ground, it is represented to have been so exhausted as to be unable to close its wings. A lark which had its liberty within the green-house of a relative, lived eight years there, and was eventually lost to him, by effecting its escape. Nowhere perhaps is the skylark more sought for as a cage-bird than in Ireland, and the song given forth “right merrilie” from the little patch of green-sward within its pri- son seems to imply that the bird bears confinement. well. Nevertheless, it is always with regret that we see the lark, whose nature is to pierce the clouds when singing, so circum- scribed, and we cannot but wish for its own sake that it had the freedom of “ fresh fields and pastures new ;” yet we do not, like a class of persons in the world, think only of the skylark. To the poor artisan in the town this bird is of great service in enlivening him with its song, associated with which in his mind are doubtless scenes in the country, the love of which is instinctive to the human breast. The lark too is generally treated with affectionate care, and the first walk of its master in the very early morning before the day’s task begins, has. for its object the providing of a “ fresh sod ” for his pet bird*. | * The following anecdote, communicated by my venerable friend Dr. M‘Donnell of Belfast, shows the high value once put upon a skylark :— “‘ A rather poor chandler in Belfast, called Huggart, had a lark remarkable for its song. Mr. Hull, a dancing-master and great bird-fancier, going into his shop one day, said, he came to purchase his bird. ‘ Indeed,’ replied the other, ‘I do not think, Mr. Hull, you are likely to. get home that bird, which delights all my neighbours as well as myself.’ ‘ Well, I think Lam,’ was the teply: ‘here are five guineas for it.’ The sum was instantly refused, when ten guineas were offered, but also rejected. He was then told, “It is now T 2 276 Mr. W. Thompson. on the Birds of Ireland. Late in April in the present year I saw the skylark about Navarino, and at the end of the following month observed it near Smyrna. THe Woonptark, Alauda arborea, Linn., Is one of those unobtrusive species which is little known except to the lover of nature, and by him perhaps valued the more on that account. In flocks it is not at all to be met with, like the skylark. It is so very choice in the place of its abode as to be quite a local species, and in the counties of Down and Antrim frequents districts where the soil is warm, the country well cultivated and wooded, or scenery, which, like its song, is of a sweet, soft character;—-cold clay districts, though equally improved and sheltered, cannot, so far as known to me, claim it for a tenant. In its favourite localities here, the Woodlark may be heard singing almost daily, and chiefly in the morning from September to June. This species is enumerated as one of the birds of Dublin in Rutty’s Natural History of that county, and has a similar place in Smith’s ‘ History of Cork.’ In the latter county, Mr. R. Ball informs me that it is not unfrequent, and being much prized for its song, is greatly sought after by bird-catchers. A friend living near Belfast kept woodlarks for a year or more in his aviary in company with other birds, but they never sang. Tue Snow-Buntine, Emberiza nivalis, Linn. (genus Plec- trophanes, Meyer.), Is a regular autumnal migrant to the more northern parts of Ireland. ‘Towards the south it becomes gradually scarcer, and in the extreme portions of that quarter, although the highest mountains in the island are situated there, it can only be called a rare and occasional visitant*. Its numbers are stated similarly to decrease from the north to the south of England. The island of Achil should perhaps, from its far western position, be particularized as being regularly visited - by this bird—a fact communicated by my friend W. R. Wilde, the fair-day, and the market full of cattle: go and purchase the best cow there, and I shall pay for her:’ but Huggart still declined, and kept his lark.” 3 * In a catalogue of the birds of the south favoured me by Dr. Harvey of Cork, the snow-bunting is noticed merely as having been met with at Duns- combe Wood, near that city. Dr. Burkitt, of Waterford, in a list of the na- tive birds known to him obligingly sent to me since this paper went to press, notices it only as shot in the neighbourhood of that city in January 18382. To Mr. T. F. Neligan of Tralee, it was unknown as a bird of that quarter in 1837, but Mr. Wm. Andrews of Dublin informs me that specimens were obtained near Dingle during the last winter, 1840-41. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 047 sq. Early in the month of October, snow-buntings make their appearance in the north of Ireland, and occasionally re- main until the end of March. Their haunts in mild weather are chiefly the mountain-tops, whence one night’s severe frost has been known to drive them to the nearest roads for food. Occasionally in the lower grounds and even on the sea-shore they may be met with when there is neither frost nor snow: to the last they are obliged to resort when the weather sets in very severe. During the great snow-storm of March 1827, flocks appeared in the outskirts of the town of Belfast; and such numbers were killed on the sea-shore in its vicinity, that they were purchased by Mr. Sinclaire as the cheapest | food he could procure for his trained peregrine falcons. Al- though of regular passage to the Belfast range of mountains, snow-buntings are much more numerous in other and less frequented mountainous districts in the county of Antrim, as about Newtown-Crommelin and Clough. At the former of these places, where the Rev. G. M. Black was several years resident, he always observed them during the winter in very large flocks, and in which not more than one in twenty were adult individuals. From the other locality, examples have been brought to me by Mr. James Garret, who also supplied the following note under date of January 4, 1834:—“ When shooting today about two miles from Clough, I met with an immense flock of snow-buntings, out of which I killed thirty at one discharge as they flew past me. Their call resembled the chirping of the grey-linnet, and the number of wings made a considerable noise, as the flock consisting of several hundreds swept by: some were nearly white, and others of a dark brown colour.” In any of the flocks which have come under my own observation, the adult males bore only a small proportion to the females and immature birds, but, except in very small flocks, were always present throughout the win- ter*. This species, under the name of Cherry-chirper!, is ’ mentioned in Rutty’s ‘Natural History of Dublin’ as “ found on our strand in December 1747 and kept in a cage until December 1748, and fed with oats, hemp-seed and cuttlings.” —Vol. i. p. 317. Wilson, Audubon, and Dr. Richardson give most interest- ing notes upon this bird from their personal observation in North America, and the last author had the gratification of meeting with it in its breeding-haunt in that continent. Mr. * In some of the latest works on British ornithology, the adult birds are stated to appear in Great Britain only late in the winter, or when the wea- ther is very severe. On the 23rd of October I once received a fine adult male bird, which was shot on the Belfast mountains. 278 Mr. W: Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. Selby too gratifies us with the result of his observations on the species in the north of England. The snow-bunting is truly a most attractive bird, not only from its pleasing form and finely-varied plumage, but as one of the very few species met with in the depth of winter on the mountain-top, where, as it flits overhead uttering its pleasingly wild chirp, it brings be- fore the mind the far-distant region within the arctic circle, whence it may have come. In ascending in the month of July above the perpetual snow- line in the Alps of Switzerland, to the height of 11,000 feet, the greatest elevation I have reached, the snow-finch (Fringilla nivalis), a bird which at a little distance, in size, marking, and note, reminded me of the snow-bunting, was almost ever-pre- sent ; and its little voice, with occasionally that of the Alpine Accentor (Accentor alpinus), seemed, in one sense, strangely out of unison with the stern grandeur of the scenery, where rarely any other sound broke upon the ear than the rent of the glacier or the distant fall of the avalanche. Tue Common Buntine, Emberiza Miliaria, Linn., Is. found throughout the island, and is permanently resi- dent. On reading the opinion expressed by Sir Wm. Jardine some years ago (in his edition of White’s ‘Selborne’), that there is a migration of buntings to Great Britain in winter, I thought it might be likewise applicable to Ireland; but on subsequent consideration, did not see good reason to believe that there is any increase to the numbers of these birds bred in the country. The change from the summer to the winter haunts of the bunting might lead to such a supposition, as about the time that our winter birds of passage are arriving, flocks of buntings make their appearance in localities—often hedges along road-sides—which frequenting through the winter, } they leave on the genial approach of spring: so late as the end of March they occasionally remain congregated. Their song may be heard in the north throughout the greater part of the year, including occasionally the months of November and December. My observation is quite in accordance with that of White, who in his ‘ History of Selborne’ remarks of the bunting, that —‘“in our woodland enclosed districts it is a rare bird.” It is rather an inhabitant of simply arable than of the rich and wooded parts of the country, and where some little portion of wildness still exists, such as is implied in the common name it bears in the north of Ireland of Briar-Bunting. The ditch- bank run wild with “briars ” or brambles has more charms for this bird than the “neat trim-hedge,” and within the shelter Mr. W. Thompson on the’ Birds of Ireland. 2"9 of such humble underwood it nestles. In severe frost and snow, buntings not only betake themselves to the roads for subsistence, but at such times may be seen in the less-fre- quented streets and stable-yards of the town of Belfast. The plumage of this species is very liable to be varied with white or cream-colour, and when with the latter, some examples which I have seen were of a very rich and handsome appear- ance. On opening some of these birds killed in winter, I have generally found them filled with grain ;—the species is sometimes called the Corn-Bunting. THE REED oR BLACK-HEADED Buntine, Emberiza Sche- niculus, Linn., Is a resident species distributed over the island, which from the prevailing humidity is peculiarly well suited to it. The reed-bunting is one of those birds. which is nowhere numerous, and owing to the places of its abode—among the shrubby underwood and herbage in moist places and at the edge of waters—is not very commonly or popularly known. It is particularly teresting from being an inhabitant of lo- calities in which comparatively few other birds are to be seen:—it has often been highly pleasing to me to observe a few of these birds gathering in to roost for the night upon the exposed roots of alders or willows that overhung the gently-flowing stream, and in a vicinity unsuitable to any of their congeners. Like them, however, reed-buntings will betake themselves during the snow-storm to the public roads for food. In different parts of Ireland, the reed-bunting still has the undue reputation of being a sweet songster of the night, and is believed to be the veritable “Irish Nightingale,” a name bestowed on the mysterious bird, be that what it may, which sings through the summer night, but which, in strict justice, may be claimed by the sedge-warbler. Montagu, with his usual acuteness, long since accounted for this error, and in the following words :—* It is somewhat extraordinary that the manners and habits of so common a bird should re- main so long in obscurity ; even modern authors tell us it is a song-bird, that it sings after sunset ; and describe its nest to be suspended over the water, fastened between three or four reeds. There can be no doubt, however, that the nest as well as the song of the sedge-warbler have been taken and confounded for those of this bird; for, as they both fre- quent the same places in the breeding-season, that elegant little warbler is pouring forth its varied notes concealed in the thickest part. of a bush; while this is conspicuously 280 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. perched aboye, whose tune is not deserving the name of song; consisting only of two notes, the first repeated three or four times, the last. single and more sharp*.” Reed-Spar- row and Black-cap are the names commonly bestowed on this bird in the north of Ireland. YeLLow Buntine, Emberiza Citrinella, Linn. This handsome bird, differmg from the last-noticed species in being a constant resident about the farm and the precincts of the rural dwelling, is very well known in Ireland, over which it is diffused in suitable localities. Its Solve hath and to my ear, mournful song, is heard in mild weather throughout much the greater part of the year. The nest, from being placed in an open hedge or rather bare grassy ditch-bank, is often easily discovered ; but a person who from practical observation is well versed in the sites chosen by birds for their nests, remarks, that he has more frequently found that of the yellow bunting in whins than elsewhere. In a friend’s garden near Belfast, a pair of these birds built their nest at the edge of a gravel-walk, and brought out four young, three of which were soon destroyed. In consequence of this, the nest containing the fourth was for greater safety placed in a bank a few feet distant, and the single young one was so well provided by its parents with food as quickly to grow to an extraordinary size. A similar fact in the case of the redbreast is mentioned in one of the preceding papers of this series ; but in that instance the young one died, it was presumed, from over-feeding. ‘The stomachs of such of these birds as have come under my observation in winter, generally contained grain. Yellow Yorlin is the common name be- stowed on this species in the north of Ireland. . Tue CHarFincu, Fringilla Celebs, Linn., Is a common resident species throughout the cultivated and wooded parts of Ireland. It frequents the squares and gardens of the town, where occasionally its song is heard. The beauty of the nest of this bird, with lichens and moss intermingled in its formation, has often been commented on, and truly it is a very picturesque object ; but the lichen is in many localities of necessity left out, and the moss becomes externally the component material. Particular notes of seve- ral nests are before me, all of which, except one that was built in a whin, were placed on the branches of trees: one other only is worthy of special notice. This came under the ob- servation of my friend at Cromac, who reports it to have * Ornithological Dictionary. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 281 been built against the stem of the common pine, and resting on one of the branches, to which it was bound with a piece of fine whip-cord, both ends of which were firmly interwoven in the material of the nest: the cord was taken but once round the branch. Chaffinches feed chiefly on seeds and grain through the winter, as testified by my openmg many specimens. Early in the month of May, when a choice of food was before them, I have on different occasions remarked these birds suddenly dart from the branches of trees after flies in the manner of the spotted flycatcher. During the winter and early spring, a flock consisting of both sexes was observed by a young friend regularly to frequent a merchant’s yard situated on one of the quays of Belfast for the purpose of feeding on flaxseed, of which there was always some scattered about the place. Chaffinches sometimes congregate in large flocks be- fore winter actually sets in: at the end of October I have thus remarked them, and occasionally in company with green-linnets. There has been much written from actual observation both on the Continent and in Great Britain, and from Linnzus to the present time, on the subject of the se- paration of the sexes of chaffinches in the winter. Montagu, writing from Devonshire, says, the sexes do not separate with us, and Mr. Knapp makes a similar remark with reference to Gloucestershire. In Hampshire, White frequently ob- served large flocks of females about Selborne. In Northum- berland, Mr. Selby has noticed the females as keeping apart from the males, and Sir Wm. Jardine remarks respecting the south of Scotland, that young males are intermixed with the females. In the north of Ireland I have seen very large flocks in which there were no males, and once during frost in the month of December, killed nine out of a flock, all of which proved to be females. Again, I have observed flocks of moderate size consisting of a fair proportion of both sexes, and which I have always believed to be our indigenous birds. The others, from never having met with flocks of male birds, I am disposed to believe have migrated to this island from more northern latitudes and there left their mates be- hind them :—in the north of Europe, associations consisting of males only have been observed during winter. In July 1840, Mr. R. Davis, jun., of Clonmel, forwarded to Belfast, for my inspection, a bird shot in that neighbour- hood, which he remarked had been sent him as a white chaffinch. It had frequently been seen in company with this species, along with some of which it had been shot in the preceding month of May. This individual was singu- 282 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. larly and beautifully marked: it: is thus described in my notes :—* This bird is of the full adult ‘size of the chaffinch in every measurement. . The prevailing colour of its plumage is pure white, but the head is tinted with yellow ; the entire back is of the richest canary-yellow; wing- and _ tail-coverts are likewise delicately tinted with canary-yellow. A few blackish-gray and cinnamon-brown feathers appear as fol- lows: one or two on the head, some on the back, and some very few on the wings and tail, but altogether they are in- conspicuous; these are the ordinary chaffinch feathers. The primaries and the long tail-feathers, together with their shafts, are pure white. The plumage altogether partakes as much of that of the canary as of the chaffinch.” The description of this species and its propensities, as ob- served by the author of the ‘ Journal of a Naturalist, is ad- mirable. THE Mountain Fincu, Fringilla montifringilla, Linn., Is a species, which, from personal observation, and notes col- lected from various quarters, I could not have announced as a regular winter visitant to Ireland. The Rev. G. M. Black, however, informs me, that for several winters successively he has remarked a few at least of these birds on the mountains about Newtown-Crommelin, but in mid-winter only; they were occasionally in company with chaffinches. Almost every winter for many years past I have been aware of their occurrence in the north in very limited num- bers, and have learned from correspondents in all quarters of the island that they are everywhere of occasional, but ge- nerally unfrequent occurrence, and have been met with in the most southern parts. On the 18th of October I once re- ceived a mountain finch which was shot in the neighbour- hood of Belfast, and in November the species has been seen here associating with green-linnets and chaffinches, when for some time before and after the weather had been mild. Such birds had evidently come hither in the ordinary course of mi- gration; but that others have been compelled to visit this island by severity of weather, I in one instance had interesting circumstantial evidence. This was a day or two before the very great snow-storm in the beginning of January 1827, when one of these birds, which was secured and sent to me, alighted on the Chieftain steam-packet when on the passage from Liverpool to Belfast. This had most probably been the forerunner of the many which, during the deep snow immediately. following, were seen ‘about. the last-named place. The snow-storm as usual had commenced earlier m Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 283 an easterly direction than in Ireland, which to birds flying before it westerly would be the last place of resort in its lati- tude in the eastern hemisphere. In like manner, mountain finches may have crossed the Irish Sea in the very severe weather early in the present year (1841), as Mr. R. Davis, writing to me from Clonmel, states, that a flock of them were seen near that town, and several shot on the 5th of February * —he had not known them as visitants to that neighbourhood before. I-have seen specimens of this bird which were shot during frost in the spacious yard of the Royal Society House, Dublin; and by T. W. Warren, Esq., of that city, have been assured, that at the most inclement period of the severe winter of 1837-38, some of these birds took shelter in the houses in the town of Dundalk. —Fecundation is always ac- companied by heat; flowers as they breathe produce carbonic acid. ‘They therefore consume carbon ; and if we ask whence this carbon comes, we see in the sugar cane, for example, that the sugar accumulated in the stalk has entirely disappeared when the flowering and fructification are accomplished. In the beet root, the sugar continues increasing in the roots until it flowers; the seed-bearing beet contains no trace of sugar in its root. In the parsnep, the turnip and the carrot, the same phenomena take place. Thus at certain epochs, in certain organs, the plant turns into an animal; it becomes like it an apparatus of combus- tion; it burns carbon and hydrogen; it gives out heat. But at these same periods, it destroys in abundance the saccharine matters which it had slowly accumulated and stored up. Sugar, or starch turned into sugar, are then the primary substances by means of which plants develop heat as required for the accomplishment of some of their functions. And if we remark with what instinct animals, and men too, choose for their food just that part of the vegetable in which it has accumulated the sugar and starch which serve it to develop heat, is it not probable, that, in the animal ceconomy, sugar and starch are also destined to act the same part, that is to say, to be burned for the purpose of developing the heat which accompanies the phenomenon of respiration ? To sum up, as long as the vegetable preserves its most ha- bitual character, it draws from the sun heat, light, and che- mical rays. From the air it receives carbon, from water it takes hydrogen, azote from the oxide of ammonium, and dif- ferent salts from the earth. With these mineral or elementary substances, it composes the organized substances which accu- mulate in its tissues. They are ternary substances, ligneous matter, starch, gums and sugars. They are quaternary substances, fibrin, albumen, caseum, and gluten. So far then the vegetable is an unceasing producer; but if at times, if to satisfy certain wants, the vegetable becomes a consumer, it realizes exactly the same phzenomena which the animal will now set before us. An animal in fact constitutes an apparatus of combus- 362 M. Dumas on the Chemical Statics of Organized Beings. tion from which carbonic acid is continually disengaged, in which consequently carbon undergoes combustion. You know that we were not stopped by the expression cold-blooded animals, which would seem to designate some animals destitute of the property of producing heat. Iron, which burns vividly in oxygen, produces a heat which no one would deny; but reflection and some science is necessary in order to perceive, that iron which rusts slowly in the air disengages quite as much, although its temperature does not sensibly vary. No one doubts that lighted phosphorus in burning produces a great quantity of heat. Unkindled phos- phorus also burns in the air, and yet the heat which it de- velops in this state was for a long time disputed. So as to animals, those which are called warm-blooded burn much carbon in a given time, and preserve a sensible excess of heat above the surrounding bodies; those which are termed cold-blooded burn much less carbon, and conse- quently retain so slight an excess uf heat, that it becomes difficult or impossible to observe it. , But nevertheless, reflection shows us that the most constant character of animal existence resides in this combustion of carbon, and in the development of carbonic acid which is the result of it, beginning also in the production of heat which every combustion of carbon occasions. Whether the question be of superior or inferior animals; whether this carbonic acid be exhaled from. the lungs or from the skin, does not signify; it is always the same phenomenon, the same function. “TES At the same time that animals burn carbon, they also burn hydrogen; this is a point proved by the constant disappear- ance of hydrogen which takes place in their respiration. Besides, they continually exhale azote. I insist upon this point, and principally in order to banish an illusion which I cannot but believe to be one of the most prejudicial to your studies. Some observers have admitted that there is an ab- sorption of azote in respiration, but which never appears un- accompanied by circumstances that render it more than doubt- ful. The constant phenomenon is the exhalation of gas. We must therefore conclude with certainty, that we never borrow azote from the air; that the air is never an aliment to us; and that we merely take from it the oxygen necessary to form carbonic acid with our carbon, and water with our hy- drogen. : The azote exhaled proceeds then from the aliments, and it originates from them entirely. This, in the general ceconomy of nature, may in thousands of centuries be absorbed by M. Dumas on the Chemical Statics of Organized Beings, 363 plants, which, like Jerusalem artichokes, draw their azote di- rectly from the air. But this is not all the azote which animals exhale. Every one gives out by the urine, on an average, as M. Lecanu has proved, 230 grains of azote a day, of azote evidently drawn from our food, like the carbon and hydrogen which are oxi- dized within us (gue nous briilons). In what form does this azote escape? In the form of am- monia. Here indeed, one of those observations presents it- self which never fail to fill us with admiration for the simpli- city of the means which nature puts in operation. If in the general order of things we return to the air the azote which certain vegetables may sometimes directly make use of, it ought to happen that we should also be bound to return ammonia, a product so necessary to the existence and development of most vegetables. Such is the principal result of the urinary secretion. It is an emission of ammonia, which returns to the soil or to the air. But is there any need to remark here, that the urinary organs would be changed in their functions and in their vi- tality by the contact of ammonia? the contact of the carbo- nate of ammonia would even effect this ; and so nature causes us to excrete urea. Urea is carbonate of ammonia, that is to say, carbonic acid like that which we expire, and ammonia such as plants require. But this carbonate of ammonia has lost of hydro- gen and oxygen, so much as is wanting to constitute. two mo- lecules of water. Deprived of this water the carbonate of ammonia becomes urea; then it is neutral, not acting upon the animal mem- branes; then it may pass through the kidneys, the ureters, and the bladder, without inflaming them; but having reached the air, it undergoes a true fermentation, which restores to it these two molecules of water, and which makes of this same urea true carbonate of ammonia; volatile, capable of ex- haling in the air; soluble, so that it may be taken up again by rain; and consequently destined thus to travel from. the earth to the air and from the air to the earth, until, pumped up by the roots of a plant and elaborated by it, it is converted anew into an organic matter. Let us add another feature to this picture. In the urine, along with urea, nature has placed some traces of albuminous or mucous animal matter, traces which are barely sensible to analysis. ‘This, however, when it has reached the air, is there modified, and becomes one of those ferments of which we find so many in organic nature; it is this which determines the conversion of urea into carbonate of ammonia. 364 M. Dumas on the Chemical Statics of Organized Beings. These ferments, which have so powerfully attracted our ‘attention, and which preside over the most remarkable me- tamorphoses of organic chemistry, I reserve for the next year, when I shall give you a still more particular and full account of them. Thus we discharge urea accompanied by this ferment, by this artifice, which acting at a given moment, turns this urea into carbonate of ammonia. If we restore to the general phzenomenon of animal com- bustion that carbonic acid of the carbonate of ammonia which of right belongs to it, there remains ammonia as the charac- teristic product of urine. Thus, By the lungs and the skin, carbonic acid, water, azote ; By the urine, ammonia. Such are the constant and necessary products which exhale from the animal. These are precisely those which vegetation demands and makes use of, just as the vegetable in its turn gives back to the air the oxygen which the animal has consumed. Whence come this carbon, this hydrogen burnt by the animal, this azote which it has exhaled in a free state or converted into ammonia? They evidently come from .the aliments. By studying digestion in this point of view, we have been led to consider it in a manner much more simple than is customary, and which may be summed up in a few words. In fact, as soon as it was proved to us that the animal cre- ates no organic matter; that it merely assimilates or expends it by burning it (en la brilant), there was no occasion to seek in digestion all those mysteries which we were quite sure of not. finding there. Thus digestion is indeed but a simple function of absorp- tion. The soluble matters pass into the blood, for the most part unchanged; the insoluble matters reach the chyle, sufficiently divided to be taken up by the orifices of the chyli- ferous vessels. Besides, the evident object of digestion is to restore to the blood a matter proper for supplying our respiration with the ten or fifteen grains of coal, or the equivalent of hydrogen which each of us burns every hour, and to restore to it the grain of azote which is also hourly exhaled, as well by the Jungs or the skin as by the urine. hus the amylaceous matters are changed into gum and sugar; the saccharine matters are absorbed. he fatty matters are divided, and converted into an emul- sion, and thus pass into the vessels, in order to form depots which the blood takes back and burns as it needs. M. Dumas on the Chemical Statics of Organized Beings. 365 The neutral azotated substances, fibrin, albumen and ca- seum, which are at first dissolved, and then precipitated, pass into the chyle greatly divided or dissolved anew. The animal thus receives and assimilates almost unaltered the azotated neutral substances which it finds ready formed in the animals or plants upon which it feeds; it receives fatty matters which come from the same sources; it receives amylaceous or saccharine matters which are in the same predicament. These three great orders of matters, whose origin always ascends to the plant, become divided into products capable of being assimilated, fibrin, albumen, caseum, fatty bodies, which serve to renew or recruit the organs with the com- bustible products, sugar and fatty bodies which respiration consumes. The animal therefore assimilates or destroys organic mat- ters ready formed; it does not create them. Digestion introduces into the blood organic matters ready formed; assimilation employs those which are azotated ; respiration burns the others. If animals do not possess any peculiar power for producing organic matters, have they at least that special and singular power which has been attributed to them of producing heat without expenditure of matter ? You have seen, while discussing the experiments of MM. Dulong and Despretz, you have positively seen the contrary result from them. These skilful physicists supposed that an animal placed in a cold water calorimeter comes out of it with the same temperature that it had on entering it; a thing abso- lutely impossible, as is now well known. It is this cooling of the animal, of which they took no account, that expresses in their tableaux the excess of heat attributed by them and by all physiologists to a calorific power peculiar to the animal and independent of respiration. It is evident to me that all animal heat arises from respira- tion; that it is measured by the carbon and hydrogen burnt. In a word, it is evident to me that the poetical comparison of a rail-road locomotive to an animal is founded on a more se- rious basis than bas perhaps been supposed. In each there are combustion, heat, motion, three phenomena connected and proportional. You see, that thus considering it, the animal machine be- comes much easier to understand; it is the intermediary be- tween the vegetable kingdom and the air; it borrows all its aliments from the one, in order to give all its excretions to the other. Shall I remind you how we viewed respiration, a pheno- menon more complex than Laplace and Lavoisier had thought, 366 M. Dumas on the Chemical Statics of Organized Beings. or even Lagrange* had supposed, but which precisely, as it becomes complicated, tends more and more to enter into the general laws of inanimate nature? | You have seen that the venous blood dissolves oxygen and disengages carbonic acid; that it becomes arterial without producing a trace of heat. It is not then in becoming arterial that the blood produces heat. But under the influence of the oxygen absorbed, the soluble matters of the blood change into lactic acid, as MM. Mit- scherlich, Boutron-Charlard and Fremy observed; the lactic acid is itself converted into lactate of soda ; this latter by a real combustion into carbonate of soda, which a fresh portion of lactic acid decomposes in its turn. ‘This slow and continued succession of pheenomena which constitutes a real combustion, but decomposed at several times, in which we see one of the slow combustions to which M. Chevreul drew attention long ago, this is the true phenomenon of respiration. The blood then becomes oxygenized in the lungs; it really breathes in the capillaries of all the other organs, there where the com- bustion of carbon and the production of heat principally take place. To sum up, then, we see that of the primitive atmosphere of the earth three great parts have been formed : One which constitutes the actual atmospheric air; the se- cond, which is represented by vegetables, the third by animals. Between these three masses, continual exchanges take place: matter descends from the air into plants, enters by this route into animals, and returns to the air according as these make use of it. Green vegetables constitute the great laboratory of organic chemistry. It is they which, with carbon, hydrogen, azote, water and oxide of ammonium, slowly build up all the most complex organic matters. They receive from the solar rays, under the form of heat or of chemical rays, the powers necessary for this work. Animals assimilate or absorb the organic matters formed by plants. They change them by little and little, they de- stroy them. In their organs, new organic substances may come into existence, but they are always substances more sim- * The reader will no doubt admire how entirely M. Dumas passes by all English philosophers,—even him with whom these trains of investigation originated. ‘ This beautiful discovery [of the chemical action of light, heat, and the component parts of atmospheric air upon plants], for the main prin- ciples of which we are indebted to Dr. Priestley, shows a mutual depend- ence of the animal and vegetable kingdoms on each other which had never been suspected before his time.””—Sir J. E. Smith’s Introduction to Botany see p. 162—170. : Bibliographical Notices. 367 ple, more akin to the elementary state than those which they have received. By degrees these decompose the organic mat- ters slowly created by plants; they bring them back little by little towards the state of carbonic acid, water, azote and am- monia, a state which allows them to be returned to the air. In burning or destroying these organic matters, animals always produce heat, which radiating from their bodies in space, goes to supply the place of that which vegetables had absorbed. Thus all that air gives to plants, plants give up to animals, and animals restore it to the air,—an eternal circle in which life keeps in motion and manifests itself, but in which matter merely changes place. The brute matter of air, organized by slow degrees in plants, comes, then, to perform its part without change in ani- mals, and serves as an instrument for thought; then van- quished by this effort and broken, as it were, it returns brute matter to the great reservoir whence it came. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. A List of the Genera of Birds, with their Synonyma, and an Indica- tion of the typical Species of each Genus. By George Robert Gray. Second Edition. Svo. London, 1841. Mr. Gray’s ‘ Genera of Birds’ is a systematic catalogue of all the generic groups which have been proposed by ornithologists, with their synonyms, and a reference under each genus to some one well- ascertained species by way of type. Having on a former occasion (see Annals of Nat. Hist., vol. vi. p. 410, vol. vii. p. 26) published a commentary on this work when it first appeared, I am induced to offer a few further remarks on this new and improved edition. If the former work was deserving of high praise as a first attempt to introduce order and system into a chaotic mass of scattered observa- tious, this edition may be still further commended on the ground of the great additional accuracy and completeness which it exhibits. In these days of hasty and superficial book-making, it is rare to meet with a work in which so much labour and research is con- densed into so small a space, and as a tabular index of the present state of ornithology, it is one of the most complete works ever pro- duced in any branch of zoology. A work of such a nature is well adapted to supply statistical re- sults. The actual number of genera enumerated in it amount to 1119. To these genera no less than 1961 Latin or systematic names have been given by different authors, so that 842 superfluous generic names have already been introduced into the science of ornithology. Yes! it is a humiliating fact, that into this most fascinating portion of Nature’s Eden, no less than 842 weeds have been deliberately planted by the hands of those who professed to be the cultivators of 368 - Bibliographical Notices. the soil ; weeds which, though they may be rooted out of the syste- matic arrangement, must yet, in the shape of synonyms, continue for ever to choke up the writings and load the memories of ornitho- logists, throwing a dusky veil of human mystification over the fair face of Nature. Does not this fact prove the necessity of naturalists agreeing upon some general rules and principles to be followed in constructing their nomenclatures? It is not, I think, asserting too much to say, that if ornithologists had had a good code of laws for their guidance, and had not in many cases yielded to personal vanity or to an indolent neglect of the labours of their predecessors, nearly the whole of these 842 useless generic names might have been spared to the science, and would have been available in other departments of zoology, from which they are now for ever excluded. Mr. Gray’s work, if diffused as widely as it deserves to be, will, it may be hoped, go far in checking the daily growing evil of multiplying words with- out multiplying facts; and we may hope that this work will have many imitators in other branches of natural history, some of which are even in a more chaotic state than ornithology. The principle of priority which Mr. Gray has followed in select- ing his nomenclature is now daily gaining ground among judicious naturalists, but there are one or two points in which I think he has carried his principle too far, on which I now proceed to remark. In his former edition, Mr. Gray extends the law of priority (with a few exceptions) no further back than 1760, the date of Brisson’s work, but in the present edition he gives the benefit of this law to Meehring’s ‘ Genera Avium,’ published in 1752, and to the first edi- tion of Linneeus’ ‘ Systema Nature,’ in 1735. Now if this arrange- ment had worked well there would have been no good ground of ob- jection to it, but it happens unfortunately that these two works have lain almost dormant from the time of their publication till 1841, when Mr. Gray has drawn them from their dusty shelves. In the mean time, many of the generic names found in these old works have been used in totally different senses by later authors, and have been now current for thirty or forty years. ‘To these later genera Mr. Gray gives new names, and restores their former names to the old genera of Mcehring and of Linnzus’s first edition, from which they have been so long removed. For instance, he follows Mcehring in giving the generic name Spinus to the common Bunting, Trago- pan to a Hornbill, Scops to the Demoiselle Crane, Cinclus to the Turnstone, Catarrhactes to the Guillemot, So, after Linnzeus’s first edition, he applies the name Grus to the Balearic Crane, Numenius to the Snipes, and Graucalus to the Cormorants. The ornithologist will immediately remark that these names have long been applied to genera widely different from those here mentioned, genera upon which Mr. Gray is obliged to impose fresh names, either selected from later authors or new-coined for the occasion. He gives, for instance, the new name Megalornis to the common Crane, and Cracticornis to the Curlew. These alterations of names so long established are not merely in- convenient, but it is to be feared that they will fail of their desired effect, that of producing uniformity of nomenclature. We cannot, Bibliographical Notices. 369. I think, expect that the majority of naturalists will sufficiently ap-— preciate the claims of such rare and obscure works as Mcehring’s ‘Genera Avium,’ and the first edition of Linnzeus, as to alter a no- menclature which they have employed all their lives in favour of one which has been forgotten for a century. Here is, I think, a strong case made out for establishing a ‘“‘ statute of limitation.” Let na- turalists agree, once for all, to draw an absolute line at the date of 1760, when the elaborate standard work of Brisson appeared, and when the “‘ binomial method ” was first dawning on the mind of the great Linnzeus, and let them admit no genera on the authority of any prior author, nor even of the earlier works of Linneus himself. Unless some such restriction be made, it is to be feared that the principle of priority, instead of producing uniformity of nomencla- ture, will, from the want of a fixed point of departure, lead to greater confusion than now exists. Another respect in which I think Mr. Gray has rather over-legis- lated, is that of altering names on the ground, not of their identity, but only of their similarity to others previously used. He cancels, for instance, the names Astur, Brachypterus, Tyrannula, Stelleria, Calliste, on account of their resemblance to the names Aster, Bra- chypteryx, Tyrannulus, Stellaria, Callistus, previously employed in other branches of science. For such changes he cites the authorities of Dr. Horsfield and Mr. Swainson, but I think it is very question- able whether it would be prudent for naturalists to allow this prac- tice to become a law. The total number of generic names which have been proposed in natural history is probably not less than 30,000, and we may be well satisfied if, amidst this vast multitude, we can guard against the repetition of identical terms, without being too fastidious as to those which are only similar. Indeed, the num- ber of duplicate identical names is now becoming so considerable, that some naturalists (with whom I am far from agreeing) are be- ginning to plead for their preservation when they occur in distant departments of organic nature. It is then hardly to be expected that the majority of naturalists will consent to the cancelling esta- ‘blished names on the ground of mere resemblance to previous ones. And the extension of science has now caused so much division of labour, that a student in one department is seldom even aware of the existence of these allied terms in other branches of natural hi- story, much less is he likely to be led into error by them. ‘The an- cient Latins could distinguish muscus from musca, or ovis from ovum, without falling into error, and why may not the moderns ? A further argument against this practice is, that it is impossible to define what amount of resemblance between two words shall jus- tify the cancelling one of them. When the same name is repeated twice over, the case does not admit of dispute; but if mere simi- larity were declared illegal, the litigation would be endless. If Stelleria cannot coexist with Stellaria, what is to become of Otus and Otis, Lepus and Lepas, Sylvia and Silpha, Sturnus and Sterna, Colymbus and Columba, Hirundo and Hirudo, &c. &c.? It appears to me far better to retain all generic names which ex- Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. 2B 370 Bibliographical Notices. hibit; when correctly: spelt, a difference from all preceding ones, though it amount only to a single letter. At the same time, the principle proposed by Mr. Gray should ope- rate as a caution to naturalists, when constructing new generic names, to avoid, as far as possible, such terms as closely resemble those al- ready adopted. The number of generic groups enumerated in this work amounts, as before stated, to 1119. It is to be hoped that this number will in future be increased only by the discovery of new forms. It is after all a mere matter of taste, how far the process of forming new genera by subdividing old ones shall be carried. Subdivide as we may, the diversities of structure will never be exhausted until each species is made into a genus, for there is rarely. an instance of two species, however closely allied, that precisely agree in the proportions of all their parts. We may therefore cease from subdividing when we think that the limit of convenience has been attained ; and most persons will admit that it has been reached, if not exceeded, in the case before us, where about 5000 species (for no more are known with accuracy) are distributed into no less than 1119 genera. Mr. Gray is of opinion that these genera might be advantageously con- densed to the number of about 800, and in this I quite agree with him. - The systematic classification adopted by Mr. Gray is considerably improved in this edition, though there are still several groups which I think might be better arranged. Most of these cases were pointed out in my former commentary ; and as the question of affinities is, in the present state of our knowledge, in great measure open to opi- nion, it is very natural that Mr. Gray’s views should occasionally differ | from mine. The alphabetical index is a valuable appendage to the present edi- tion, but one thing is still needed, a list of the books which have been consulted in compiling this work. Many of the authorities for genera have been extracted with great perseverance from works of extreme rarity in this country, and it would have been a great aid to the student if the titles of these works had been enumerated in Mr. Gray’s book. I would suggest that this defect might be in some degree supplied if Mr. Gray would send such a list to this Magazine. I now proceed as before to remark on the details of Mr. Gray’s volume, but it will be seen, that from the far greater accuracy of the present edition, my criticisms will be much less numerous than on the former occasion. At page ix of his preface, Mr. Gray states, eicsiranghs an oversight, that the number of genera of birds in Linnzus’ last edition is 104, when in fact they are 78. It follows that the calculations deduced therefrom are erroneous. The proportion of species to genera in the ‘Systema Nature’ will be twelve to one, not nine to one. - Page 7 of the text. For the reasons above stated, I trust that the name Scops will be retained for the genus of Owls which has so long borne it, in which case the type should:be called Scops zorca (Gm.), not Scops aldrovandi, Bon. Bibliographical Notices. 371 P. 8. The n name Asio, Briss., 1760, should supersede Otus, Cuv., 1799, and the type will then stand.as Asio otus (Lin.). The genus Glaucidium belongs to the subfamily Surnine. P, 10. The name climacteris, applied to the type of Scotornis, is, I believe, a mistake for climacurus. - P. 12. Erolla, Less., 1831, should give way to Peltops, Wagl., in Oken’s ‘ Isis,’ 1829. P. 13. In my former criticism on the use of the word Capito I was misled by its erroneous application in Mr. Gray’s first edition to the Bucco tamatia of Gmelin. Mr. Gray has now cleared the difficulty by showing that Capito and its synonym Nyctactes are equivalents of Micropogon, Tem., and he has therefore given a new name, Chau- nornis, to B. tamatia, Gm. In a supplementary note, p. 102, Mr. Gray points out that this genus ought in strictness to bear the name of Bucco, Lin., as the only species of Bucco mentioned by Linneus belongs to this group. There is indeed no denying that modern authors have departed from the original type of Bucco, Lin., in re- stricting that name to the East Indian Barbets ; but this application of the term (though incorrect) is now so universally adopted, that I decidedly think it has acquired a prescriptive right which it would be very injudicious to set aside. _ P. 18. Heliothryx should be written Heliothriz. _ P. 20. It appears from Cuvier’s ‘ Rég. Anim.’ that the Merops moluccensis, Gm., is the type of Commerson’s genus Philedon, and that name is long anterior to Philemon, Vieill. - P, 23. Dendroma, Sw., cannot be synonymous with Diglossa, Wagl., as it is described by Swainson with the margins of the beak entire. Dendroma appears to me to be equivalent to Philydor, Spix, and to include his three species superciliaris, albogularis, and ruji- collis. P..24.: The eatliest specific name of Xiphorhynchus procurvus seems to be frochilirostris, Licht., and that of Sittasomus sylviellus is erithacus, Licht. P. 26. Thriothorus should: be pehieeone Thryothorus (from Opto, a reed, Bopéw, to leap). Thryothorus arundinaceus, Vieill., should be called T. ludovicianus (Lath.). According to my observations, the dela ruficeps, Less. (Ortho- tomus edela, Tem., P. C. 599. f. 2. ), is the same as Motacilla se eee of Raffles, but is not the Orthotomus sepium of Horsfield. P. 28. The earliest binomial specific name of Locustella is rayi, Gould. It isa misapprehension of Ray’s meaning to call the bird Locustella avicula, Ray. He uses the word avicula not as being less general than Locustella, but more so. He intended to say, ‘‘a small bird called Locustella,”’ and not ‘the species of Locustella called avi- cula,”’ which would be his meaning if avicula were a specific name. The genus Hrythropygia, Smith, ought, I think, to be separated from Aedon, Boié, notwithstanding the similarity of plumage. Erythropygia is a South African group connecting Cossypha, Vig., with Savicola, while Aedon is an European genus near Acrocephalus. 2B2 372 Bibliographical Notices. Mr. Gray quotes Pl. Enl. 651. f. 1. both under Phyllopneuste. hip- polais and Phylloscopus trochilus. ‘The latter citation is the correct one, The genus Phyllopneuste, as typified by P. hippolais, ought, I think, to be united with Acrocephalus. The name Luseiniola, Gray, 1841, should not supersede Caleieo- dyta, Bon., 1838. Luseiniola is not used generically either by Bris- son or Ray; and I have before remarked, that if we cross the bound- ary line of modern science fixed by the introduction of the binomial method, we must carry back our nomenclature not merely to Ray or Aldrovandus, but to Pliny and Aristotle, nay to Hesiod, Homer, and Moses. P. 29. The genus Adornis, Gray, 1841, ought to retain the name Curruca, Bechst. (restricted), used also by Meyer, Cuvier, Fleming, | Bonaparte, Swainson, &c., both on the ground of priority and be- - cause it includes the bird called Curruca by Brisson, which is the ‘fe- male of Curruca orphea (Tem.), The Motacilla hortensis, Gm. (Syl- via hortensis, Lath.), and the figure of Buffon, Pl. Enl. 579. f. 1, also refer to C. orphea, fem. . The true “ Pettychaps” (C. hortensis, auct.) is the Sylvia hortensis, var. B. of Latham, which was first clearly distinguished by Bechstein. P. 31. Mr. Gray gives no synonyms for Jora scapularis, Horsf., but it ought to stand as Lora tiphia (Lin.), Vig. ; Sylvia zeylonica, Lath.; Fringilla multicolor, Gm.; Muscicapa cambayensis, Lath. ; Tora scapularis, Horsf. ; Motacilla ‘subviridis, Tickell. P. 33. It does not appear why Helinaia, Aud., 1839, is used in- stead of Vermivora, Sw., 1827. The bird figured by Gould, ‘ Birds of Europe,’ pl. 138, is not the Anthus aquaticus, Bechst., of South Europe, but is the British and North European species A. obscurus (Gm.), Tem.; Alauda petresa, Mont. ; Anthus rupestris, Nils. See ‘Temminck, ‘ Man. Orn.,’ pt. 4. p.- 628, — | P. 35. Why is the name Petrocossyphus, 1826, preferred both to Monticola, 1822, and Petrocincla, 1825 ? P. 37. Garrulax belangerii, Less., is a synonym of G. leucolophus (Hardwick), not of G. perspicillatus (Gm.)}. The earliest synonym of Malacocercus striatus is Turdus griseus, Gm. P. 39. The following genus should be. inserted.near Pycnonotus : Ores, Tem., 1838, < Ivos, Tem. Type, O. azureus, Tem., Pl. Col. 274. P. 40. The following genus should be inserted near Alectrurus : Copurus, Strickland, 1841, < Platyrhynchus, Spix, < Muscipeta, Cuv. Type, C. filicauda (Spix), Av. Braz., vol. ii. pl. 14; Musci- capa leucocilla, Hahn. P. 41. The reference Buff., Pl. Enl. 276, belongs to Pitangus sul- phuratus, and Pl. Enl. 212. to Scaphorhynchus pitangua. — The earliest specific name of the North American Tyrannus, Pl. Enl. 676, is carolinensis, Gm.; the next in date is pipiri, Vieill., Ois. Am. pl. 44. This bird is not the Lanius tyrannus, Lin., which is the T. dominicensis, Briss., Vieill., O. Am. pl. 46. Bibliographical Notices. — 373 Milvulus savana is the Muscicapa tyrannus, Lin., and should bear the latter specific name. : P. 43. The Muscicapa flabellifera of Gm. and Lath. is not the Rhipidura flabellifera of Vigors and Horsfield, which last is the R. albiscapa of Gould. P. 44. The earliest synonym of Liothrix furcata is Tanagra si- nensis, Gra. P. 46. Mr. Gray is fully justified in removing the name Ampelis from the American genus which has borne it of late years, and re- storing it to the Waxen Chatterer of Europe. The latter bird is clearly the type of the genus Ampelis of Linnzus, who took this name from the old authors, and Vieillot ought therefore to have re- tained this title to the Waxen Chatterer, instead of the new one . Bombycilla. We may the better reconcile ourselves to this change ' as it happens fortunately that the American Chatterers are already provided with aname by Brisson, who in 1760 defined for them the genus Cotinga. I have seen reason to reverse the opinion I formerly expressed re- specting the genera Tersa, Vieill., and Chasmorhynchus, Tem., each of which claims to be the lineal descendant of the old enus Proc- nias, Ill., and consequently to bear its name. The question is, what type did Illiger adopt for his genus? Now he cites three species of Procnias, as follows : :=—" Ampelis variegata, carunculata ? Lin., Gmel., Hirundo viridis, Tem. Catalog.” The first two belong to Chasmo- - rhynchus, and the last to Tersa; therefore, if we assume the first on the list to be the type of Iliger’ S genus, the title of Procnias will de- volve upon Chasmorhynchus. But in determining an author’s type, other points must be considered besides the order in which he enu- merates his species. If we suppose with Temminck, that Alhger’s mark of interrogation refers to both the first and second species on his list, we must assume the third to be the one about which he had no doubt, and from which the characters of his genus were taken. That such was the case, will be evident from the characters which he has assigned to’ the genus Procnias, among which we find “ Ros- trum brevius; nares basales, membrana plumis frontalibus aut setis obsita, clause; ale mediocres.’’ Now all these characters strictly apply to Tersa, Vieill., but do not suit Chasmorhynchus, Tem. Moreover, the nathe Proénias clearly alludes to the swallow-like form of Yersa (which induced Temminck at that time to call it Hirundo viridis), which cannot be asserted of Chasmorhynchus. I think, therefore, that we ought to follow Temminck in retaining the name Chasmorhynchus for the one genus, and conferring the name Proenias, Ill. (restr.), on the Tersa of Vieillot. The type of Cotinga does not require a new specific name. The blue-banded species or variety, Pl. Enl. 188, was called 4. cincta by Kuhl in 1820, and the plain-breasted one, Pi. Eni. 186, is the A. cerulea of Vieillot, 1824. P.47. The Chibia barbata, Gray, is thie Giseiis héttentottus, Lin., and the Criniger splendens of Tickell, 1833. P. 48. For Telophorus read Telophonus cid ride and ‘@wvi). - 374 Bibliographical Notices. P. 53. Insert the genus Enopszs, Tem., 1838. ahgepeatontis, Tem. Type, E. erythrophrys, Tem., Pl. Col. 267. P. 56. Erase Oriolus caudacutus, Gmn., from the synonyms of Do- lichonyx, as it is also cited under Ammodromus caudacutus, p. 61. P.57. Add Chlorion, Tem., 1838, to the synonyms of Emberi- zoides. P. 59. Citrinella serinus, Bon., should be called C. brumalis (Gm.), and Petronia rupestris, Bon., should stand as P. stulta (Gm. eS P. 61. The true Fringillaria’ capensis (Lin.) is figured in Pl. Enl. 158. f. 2, and is distinct from F. flaviventris (Vieill.) (F. avigastet « Rupp.). Pl. Enl. 664. f. 2. P. 62. The specific name of Agrodroma should be campestris (Bechst.), not rufescens. ‘Temminck makes it an Anthus, not an Alauda, and it unquestionably should be placed next to, if not in, the genus Anthus, and not among the Alaudine; into which group it, was forced by Mr. Swainson, in order to fill a gap in the quinary system. P. 63. Crithagra should stand in the Fringilline next Serinus. *P. 69. Mr. Gray’s new name Laimodon should be written Lemo- don, ac in Greek becoming @ in Latin. (See Linneus, Phil. Bot., § 247.) Is Mr. Gray correct in quoting Bucco barbatula, Tem., under his Barbatula nana? Levaillant’s pl. 56. (the basis of B. barbatula, Tem.) seems very different from the description of Bucco parvus, Gm. (the basis of Barbatula nana). Calorhamphus fuliginosus (Tem.), mihi, is certainly not the Bucco lathami, Gm. See Lath. Syn. pl. 22. P. 70. Is not the genus Sasia, Hodgs., identical with Micro. colaptes ? P. 73. Pseudornis, Hodgs., is more allied to Cuculus than to Ozy- lophus, but seems to be sufficiently distinct from both to deserve a generic rank. P.77. Latham describes his Phasianus fticoeie anos with a black crest. It must therefore be the Lophophorus cuvieri, Tem., and not ‘the Huplocamus hamiltoni, as stated at p. 102. «> P. 80. Ido not find a~‘‘ Perdix olivacea’’ in Latham’s ‘ Index Ornithologicus ;’ ; therefore, if the name olivacea originated with Hodgson, it should give way to the prior name megapodia, Tem. P. 88. Independently of the objections which exist to our re- viving the obsolete nomenclature of Linneus’ first edition, there can, I think, be no doubt that the Curlew, and not the Snipe, should be regardéd as the type of his genus Numenius. The latter name was given to the Curlew in allusion to the crescent-shaped form of the ‘beak, (froth,véos, new, and jjyn, moon,) a character which does not apply to th€,Snipes. Those who retain the Whimbrel as a distinct genus should call it Pheopus vulgaris, Flem., but there is certainly no good ground for separating it generically from the Curlews (Numenius, Lath.). The Scolopar pygmeus, Gm., is said by 'Temminck to be the same as Pelidna platyrhyncha, and as nothing is said of its having Bibliographical Notices. 375 three toes, it cannot be referred with certainty to Hrolia. The lat- ter bird should therefore be called Erolia variegata, Vicill., 1816 (not EL. varia, Vieill., 1824). P.89. Pelidna subarquata ought not to be distinguished as a genus from Pelidna cinclus. Both have the beak curved, though not quite in the same degree. P. 90. Microptera, Nuttal, is synonymous with Philohela, Gray. P. 95. Camptolaimus should be written Camptolemus. P. 99. If the claims of Mehring’ to a share in our modern no- - menclature be disallowed, then the name Gavia, Boié, 1822, may be restored to the G. eburnea (Gm.). H, E. SrrickLanp. Works lately Published. Bartlett’s ‘nae Geologicus, or Geology at One View ; published ,under the auspices of the Geological Section of the Devon and Corn- wall Natural History Society; a Diagram, 3 ft. 6 in. by 2 ft. 9 in., | - in Case, or mounted oh Rollers and varnished, with a coloured Sec; tion of Strata, on copper; showing the relative position of all the different stratified and unstratified Rocks, with the classification and arrangement, in situ, of Animal and Vegetable Fossil Remains, with the mineral accompaniments of each stratum. Mr. Clifford of Tunbridge Wells has just republished ‘ Flora 'Tun- brigensis,’ with an additional list of new plants, and a life of the au- thor, the late T. F. Forster, Esq., F.L.S., communicated by his son, Dr. T. Forster, F.L.S., &e. Dr. Forster has also just published ‘ Obserrisots on the Abnormal Affections of the Organs of Sense and Intellect,’ &c. 8vo. Vegetable Organography; or, an Analytical Description of the Organs of Plants ; by Professor DeCandolle. Translated (unabridged) by Boughton Kingdon, Esq. A History of British Forest Trees, indigenous or introduced; by P. J. Selby, Esg., of Twizell. A Treatise on the Management of Freshwater Fish, with a view to making them a source of profit to Landed Proprietors ; by Coe Bocchius. A new edition of Lambert’s Genus Pinus, including all the new* : species of this important family of Trees, with direction for their cul- tivation, &c. Royal 8vo. British Moths and their PDickidiiride ti cin ; in a Series of Plates by H. N. Humphreys, Esq., with Desetiptions by J. O. Westwood, Esq., F.L.S. Transactions of the Manchester Geological Society. Vol i Preparing for Publication. : Tuz Gzo.ocy anp Minnranocy or ENGINEERING; Seomprehend- ing the elements of the sciences of (Economic Geology and Minera- logy applied to the Arts. By E. W. Brayley, Jun., Fellow of the Linnean and Geological Societies, Associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Corresponding Member of the Royal ReeHPE Ice Society of Cornwall, &c. 55 : 376 Zoological Society. PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. February 9, 1841.—William Horton Lloyd, Esq. in the Chair. A letter from P. C. Blackett, Esq., dated January 27, 1841, was read. It relates to the parent stock of the domestic Dog (Canis fami- haris of authors), and gives some account of the habits of the Eu- ropean Wolf. The pups of this animal, it is said, were considered valuable about sixty or seventy years back, and that they were easily domesticated, and became as familiar and attached to their master as the common domesticated Dog. A monograph on the genus Nematoptera, by J. O. Westwood, Esq., F.L.S., was read. __In this monograph numerous new species are added to those already characterized by Dr. Klug and others. The genus Nema- toptera (Nemoptera, Latr.) was placed by its founder, Latreille, in the family Panorpide, owing to the rostrum being elongated as in that family ; but Mr. Westwood agrees with Drs. Klug and Burmeister, in arranging the species in the Hemerobiide, since they agree with this family, not only in the structure of the mouth, but also in the ge- neral arrangement of the nervures of the wings. Following are the chief characters of the species :— Sectio 1™4, Ale anticz latissime ovate, colorate, serie duplici vel triplici cellu- larum in area anali. . Sp. 1. Nemaroprera Petiverrt. Nem. alis anticis ovatis, pallide flavis ; fasciis quatuor sinuatis ; costa ad basin immaculata ; ma- eula oblonga ante mediam, altera media tertiaque subapicali, ni- gris, punctisque nonnullis versus marginem internum et in discum ale ejusdem coloris. Expans. alar. antic. 2—2%4 unc. Long. alar. postic. 1$—1% unc. Syn. The Feather-tailed Smyrna Adderbolt, Petiver, Gazoph. tab. 73. f. 11. Phryganea e Moldavia, Linneus, Kongl. Vetensk. Handl. 1747. p- 176—178. tab. 6. fig. 1. Ephemera Coa, Hasselquist, Iter Paleestinum, p. 423. (1757). Panorpa Coa, Linneus, Syst. Nat. Edit.x. Ditto, Edit. xii. vol. ii. p-915. Fabricius, Syst. Ent. p.314. Ent. Syst. Suppl. p. 208. Panorpa halterata, Fabr. Mantiss. Ins. p. 251. Nemoptera sinuata, Olivier, Enc. Méth. viii. p.178. Lamarck, Hist. Nat. iv. p.419. Klug, Monogr. Panorp. p. 13. No. 2. Sp.2. Nematoprera CoquesBertit. Nem. alis anticis latissime ovatis, pallidiori-flavescentibus ; fasciis tribus valde sinuatis; costa in areas angustas divisa, singula area linea obscura notata, macula media costali, altera intermedia, 3tiaque versus apicem coste ob- scuris ; disco et bast punctis numerosis nigris ; areaque anali lata duplici serie punctorum et unica strigarum nigrarum. Expans. alar. antic. 12—1% unc. Long. alar. postic. 14 unc. Zoological Society. 377 Syn. Panorpa Coa, Coquebert, Illustr. iconogr. i. p. 15. tab. 3. fig. 3. : “Netasiiiers Coa, Olivier, Enc. Méth. tom. viii. p. 178. Klug? Mon. Panorp. p. 12. No. 1. Burmeister ?. Handb. d. Entomol. ii. p. 987. Nemoptera lusitanica, Rambur. Faune Andal. tom. il. pl. 9. f. 1. The extraordinary breadth of the fore-wings (which are as broad as those of the preceding species, although of considerably less ex- panse) is alone sufficient to distinguish this from the two other species of this Section. Sp. 3. NEMATOPTERA BIPENNIS. Nem. alis anticis latis, margine antico fere recto; late flavis, brunneo variis ; punctis numerosis fasciisque tribus valdé sinuatis brunneis ornatis ; costa in cellulas quadratas divisa ; singula cellula puncto rotundo notata ; macula oblonga paulld pone medium coste apiceque toto brunneis, et in hoc apice macula parva subcostalis elongata alteraque magna ovalis, area anali serie unica punctorum alteraque strigarum. Expans. alar. antic. 2—2} unc. Long. alar. postic. 14—,% unc. Syn. Panorpa bipennis, J//ig. Ahrens Faun. Ins. Eur. i. 16. Nemoptera lusitanica, Leach, Zool. Misc. ii. tab. 85. fig. sup. Klug, Monogr. Panorp. p. 13. Burmeister, Handb. d. Ent. ii. p. 987. Nec Rambur. Faun. Andalusia. ii. pl. 9. f. 1. ; Nemoptera Coa, Latr. Hist. Nat. Crust. et Ins. t. xiii. pl. 97. bis fig.2. Gen. Crust. ill. p. 186. Savigny, Déscr. de Egypte, Neur. pl. 2. fig. 15. : Diptita lusitanica, Hoffm. MSS. quoted by Leach. This species (to which I have restored Illiger’s specific name, which has been overlooked by all subsequent authors, although several years prior to Leach’s) is at once distinguished from the two preceding species by the shape of the fore-wings, of which the anterior margin is almost straight, at least for two-thirds of the length of the wing; they are consequently not so greatly dilated as in the two preceding. ‘The colour of the wings is also of a much richer yellow, and the markings are fine brown, instead of obscure black. Sectio 2%. Ale anticz angustiores hyaline ; serie unica cellularum oblongarum in area anali. Subsectio 1. Ale posticee pone medium subitd bis aut semel dilatate. Sp. 4. Nemaroprera ExTENSA. Nem. alis unticis hyalinis ; costa paulld obscuriort punctoque minuto fusco supra conjunctionem vene mediastine cum postcostali ; alis posticis ante apicem apice- que rotundato, valde extensis et infuscatis. Expans. Alar. antic. 12 unc: Long. alar. postic. 12 unc. Syn. N. extensa, Olivier, Enc. Méth. vii. p. 178. Guerin, Icon. d. Régne An. Ins. pl. 61. f. 1. Klug, Monogr. Panorp. p. 13. Burmeister, Handb. d. Ent. ii. p. 987. | The short description given above is taken from a specimen in my collection, which was captured by Olivier himself near Bagdad, and for which I am indebted to my friend Audouin. 378 | Zoological Society. Sp.5. Nematroprera pirarata. Nem. fusco-brunnea ; alis anticis hyalinis; posticis ante apicem biextensis fuscis; apice angusto lacteo. Expans. alar. antic. 2 unc. Long. alar. postic. 15% une. Syn. N. dilatata, K/wg, Monogr. Panorp. p. 14. tab. annex. fig. 1. Burmeister, Handb. i. p. 987. This very distinct species has the hind wings comparatively short, with the expansions considerably larger than in N. eatensa. It is from South Africa. Sp. 6. Nemaroprera Forskatiu. Nem. alis anticis hyalinis, vena postcostah flava ; alts posticis ‘‘ triclavatis’”’ ; stylo flavo ; clava 1™ fusco-flavescenti ; 2% dimidio minori cerulea ; 3% terminali ob- longa cerulea; apice extimo obtuso. : “* Corp. Jong. poll. ” Ale postice, ‘3 poll. vel corpore triplo longiores.”’ Syn. Panorpa halterata, Forskall, Descr. Anim. p. 97. tab. 25. fig. E. (copied in Encycl. Méth. pl. 98. fig. 1., under the name of Panorpe d orient). | Nec N. halterata, Fabr., Olivier, Dumeril, Klug. Sp. 7. NemaTorprERA BARBARA. Nem. alis erectis pallidis ; costa late fusca; posticis linearibus longissimis subbiclavatis nigris apice dilatatis in medio coarctatis ; fasciis tribus albis, intermedia minori. Syn. Panorpa Coa, Fabricius, Mantiss. Ins. i. p. 251. Panorpa halterata, Fabricius, Ent. Syst. Suppl. p. 208. Nemoptera barbara, Klug, Monogr. Panorp. p. 14. Sp. 8. NeMarorrera PALLIDA. Nem. alis anticis hyalinis imma- culatis venis fulvescentibus punctoque minuto stigmaticali albo ; posticis longissimis linearibus albis apice viz latioribus, fascia tamen Susca dilatata pone medium ale. Expans. Alar. antic. 14% unc. Long. alar. postic. 34 unc. Syn. N. pallida, Olivier, Enc. Méth. viii. p. 179. N. halterata, Klug, Monogr. Panorp. p. 14?. _ Subsectio 2. Ale postice absque dilatatione. (a.) Fasciate. Sp. 9. Nemaroprera aFricana. Nem. corpore luteo, brunneo vario ; alis anticis apice rotundatis hyalinis ; spatio inter venam me- diastinam et postcostalem luteo; his venis fulvo-testaceis, umbra fuscescenti apicali post stigma albidum ; alis posticis basi palli- dioribus ; fascia fusca ante apicem album. Expans. alar. antic. 2 unc. Long. alar. postic. 2% unc. Syn. Nemopteryx africana, Leach, Zool. Misc. vol. ii. p. 74. tab. 85. fig. inf.; Grifith, Animal Kingd. vol. xv. p. 324. pl. 105. fig. 4. Sp. 10. Nematoprera spaciryiaris. Nem. pallida, dorso brunnea vario; alis hyalinis, anticis (apice angustioribus subacutis) costa pallida, ad apicem infuscuta; stigmate albo; posticis linearibus longissimis, basi pallidis, ante apicem late fuscis ; antennis longi- tudine alarum anticarum. Zoological Society. 379 Expans. alar. antic. 24 unc. Long. alar. postic. 24 unc. Syn. N. bacillaris, Klug, Monogr. Panorp. p. 15. tab. annex. fig. 2. Burmeister, Handb. d. Ent. 11. p. 986. Sp. 11. Nemarorrera Latipennis. Nem. rufo-testacea; linea dorsali media fusca; alis anticts dilatatis rotundatis ; umbra cine- rea post stigma album ; posticis in basi rufescentibus ; fascia fusca ante apicem album. : Long. corp. 6'"; alar. antic. 10”. Syn. N. latipennis, Burmeister, Handb. d. Ent. ii. p. 986. This species inhabits South Africa, and is described by Burmeister from the Museum of Halle. Sp. 12. Nemarorrera aneutata. Nem. pallida, brunneo varia ; antennis fuscis longitudine alarum anticarum ; alis anticis apice angulatis, hyalinis; vena mediastina et postcostali fulvis (spatio intermedio luteo), punctoque parvo in cellula singula aree costalis fulvo ; stigmate fusco ; alis posticis longissimis fere linearibus, dimidio basalt brunneo ; fascia lata ante apicem album fusca. Expans. alar. antic. 21 unc. Long. alar. postic. 24 une. Syn. Nemoptera angulata, Westw. in Trans. Ent. Soc. vol. i. Journal of Proceedings, p. 75. Inhabits South Africa. Sp. 13. Nematorrera costauis. Nem. lutea, brunneo varia ; antennis luteo-fulvis, alis anticis multd brevioribus ; alis anticis apice rotundatis hyalinis ; vena mediastina et postcostali fulvis (spatio intermedio luteo), punctoque parvo in cellula singula aree costalis fulvo ; stigmate fusco ; nubila apicali alba, interne umbra tenui lutea marginata ; alis posticis albidis ad basin fuscescentibus ; Sascia fusca ante apicem album. Expans. alar, antic. 2 unc. Long. alar. postic. 24 unc. Syn. N. costalis, Westw. in Trans. Ent. Soc. i, rxxv. Inhabits South Africa. Sp. 14. Nemaroprera ouiviert1. Nem. corpore testaceo brunneo- que variegato ; alis hyalinis ; anticis valdé angustis ; costa pallide fusca, lineaque (aree costali posticé conjuncta) tenui stigmateque albidis ; posticis linearibus basi fasciaque testaceis. Expans. alar. antic. 14 unc. Syn. N.halterata, Olivier,Enc. Méth. viii. p.178. (nec Forskallii). N. costata, Klug, Monogr. Panorp. p. 14. (b.) Ale postice séetaceze haud fasciate. Sp. 15. Nemarorrera seTacea., Nem. pallida ; dorso pedibusque Suscescentibus ; alis anticis hyalinis, ad apicem subinfuscatis macula alba ; posticis setaceis apice albis. Long. corp. lin.6. Expans. alar. antic. 12—18 lin.; alar. postic. 14—15 lin. Syn. Nemoptera setacea, K/ug, Monogr. Panorp. p. 15. tab. an- nex. f.3. Burmeister, Handb. d. Ent. il. p. 986. Inhabits South Africa. Sp. 16. Nemaroprers capituaris. Nem, pallida; dorso.luteo va- 380 Zoological Society. rio; alis anticis hyalinis, nervis fusco alboque variegatis, reticu- datis ; macula ad marginem anticum ante-apicali alba ; posticis lon- gissimis setaceis albis ; basi hyalinis reticulatis. _ Long. corp. lin. 4. Expans. alar. antic. 105 lin. Long. alar. postic. 134. Syn. N. capillaris, K/ug, Monogr. Panorp. p.16. tab. annex. fig. 4. Burmeister, Handb. d. Entomol. ii. p. 985. Inhabits Arabia. Sp.17. Nemaroprera aristaTa. Nem. albida; alis albo-hyalinis ; anticis macula ante-apicali fusca ; posticis setaceis. Long. corp. lin. 24. Expans. alar, antic. 9. Long. alar. postic.§71. Syn. Nem. aristata, Klug, “Monogr. Poors. p. 16. tab. annex. fig. 5. Burmeister, Handb. d. Ent. i. p. 985. Inhabits Ambukohl. Sp.18. NemarorrEerA ALBA. Nem. alba immaculata ; oculis solim nigris ; alis anticis hyalinis, venis albidis ; posticis longis setaceis et coloris albi paulld obscuri. ‘*7 ou 8 lignes de largueur les ailes étendues,”’ Oliv. Syn. Nem. alba, Olivier, Enc. Méth. viii. p.179. Klug, Monogr. Panorp. p. 16. Inhabits Bagdad. Found in the houses in the evenings of May. Sp. 19. NEMATOPTERA FILIPENNIS. Nem. luteo-fusca ; alis anticis albo-hyalinis ; stigmate fusco ; posticis longissimis, basi nigrican- tibus latioribus ; apice albo filiformi. Long. corp. lin. 35. Expans. alar. antic. lm. 114. Long. alar. postic. 1 unc. 3 lin. Habitat in India orientali. In Mus. D. W. W. Saunders, F.L.S. Mr. Gould exhibited to the Meeting fine specimens, male and fe- male, of the Macropus laniger of Quoy and Gaimard, and a species of Hypsiprymnus nearly allied to the H. minor, but which differs con- siderably in the form of the skull, and especially in having the muzzle broader, the sides being swollen; it also differs from H. minor in having the tail and tarsi proportionally shorter. This species being new, Mr. Gould characterized it as follows, under the name Hypsiprymnvus GitBerti1. Hyps. colore corporis superné e cine- reo, fusco, nigroque commixtis, lined nigrescente a naso ductd cum colore frontis se intermiscente ; corpore subtis e cinereo albo. une. lin. Longitudo ab eee rostri ad caudz basin. . 16 0 CN a a0 sb hie ial aces Seb hace SEALS, cee OTS nin 4nd ign widen mae om 3 0 This species was procured by Mr. Gould’s assistant, Mr. Gilbert, at King George’s Sound. The following two papers, being a continuation of the descriptions of Mr. Cuming’s shells, were read. The first of these papers is by W. J. Broderip, Esq. Buinus Macuuirerus. Bul. testd plerumque sinistrorsd, elongato- Zoological Society. 7) Boe pyramidali, anfractibus sex subventricosis, ultimo longé maximo, lineis incrementi oblique longitudinaliter striatd ; aperturd ovatd ; labro sub-patulo reflexo albo. Var. A. Griseo-brunnea strigis griseo-subpurpureis et maculis albis griseo-subpurpureisque irregulariter notata; anfractu basali su- perne suturam juxta albo vittata. Bulinus maculiferus is figured in Sowerby’s Conchological Illus- trations, but has not hitherto been described. Var. B. Griseo-albens vel subflavescens strigis frequentibus, irregu- laribus, subangulatis, sordidé subpurpureis ornata. This seems to be the shell figured by Petiver, Tab. Ixxvi. fig.5. Described by him as “‘ a rare Luzone-shell, with its mouth to the right. Cat. 224. Its waves brown, the rest yellow and white.” Var. C. Flavescens, ochraceo-brunneo strigata. Var. D. Albido-brunnescens ; anfractibus prioribus strigis obscuris undulatis, ultimo strigis distantibus oblique longitudinalibus roseis albo limbatis, ornatis. Var. E. Tota alba. Var. F. Deztrorsa alba vel subflavescens strigis purpureo-brunneis presertim in anfractum ultimum creberrimis et subirregularibus ornata. Length about 24 inches. Breadth about 14 inch. Legit H. Cuming i in sylvis. Locality. All the varieties, except Var. C., were found in the province of Misamis, in the island of Mindanao. Var. C. was found at Gindulman, in the isle of Bohol. All were taken on the trunks of trees. This is a handsome species; the ivory-like appearance of the apex, with its dark border, in most of the varieties, except the white one, is remarkable. In fine specimens, the inside of the mouth has a satin-like nacreous lustre, bordering on iridescence, something like that often seen upon the tendon of a muscle.—W...B. Butinus EVANESCENS. Bul. testd obtuse conico-pyramidali, sub- pupiformi, anfractibus 5, lineis inerementi creberrimé striatd ; labro subreflexo. Var. A. Albido-flavescens ; anfractu penultimo et ultimo purpureo- brunneo suturam juxta superné vittata ; strigd basali ad columellam approximante purpureo-nigrd. Long. 13. Lat. 8 poll. circ. Var. B. Gracilior, alba, strigd basali subpurpured. Var. C. Tota alba. Legit H. Cuming in insula Lucon. Var. A. was taken at Lual, in the province of Pangusinan, on leaves of bushes; the other two varieties at Catananan, in the province of Tayabas, on leaves of trees.—W.J.B. Buuinus vevatus. Bul. testd subpupiformi, anfractibus 5, ultimo ceteros equante flavescente ad suturas rubro-brunneo vittatd, an- fractu basali fascid obscurd subcentrali cincto, epidermide albente meatibus plend, velatd; strigd basali et labii vir reflexi limbo rubro-brunneis ; aperturd albd. 382 Zoological Society. Long. 17%. Lat. 5% poll. circ. Hab. in insula Camote. , Legit H. Cuming in sylvis, foliis arborum adherentem. In a great number of the beautiful land-shells of the Philippine Islands, collected by Mr. Cuming, and herein-before described, the pattern, upon immersion in water or other fluid, becomes entirely . obliterated till evaporation restores the colours to all their pristine brilliancy. In the species now before us, the very reverse is the re- sult of immersion. The external whitish porous epidermis which veils the shell when dry, suffers the bright colours to shine out when immersed in water. Bul. velatus is described above, as it appears on immersion, and before it becomes dry: but in the latter state the beauties of the shell are shrouded, and the colour of the sutural bands, peeping out between interstices in the epidermis, gives to these bands a moniliform appearance. I sent to Sir David Brewster, as the highest authority on such subjects, four or five species of those land-shells from which the pattern ‘disappears upon immersion ; but I have not as yet forwarded to him any upon which the colours come out when so treated. Sir David has been so obliging as to send me the following letter, which I now lay before the Society :— “* Dear Sir,—I beg to return you my best thanks for. the very interesting specimens of land-shells from the Philippine Islands, which you have been so kind as to sendme. The disappearance of the white pattern by immersion in water or any other evaporable fluid, and its subsequent reappearance when the shell is dry, are phenomena perfectly analogous to those of hydrophanous opal, taba- sheer, and other porous substances. ‘** The phenomenon in the land-shells is still more beautiful when we examine them by transmitted light. ‘The pattern which is white by reflected light, is dark by transmitted light, and vice versd. This is particularly beautiful-in the Helix pulcherrima, where the ground of the white pattern is almost black by reflected light, and of a light reddish colour by transmitted light, the pattern which is white by reflection having a dark red colour by transmitted light. . . ‘« In all these shells, the difference of structure by which the pat- tern is produced, does not exist in the shell, but in the epidermis, and hence the pattern may be wholly obliterated by removing the epidermis. It appears to me, from very careful observations, that the epidermis consists of two layers, and that it is only the upper layer which is porous wherever the pattern is.white. These white or porous portions of the epidermis differ from the other parts of the upper layer only in having been deprived of, or in never having possessed, the element which gives transparency to the mem- brane, in the same manner as hydrophanous opal has become wiite, from the expulsion of its water of crystallization. «‘ When the shell is immersed in water or any other fluid, the fluid enters the pores of the white.epidermis, and having nearly the same refractive power. as the epidermis, no light is reflected at the sepa- rating surface of the water and the pores which. contain it, so that Zooloyical Society. je 383 the light passes through the membrane, which thus loses its white appearance. When the water escapes from the pores by evapora- tion, or is driven from them by heat, the membrane again reflects white light from the numerous surfaces of its pores. ‘“* As the colouring matter resides in thé shell itself, its peculiar colour is seen through the epidermis as distinctly where it is porous as where it is not porous, when the porous portion has been ren- dered transparent by the absorption of a fluid. ** If we apply oil or varnish to the white pattern, we may oblite- rate it permanently, or we may change it into a pattern entirely dif- ferent from the original one. ‘‘ If these observations appear to you to have any interest, you are welcome to make any use of them you please. ‘*T am, dear Sir, ever most faithfully yours, “ D. Brewster.” It will be observed, that Sir David Brewster points out how the application of oil or varnish to the white pattern may obliterate it permanently ; such a case has already happened more than once: persons who have become possessed of some of the species whose patterns are lost on immersion, not content with their natural beauties, and unaware of their peculiarity, have had recourse to art, and by applying oil or varnish, have spoiled their specimens,—a proper punishment for trying to mend nature. Jan, 26, 1841.—William Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. A continuation of Mr. G. B. Sowerby’s descriptions of new species of shells, collected by H. Cuming, Esq. in the Philippine Islands, was read. Hexix monocnroa. Hel. testd suborbiculari, tenuiusculd, subpal- lescente brunned, haud nitente ; spird mediocri ; anfractibus quatuor, ventricosis, rugulosis, ultimo maximo, ceteris multd majori ; fasciis binis medianis saturatioribus, binis pallidioribus ; suturé distincte impressd ; aperturd subelliptico-semilunari, intus albd ; labio ex- terno latiusculo, rotundato-reflexo, eatis subfusco ; labio interno tenuissimo, columellari ‘subdilatato, umbilicum mediocrem partim tegente. Long. 1°3, lat. 2° poll. Hab. ad insulam Tablas dictam. This species appears to be very distinct from any of those given by De Férussac, as well as from the Helix Cailliaudi of Deshayes, with which I have compared it. Besides the rugulosities which cover the external surface, oblique lines of growth are easily distin- guishable, which are stronger near the suture. Hexrx cutorocuroa. Hel. testd globoso-suborbiculari, tenuiusculd, pallide brunned, haud nitente ; spird elevatiusculd ; anfractibus 4f, ventricosis, levibus ; striis soliim incrementi tenuibus insculptis, ul- timo maximo, ceteris multd majori ; fascid unicd albidd mediané ; suturd distinctd ; aperturé rotundato-sublunari, intis albdé ; labio _ externo rotundato-reflexo, fuscescente, interno tenui ; labio columel- lari lato, albicante, subsinuoso, profunde ineunte ; umbilico nullo. 384 | Zoological Society. Long. 1°6, lat. 2° poll. This species bears a general resemblance to the last, though it may easily be distinguished by its more elevated spire and the ab- sence of an umbilicus. Besides the lighter-coloured band, the shell is usually mottled with paler light-brown markings. A variety oc- curs of a much darker colour, but similarly marked. Hetrx Spuzrion. Hel. testd globoso-orbiculari, tenui, levi, uni- coloris, haud nitens ; spird brevi, paululim elevatd ; anfractibus guatuor, ventricosis ; striis solim incrementi, tenuibus insculptis, ultimo maximo, ceteris multd majore ; suturd lined alba distinctd ; apertura rotundatd, anfractu ultimo tenuiter modificatd, intis albi- cante ; labio externo fuscescente, anticé paululim reflexo ; labio colu- mellari albo, latiusculo, profundé ineunte. Long. 1°3, lat. 1°6 poll. Hab. supra folia arborum propé ‘Tanauan ad insulam Leyte dictam Philippinarum. This species is most like H. Coccomelos, but may be distinguished from that by its thin, scarcely reflected outer lip. Two varieties in colour have been found, one of which is of a very dark chocolate- brown, and the other of a pale yellowish brown. Another variety, very much resembling this last, has been found at Lobock, in the island of Bohol, which differs only in the lip being rather more re- flected. Hexrx mirasitis, De F. Hel. testa subglobosd, imperforatd, levi, nitidd, candida, epidermide olivaceo-lutescente indutd ; spird eleva- tiusculd, obtusd ; anfractibus 44 rotundatis, ultimo maximo, ple- rumque fasciis duobus rufo-fuscis cincto; suturd distinctd ; aper- turd subobliqud, elliptico-rotundatd ; peritremate albo, latiusculo, reflexo ; columella albd, latiusculd, anticé sinuatd; labio interno tenut. Long. 1°6, lat. 1°3 poll. Hab. supra folia arborum propé Albay, provincie Albaiensi ad in- sulam Lucon Philippinarum. Syn. Helix galactites,.Lam. (Hist. Nat..des Anim. sans Vert. vi. part 2, p. 69. April 1822). Helix mirabilis, De Férussac (Hist. Nat. gen. et part. des Mol- lusques Terr. et Fluv., t. 31, f. 4, 5, 6. 1819). A representation of this fine species, without the epidermis, was published by De Férussac in 1819, under the name of Helix mira- bilis; his name is therefore here adopted. But Lamarck in 1822, although he quotes De Férussac’s name and plate, has given it the name of H. galactites, which of course must give way to De Férus- sac’s. It appears extremely probable that both Lamarck and De Férus- sac have confounded with this species a variety of Helix metaformis, De F., the latter author having figured a var. of that species under the name of H. mirabilis, var. See his Tab. 104, f. 6 et 7, and La- marck, describing his var. (3. as “‘ testd superne in conum elongatd.” “‘T must here acknowledge my obligations to M. Valenciennes, who Zoological Society. 385 has informed me in a note that the species I have described under the name of decipiens is identical with this species, H. mirabilis, De F. I suspect that he may be right in his opinion, and will take the ear- liest opportunity of re-examining all the varieties of both, together. «« At present I will proceed to describe the principal varieties which have occurred to Mr. Cuming, and which are unquestionably refer- able to the mirabilis of De F.”’ a. Shell rather thick and strong, with three dark bands, one of which is clese to the suture, and much narrower than the others. b. Shell very thin, with bands similar to the last. ce. Shell with the spire much produced, and with three dark bands, of which the middle one is very slender. d. Shell very thin, with a narrow sutural band, and a broader cir- cumferential band. e. Shell thick and strong, with only a very narrow antesutural band. Ff. Shell thin, and entirely destitute of bands. Hewix ruteens. Hel. testd globoso-pyramidali, crassiusculd, im- perforata, levi, nitidd, albidd; spird prominuld, obtusd ; anfractibus 42 ventricosis, castaneo-nigroque fasciatis ; lineis incrementi tener- rime insculptis ; aperturd suborbiculari, intds alba ; fasctis nigris subconspicuis ; peritremate reflexo, albo ; columella latiusculd, alba, profunde ineunte. Long 1°5, lat. 1:15 poll. : Hab. ad Puerto Galero insule Mindoroensis Philippinarum. Two principal varieties of this brilliant species have been found by Mr. Cuming; the one has black and chestnut-coloured bands, beautifully relieved on a light-coloured ground, and the other has the posterior part of each volution nearly white, one dark band close behind the circumference, and three close-set dark bands in front. Heurx carysocweEiLus. Hel. testd subglobosd, crassiusculd, levi, nitidd, imperforata ; spird mediocri, obtusd ; anfractibus quinque, ventricosis ; lineis incrementi tenuiter insculptis, epidermide palles- cente indutis ; apertura suborbiculari, intis alba ; peritremate in- crassato, reflero, aurantiaco ; columella latiusculd, aurantiacd, pro- Sunde ineunte ; labio interno tenut. Hab. supra folia arborum ad Banqui provinciz Ilocos septentrio- nalis ad insulam Lucon Philippinarum. A very beautiful species, and apparently very distinct from any that have hitherto been noticed. It is extremely rare. The second paper is by G. B. Sowerby, Esq. Helix metaformis. De F. var. It seems proper to notice the following additional varieties of this species, varieties which have been found by Mr. Cuming in the Philippine Islands, viz.— a. Shell pale yellow brown, irregularly covered with a very pale hydrophanous epidermis; circumference of the columella nearly black; one pale brown band anterior to the circumference of the shell; apex white. Found on leaves of trees near Manilla. Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. 2C 386 Zoological Society. b. Shell pale yellow brown; apex white; cireumference of the columella nearly black; a pale brown band close behind the suture of the first volutions. Found on leaves of trees near Manilla. _ ¢. Shell light brown, paler near the apex, which is reddish brown ; circumference of the columella nearly black; two narrow brown bands, one of which is placed at the circumference of the shell, and the other close to the suture in front. Found on leaves of trees near Manilla. d. Shell light brown, with a dull hydrophanous epidermis, paler toward the apex, which is dark mahogany brown; circumference of the columella nearly black; two broad, very dark brown bands, one of which is placed at the circumference of the shell, the other close to the suture in front. Found on leaves of trees at San Mateo, in the province of Tondo, isle of Lucon. e. Shell brown, with a lighter coloured irregular hydrophanous epidermis; paler near the apex, which is dark brown; circumference of the columella very dark brown; two brown bands nearly similar to those in var.c. ‘This is rather a coarse variety, and appears to be a slight example of monstrous growth, its spire being rather un- usually elevated, and the volutions consequently more prominent. Found on leaves of trees near Dolores, province of Pampamga, isle of Lucon. Hex cincryniFrormis. Hel. testd ovato-oblongd, pyramidali, tenui, levigatd, striis incrementi tenuissimis soliim insculptd, apice spire obtuso ; anfractibus quinque tenuitér rotundatis ; suturd distinctd ; aperturd obtuse subtrapezoidali, postice acuminata ; peritremate tenuiter reftexo, albo ; columella rectiusculd, subincrassata, alba. Long. 1°8; lat. 1:2 poll. Hab. Supra folia arborum ad insulam Luban, Philippinarum. Mr. Cuming has obtained three varieties of this species, viz. :— a. Colourless. b. White, a broad nearly black belt surrounding the columella, a pale reddish brown band at the circumference of the shell, and a darker brown antesutural band articulated with white hydrophanous specks of epidermis; apex dark brown. c. Shell white, with a broad nearly black belt surrounding the columella,-a spiral dark brown band in the centre of the last volu- tion and continuing to the apex, and an antesutural dark brown band, articulated with whitish specks of hydrophanous epidermis. Hewrx teucopH“ZA. Hel. testd ovato-oblongd, subpyramidali, cras- siusculd, levi, obscura, brunned ; epidermide hydrophand pallescente indutd ; apice obtuso; anfractibus senis, subrotundatis ; aperturé rotundato-subtrapeziformi, postice acuminata, labio externo crasso, reflero, albo, margine fusco ; columella subincrassatd, rectiusculé albd, antice subsinuatd. Long. 2; lat. 1:2 poll. Hab. Supra folia arborum ad montes Igorrotes insule Lu¢on, Philippinarum. This species has occurred in _ several localities, and there are seve- — Zoological Society. 387 ral varieties, all remarkable for a more or less russet brown hydro- phanous epidermis. ‘They are a. Shell of a nearly uniform colour, atl lighter near the suture, and very irregularly speckled with dark brown shining spots, caused by the partial abrasion of the epidermis. From the mountains of the Igorrotes, in the northern part of the island of Lucon. b. Shell of an uniform brown, with a nearly white sutural band interrupted with brown shining spots. From the same locality. c. Shell of a light brown colour, with a dark band surrounding the last volution. Found on leaves of trees at Sual, in the province of Pangusinan, island of Lucon. d. Shell of an uniform light brown, speckled with dark brown, and with a dark brown antecircumferential band. Found on leaves of trees at Dolores, in the province of Pampamga, isle of Lucon. e. Shell small, of an uniform brown, with a nearly white ante- sutural band, and a pale band near the circumference of the last volution. From the mountains of the Igorrotes. Ff. Shell brown, longitudinally streaked with nearly white, and having a nearly white antecircumferential band. Found on leaves of trees at Gattananga, in the province of Cagayan, island of Lucon. g. Shell of an uniform dark brown. ‘This appears to be a dwarf variety, being much. shorter in its proportions than the others. Length 1:5; breadth 1:05 of an inch. Found on leaves of trees at Sinait, in the province of South Ilocos, in the island of Lucon. Feb. 23.—William Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. Mr. G. B. Sowerby’s descriptions of the shells collected by H. Cuming, Esq. were continued. Hexix cotumBaria. Hel. testa suborbiculari, rotundato depressd, leviusculd, fulvescente, brunneo-varie-zonatd, sepius prope suturam albido tessellatd ; spird brevi, obtusa ; anfractibus quinis plis mi- nusve rotundatis; peripherid rotundatd; aperturd transversd subauriformi ; peritremate incrassato, continuo, reflexo, subsi- nuoso, intiis antice nonnunguam unidentato ; dente obtuso ; umbilico parvo, partim obtecto. Long. 0°73; lat. 1°4 poll. Obs. Testd pone aperturam sepius coarctatd. Hab. Sub lapidibus et ligno putrescente apud Calauan, provinciz Laguna, insule Lucon, Philippinarum. The following varieties of this interesting and elegant species have occurred to Mr. Cuming :— a. Shell somewhat striated, strie forming the lines of growth, many of those on the under side white, pale brown with brown bands (one at the periphery, one close to’ the suture, and one beneath). Distant, squarish, striated patches of white epidermis ornament the broad band in front of the suture: aperture white : sd at Ca- lauan. b. Shell slightly striated, striz as in the last, forming the lines of growth; ground colour pale yellowish brown, with a rather darker brown band close in front of the suture, a narrow brown band at the 9C 9 a aol 388 . Zoological Society. periphery, and a broad one beneath, where this variety is also orna~ mented with brownish white mottlings : peritreme. white, with a sin- gle white tooth within at the lower part. From Calauan. c. Pale brown, darker, and articulated with brownish white patches in front of the suture; a narrow brown band at the periphery, where it is mottled with brownish white; peritreme flesh-colour, with a single white tooth within at the lower part. From Albay d. Light brown, having a brown antesutural band, brtiontnted with brownish white, a brown band. at the circumference and a broad brown band beneath ; and brownish white mottlings.spread over both these last-mentioned bands; peritreme as in the last. Found at Al- bay. Heurx concinna. Hel. testa oblongo-pyramidali, tenui, levigatd, epidermide fuscd albido-marmoratd indutd ; spire apice obtuso ; anfractibus senis, planulatis ; suturd distincté ; ; apertura rotundato- subtrapeziformi ; labio externo incrassato, tenuiter reflexo, fusco ; columella alba, subincrassatd, antic subsinuatd. Long. 1°3; lat. 0°75. | ‘Hab. Supra folia arborum ad Sanctam Jaun, provinciz Cagayan Insule Lucon, Philippinarum. The ground colour of this very elegant little shell is of a dark ehéstnut-brown, and this is covered all over, except a small portion about the aperture, with an -hydrophanous epidermis of various shades of brown, beautifully marbled with white and brownish white. Near the apex the shell is lighter coloured, but the apex itself is darkish brown. Heurx curta. Hel. testd subovaté, pyramidali, tenuiusculd, levi- gata, epidermide superne pallescente, subtis fusca indutd ; spire apice obtuso; anfractibus subsenis, rotundatiusculis ; suturd di- _ stinctad.; apertura sublunari, ad latus columelle sinuatd ; labio externo reflexo, latiusculo, albo; columella obliqua, lata, antice oblique truncata, alba. Long. 1°2;. lat. 0-9 poll. Hab. Supra folia arborum apud Bauang, provincie Pangusinan insule Lugon, Philippinarum. The shell itself is of a pale yellow-brown colour, lighter. at the third volution, where it begins to put on a pale tint of chestnut- brown, which becomes darker as it approaches the ee which is brown. Hexix Merertrix. Hel. testé suborbiculari, rilunilitoddepretets crassiusculd, levi, fulvescente, brunneo-varie-zonatd, albidoque marmoratda ; spird brevi, obtusa ; anfractibus quinis, subrotundatis ; peripheria rotundatd ; apertura transversd, subauriformi ; peritre- mate incrassato, continuo, reflero, subsinuoso ; rte oat persed partim obtecto. Long. 0°65; lat. 1°4 poll. Hab. Supra ‘truncos arborum apud Sual, provinciz Pangusinan, insule Lucon, Philippinarum. Shell with a low, depressed spire, of a yellow-brown colour, with Royal Society. 389 three very dark brown, nearly black bands (one at the periphery, one before, and one behind it); aperture posteriorly subsinuated, white; upper part of the shell with irregular radiating, broadish white streaks. ROYAL SOCIETY. June 17, 1841.—‘‘ On the Organs of Reproduction and on the Development of the Myriapeda.” By George Newport, Esq. Com- municated by P. M. Roget, M.D., Sec. R.S. The author commences his paper by stating that great interest attaches to the study of the Myriapoda, from the already known fact that their mode of development, by an increase in the number of segments, is directly the reverse of that of true insects in which the development of the perfect individual is accompanied by an ap- parent diminution in the number of these parts. He remarks, that although the development of the Myriapoda has already been ex- amined by several eminent naturalists, such as Degeer, Savi, Gervais, and Waga, some of the most important facts relating to it have, nevertheless, escaped their notice, and he proposes, therefore, to lay before the Society the result of his own investigations on this sub- ject, and also his examinations of the organs of repreduction. The paper is divided into four sections. In the first, the author describes the organs of reproduction, and shows that the parts de- scribed by Treviranus, both in the male and female Julus, are only the efferential ducts in the male, and the oviduct in the female ; that in the former there are developed, from the sides of the efferen- tial ducts, a large number of sacs, the structure of which he de- scribes, ‘and states his opinion that these are the proper secretory organs in the male; but remarks that he has not been able to follow out the organs to their fullest extent. In the female, he shows that the oviduct described by Treviranus is covered by an immense num- ber of ovisacs, each secreting only a single ovum; that many hun- dreds of these exist around the duct, a large proportion of which never reach maturity, being retarded in their growth by the deve- lopment of others immediately around them ; and that the ova, when matured, are passed from the ovisacs into the duct, and are then all deposited at one time. He adverts especially to the remarkable condi- tion of the female oviduct being a single organ; throughout the greater part of its extent, but having a double outlet ; and shows its analogy in the internal portion of the organs to those of some in- sects, and in its double outlet to the Crustacea and Arachnida. He also institutes a comparison between the structure of the male and female organs in this Myriapod, which, from their simplicity, admira- bly illustrate the uniformity of origin of these structures ; more espe- cially the analogy between the ovisacs in the female and the czca in the male, and also their conformity in the absence, in the latter, of se- parate vesicule seminales, and, in the former, of spermatheca. The second section is occupied by a short account of the structure of the ovum, in which the author observes the germinal vesicle and macula. He notices especially the presence of the yelk in the ear- 390 Royal Society. liest stages of development, together with the vesicle and the mens- branes of the ovum at a later period, as: showing in this low form of animal the conformity of structure and laws with those which pre- vail in the higher forms. In the third section, the author speaks of the deposition of the ova, and of the habits of the species, as observed in specimens col- lected and preserved by him for that purpose: ‘These habits he re- gards as particularly curious. The female excavates for herself a burrow, by digging with her mandibles in the soil, which she has previously moistened with a fluid, supplied; as the author believes, by her immense salivary glands. With this she forms a soft pellet; which she removes from the burrow with her mandibles and anterior legs ; and thence, after being brought to the top of the hole, it is passed on to the next pair, and by these on to the next in succession, until it is entirely removed out of the way; after which, she deposits her eggs and closes the burrow with moistened clay. Great difficulty was experienced in preserving the eggs during the observations, from the circumstance that their shell is soft, and dries quickly when ex- posed to the air. To avoid this, the author had recourse to the plan of inclosing the eggs in a glass tube, filled with clay, and closed with a cork; the eggs being placed in a cell next to the glass. The fourth section, which constitutes the most important part of the paper, gives the history of the evolution of the embryo. The process is divided by the author into different periods. After a few observations on the earlier changes of the egg, and the proof that they consist in an alteration in the size and appearance of the cells out of which the embryo is formed, he states his having observed that the egg bursts at the end of twenty-five days, by means of a fissure along the dorsal surface, as described by Savi and Waga; and that, in oppo- sition to the remarks of Degeer, the young Julus, as first stated by Savi, is-:perfectly apodal. The author has also discovered a singular fact, entirely overlooked by all who have attended to the development of these animals, namely, that the young Julus at this time is still an embryo, and is completely inclosed in a shut sac, which terminates ina distinct funis at the extremity of the body, and in the proper amnion, or foetal envelope of the animal. He finds, also, that the funis enters at the posterior penultimate segment of the dorsal surface of the body, and not at the dorsal surface of the thoracic region, as seen by Rathke.in the Crustacea. The embryo, he says, is retained in connexion with the shell, between the two halves of it, for seven- teen days, by means of the funis, which is continuous with a second, or external membrane, the chorion, which lines the interior of the shell. He states that the liberation of the embryo from the shell is not effected by any effort of its own, but by the expansive force of the growth of its body. He describes, also, another important fact which had been overlooked by previous observers, relating to the mode and place of origin of the new segment of the body in the Julide. The new segments are always produced in a germinal membrane im- mediately before the penultimate segment, which segment, with the. anal one, remains permanent throughout the life of the animal. The Geological Society. | 391 production of the first set of new segments is commenced even be- fore the animal has burst from the amnion. After leaving the am- nion, the young Julus possesses six pair of legs, as stated by Savi and Waga; but the author remarks, in addition, that, notwithstand- ing this, it is still inclosed in another tunic, the proper skin of the embryo, beneath which new segments are being formed, and which begins to be detached before the embryo has left the amnion. He suggests whether this may not be the representative of the proper tunic of the germinal vesicle. After minutely describing the em- bryo, and showing that its body is still formed of cells, he states that four pairs of new legs are forming beneath this tunic, and that, on the twenty-sixth day, the young animal throws off this cover- ing, and the legs are developed, and also the six new segments, to a further extent. The animal then takes food, the segments become developed to the same extent as the original ones, until the forty- seventh day, when it again changes its skin, new segments are again produced, and new legs to those segments last formed. In this way it passes through several changes, developing first segments and then legs. One remarkable circumstance stated is, that the production of segments is sextuple in the Julide; but this does not hold in other genera, in some of which it is quadruple, and in others double; but these peculiarities appear in all cases to be characteristic of each distinct genus. In conclusion, he confirms the observation already made by M. Gervais, that the number of eyes is increased as the animal advances in its transformations. The author concludes by stating that he proposes continuing these observations on the My- riapoda at some future period. The paper is accompanied by drawings of the parts: described, and of the successive changes which take place during the deve- lopment of the animal. GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. April 7, 1841.—A paper was read, entitled ‘‘ A Notice on the Occurrence of Triassic Fishes in British Strata,” by Sir Philip Grey Egerton, Bart., M.P., F.G.S. Were the muschelkalk abstracted from the continental series of beds called the Trias, and the keuper made to rest on the bunter sandstone, Sir Philip Egerton says, it would be difficult, if not im- possible, to define the proper limits of these formations. The new red sandstone of England, the equivalent of the trias, presents this difficulty, every endeavour to find the muschelkalk having failed ; and therefore geologists are compelled either to consider the keuper, the upper member of the trias, to be also wanting, or to be merged in the mass of alternating marls and sandstones comprising the new red series. Lithological structure, consequently, being of no value, paleontological evidence, the author says, becomes of great import- ance. The beautiful results arrived at by Mr. Owen respecting the Batrachian remains found near Warwick, tend, Sir Philip Egerton states, to render the existence of the keuper extremely probable, 392 Microscopical Society. though a specific identification with the analogous fossils of the German keuper has not been ascertained. The only instances on record of muschelkalk fishes found in Great Britain, are scales from the Bone Bed at Aust Cliff, and referred by Professor Agassiz to Gyrolepis Albertii and G. tenuistriatus, common continental muschel- kalk fishes. ‘This bed it is well known occurs at the base of the lias, and rests conformably on the green and red marls of the new red sandstone. A thin stratum replete with remains of saurians and ichthyolites occupies a similar stratigraphical position near Axmouth ; and Prof. Agassiz, during his visit to England in the autumn of 1840, identified in a series of specimens obtained by Miss Mary Anning, one Placoid, two Lepidoid, and one Sauroid fish, with well-known muschelkalk species. He also determined the existence of fifteen other species from this deposit, none of which have been yet noticed in the continental Triassic group. ‘Two, if not three, of the above muschelkalk ichthyolites are also found at Aust; and a comparison ~of the Aust and Axmouth species gives five as common to the two localities, twelve as confined to the former, and two to the latter. The only conclusion, Sir Philip Egerton states, which he feels justi- fied in advancing from the facts adduced in this communication is, that the beds in question, hitherto. considered as belonging to the lias, must be removed from that formation, inasmuch as they pre- sent a series of fishes not only specifically distinct from those of the lias, but possess in the Ganoid genera the heterocerqnue tail, an organism confined to the fishes which existed anterior to the lias. Appended to the paper is a systematic catalogue, compiled from the ‘ Poissons Fossiles,’ of the Ichthyolites hitherto described, from the keuper and muschelkalk of the Continent, together with those recently discovered at the Aust Passage and near Axmouth. The following extract from that document contains the species common to the Continent and England :— Order. | Placoid. Ganoid. 2? Continental Localities Genus and Species. English Localities. and Formations. Hybodus plicatilis, Axmouth. Passim. Muschelkalk. Gyroepis Albertii. Ibid.—Aust. Passim. _Ibid. -— tenuistriatus. Ibid.—Ibid. Passim. Ibid. Saurichthys apicalis. Ibid. Bayreuth. — Ibid, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. At a meeting of the Microscopical Society, held November 24th, N. B. Ward, Esq., in the Chair, a paper was read from the Rev. J. B. Reade, entitled, ‘‘ A Postscript to the Rev. J. B. Reade’s paper on the Process of Charring Vegetable Tissue as applied to the Sto- mata in the Epidermis of Garden Rhubarb ;” in which the author, after alluding to the experiments of Dr. Williams, as communicated to the Society in August last, which appeared to lead to the conclu- sion, that the process of charring was of very doubtful efficacy in de- termining delicate structure, suggests that the overlying membrane in stomata was really nothing more than an inspissation of gelatinous mucus raised by heat into contact with the glass, and by the pressure Microscopical Society. 393 extending as a carbonized pellicle from one edge of the aperture to the other. With reference to the point in dispute, there was sent with the communication a portion of cuticle, which, after being im- mersed in alcohol, distilled water and dilute hydrochloric acid, was, when perfectly dry, examined by a high power and the membrane distinctly seen; it was more evident after the process of charring, which process was so conducted as to obviate all error arising from pressure. The tissue was placed on a slip of glass, and submitted to the action of heat without being covered by another slip. Thus both the supposed sources of error were avoided ; the one by the pre- vious removal of organic mucus, and the other by a different mani- pulation. The paper was accompanied with akiotches of the stomata by Mr. Lewis Aldous, the power employed being about 2000 linear ; and the author concluded by stating, that Dr. Williams, after. seeing the membrane under this power, immediately approved of the process which rendered it so distinctly visible. A paper was read descriptive of three species of Sponge, con- taining some new forms of organization. By J. S. Bowerbank, Esq. The first specimen described is a Haltchondria, which the author has named Johnstoniana, i in honour of Dr. Johnston of Berwick-on- Tweed. The sponge is sessile, massive, and has a smooth encrusted sur- face of a dark iron-gray colour ; the interior is of a dull yellow co- lour and much resembles the crumb of bread. This sponge is re- markable for the great variety in the forms of the siliceous spicula ; of which the author describes three distinct kinds, each of which is characteristic of a separate part of the animal :—Ist. Those of the skeleton, which are mostly simple and slightly curved, having he- mispherical terminations ; but occasionally they are triradiate or multiradiate, and frequently branched. 2ndly. Those of the inter- stitial fleshy matter of the sponge; these are minute stellate bodies, having their rays attenuating regularly to their apices, the number of the rays varying from three to ten or twelve. 3rdly. The spicula of the crust or surface of the sponge ; they are very minute, some- what fusiform, terminate abruptly, and have their surfaces regularly tuberculated. The author also describes a fine vascular tisaie which he observed on the surfaces of the great excurrent canals. The gemmules are oval bodies, having a siliceous crust which is filled with minute spi- cula. ‘This species was found attached to the Thatcher. rock, near Torquay, Devonshire. The second sponge described belongs to the new genus Duseideia, proposed to be established by Dr. Johnston in his ‘ History of Bri- tish Sponges.’ This species was sent from Sidney, Australia, by Rupert Kirk, Esq., after whom it is named Kirkii. It is sessile, massive, and some- what compressed. ‘I’he skeleton is coarsely fibrous and coralloid in appearance, having numerous grains of sand separately imbedded in its substance. ‘The grains are not imbedded in the fibre from pres- 394 ‘Miscellaneous. sure through the external surface, but they occupy its very centre ; each grain being separately encysted by the cartilaginous matter of the skeleton, the whole being surrounded by a thick coating of the same substance. The author describes at length the mode in which this curious structure appears to have been built up, and_ illus- trates his descriptions by highly magnified drawings. of the manner in which the grains are built into the fibrous skeleton. Spicula were of rare occurrence in this specimen; when observed they were im- bedded in the external coating of the cartilaginous fibres; they are short and comparatively thick in proportion to their length, decrea- sing very slightly from the middle to near the points, and are termi- nated acutely but somewhat abruptly. The third species is the Spongia fragilis of Montague, or Duseideia fragilis of Johnston’s manuscript. It is massive, variable in form, of a dull ochreous yellow colour, and has the surface asperated by the projection of fibres, which contain numerous grains of sand im- bedded in a manner similar to those described in treating of the last species. There are also other fibres which are tubular in their struc- ture, containing few or no grains of sand, but an abundance of spi- cula remarkable for their great variety in form and size. No spicula were found in the fleshy matter of the sponge, but a considerable number of round or oval bodies were present, which pre- sented every appearance of being cytoblasts. The author concludes his paper by some observations on the pre- sent state of our knowledge of the structure of the Spongide, and notices certain changes that will become necessary in their systema- tical arrangement when our information regarding their structure is more matured. The paper was illustrated by drawings of the Sponges, and the various descriptions of spicula contained in their structures. MISCELLANEOUS. NIGER EXPEDITION.—MR. FRASER. A letter has just been received, by the Zoological Society, from Mr. Fraser, the naturalist to the Niger expedition, dated from the mouth of the river Nun, West Africa, August 14, 1841. In the first part of his letter Mr. Fraser alludes to a collection of specimens which he had formed during his passage out, and forwarded to England. ‘The collection consists of three mammals, twenty-eight reptiles, fifty birds, upwards of thirty fishes, and about forty boxes, bags, &c., containing insects and shells. The letter contained some interesting facts relating to the habits and localities of several dif- ferent species, and the writer expressed a hope that they would not be regarded as a specimen of what might be expected, as he had purposely abstained as much as possible from using his materials for preparing specimens until his arrival at the Niger. Little Auk.—In the ‘ Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist.’ for December, I perceive a notice by Mr. Townsend of the occurrence of Mergulus Miscellaneous. 895 Alle at Ipswich, and three more examples are mentioned by Mr. Mum- mery as having been met with near Margate. It would appear that the strong northerly winds which prevailed at the end of October caused a considerable number of these birds to take refuge in the in- terior of our island. I have heard of no less than ine imstances in this part of England, six of these birds having been picked up in Worcestershire and three in Shropshire. The whole of these were obtained on or about the 28th of October, the very day mentioned by Mr. Mummery as that on which his specimens were procured. At the same time a young Stercorarius Richardsoni and a young Sula bassana were obtained near Worcester, and have been added to the rich ornithological collection of the Natural History Society in that city. : I have further heard of two or three instances of the occurrence of Mergulus Alle near Oxford, during the last week in October. H. E. Srrircxuanp. - Worcestershire, Dec. 4th, 1841. New Crustacean Animal.—We learn that at Kerguelen’s Land Captain Ross had found a Crustacean animal, which of all yet known appears to come the nearest to the extinct group of Trilo- bites. Captains Ross and Crozier left Sidney early in August, de- termined, if possible, to pass the winter in the vicinity of the Ant- arctic pole. Mus agrestis, Linn.—In a recent communication by M. de Selys- Longchamps to the Academy of Sciences at Brussels*, he has stated his belief that the Mus agrestis of Linnzeus is a distinct species from the M. arvalis of Pallas, and from all the other European Arvicole de- scribed by him in his ‘ Etudes de Micromammalogie.’ This opinion is founded upon the examination of a skin lately sent him from Stock- holm ; and he thinks it probable that it is identical with the A. neg- lecta of Thompson, described in a former Number of this Maga- zine t.—L. J. DISAPPEARANCE OF THE SYLVIA RUBECOLA IN PARTS OF BELGIUM AND GERMANY. To the Editors of the Annals and Magazine of Natural History. The disappearance, of late years, of that familiar warbler the Redbreast, Sylvia rubecola, is a circumstance worthy of being re- corded in your ‘Annals.’ Being occupied for some time past in making out the ornithology of Belgium, I have been struck, during my researches, with the absence of this bird, which used to be com- mon when I first visited the continent in 1819, though even then not so frequent as it is in England. For several years it has totally disappeared from the provinces of Brabant, and East and West Flan- ders, and is so scarce in parts of Germany that it is difficult to meet with a specimen. Unwilling to rely on my own judgement alone, I * See L’Institut, No. 413. p. 404. + No. for June 1841, p. 270. 396 Miscellaneous. — questioned several of our Flemish bird-catchers, who told me that for near ten years this bird has been getting scarce, and is now no more seen as a winter visitant of our gardens, a few only appearing in the forest of the Ardennes in summer, but disappearing in autumn. The bad habit of eating this and other song-birds which practised by. the poor, may have contributed to drive away this interesting species from our countries. I should like to know whether the same thing has been observed in other districts. Yours, &c., T. Forster. Chair of Entomology.—The following names were presented by the Section of Anatomy and Zoology of the Académie des Sciences as Candidates for the Chair of Entomology at the Museum of Na- tural History, vacant by the death of M. Audouin :— 1. M. Milne Edwards: 2. M. Straus-Durckheim: 3. M. Guérin Menneville. ‘ At the following sitting, Dec. 13, M. Milne Edwards was elected. Menura superba.—Mr. Gould gives the following account of the Menura or Lyre-bird of Australia.* This bird, like the Brush Turkey (Talegalla Lathami, Gould), has been.classed by ornithologists in vari- ous groups, but perhaps most generally it has been regarded as one of the Gallinaceous order. Mr. Gould’s observations, however, all tend to prove that it ought to be arranged among the Insessores, and is most nearly allied to certain South American genera of Ground Thrushes, such as Pteroptochos, Scytalopus, &c. The Menura is a terrestrial bird, and but rarely takes to the wing. When pursued it generally escapes by running into the thick brush- wood: it is so extremely shy, the author observes, that of all the birds he ever met with the Lyre-bird is by far the most difficult to procure. : . Whilst among the brushes he has been surrounded by these birds, pouring forth their loud and liquid calls, for days together without being able to get a sight of them, and it was only by the most de- termined perseverance and extreme caution that he was enabled to effect this desirable object, which was rendered the more difficult by their often frequenting the almost inaccessible and precipitous sides of gullies and ravines. Its food appears to consist principally of in- sects, especially those of the Coleopterous order, and Centipedes. Mr. Gould also found the remains of shells of snails in the gizzard, which he remarks is strong-and muscular. The nest is placed either on the ledge of a projecting rock, at the base of a tree, or on the top of a stump, but always near the ground. | The natives state that the eggs are two in number, and of a light colour, freckled with red.— Proc. Zool. Soc. May 11, 1841. Anthus Richardi.—Mr Mummery informs us of his having shot another specimen of Richard’s Pipit, in the neighbourhood of Birch- ington, in the Isle of ‘Thanet, where he had before taken specimens in 1840, and in November last, Obituary: Professor Don. 397 OBITUARY :—PROFESSOR DON. It is our melancholy duty to record in the present Number the death of our able and estimable colleague Professor Don, which took place at the house of the Linnean Society in Soho Square, on Wednesday the 8th of December. The brief account of this distinguished naturalist and ~ amiable man which we subjoin is from an Edinburgh Journal, from the pen, we believe, of one of his early friends, and may be acceptable to our readers until an ampler tribute to his memory can be furnished. ‘He was the second son of the late Mr. George Don, whom some of our readers will remember as long the Curator of the Royal Botanic Garden, Leith-walk. Mr. David Don came to London in 1819, bringing with him letters of introduction from his friend Dr. Neill to the celebrated Robert Brown. ‘This gentleman soon per- ceived and duly appreciated the merits of the young Scotch botanist, and through his powerful recommendation he was successively ap- pointed Keeper of the Lambertiamw Herbarium and Librarian to the Linnean Society. In 1821 he accompanied Dr. Neill to Paris, and thus formed acquaintance with some of the most eminent continental naturalists, among whom were Humboldt, Cuvier, and Delessert. «« Mr. Don’s ‘ Prodromus Florz Nepalensis,’ and various excellent papers in the Linnean Transactions having brought him promi- nently into notice in the botanical world, he was chosen Professor of Botany in King’s College, London, and commenced his first course of lectures there in May 1836.” In Mr. Don the Editors of these ‘Annals’ have had a most able coadjutor, sinee he was distinguished no less for his skill in systematic and descriptive botany than for his ample ac- quaintance with the vast and well-cultivated field of vegetable physiology. It was in consequence of his spontaneous and disinterested offer of assistance, dictated at once by his zeal for science and his friendly disposition, that the Botanical de- partment was committed to his superintendence, and he was anxious to continue his aid as long as his declining strength permitted. This he was enabled to do until a late period from the readiness with which the editorial labours have been shared by some of our botanical friends. Among these we are bound especially to express our thanks to Mr. Bennett, Mr. Babington, Mr. Leighton, and the Rev. Mr. Berkeley, for their kind and able assistance. The following is as complete a list of Mr. Don’s writings as we are at present enabled to give :— Descriptions of several new or rare native Plants, found in Scotland, chiefly by the late Mr. George Don of Forfar. (Mem, Wern. Nat. Hist. Soc., vol. iii, 1821.) 398 - Obituary: Professor Don. Descriptions of several new Plants from the Kingdom of Nepaul, taken from Specimens preserved in the Herbarium of Aylmer Bourke Lambert, Esq.— (Mem. Wern. Nat. Hist. Soc., vol. iii. 1821.) An Illustration of the Natural Family of Plants called Melastomacea.— Ibid, vol. iv. 18238. 7 A Monograph of the Genus Pyrola.—Ibid, vol. v. part 1. 1824. Memoir on the Classification and Division of Gnaphalium and X eranthe- mum of Linnezeus.— bid, vol. v. part 2. 1826. Prodromus Flore Nepalensis. 12mo, Lond., 1825. Description of the genus Malesherbia, of the Flora Peruviana, &c. (From the Edinb. New Philos. Journ., 1827.) Descriptions of Columellia, Tovaria, and Francoa.— Ibid. Observations on Philadelphie and Granatee.—Ibid. On the Affinities of the Empetree.—Tbid. On the Characters of Darwinia, Brunsfelsia, &c.—Ibid. Attempt at a new Classification of the Cichoracee.—Ibid. On the Affinities of Vellosia, Glaux, &c.— Ibid, 1830. Monograph of the Family of Plants called Cunoniacee.—Ibid. On the Characters and Affinities of certain genera, chiefly belonging to the Flora Peruviana.—Jbid, 1831-32. Remarks on the Rhubarb of commerce, the Purple-coned Fir of Nepaul, and the Mustard-tree.—Jbid. ’ Descriptions of some new species of Malesherbia, Kageneckia, Quillaja, and of a new genus of the order Salicaria.— Ibid, 1832. Note on the Cow-tree of the Caraccas.—Jbid. On the Characters and Affinities of the genus Codon.-—Jbid, 1833. ‘On the connexion which subsists between the calyx and ovarium in cer- tain Plants of the order Melastomaceea.—Ibid. Attempt at a new arrangement of the Lricacee:—Ibid, 1834. On the anomalous structure of the leaf of Rosa berberifolia.— Ibid. Monograph of the genus Saxifraga.—Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. Descriptions of nine new species of the genus Carex, natives of the Hi- malaya Alps in Upper Nepaul.— bid, vol. xiv. Description of Cowania, anew genus of Plants, and of a new species of Sieversia.—Lbid. Description of a new genus belonging to the natural family of Plants called Scrophularine.—Ibid, vol. xv. On the Origin and Nature of the Ligulate Rays in Zinnia; and on a re- markable multiplication observed in the parts of fructification of that genus. —TIbid, vol. xvi, Descriptions of the new genera and species of Composite belonging to the Floras of Peru, Mexico, and Chili.— Jid. On the Plant which yields the Gum Ammoniacum.—/Jbid. Observations on the Zrop@olum pentaphyllum of Lamarck.—Jbid, vol. xvii. Additional Observations on the Zropeolum pentaphyllum of Lamarck.— Ibid. On the modifications of Aistivation observable in certain Plants formerly referred to the genus Cinchona.—Zbid. Remarks on some British Ferns.—Jbid. Descriptions of five new species of the genus Pinus, discovered by Dr. Coulter in California.—/Jbid. Descriptions of Indian Gentianee.—Ibid. Descriptions of two new genera of Conifere.—Jbid, vol. xviii. Description of a new genus of Bignoniacee (Catophractes).—Ibid. Descriptions of the Indian species of Jris.—J/bid. Account of the Indian species of Juncus and Luzula.—TIbid. Meteorological Observations. | 399 A Monograph of the genus Desporum.—Linn. Trans., vol. xxviii, A Monograph of the genus Streptopus.—Ibid. The new Series of Sweet’s British Flower Garden was conducted by Mr. Don solely. [Commenced about 1830.] . List of the Plants collected by Mr. Fellows in Asia Minor, with descrip- tions of the new species.—1841. J, E. BOWMAN, Esa. We have also to notice with sincere regret the decease of our much-respected friend and correspondent J. E. Bowman, Esq., F.L.S. & G.S. In our last Number we had occasion to mention the result of investigations in which he had been engaged in Wales du- ring the past summer, upon the question of the traces of glacial or diluvial agency, relative to which in Scotland he had formrely fa- voured us with some communications. We shall have a future op- portunity of noticing his contributions to natural science. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR NOVEMBER 1841. Chiswick.—November 1. Rain. 2. Hazy: fine: foggy. 3, 4. Foggy: hazy. 5. Hazy. 6—8. Hazy: very fine. 9. Overcast: windy at night. 10, Overcast . and fine. 11. Very fine. 12. Showery. 13. Cloudy: clear and fine: rain. 14. Rain: stormy: clear. 15. Frosty: hazy: sleet. 16. Frosty: clear. 17, Sharp frost: clear. 18. Stormy with sleet: cloudy and cold. 19. Densely over- cast: rain: clear. 20. Foggy: overcast. 21. Stormy with rain. 22. Rain: clear at night. 23. Clear: overcast. 24,25. Clear and fine. 26. Frosty and foggy. 27, Foggy: rain at night. 28. Hazy and damp: heavy rain at night. 29. Heavy rain. 30. Boisterous: barometer very low. Boston.—Nov.1. Cloudy: rainr.m. 2. Cloudy. 3,4. Foggy. 5,6. Cloudy. 7—9. Fine. 10. Cloudy. 11. Fine: rain early a.m. 12. Cloudy: rain early a.M. 13. Fine. 14. Stormy.: 15—17. Fine. 18, Cloudy. 19, Snow and stormy: rain a.m, and ym. 20, Foggy: rain p.m. 21. Rain. 22. Fine: rain p.M. 23—26. Fine. 27. Cloudy: rain early a.m.: rainr.m. 28, Cloudy. 29. Cloudy: rain early a.m. 30, Rain and stormy: rain early a.m. Sandwick Manse, Orkney.—Nov. 1. Cloudy: clear. 2. Frost a.m.: clear. 3, 4. Clear. 5. Clear: aurora borealis, 6. Rain. 7, 8. Showers. 9. Rain. 10. Clear shower: aurora borealis. 11. Cloudy. 12. Cloudy: rain. 13. Snow showers, - 14—-17. Snow lying: showers. 18, 19. Snow lying. 20. Snow ly- ing: rain, 21. Showers. 22. Rain. 23, 24. Fine. 25. Frost: clear. 26. Showers. 27, 28, Frost. 29, 30. Rain. Applegarth Manse, Dumfries-shire.—Nov. 1. Slight rain. 2. Hard frost. 3, 4. Slight frost. 5. Moist after frost. 6. Cloudy a.M.: rain r,m. 7, 8. Dull: sbowery r.M. 9, 10, Dark and squally: raine.m. 11. Showery but mild, 12, Showery but boisterous. 13. Showery: snow_on hills. 14, Snow shower: frost all day. 15, Hard frost. 16. Hard frost: clear and fine. 17. Hard frost; cloudy. 18. Milder: slight snow. 19. Thaw: fine and mild. 20, 21. Wet. 22. Fair but dull. 23, 24. Showery and squally. 25. Frosty and clear. 26. Frosty but cloudy. 27. Rain. 28. Drizzling. 29, 30. Very wet and squally. Sun shone out 20 days. Rain fell 17 days, Frost 9 days. Snow 2 days, Wind North 1 day. North-north-east 1 day. North-east 5 days, East-north- east 2 days. East 6 days. South-east 14 day. South 2 days. South-south- west 1 day. South-west 33 days. West-south-west 1 day. West 3 days. West- north-west 1 day. North-west 1 day. North-north-west 1 day. Calm 9 days. Moderate 9 days. Brisk 6 days, Strong breeze 4 days. Boiste- rous 2 days. 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S S520 ‘ = Pols : 5 | § i yormpueg | ‘airys | 3 5 |. ae Ee younpueg aitys ee eae Pg 7 Re) BE le lst) ee |B &1 85 | ‘gouqig |~yuing |.” * | OMSI4O) ‘S's uoPHOT | ‘kouqag | “setguing | | sepia Bek =o me - ss = 4 "Ue yy “PULA *IOJOULOUTIOY I, “I9jOMOIV = g 7 “KINTUQC) ‘asunpy younpung yD pup ‘AUIHS-saTas “wag ‘asunpyr yqunSaddy yp ‘aequag ‘Aj fg {Noxsog 7” ‘jeaA “ayy 49 Suopuory anau ‘HOIMSIH() 7D hjaroog pounznaysopy 947 JO UapL4vy) ay} 7D ‘uosduioy yf, “WW 49 $ uoqaqoy ‘IW ‘Aevpauvag qunjsisspr ayy fig ‘NoaNo'y ‘Aja00g pohoy ayz fo suaupindpy ay2 yo apoue su01vaLasqC yar%0j0.10942 Jar “THE ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. No. 53. FEBRUARY 1842. — XLVIII.—On Epilobium angustifolium, Linn., and species which have been confounded with it. By W. A. Le1autTon, Esq., B.A., F.B.S.E., &c. SIncE my last communication on this subject, Mr. Hewett C. Watson, and Mr. Kippist have most kindly taken upon themselves the trouble of comparing my descriptions of the two Epilobiums (see p. 247) with the single specimen of £. angustifolium in the Linnzan Herbarium, the result of which examination has been the identification of the plant named by Mr. H. O. Stephens EL. macrocarpum (see p. 170), and de- scribed by me under that name (see p. 247), with the true #. angustifolium of Linneus. The herbarium of Sir J. E. Smith also contains three specimens, one of which, from the Pyre- nees, labelled “persicifolium, Pour.,” proves to be the true H#. angustifolium, Linn., also. The remaining two specimens (one marked “ England,” and the other, “a garden specimen,”) are different from the first, though similar to each other; but as they are merely tops of stems and too imperfect and un- characteristic, it is scarcely possible to determine anything with certainty concerning them ; though, from the distinctly rounded base of a separate leaf marked as belonging to the former of the two specimens, they are both, in all probability, referable to the plant described by me, at p. 247, as E. angus- tifolium, and which consequently, if it is to be retained as a distinct species, must receive a new name. As the relative size of the capsule in the two plants forms the most pro- minent character, it may be advisable to adopt some term ex- pressive of this difference. I propose therefore to name it Eypilobium brachycarpum, which term will be available and expressive whether it remain a distinct species or be ulti- mately degraded to a variety of the true angustifolium. Mr. Watson also communicated the particulars of specimens in his own herbarium, from a dozen or more different localities in England and Scotland. Many of these specimens appear however either too immature or imperfect to decide very con- Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. 2D 402 Mr. W.A. Leighton on Epilobium angustifolium. clusively on their appropriation, although, upon the whole, I incline to refer them all, with the exception of three or four doubtful ones, to the true angustifolium. Below I have in- serted their localities, with a view of directing the attention of botanists in their respective neighbourhoods to their more correct and certain appropriation by subsequent examina- tions. One highly interesting result however is, that as so many of these specimens are in all probability referable to the true angustifolium, and as their localities range from the ex- treme south of England far into Scotland, the right of this species to be regarded as indigenous to Britain appears to be clearly established; whilst the occurrence of brachycarpum generally in gardens renders it probable that its naturalization in the habitats where it occurs has been originally from the outcasts or escapes of cultivation. Ihave looked into all the books, British and continental, within my reach in the hope of elucidating the synonymy, but with little success. The figure of ‘ English Botany’ is evidently our drachycarpum, the form of the capsule and the direction of its peduncle being very characteristic ; and as the locality from whence the spe- cimen figured was gathered bears very suspicious marks of being anything but a wild station, it seems highly probable that the other habitats of the Cheviot Hills, Teesdale, and the north of England there mentioned, are rather referable to the true angustifolium. The descriptions of Smith’s ‘ English Flora’ and Hooker’s ‘ British Flora’ are necessarily too un- certain for accurate appropriation. The description of EH. an- gustifolium, Linn., and its variety 8. bracteatum, in Wimm. and Grab. ¢ Fl. Siles.,’ vol. i. p. 368, leaves no doubt that these writers were acquainted with both our plants, notwithstanding they make no mention of the capsules. Their E. angustifo- lium is the true angustifolium, Linn., and their variety . brac- teatum is as certainly our brachycarpum, since they thus de- scribe the former: “ Folia brevissimé petiolata, lineari-lan- ceolata acuminata basi attenuata, . . . . integerrima superne obsolete denticulata. Sepala petala equant. Petala breviter unguiculata subrotundo-cuneiformia;” and the latter, “Corollis ainplis sepala superantibus, foliis minus acuminatis basi ro-. tundatis.” Mention is also made of the bracteas being larger in their variety 8. than in the species, a circumstance which likewise occurs in our brachycarpum, but apparently not with sufficient constancy to be applicable as a character. To our brachycarpum I am also disposed to quote the EZ. angustifolium of Bertoloni, ‘ FI. Italica,’ vol. iv. p. 291, from the apparent correspondence of the description of the capsule and the di- rection of its peduncle: “ Pedunculi post anthesim ascendenti- Mr. W. A. Leighton on Epilobium angustifolium. 403 patuli. Capsula crassiuscula.” From the Shropshire spe- cimens noted in my ‘Flora’ of that county as having been seen by me proving to be brachycarpum, and from my knowledge of the situation of the other localities quoted in that. work rendering it probable that the plants growing therein are not truly wild, but rather outcasts or escapes, I cannot refrain from adding the EZ. angustifolium of Fl. Shropsh. as a syno- nym of brachycarpum. For the present, however, the characters, &c. may stand as follows :— E. angustifolium, Linn. Leaves linear-lanceolate, acuminate, somewhat attenuate at the base, acute, entire, obsoletely calloso-denticulate ; peduncles shorter than the germen ; sepals as long as, or slightly longer than, the petals; pistil as long as, or slightly longer than, the stamens, segments at first erect, finally revolute ; capsule very long (24 inches), linear, straight, erect, nearly parallel with the stem, tetragonous, angles rounded and nearly obsolete. ‘‘ Sp. Plant. 493.” Linn. Herb. a. Wimm. et Grab. FI. Siles., vol. i. p. 368.—* E. persicifolium, Pour.,’” Smith. Herb.—E. macro- carpum, H. O. Stephens in Ann. Nat. Hist., vol. viii. p. 170. Leighton, 7b. p. 247. Wyre Forest, Shropshire! Mr. G. Jorden. Cauldron Snout! Prof. Henslow. Weigh Wood, Somersetshire. Mr. G. K. Thwaites. Sussex Forests. Wm. Borrer, Esq. Forfarshire. Dalnacardoch, Perthshire. Loch Lubnaig, Perthshire. Aberdeenshire. By a rivulet at foot of Cheviot. Singleton, Chichester? Esher, Surrey. Shirley near Southampton. Coola’s Castle, Shanklin, Isle of Wight. Wat- son Herbarium. In meadows near Sheffield, and in several other places in the north. Ray. On the Cheviot Hills. Mr. Winch. 'Tees- dale. Rev. Mr. Harriman. South of Scotland, frequent. Hooker. E. brachycarpum, Leighton. Leaves linear, acuminate, more or less rounded at the base, mu- cronate, shallowly but distinctly calloso-denticulate ; peduncles about equal to the germen; sepals shorter than the petals ; pistil 4rd longer than the stamens, segments circinato-revolute ; capsule short (about 1 inch), linear-oblong, subattenuate at both ends, slightly curved, subpatulous, distinctly tetragonous.— E. angustifolium (non Linn.). E. Bot. t. 1947. No, 2 and 3 Smith. Herb. Bertoloni, Fl. Ital., vol. iv. p. 29]. Stephens in Ann. Nat. Hist., vol. vill. p. 170 (excl. syn.). Leighton, id. p. 247. Leighton, Fl. Shropsh. p. 166.—,. bracteatum, Wimm. et Grab. Fl. Siles., vol. 1. p. 369. Near Bewdley! Mr. G. Jorden. Trapp’s Coppice, Buildwas, Shropshire! Miss Moseley. Near Preston Boats, Shrewsbury! Rev. W. R. Crotch. Red Barn near Shrewsbury! F/. Shropsh. Between Capel Cerrig and Cernioge, North Wales ! Miss Moseley. Near Esher, Surrey, possibly originating from a garden? Moffat Water? Faleon 2D2 404 Mr. J. Alder on Lottia virginea. Clints, Durham? Banks of the Swale, Richmond, Yorkshire. Wat- son Herbarium. On arising ground beyond Robin Hood Inn in the road to Kingston-upon-Thames. Eng. Bot. In conclusion, I would mention a suggestion of Mr. H. C. Watson’s, which to my mind is of very primary importance, and the resolution of which by cultivators of our British plants will go far to settle the question of the real claims of E. brachycarpum to the rank of a species. I will quote Mr. Watson’s own words: “ It may be worth ascertaining whether luxuriance at root does not enlarge the leaves and shorten the capsule. Fruit is often imperfect when roots are strong and well nourished, especially in creepers.” In the roots of the plants forwarded to me by Mr. Jorden, I did not observe any perceptible difference of luxuriance; but Mr. Jorden’s observation, that H. brachycarpum never produced fertile seeds, so confirmatory of Mr. Watson’s remark, must be care- fully borne in mind, as it goes far to render such luxuriance under cultivation very probable. W. A. LeigurTon. Dec. 24, 1841. XLIX.—Remarks on Lottia virginea. By Josu. ALDER, Esq. SoME misunderstanding has lately arisen concerning the characters and synonyms of the little mollusk whose shell has been long known to British conchologists as the Patella parva of Da Costa. This species was referred by Maton and Rackett, and by Montagu, to the Patella virginea of Muller ; an opinion which was generally adopted by succeeding authors, until Dr. Johnston, in a short article published in the second volume of the ‘ Magazine of Zoology and Botany,’ gave some reasons for supposing it to be incorrect. Audouin and Milne Edwards having stated that the animal of the “ Paéelles roses” found in the English Channel differed entirely in the structure of the branchiz from the true Patelle, Dr. Johnston was in- duced to examine the Patella virginea of our shores, and “ I soon satisfied myself,” he says, “ that those found on the coast of Berwickshire at least were formed like the true Paéella, the cloak of the animal being ciliated all round with a fringe of short equal filaments. The accuracy of this observation I have recently had occasion to confirm in company with my friend Mr. J. Alder. It follows, therefore,” he adds, “ that the shell usually called Patella virginea by British concholo- gists is not that so named by Muller, but is probably his Pa- tella tessellata, in which the margin of the cloak is ciliated.” The opinion that our species is the Patella tessellata of Mul- Mr. J. Alder on Lottia virginea. 405 ler has been since adopted by Mr. Forbes, who published it as such in his ‘ Malacologia Monensis ;’ and in the same work he describes another species which he considers new, referring it to a different genus under the name of Lottia pulchella. Having been brought forward as a witness to a fact, the conclusion drawn from which 1 now believe to be erroneous, I think it incumbent upon me to state the result of some further and more accurate observations recently made upon the same species, which is not uncommon on the coast of Northumber- land, where I have had frequent opportunities of collecting it alive of all sizes during the last and preceding summers. When examined attentively with a magnifier of moderate power, a falciform process may be seen issuing from a cavity on the back of the neck, proceeding behind the head and ter- minating in a curve on the right side of it. This process is capable of great extension and contraction, and a free action from side to side of the cavity, at the will of the animal. When withdrawn it is not visible from below, a circumstance which may account for its having been overlooked. It contains two large vessels running on opposite sides through its whole length; these are again crossed at right angles by smaller ones forming projecting rigs. Thus when seen at a side, the edges appear smooth as in fig. 1; but when viewed either on Fig. 3. the back or front, it assumes a strongly pectinated or plumed appearance (fig. 2 and 3). The whole surface is seen to be ciliated under a high magnifier. There cannot be a doubt that this process is the true branchiz of the animal; in addi- tion to which, however, there is, as remarked by Dr. Johnston, a dense fringe of filaments completely surrounding the cloak, and bearing a strong resemblance both in position and ap- pearance to the branchial fringe of Patella. Its situation how- ever 1s nearer the margin of the cloak, and instead of being composed of flat leaflets as in that genus, it consists of nearly linear filaments of unequal Jength with thickened ends. It is banded with pink at intervals corresponding with the mark- ings of the shell. The function of this fringe I have not been able satisfactorily to ascertain. It is possible that the fila- ments may be accessory branchie, thus forming an interme- __—» diate link between Lottia and Patella, so nearly allied in all 406 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. other points of structure. Not having succeeded, however, in detecting vibratory cilia upon their surface, I rather incline to consider them as corresponding to the tentacular filaments which are found at the extreme edge of the cloak in all our British Patellg as well as in Lottia testudinalis, though en- tirely wanting in this species, to which the term “ margine in- tegerrima*” may therefore very appropriately be applied. In tracing this species through all its stages, I find that in its very young state the red markings of the shell are not in regular lines, but have a tessellated or chained appearance ex- actly similar to those of Mr. Forbes’s Lottia pulchella; in fact, I cannot perceive any difference between my shells and specimens of Lottia pulchella kindly presented to me by Mr. Forbes. That the specimens collected on this coast are really the young of the larger species I can have no doubt, having ob- served it in all stages of growth, and traced the transition of the chained markings of the centre until they become linear at the edges of the half-grown shells. In more advanced stages of growth, however, the apex becomes thickened and the early markings obliterated. From what has been stated, then, I think I am warranted in coming to the conclusion, that this species is a Lottia of Gray (Patelloidea, Quoy); that L. pulchella of Forbes is the young state of the same; and, after an examination of the figures and description in the ‘ Zoologia Danica,’ I must also add, that I consider it to be the true Patella virginea of Muller +. 3 ; Newcastle, Dec. 9, 1841. L.—The Birds of Ireland. By Wm. TuHompson, Esq., Vice- Pres. Nat. Hist. Society of Belfast. [Continued from p. 360. ] ‘No. 9.—Fringillide ; Sturnide ; Corvide. Tue Buuurincn, Pyrrhula vulgaris, Temm., is one of those birds which is distributed over the island, but is at the same time, in one sense, a local species. Mr. Selby observes that it is © common in all the wooded districts of these islands,’—but * See Muller’s description of Patella virginea. + Patella tessellata, Mull., appears to me to be avariety of Lottia testudi- nalis, which sometimes approaches very near in appearance to L. virginea. The tessellated markings, the distinct longitudinal striz, and the brown im- pression inside the shell, are all characters of the former species, and consti- tute the principal difference between them. ‘The cloak of L. testudinalis is also (as I have stated above) fringed with filaments at the external margin, while that of Z. virginea is entire. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 407 this will not apply to Ireland. In many of the artificially wood- ed districts, it is either not to be found at all, or is only known as an occasional visitant; but where any extent of indigenous or natural wood remains, and there is sufficient growth of the more shrubby trees, the bullfinch may be looked for almost with certainty. In some picturesque and extensive glens in the county of Antrim and near Belfast, this bird was common so long as the hazel and holly of natural growth maintained their ground, but as these were swept away, the bullfinch deserted such localities as abodes, and “ few and far between” are now even its temporary visits. In the neighbouring county of Down, this bird finds a home in sequestered situations where the hazel predominates, and in this shrubby tree com- monly nestles. In “nature’s wild domain,” the bullfinch looks eminently beautiful, and can be admired without the alloy as- sociated with its appearance in the garden or the orchard, where it proves so destructive. . Its call-note and song have generally met with little admiration from the historians of the species, but being sweetly plaintive, are to me extremely pleasing. Small seeds were the only food in the stomachs of a few bullfinches which came under my observation in winter. Mr. Selby (in his ‘ Illustrations of British Ornithology ’ and the ‘ Naturalist’) and Mr. Knapp, give very interesting ac- counts of the bullfinch from personal observation, and parti- cularly with reference to the plants which it attacks. PINE Buvurincn, Pyrrhula Enucleator, Temm.—See An- nals, vol. vil. p. 478. Crosspiuix., Loxia curvirosira, Linn.—This bird has pee been known as an occasional visitant to Ireland. In Harris’s ‘ History of the County of Down’ (1774), it is remarked of crossbills, that “many of them were seen at Waringstown in 1707.” Smith, in his ‘ History of Cork’ (1749), observes, that “these birds have been seen in this county, but are rare.” Rutty, in his ‘ Natural History of Dublin’ (1772), says of the crossbill-—“ it has been seen at Ireland’s Eye, and we have had several flights of them to the counties of Wicklow and Dublin, particularly in 1714.” Mr. R. Ball informs me, that during his residence at Youghal, this species was known to him as occur- ring but once in the south, upwards of thirty years ago, when it committed great devastation in the orchards: its appear- ance in the south of the county of Cork, about twenty-nine or thirty years ago, has been reported to me by others, who state that it was looked upon as an extraordinary rarity—probably the same flight of birds is alluded to by all. Mr. Ensor, in an article contributed to the 6th vol. of the ‘ Magazine of Natural — 408 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. History’ (p. 81), and dated Ardress, county Armagh, re- marks—“ there was a flight of these birds in my plantations for weeks in 1813 or 1814*.”? In 1821, when crossbills were so abundant in Scotland, they visited Ireland also, and some were killed about Belfast—here a venerable friend has from his early years known them as occasional winter visitants, and has captured them when feeding, by means of fishing-rods smeared with bird-lime. Since my own attention has been given to the subject, the cross- bill is recorded either in my notes or otherwise as occurring at the following times and places :—‘‘ in the county of Wicklow, about De- cember 1828” (Dr. J. D. Marshall) ; and on the 26th of this month, when an example was obtained near Belfast ; it was on the top of a larch-fir, apparently feeding on the cones when fired at, and being only wounded, clung so tenaciously to the branch that it was with diffi- culty got down ; in the winter of this same year the species was shot in the county of ‘Tyrone or Armagh—near Belfast in the winter of 1829-80; in the month of January in this latter year, specimens were procured in the county of Wicklow;—Dr. Burkitt, of Waterford, writes to me that “ crossbills visited us in 183], and were said to be very destructive to orchards near the city ;’—near Belfast in July 1833, when several in red plumage were obtained ;—December 22, 1835, one was shot at Crumlin, county of Antrim, and about the same day another was killed when feeding in company with a few others in larch-firs near Lurgan, county of Armagh ;— about the Ist of February 1836, two, shot near Tanderagee in the last-named county, came under my inspection; the point of the lower mandible extended beyond the profile of the upper in one of them; their sto- machs were filled with larch-seed : a specimen was shot near Belfast in the same month. When visiting Tollymore Park, county of Down, this year (1836), in the month of August, I was informed by the in- telligent gamekeeper that a pair of crossbills had bred there in the summer just then passed ; he saw them with their three young ones : although he had before observed this species here in the winter, he had not done so in summer until that time ;—J uly 1837, I saw two examples in Dublin which were shot in the neighbourhood of the Dargle, county of Wicklow, at the end of June, when many more were in company with them: they attracted attention by their noise, which was described to resemble that produced by the breaking of sticks, and the observer on looking up saw the birds hanging to the upper branches of fir-trees engaged in opening the cones for the seed. —In the winter of 1837-38, the following note of specimens which were sent to Dublin to be preserved was obligingly made for me by T. W. Warren, Esq., and H. H. Dombrain, Esq.: ‘‘ Oct. 20. Num- bers seen and some killed in the neighbourhood of Booterstown, * Loxia coccothraustes is the scientific name applied to the bird referred to, but from the observation that it is significantly called “ cross-beak,’” it seems to me warrantable to conclude that Lowia curvirostra is meant. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 409 county Dublin.—Feb. 3, 1838. Three shot in the county of Carlow. —Feb. 5. Seven from county of Kildare, and 26th of same month a similar number were sent from the county of Carlow to Dublin ;— about the metropolis itself, specimens were occasionally shot from October to March.” At the end of December 1837, I received from Portglenone, county of Antrim, two specimens, which with a couple more were shot out of a flock of about twelve that made known their presence by the noise produced in opening the cones of the “‘ Scotch-fir” (Pinus sylvestris), in a grove of which trees they were feeding. On the 9th of January, and again on the 20th of February, two of these birds were killed in a fir-grove near Hillsborough Park, county of Down; on the former occasion four were seen, on the latter, the two only.—At Finnebrogue, near Downpatrick, one was obtained last winter; and the Rev. T. Knox, writing from Tooma- vara, in the county of Tipperary, remarked, that he had heard of flocks being seen in the west of Ireland at the same period. When at Tollymore Park in June 1838, the gamekeeper before alluded to informed me that in the preceding winter crossbills were abundant there, as many as fifty being sometimes seen in a flock. He pointed out a larch-fir upon which he and a gentleman visiting the park saw fourteen or fifteen engaged in extracting the seed, some of the birds being at the time but a few yards above the spectators’ heads, and sending the cones to the ground in numbers;—like others who have witnessed it, he remarks that they are generally very tame when feeding. He has seen them picking at the cones of the various spe- cies of firs and pines in the park, and particularizes the spruce-fir as one on which they were so employed :—since 1836 the crossbill has not been known to breed there*. ; In the spring of 1838, as communicated to me by the Rev. B. J. Clarke, seven of these birds were shot on the Spire Hill, near Port- arlington, Queen’s-county ;—about Mountmellick, in that county, they were abundant some years ago, and proved very destructive to the apples. Dr. Farran, of Feltrim, near Dublin, has assured: me that crossbills bred at Delgany and the Vale of Ovoca, in the county of Wicklow, in 1838; and in the same year they are said to have bred in the county of Meath, but unfortunately no particulars are available. A crossbill shot near the town of Antrim on the 20th of January 1839 came under my observation. In one instance only have any fragments of stone occurred to me in the stomach of this spe- cies. A bird-preserver in Wexford, in a letter dated November 1841, * My informant states, that about twenty years ago (now 1838) crossbills came “in thousands” to the plantations at Dumfries House, in Ayrshire, the seat of the Marquis of Bute, ‘and did not leave a cone upon the firs.” The year 1821 is probably alluded to, as these birds are reported to have been then particularly numerous in other parts of Scotland and some parts of England. Mr. Macgillivray (‘ British Birds,’ vol. i. p. 425) gives a most lively and graphic account of a flock of some hundreds he met with in the east of Scotland feeding upon the fruit or seed of the mountain-ash (Pyrus aucuparia). 410 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. kindly communicated that “in the. last SOMA S -wRMAOR: several crossbills were killed in that neighbourhood. Mr. Robert Davis, jun., of Clonmel, a very zealous and observant naturalist, replied in February 1837 to a query respecting the occur- rence of crossbills in that part of the country, that he had not heard of them since their appearance in great numbers about the year 1802. I was afterwards informed by this gentleman, that “ about the 18th of January 1838, a flock of these birds appeared at Ballibrado, near Cahir, and five of them were killed ; they were very tame, and were observed to feed like a parrot, holding the fir-cones in one claw.” He remarks again, that ‘‘on the 16th of August the same year, four crossbills were sent me from Ballibrado, where they still continue in considerable numbers. I cannot hear of their occurrence anywhere else, except in the neighbouring demesne of Kilcommon’’---‘‘ two more [he continues, writing on the 12th of September] were sent me since, but like the others were much damaged, as, in consequence of their tameness, the person who shot them fired from too short a distance. ‘They appeared to be as follows—adult males; males passing from the red state into the adult; young males just getting a few red feathers; and I suppose females, in the brownish-gray state : from what I hear they would seem to be moulting fast.” On the 11th of January 1839, Mr. Davis again observes—‘* Crossbills are still to be seen at Ballibrado, where they have been all winter, and when last noticed, about a week since, appeared to have paired. I am rather of opinion that they bred here last year, but it does not amount to more than a surmise grounded upon their appearance so early, accompanied by such a number of young, and principally from the destruction of the cones of the spruce-fir having been noticed throughout the year.’ On May 18, 1839, my correspondent, in transmitting the skins of two specimens for my examination, con- tinues-— ‘‘ from ten to twenty crossbills have remained all the winter, and up to the present time at Ballibrado, but, though some search was made, no nest was discovered. About five or six weeks since, two or more clutches of young birds were seen accompanying the old ones who were observed feeding them. The young bird I send was shot in the act of taking food from an old cock ; it was sent me five weeks ago [early in April]; the other bird sent varies a little in colour from most specimens, and was shot about three weeks before that time. ‘The young one had every appearance of a nestling, feet soft and weak, bill not strong, and a great number of the large fea- thers not fully produced*.’”’ On July 18th the same year, Mr. Davis observed that the ‘‘crossbills had not been noticed in their usual haunts, nor, indeed, anywhere for two months back.” * This bird is of adult size: the head, back, and rump, or whole upper plumage, is yellowish green, with a dark olive centre to each feather, this dark marking occupying more of the feathers anteriorly than towards the tail ; the entire under plumage is yellowish-white, with an olive-brown streak down the centre of each feather; tail and larger wing-feathers dark brown, with the outer margin yellowish-green.—W. T. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 411 Notes on the plumage, and sometimes full descriptions from the recent specimens which came under my examination, were drawn up ; but it is sufficient to observe here, that they were in every state from that put on at the first moult to maturity; by far the greater number were in the bright red plumage : one only (that already no- ticed) displayed the markings of the young previous to the first moult. I have not had the gratification of seeing crossbills in a wild state in Ireland ; but early in September 1837, my attention was directed to them by Mr. Selby and Sir Wm. Jardine as they were on wing from one plantation to another in the demesne at T'wizell and at Chillingham Park, Northumberland. Authors generally report the crossbill as arriving in Great Britain in June, but it has mostly been a late autumnal or a winter visitant to Ireland, leaving the country again early in the spring—like other birds of passage. Mr. Yarrell’s remark with reference to England, that crossbills “ were more abun- dant during the greater part of 1836, 1837, and 1838 than was known for some years before”—might it not be said, than was ever known before in three successive years ?>—applies to Ire- land also, as shown in the preceding notes. In endeavouring to account for the cause of the more frequent visits of cross- bills to the British Islands of late years, we should perhaps know in the first place if any change has occurred in their metropolis or chief quarter whence they come; but, ignorant of this, we can only look at home and see if there be any at- traction for them now that the country was deficient in before. Sir Wm. Jardine observes: “‘ in the south of Scotland at least, where an immense extent of young pine timber has been planted within thirty years, the crossbill has undoubtedly become more common, and we know now remains through the year*.” In Ireland likewise, plantations including the Conifere, but above all, the larch, have greatly increased within the same period, and may be the means of prolonging the stay of crossbills, or inducing them to remain occasionally through- out the year. And as somewhat corroboratory of this, it may be noticed, that plentiful as these birds were of late years, we have heard but little of damage done to orchards by them as in earlier times, the seed of the Conifere having generally afforded abundance of food. Still, I cannot but think that the primary cause of their more frequent migrations hither must be looked for in their aboriginal abode. A friend of ex- cellent judgement to whom this idea was mentioned, is rather inclined. to consider crossbills as a wandering tribe having no proper home, but who pitch their tent and take up their * Naturalist’s Library, British Birds, vol. ii. p. 340. 412 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. abode at a place just so long as it suits them, without con- templating a return to any particular region. Bewick and Yarrell, in their respective histories of British birds, treat us with delightful and copious accounts of the ap- pearance of crossbills in England in the olden time, when, like a more potent enemy—“ they were attacked with slings and crossbows,” valiantly “never thinking of flying off till some of them, stricken by stones or apples, or leaden bullets, fell dead from the trees.” The grand point of view in which birds were considered at that period (1593) is not omitted to be mentioned, as in one account it is stated that “ their flesh was sufficiently savoury and delicate,” and in the other, that “ they were very good meate*.” WHITE-WINGED CrossBILL, Lowia leucoptera, Gmel.— The only record of the occurrence of this bird in Ireland is the following, communicated by Mr. Templeton to his friend Mr. Dawson Turner, and published in the ‘ Linnzan Trans- ‘actions ’"—“ Shot at Greenville, near Belfast, January 11, 1802.” This is the first notice of the species as a visitant to the British Islands. Mr. Templeton’s drawing represents the female bird as described by C. L. Bonaparte.t * Loxia pytiopsittacus is included in Templeton’s ‘ Catalogue of Irish Birds,’ from the supposed occurrence of the species in one instance. A co- loured drawing of the specimen, of natural size, was fortunately made by that accomplished naturalist. It represents the L. curvirostra with the point of the lower mandible not reaching beyond the profile of the upper. At the foot of the drawing, L. pytiopsittacus is followed by a note of doubt, which does not appear in the printed catalogue. + It is remarked by Rennie of some species of our small birds, that its nests about a cotton-mill in Ayrshire were found to be lined with cotton. At Whitehouse, near Belfast, (as I have been informed by James Grimshaw, jun., Esq.,) the chaffinches and common sparrows which built around two cotton-mills always made use of cotton in the construction of their nests. The mills were a quarter of a mile distant from each other, and all the nests of these birds erected in the intervening plantations, as well as in the vici- nity of the mills, exhibited the foreign product, not only as lining, but more or less of it on the outside. On remarking to my informant that its con- spicuous colour would betray the presence of the nest, and not aceord with the theory that birds assimilate the outward appearance to surrounding ob- jects, he stated, that on the contrary, the use of the cotton in that locality might rather be considered as rendering the nest more difficult of detection, the road-side hedges and neighbouring trees being always dotted with tufts of it, owing to the constant passing of the workers from the one mill to the other. The same gentleman mentions, that when pes (Nov. 1841) in Man- chester, a lady of his acquaintance there told him of her having last summer lost a-piece of very valuable old lace which was left out to dry, and that on the spouts being cleared of sparrows’ nests, the lace was discovered uninjured as partly lining one of them. A note upon a canary-finch may here be given.—Sept. 9, 1833. A bird Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. — 413 STARLING, Sturnus vulgaris, Linn.—Montagu remarks of this species, that “ many stay with us the whole year; but the vast flocks that are seen in severe winters probably mi- grate to this country [England] in search of food, and return northward in the spring. We have observed continued flights of these birds going westward into Devonshire and Cornwall in hard weather, and their return eastward as soon as the frost breaks up.” Mr. Knapp observes that—“ Towards autumn the broods unite and form large flocks ; but those prodigious flights with which in some particular years we are visited, especially in parts of those districts formerly called the < fen- counties,’ are probably an accumulation from other coun- tries.” The Bishop of Norwich, in his ‘ Familiar History of Birds,’ gives as his opinion, “ that they are partially migra- tory, quitting one part of the kingdom for another ;” and Sir Wm. Jardine states, that “in many parts of Scotland where they do not breed, they are migratory, appearing in autumn and spring.” | In that portion of the north of Ireland with which I am best acquainted, there is nothing irregular in the migration of star- lings; they await not any severity of weather; and although they may occasionally change their quarters when within the island, yet do they of all our birds present the clearest evi- dence of migration, as annually they are observed for several weeks to pour into Ireland from the north, and wing their way southward*. ‘To myself they have frequently so appeared, but I prefer giving the more full and satisfactory testimony of trustworthy and intelligent “ shore-shooters,” three of whom being consulted, agree upon the subject. They state that the general autumnal migration of stares or stars} (as they are sometimes called) commences towards the middle or end of September, according to the season, and continues daily for about six or eight weeks{. When the weather is moderate, of this species which escaped from its cage at Cromac, the residence of Mr. Garrett, near Belfast, yesterday morning flew away and was not seen again until this morning, when it appeared at an early hour, and made known its presence by tapping at one of the windows with its bill before any of the in- mates were up. On a cage being presented, the bird eagerly flew into it. — * It is now many years since Mr. Templeton, in his valuable ‘ Naturalists’ Report’ (published in the Belfast Magazine), called attention to the regular migration of starlings into Ireland. + Similar abbreviations are in common use among the dealers in birds (whether living or dead) in the north of Ireland ; thus, in gray-linnet, chaf- finch, green-linnet, &c. an economy of words is practised, and the first syl- lable alone is sufficient to indicate the species. In the same manner I have in Perthshire heard the hooded or gray-crow called simply huddy. } So early as the middle of July, a flock was once observed flying south- 414 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. flocks consisting of from half-a-dozen to two hundred indivi- duals are seen every morning coming from the north-east, passing over a point of land where a river enters Belfast Bay about a mile from the town, and continuing in the same course until lost to view. They are generally seen only for one and a half or two hours—from eight to ten o’clock A.m.—none ap- pearing before the former hour, and rarely any after the latter, except when the wind is high, and then the flight is protracted until noon; when very stormy they do not come at all. At the season of their earliest appearance, there is daylight be- tween four and five o’clock in the morning, and their not being seen before eight o’clock leads to the belief that they have left some distant place at an ‘early hour. On the same morning the flocks all take the same line of flight, but the direction va- ries when the wind is sufficiently strong to affect their move- erly in the autumnal course. When they commence migration very late in the season, as was the case in 1838, they make up for lost time by an in- crease of numbers. Thus they were first seen in that year on the 23rd of October, when they made their appearance at half-past eight o’clock a.m., and continued passing in flocks of from twenty to one and two hundred in- dividuals, until two o’clock. The following day, I had the gratification of wit- nessing a flock consisting of about two hundred, going through their beautiful evolutions, preparatory to roosting on a bank of Arundo phragmitis at the side of the river Lagan, near Stranmillis. From a great height in the air, they se- veral times swept down almost vertically to the reeds, and, though the flock in each instance seemed to lose some of its numbers there, the great body sprang up again to a considerable altitude, and renewed its elegant man- ceuvres. Every time that they descended to the reeds, it was from the high- est range of flight the stoop was made: when flying over at half the elevation, and they wheeled downwards, they never drooped so low as the reeds. At twenty-five minutes past four o’clock they had allalighted. Concealed by a high hedge, I had the opportunity of watching them from a short distance, and perceived by their flitting from one part of the reeds to another, that they were very restless for some time. In thus changing their quarters they rarely rose above the tops of the Arundo, and when at rest were perched so low down as to be invisible. After alighting they kept up a very noisy con- cert, in which no sound like their whistle was heard, but rather a medley dif- ferent from and more guttural than their ordinary chatter. I have seen small flocks of starlings on a few other occasions during the time of migration roosting here, and have (different from what has just been men- tioned) remarked single birds perch so high up on the reeds as to sway them horizontally. These plants were always preferred here, for roosting in, to trees, though these, of various size, up to the most lofty, are quite contiguous. By Mr.Wm.Todhunter, late of Portumna, I have been informed, that after a hur- ricane in September 1836? nearly nineteen hundred of these birds were washed ashore on the banks of the Shannon. ‘The reeds in which they placed their trust were snapped asunder in consequence of their weight. Starlings are stated by Mr. Todhunter to be vastly more numerous during winter than summer in that quarter. This gentleman remarked that they frequented the same woods for roosting-places for two or three winters only : in the course of eight years, during which he lived at Portumna, they thus changed three times. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 415 ments. Those which come within the hours already men- tioned very rarely alight; but when a flock arrives during the day it occasionally does so, apparently as if it had flown from a greater distance than the earlier comers, and required rest and food before proceeding further. The number of birds that come in this course is not very great. The average of five or six flocks seen in a morning may consist of about 250 indivi- duals; the greatest number ever seen in one day may have amounted to 1500; and those altogether seen throughout the migratory period may be estimated at about 15,000. Of my three informants, two live in the district over which the star- lings fly, and consequently have had daily opportunities of seeing them in their season (one indeed has done so for the last half-century), and the other was in the habit of going to the place every morning in the hope that the flocks would pass over within shot, which they often did. In only one in- stance did any of these persons see starlings return this way in spring, namely, on the 13th of March, when a flock ap- peared passing north-eastward, in the direction whence they come in autumn* :—on the 23rd of that month, a flock con- sisting of sixty was once observed by myself returning in this course. These birds very rarely stop anywhere in the vicinity of Belfast on their southward migration ; but a low lying tract of marshy meadows, when flooded by excessive rain, has occa- sionally tempted the latest comers to remain a few days, and till the end of December 1833, a flock of about 200 frequented a district at the base of the mountains three miles from the town. ‘The only instance in which one of the shore-shooters before mentioned met with these birds about the bay in winter, was some years ago during heavy snow after Christmas, when they appeared in immense flocks. So numerous were they, that some of the little grassy patches rising above the ooze near the shore could not contain them, and a portion of the flock kept hovering above their more fortunate brethren who had found a resting-place. On such petty islets of green- sward or on heaps of “ sleech-grass” (Zostera marina) only did * The autumnal flights of these birds can be traced as coming from Scot- Jand. Capt. Fayrer, R.N., in a letter dated Portpatrick, Oct. 23, 1831, and published in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, remarks, that “‘ very large flocks of starlings have arrived within the last few days. They start before sunrise and steer to the southward.” I have had circum- stantial evidence of this fact myself, as some years ago, when shooting at the latter end of October about Ballantrae, in Ayrshire, flocks of these birds were numerous, where subsequently, from the 12th of August to the middle . of September, a very few individuals only, which had their nestling-places in the neighbourhood, were to be met with. 416 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. he on this occasion, or ever in autumn, see them alight—the sand or bare beach was always avoided. In the middle of March, flocks of starlings have occurred to me in unusual lo- calities, and were supposed to be moving northward on mi- gration ; and during the first week of April 1837, large flocks were seen in “unaccustomed places” in Down and Antrim, having doubtless been kept from crossing the channel by the prevalence of the north-east wind and very cold weather. Although the multitudes seen about Belfast are on their way southward, the extensive marshy tracts of the most northern counties (Antrim, Londonderry and Donegal) dis- play throughout the winter their hosts:of migratory starlings. Mr. Knapp remarks that these birds sometimes associate, but not cordially, with fieldfares (Turdus pilaris) : the Rev. G. M. Black informs me that at Newtown-Crommelin, in the county of Antrim, where they are in immense flocks throughout the winter, they are always associated with these birds *, and as there are neither reeds nor trees near the place, he is of opi- nion that they must spend the night in company upon the ground. That the fieldfare in some districts remains during the night upon the ground is mentioned in a former paper of this series. Mr. R. Ball remarks, that “ starlings seem to have fixed on our celebrated round towers as favourite nestling-places,” and certainly they are admirably suited to such a purpose, there is so little danger of molestation. Ruins generally, old trees, rocks t, and occasionally chimneys, are resorted to for nestling. These birds, it may be remarked, are not spread over Ireland as they are over England in the breeding-season, but are confined to comparatively few and favourite localities. Within the me- mory of old persons they built annually in the steeple of St. Ann’s church, Belfast, and in other places within and about the town, but have long since ceased to do so f. * In his ‘ History of Cork,’ Smith quaintly observes—“ They company with redwings and fieldfares, yet do not go off with them.” + When at the peninsula of ‘the Horn” (co. Donegal), and at the largest of the South Islands of Arran, I was informed that they build in the lofty rocks which rise above the ocean—in the latter locality they nestle also in _ruined buildings. In Dr. J. D. Marshall’s memoir on the Statistics and Natural History of the Island of Rathlin, published in the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy in 1836, it is remarked of the starling,—*“ This is one of the most common birds in Rathlin, It is found over the greater part of the island, but principally about Church Bay, where the houses are more numerous, and where there are a few trees and shrubs. In July they were assembled in flocks of from one to two hundred, dispersing themselves over the fields and along the sea-shores. They frequented the more rocky parts of the pasture-fields. * * * * They build among the rocks.” ({ They still frequent the precincts of the Charterhouse in the centre of London.—Ep. } Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 417 Massareene deer-park*, and Shane’s Castle Park, both well wooded and very extensive domains situated on the banks of Lough Neagh, and far remote from public haunt+, are now their nearest regular nestling-places. Ruined castles, both in marine and inland localities in the north of the island, where not very many years ago they nestled, have of late, without any apparent cause, been deserted ; and the same has been re- ported to me with respect to districts in the south. The starling has been well described by authors as one of the most sociable of birds. Every month in the year it may be observed in flocks, though in May and June but few individuals comparatively are seen congregated in these islands. At the end of May, I have in Holland remarked con- siderable flocks feeding in the pastures, and flying from tree to tree on the road-sides. At the end of June and very early in July large flocks are not unfrequent ;—around Penrith in the north of England, about Birmingham, and in the very differ- ent scenery of the South Islands of Arran, at the entrance of Galway bay, I have observed them at this season. It is most entertaining to witness starlings feeding, so very active and lively are all their movements ; not one moment are they still, and well may it be so, for truly are they omnivorous§. In the ‘ Fa- * May 29, 1836. I remarked nine starlings associating together here, and about the same time saw a single bird hastening with its bill filled with food to its mate or young. From the 6th of June to the second week of July, according to the season, young starlings have been observed by the Bishop of Norwich to be able to leave their birth-place in company with their parents. + This observation, correct though it be, may seem strange to persons who, like myself, have at this season observed the starling about the parks of London, including the much-frequented St. James’s Park. { Mr. Waterton, in his ‘ Essays on Natural History,’ treats in a most in- teresting manner of the starling, and satisfactorily accounts for the compa- _ ratively smaller number of these birds breeding in England than formerly : —the reasons there assigned partly apply to Ireland also. § The contents of the stomachs of starlings often show that a great deal of life of various kinds is sacrificed to their appetite, and in quantity as well as variety of food they exceed all birds that have come under my observation. From my notes a few examples may be selected. Dec. 17, -1834.—A star- ling was found to contain five perfect and full-grown specimens of Bulimus lubricus and a Helix radiatula; some minute Coleoptera, especially dung- beetles, and numerous insect larve ; a blade of grass, a few grains of oats, and fragments of gravel. March 12, 1835.—On opening a starling, thirteen specimens of Bulimus lubricus and two Helices, together with perfect Coleoptera of different spe- cies, and numerous larvee, were observed. Dec. 29, 1835.—The stomach of a starling was filled with insects of va- rious kinds, or indeed families, but chiefly Coleoptera, some grain, and. the following shells :—twelve perfect adult specimens of Helix radiatula, a Hel. cellaria, and a H. hispida, both whole and of ordinary size ; twelve examples of Bulimus lubricus nearly all adult and perfect. Nov. 25, 1836.—Nine starlings examined contained only the remains of Ann. & Mag. N, Hist. Vol. vii. 2E 418 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. miliar History of Birds’ and the ‘ Journal of a Naturalist,’ their ha- bits are admirably treated of : in the former work the singular flight of a large body before retiring to roost is described in the most graphic manner. Mr. Knapp correctly observes, that ‘‘ they seem continually to be running into clusters,” which, in the winter season, ‘‘ brings on them death,” as they become thereby a temptation to the shooter ; but an instance to the contrary may here be mentioned. A small flock observed by a shooter of my acquaintance alighted in a field where his cow was grazing, and clustering on the ground about her head, kept pace with her movements, watching it was believed for some favourite food which she aroused; hence the birds, though fairly within shot, could not be fired at, lest the cow should be brought down by the same discharge ! The starling is to be met with very generally over the continent. Holland may, from the nature of the country, be called its metro- polis. Southward, I have in August seen it in the Pontine marshes between Rome and Naples; and eastward, observed numbers in the middle of the month of May about the ruined walls of Constantinople, near the celebrated Seven Towers. On comparing an example killed in Ireland with one from India labelled ‘* Suharunpoor ; January,” they proved identical in species. Tue RosE-coLouRED Pastor, Pastor roseus, Temm., has at rare and uncertain intervals during the summer and autumn visited all quarters of the island, including the range of the most western counties. In the course of three suc- cessive years this bird has been met with. It has generally ap- peared singly and during the cherry season, and has in several instances been taken alive. In a letter from Dr. R. Graves of Dublin to a mutual friend in Belfast, dated Nov. 1830, it is mentioned, that ‘“‘ among my late ac- quisitions has been the Turdus roseus, shot in a cherry orchard in the county of Clare [in the summer of 1830 ?] by one of my pupils, whose father says he shot a bird of the same species thirty years ago in the same orchard.”’ Dr. Graves was at that period forming a col- lection of native birds, and subsequently I saw the pastor alluded to, together with other rare species which he possessed. In the first volume of the ‘Magazine of Natural History,’ p. 493, a letter ap- peared from Mr. C. Adams Drew, dated Ennis, June 25, 1828, in which the writer states that—<‘‘ It is now above twenty years since, on visiting my friend Mr. Lane at Roxton, I found him in his garden endeavouring to shoot a strange bird which had for several days pre- vious been making sad havoc among his cherries, After two or three unsuccessful attempts on the part of Mr. Lane, the bird at last fell insect and vegetable food. They were shot together near Lough Neagh. Clausilia rugosa and Limneus fossarius, with earth-worms, and seeds of many kinds, have been found in others. [A starling which I once had was exceedingly fond of calcavella. After having sipped a teaspoonful with avidity, he would dance in an ecstasy of delight, repeating his own name, ‘ Jacob.’—R. T.] Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 419 to my barrel. * * * Its cry resembled that of the water-ouzel. It was quite a rara avis in this country, no one knowing anything of it.” A description of the bird follows, proving it to have been the Pastor roseus. ‘The specimen was given to a gentleman mentioned, with the intention that it should be preserved for the ‘“* Dublin Mu- seum.” It is possible that the same example of the bird may be al- luded to, in both of the foregoing letters. In the ‘Zoological Journal,’ No. 4, p. 489, Mr. Vigors states that a rose-coloured pastor, shot near Wexford in 1820, is in his collection. One obtained in the year 1830 has already been noticed. I have been informed by Dr. Har- vey of Cork, that a bird of this species ‘‘ was captured at Carrigataha, adjoining Ballibrado, in the county of Tipperary, in June 1833, by Mr. Fennell, who baited a fish-hook with a cherry, which the bird swallowed, and was thus taken.” A pastor which I saw in the pos- session of Mr. W. S. Wall, bird-preserver, Dublin, was noticed ina letter from the Rev. Thomas Knox as “ shot in a garden near Dublin on the 20th of July 1833. On dissection, the bird proved to be a female ; the eggs were small and not distinct ; gizzard muscular ; the skins of cherries visible, by which fruit the inside of the gizzard and mouth were stained bright pink.”” When in Dublin on the 26th of June 1834, I saw in the bird-preserver’s just mentioned an example previous to its being skinned of an adult male P. roseus. It was taken ina cherry-net in the garden of Richard Long, Esq., Longfield, Cashel, on the 7th of that month, and had been kept alive for a fort- night. In July 1836, Lieut. Davis, R.N., of Donaghadee, sent to the Belfast Museum an individual of this species, which was captured early in the month, in a garden near that town. It had been kept alive for a few days : on dissection it proved to be a male, and was in adult plumage. About the middle of the same month a second example, which came under my examination, was shot at Hillsborough, in the same county. On the 12th of August that year, a third was made known to me as obtained in Ireland: this was shot near Kenmare, in the county of Kerry* ; and sent by Dr. Taylor, the distinguished botanist, resident in that neighbourhood, to Mr. R. Ball of Dublin. In the summer of the following year (1837), as I learn from Mr. T. W. Warren of Dublin, a pastor, which he saw in a fresh state, was shot from among a flock of starlings in one of the islands of Arran at the entrance of Galway Bay ; it was preserved for Mr. Thompson of Clonskea Castle, the proprietor of the islands. In June 1838, as re- ported to me, one of these birds was sent from Ashbourne, about ten miles from Dublin, to Mr. W. 8. Wall, to be preserved. The sto- mach was found on dissection to be filled with cherries. Dr. Farran of Feltrim, in the vicinity of the metropolis, likewise informed me, that on the 7th or 8th of July 1838, a P. roseus was shot when feeding on the same fruit at Newbarron, near Fieldstown, a few miles from Dub- * In a letter from Mr. William Andrews of Dublin, dated Nov. 14, 1841, it was mentioned, that “ three specimens of the rose-coloured pastor have been shot near ‘Tralee, one in the garden of Colonel Crosbie.” 9H 2 420 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. Kin*. On the 13th of September 1838, I saw two specimens which had been killed in different parts of the north of Ireland. One was shot about the Ist of that month in the plantations about Bangor Castle, county of Down, where another was seen in company with it; they had been observed for some time before : on dissection, no food was found ; it proved to be a male, as the plumage denoted. The other example was shot by Alex. Tyler, Esq., at the Umbra, Magilligan, county of Londonderry, about the 10th of September. Having the opportunity of examining this bird in a fresh state, I drew up the following description. | inch. line. , Aunting length: socccscnsssaguass picvene Sis Gnd tan ceplenibne wer meatle atta el ‘ Bill from rictus to. point ..i,sieqn she peneye charhegs semensepedeppcen act 23 Upper mandible, measured along the ridge from ee 0 9 tO POINt. .corccerecececsrerserarevectoncenecocccdiaccneverioeseness Wing from carpus to end of longest quill .........s.seceseeeeees 5 0 Tail extending beyond closed Wings .......scssccceccereceeceesene 1 0 DATES inc s pinecone 05010994) ope odin aco seoules Hneseebocupopwne vee eneeuasberocdes 1 3 Middle toe and nail..........-cseessee oud ipinnd Wench apbine builds seiddXele 1 3 Hind toe and tail, measured in a straight line...... sesiadedkoees 0 9 Tibia feathered to the tarsal joint. Colours, those of the adult male as described by authors (as are likewise those of the one above no- ticed from Bangor Castle), and as such contradistinguished from the plumage assumed until the second year as described by Temminck (Man., part 3, p. 76). On dissection it proved a male; it was in excellent condition. Its stomach, with the exception of a large co- leopterous insect, was entirely filled with the seeds of gooseberries. In April 1838, I learned from Mr. H. H. Dombrain of Dublin, that he had received a rose-coloured pastor which had been captured some years before at Woodhill, Ardara, in the county of Donegal, the seat of Major Nesbitt: it was taken alive in the green-house in an exhausted state, and died a few hours afterwards. On a comparison of Irish examples with specimens obtained in India (in the same locality with the starling already iene ae the species proved to be the same. Tue Cuovueut, Fregilus Graculus, Selby, is noticed in Harris’s ‘ Down’ (1744), and Smith’s ‘ Cork’ (1749), as one of the birds of those counties, and in the latter is said to be “very common, frequenting rocks, old castles and ruins upon the sea-coast.” The species is more generally diffused around the rock-bound shores of Ireland than British authors would lead us to believe it is on those of Scotland and England, and * As it was not until some months afterwards that the notes were com- municated, the same individual may possibly be alluded to by both my in- formants; in which case there would be an error about the month. t Red-legged jackdaw of the north of Ireland; cliffdaw of Kerry. Smith states in his ‘ History of Cork,’ that the Irish name for this bird implies a Spanish jackdaw. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 421 may be met with in such localities in the north, east, south, and west of the island. The basaltic precipices of the north-east are admirably adapted to choughs, and about the promontory of Fairhead these birds especially abound. On one occasion, when visiting this place and the head- lands in the immediate vicinity of the Giant’s Causeway on the same day (8th of June) during the breeding-season of these birds, I re- marked choughs only about the former locality, and jackdaws only about the latter, both species being numerous in their respective quarters: the choughs too were wonderfully tame in this instance, permitting our approach within about twenty-five paces*. About Horn Head, in the north-west of the county of Donegal, I saw many choughs and jackdaws in the month of June, and was told by the gamekeeper of the district that they never bred in company nor as- sociated together there ; the nest of the chough was stated by him to be placed so far within the clefts of rocks as to be difficult of access. The nearest place to Belfast tenanted at present, or within the last few years, by a pair or two of these birds, is a range of marine cliffs called the Gobbins, just outside the northern entrance to the bay. Here on the 28th of May a few years ago, a nest of young birds which had made known their proximity to the summit of the rocks by their calls for food, was doomed to perish by a visitor to the place wantonly shooting both their parents. The only instance in which I have had personal knowledge of choughs wandering far from their usual haunts, and to a place in no respect suited to them, was on the * In Dr. J. D. Marshall’s memoir, before alluded to, on the statistics and natural history of the basaltic island of Rathlin (lying off the north of the county of Antrim), it is remarked of the chough, ‘This is called by the islanders, the yackdaw, and is by far the most numerous species on the island. In the month of July, I found them everywhere associated in large flocks, at one place frequenting inland situations, and at another congregated on the sea-shore. They had just collected together their different families, now fully fledged, and were picking up their food (which consisted chiefly of insects), either on the shore, in the crevices of rocks, or in the pasture fields. Mr. Selby mentions that the chough will not alight on the turf, if it can possibly avoid it, always preferring gravel, stones, or walls. In Rathlin, its choice of situation seems to be but sparingly exhibited, as I found it frequenting the corn and pasture fields, in even greater numbers than along the shores. * * * They breed on the lofty cliffs overhanging the sea; the eggs are of a whitish colour, speckled at the larger end with brown. The chough is of a restless, active disposition, hopping or flying about from place to place; it is also very shy, and can with difficulty be approached. ‘Temminck says, that the legs of this bird, before the first moult, are of a dark colour, while Montagu affirms, that.they are orange- coloured from the first. The young which I examined were about six weeks old, and in them the bills were of a brownish orange; not of that brilliant colour which marks the adult bird, but certainly exhibiting enough of the orange to lead us to conjecture that they would become completely of that colour after the moult. The legs could not be called ‘ orange- coloured,’ for although there was a tinge of that colour, yet the brown predominated. I should, therefore, agree with Temminck, in stating the legs and feet to be ‘ dark-coloured’ in the young birds,” 422 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 5th of March 1836, when a pair appeared, and one of them (in beautiful adult plumage) was shot at Dunbar’s Dock, Belfast. That day and the preceding were very stormy, and the wind southerly : their haunts to the southward are all far distant. The stomach of the specimen was filled with insect larve. When on a tour with Mr. R. Ball in the summer of 1834 to the west and south of Ireland, choughs occurred to us at Achil Head, and the largest of the South Islands of Arran, &c., in the west; and in the south, were heard about the Lower Lake of Killarney ; and were seen at Cable Island, near Youghal. Colonel Sabine has noticed that they breed in the rocks at Ballybunian, on the coast of Kerry; and the late Mr. T. F. Neligan of Tralee, in mentioning to me some years ago that they were very common about the marine cliffs of that county, stated, that numbers build in the rocks of inland mountains, four and five miles distant from the seas The choice of such places is not rare in Ireland. Some of the latest writers on British orni- thology appear to think that the chough never leaves the vicinity of the sea, and in one work it is inadvertently stated that the species is “‘ never observed inland,” although Crow Castle is noticed by Mon- tagu as one of its haunts. This is situated in the beautiful vale of Llangollen in North Wales, where the Lombardy poplar spiring above the other rich foliage around the picturesque village of the same name, imparts, in addition to other accompaniments, quite an Italian character to the scene. But. to particularise further in Ire- land: the Rev. G. M. Black observed a pair of these birds through- out the breeding-season about a ruin between Newtown-Crommelin and Cushendall in the county of Antrim, and three miles distant from the sea: at Salagh Braes, a semicircular range of basaltic rocks in the same county, and nearly twice that distance from the coast, the chough nestles. The gamekeeper at Tollymore Park, county of Down, informed me in 1836, that he had shot these birds in the mountains of Mourne, which are regularly frequented by them, and where they build in the inland rocks. Here for some years pre- viously, he annually discovered two or three of their nests, whence he has taken the young with the intention of rearing them, but in this he was unsuccessful. This intelligent gamekeeper assured me, that once in the mountains here, he came upon seven choughs at- tendant on a poor sheep, which was in a particularly weak state when lambing. About half of the young animal was protruded, and had been nearly consumed by three of these birds, which were busily engaged preying upon it*. He had not a gun with him at the time, but was so wroth at witnessing this cruelty of the chough, that in the latter part of the day, when armed, he sacrificed three of these birds ; all which came within his range. He believes that choughs would even destroy a weakly animal. They are seen by him commonly fre- quenting the entrance to foxes’ earths, for the purpose, he conceives, * Mr. Hogg contributes to Macgillivray’s ‘ British Birds’ (vol. i.) a si- milar account of the carrion-crow, with horrible details of what to human sympathy would seem its cold-blooded cruelty to sheep, when in the act of parturition. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 423 of feeding on ‘‘ sheep-shanks”’ and other similar rejectamenta. As the chough is not considered a carnivorous bird, I was most parti- ticular in questioning my informant as to the species, and of his ac- curacy there cannot be a doubt. Montagu mentions that his tame bird was fed partly on raw and boiled flesh-meat. Mr. R. Davis, jun., of Clonmel, informs me respecting the chough, that it has been shot within a mile of that town, and that he has seen the species at Helvick Head in the county of Waterford, and great numbers at Loop Head on the coast of Clare ;—about the marine cliffs generally of the latter county, Mr. W. H. Harvey states that it is common. Mr. Davis writes—“ although Mr. Selby says ‘it has been remarked that the chough will not alight on the turf if it can possibly avoid it, always preferring gravel, stones or walls,’ I have seen hundreds freely alight and feed on it, and have observed them feediug like rooks in a ploughed field.” I have myself observed these birds on the short pasture of the marine cliffs, but consider that they have the predilection noticed by Mr. Selby, whose re- mark however may refer merely to Montagu’s tame bird. Mr. Davis further states, that ‘‘ great numbers of choughs breed in the precipices over the lakes in the Cummeragh mountains, county of Waterford, about seven Irish miles from the sea, where they are very rarely molested, on account of nestling in almost inaccessible spots. Here the young were ready to fly on the 6th and 7th of August 1836: on the 28th of April 1841, I got four of their eggs from this locality.” I have seen examples of the chough which were killed about Port- patrick in Wigtonshire, and on the Ayrshire coast ; and have heard the call of the species in the evening about the ruined castle at Bal- lantrae in the latter county. In July 1826, when in the valley of glaciers on the south side of Mont Blanc, I was attracted by the well-known but somewhat distant call of the chough, and on looking up saw an immense flock bending their way towards the pinnacles or aiguilles of that ‘‘ monarch of mountains *.” THe Raven, Corvus Corax, Linn., is distributed over Ireland, and is more especially to be seen within a day’s foray of the rocks in which it can roost or nestle. As sites for the raven’s building, rocks are preferred to trees in this island, and wherever there is a range of cliffs suited to the purpose this bird is sure to be found, unless the eagle or buz- * The call of the closely allied Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, Temm., like- wise an inhabitant of the Alps, is unknown to me, but in the present in- stance my attention was arrested by the similarity of the note to that of our native bird. This to my ear is very lively and pleasing, and cannot be mistaken for that of the jackdaw. The flight of the chough too is peculiar, though, as in others of the Corvide, the quills are much expanded, and give a deeply fringed appearance to the wing as the bird flies overhead. A friend re- marks upon the flight as “ singularly waving; they flap their wings, then sail forty or fifty yards, and so on gradually until they alight.” y 424 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. zard monopolize the locality. From time immemorial ravens have been considered to inhabit the same rock. In the lower districts of England certain trees have for such a length of time been resorted to by this species for nestling, as to have acquired the name of Rayen-trees. In like manner, a wild and unfre- quented locality in the Belfast mountains bears the name of the Crow Glen, in consequence of a pair of ravens having for a series of years nestled there in a cliff. Persecution has long since driven them from the spot, which however still re- tains the name. ‘Their place was for some years supplied by a pair of kestrels (Falco Tinnunculus) ; but as their nest, though not easy of approach, could, with some difficulty be reached, it was always robbed of its young tenants, and this species too has ceased to nidify there*. I have with much interest observed in the month of October, about the fine basaltic cliffs of the Cave-hill, near Belfast, and long after the breeding-season was past, that as evening set in, a few ravens would appear together hoarsely croaking about the rocks, whilst at the same time hosts of jackdaws were garrulously chattering, and several kestrels added their shrill voices as they careered gracefully about in company. After some little time they all retired to the rocks for the night. On one occasion | had interesting evidence of the power of sight in the raven. A nest of young rats not more than three or four days old had been dug up in a stubble field, and after being killed were left there. Very soon afterwards two or three ravens passing over the place at a great height, on coming above the spot dropped almost directly down upon them. The young rats had not been ten minutes dead at the time, and consequently could hardly have emitted any effuvia. Besides, they were so small, that even had they given out any to the air, it seems hardly possible that it could have ascended to the great elevation at which the birds had been. Sight alone, I conceive, must in this instance have been exerted. : Mr. R. Davis, jun., of Clonmel, remarks, that ravens, if taken young, can be reared so as not to injure other birds, as he “for a * Ravens are generally so very wary and mistrustful of man, that the following note (communicated by my brother) may be worth insertion. ‘ In the middle of March 1828, a pair of ravens had a nest in Grogan’s Glen, in the Black Mountain (near Belfast). It was near the top of the highest rock ; was formed of sticks and lined with wool; it contained seven eggs of a dark green colour, blotched over with black. The birds were very tame, the first day I saw them approaching within three or four yards, and hopping about near me so long as I remained, when their glossy plumage looked very beautiful.” Their tameness arose simply from their being unmolested in the locality, perhaps in consequence of a belief among the country people, that it is “ unlucky ”’ to kill a raven; for this very pair of birds was known to carry off eggs, young ducks, &c., from the nearest farm-yards, But, as is usual in such cases, one of the poor ravens, by thus putting its trust in man, was shot a few days afterwards by a vagrant gunner. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 425 long time kept in one cage a raven, a hooded crow, a jackdaw, a _Imagpie, and a jay, all of which lived on good terms with each other.” Mr. R. Ball communicates the following anecdote of this species :— “ When a boy at school, a tame raven was very attentive in watching our cribs or bird-traps, and when a bird was taken, he endeavoured to catch it by turning up the crib, but in so doing the bird always escaped, as the raven could not let go the crib in time to seize it. After several vain attempts of this kind, the raven seeing another bird caught, instead of going at once to the crib, went to another tame raven, and induced it to accompany him, when the one lifted up the crib, and the other bore the poor captive off in triumph.” It was a common practice in a spacious yard in Belfast, to lay trains of corn for sparrows, and to shoot them from a window, which was only so far open as to admit the barrel of the gun; neither the shooter, nor any but a part of the instrument of destruction,. being ever visible from the outside. A tame raven which was brought a young bird from the nest to the yard in question, and probably had . never seen a shot fired, afforded evidence at the same time that it un- derstood the whole affair. When any one appeared carrying a gun across the yard towards the house from which the sparrows were fired at, the raven exhibited the utmost alarm, by hurrying off with all possible but most awkward speed to hide itself, loudly screaming all the while. Alarmed though it was for its own safety, this bird always concealed itself near to and within view of the field of action, and the shot was hardly fired when it dashed out from its retreat, and seizing one of the dead or wounded sparrows, hurried back to its hiding-place. The whole scene I have repeatedly witnessed. The raven’s portion of the sparrows was as duly exacted as the tithe of the quails killed during their migration at Capri are said to be by the bishop of that island. Mr. R. Patterson in a note which he has contributed thus states— “In September 1831, I travelled from Portarlington as far as New- bridge barracks with a very intelligent man, the colonel of a Lancer regiment stationed there. ‘This gentleman mentioned, that when tra- velling near Limerick on the preceding day, he from the coach-top saw a raven alight among a flock of full-grown ducks in a field adjoining the road, and after having given one of them a few blows, throw it on its back, and begin to tear it up. All works on ornithology men- tion that the raven destroys young ducks and chickens, but I did. not before know that it ever carried its audacity so far as to attack a duck when full-grown, as in this instance*.”’ The late Mr. T. F. * Mr. Waterton states that a tame raven kept at Walton Hall “ took a sudden dislike to an old duck, with which, till then, he had been on the best of terms; and he killed her in an instant.’’ A raven which lived in the yard attached to the chief inn at Antrim, for about fifteen years, had occasional encounters with game-cocks brought thither to engage it, and bets were pending on the issue. The raven in every instance proved the victor. It avoided the blows of the cock, and acted only on the defensive, until it could manage to lay hold of the cock’s head, which as soon as done, was crushed in its powerful beak, and its antagonist fell lifeless on the ground. 426 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. Neligan of Tralee, mentioned to me, that ravens chiefly frequent the sea-shore in the county of Kerry, where he had often seen them feeding on putrid fish. Great numbers of these birds are in some works (especially those treating of American ornithology) described as flying in company. Although ravens may be seen every day in the year around Belfast, the most I have heard of being seen on wing together did not exceed twelve in number. About Navarino and Athens I have met with the raven—at the latter place Chateau- briand introduces it, in his description of sunrise as seen from the Acropolis*. Mr. Waterton, in his ‘ Essays on Natural History,’ gives a highly interesting account of the raven, but to his great grief, this bird has not for many years been seen about Walton Hall. Sir Wm. Jardine, in his ‘ British Birds,’ points out with an accu- rately observant eye the favourite haunts of the raven. Mr. Mac- gillivray treats very fully of its habits, and gives much desirable in- formation (vol. i.) ; as Audubon likewise does, from personal observa- tion in America. ‘The raven is honoured with a place in those de- lightful articles in ‘Blackwood’s Magazine’ for 1826, entitled ‘A Glance over Selby’s Ornithology,’ in which the keen observer of the habits of birds is evident, through the wit and imagination investing the whole subject. Carrion Crow, Corvus Corone, Linn.—This species was noticed by Smith as one of the birds of the county of Cork ; but that it is not well known in Ireland is sufficiently indicated by the absence of its name from Mr. Templeton’s published catalogue of the native vertebrate animals. In the MSS. of that eminent naturalist it is remarked—“I have not seen this bird, but from what I have heard am inclined to think it is found about Dundalk.” Its not being distinguished from its equally sable congener the rook, is one reason for the car- rion crow being considered more rare than it really ist. About the river Lagan, within the flow of the tide, and along the shores of Belfast Bay, this bird is by no means scarce, and feeds upon any animal matter cast up by the waves, but more * «Itinéraire de Paris & Jérusalem.’ ,. t Since the above was written, the 1st volume of ‘ Tracts relating to Ire- land, printed for the Irish Archeological Society,’ has appeared. In ‘A Brife description of Ireland, made in this yeere 1589, by Robert Payne,’ it is stated,— There is not that place in Ireland where anye venomous thinge will liue. There is neither mol, pye, nor carren crow.” In a note to this, Dr. Aquila Smith of Dublin (who edited the memoir) -remarks— ‘“‘ Of the carren or carrion crow (Corvus corone), we have not any authority as to the date of its introduction into Ireland. Moryson [in 1617] says, we have not the blacke crow, but onely crowes of mingled colour, such as wee call Royston crowes,” part iii. b. 3. p. 160. Although the attractive magpie may have been introduced to this country, I cannot.think that the carrion crow ever was, but believe it to be strictly indigenous; its compa- rative scarcity in this island, together with the reason adduced above, caused it, I conceive, to be overlooked. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 427 especially rejoices in the carcases of horses, which after being skinned are left upon the beach. The refuse of the slaughter- house, when spread on meadows for manure, particularly at- tracts it inland. The carrion crow is known to me as found in the north, east, and west of the island: in the south, as already mentioned, it was no- ticed by Smith, yet was never seen by Mr. R. Ball during his resi- dence at Youghal. About Clonmel, however, Mr. R. Davis, jun., states that it is always to be found, though not very common. In the neighbouring county of Kilkenny, the attention of a gentleman of my acquaintance was one day attracted by a “ black crow” ha- ving an extraordinary white appearance about the head. It flew about a hundred yards after it was first seen, and then alighted on the ground. On running up to ascertain the cause of the phzeno- menon, he was astonished to see the identical bird fly off an ordi- nary crow; but on reaching the place where the bird had “pitched,” a duck’s egg was found, which being carried in the bill had pro- duced the appearance described—the egg was still whole *. When at Glenarm Park, county of Antrim, in 1833, I was inform- ed by the gamekeeper, a native of England, and who knew the bird well there, that he had seen a few about Glenarm, and that in the breeding-season one of these birds and a gray crow (C. Cornir) were constantly associated together for some weeks, and he had no doubt were paired. A Scotch gamekeeper who very soon afterwards sup- plied the place of my informant, told me the following year that he had occasionally killed the carrion crow in Glenarm Park, but con- sidered the species rather raret. He assured me that when game- keeper in Scotland, he had repeatedly seen the carrion and gray crow paired, and knew an instance of such a pair being mated for two or three years, and building in the same tree annually. The identity of the gray one was sufficiently manifest by its being minus a foot, which had not improbably parted company from its owner in some trap. In the instances which came under the observation of my trustworthy informant, the gray crow was considered to be the male, on account of its comparative absence from the nest, &c. The young birds in one nest examined by this gamekeeper were stated to have exhibited, some the plumage of the gray, and others, that of the carrion crow. This species is sometimes, if not generally, infested with parasitic insects (lice) to an extraordinary degree, so much so, as in one in- * In Macgillivray’s ‘ British Birds’ (vol. i. p. 526), an instance of the carrion crow bearing off the egg of a wild duck whole is recorded by Mr. Weir who witnessed it—this gentleman and Mr. Hogg contribute full and interesting narrations of this bird to the work. The contributions of the latter, called a ‘ Shepherd ”’ in the preface, have all the racy spirit of the mountain air about them. Mr. Waterton states that the carrion crow car- ries eggs off, “ not in his bill but on the point of it, having thrust his upper mandible through the shell.” ¢ I saw specimens which had been obtained there exhibited as “ vermin ”’ on one or both occasions. 428 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. stance to deter a friend from skinning one he had received, just after it was shot. On mentioning this to another amateur taxidermist, it was remarked, that in skinning one of these birds, he became “ co- vered”’ with its parasites. According to my own observation, birds of prey, or species partly carnivorous, are more infested with lice than others ; and particularly with those belonging to the most active and stirring genera of their attractive tribe! From Mr. Denny’s forth- coming work, ‘ Monographia Anoplurorum Britannie,’ we expect much novel information on this subject. Tue Gray Crow*, Corvus Cornix, Linn., is a common species in Ireland, and resident in all quarters of the island. In the north and east it has come under my own observation at every period of the year, and is fully as numerous in sum- mer as at any other time, although at this season it is absent from England. In summer I have remarked it to be com- mon in the west and south, and my correspondents there agree in noticing it as a resident species. From what has been written on the gray crow as a bird of Great Britain, it would appear to be more common in Ireland generally, than in England, or on the mainland of Scotland. The sea-shore or its vicinity is the favourite haunt of this bird, but it is likewise resident in far inland localities. Sir William Jardine states, that according to his observations rocks are preferred as a nestling-place; and Mr. Macgillivray (vol. i. p. 533) seems to doubt its building at all in trees; but around Belfast it prefers trees in the immediate vicinity of its ‘‘ beat’? to rocks which are a little more distant, and where the raven and jackdaw find a home. In some very fine and tall beech trees on a lawn bordering the bay, several pairs of these birds have built for many years, and two or three of their nests occasionally ap- pearing in a single tree, suggest the idea of an infant rookery. When however more nests than one appear in any tree, they are I believe the erections of different years, or are not tenanted at the same time. In wooded glens, and other localities where the Conifere bore a very small proportion to the deciduous trees, I have remarked the par- tiality of this bird for nestling in the pine. Mr. William M‘Calla of Roundstone, states that “the gray crow is very common in Conne- mara, and- breeds in all the wooded islands of the lakes, in other woods and thickets, and even in thorn-bushes in the vicinity of houses: it lays from three to five eggs. These birds are not ac- cused of doing much harm to the keepers of poultry, the dead ani- mal matter at all seasons on the shore supplying abundance of food.” He further remarks, that gray crows “are very cunning in seeking their food, and that in the upper part of Roundstone Bay they may be observed picking up the Buccinum boreale [undatum ?], rising with them into the air and then letting them fall on the rocks to break them : in this they are frequently unable to succeed, and have to drop * In the north of Ireland it is commonly called by this, its most distinc- tive appellation. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 429 the shell from a height in the air several times before attaining their object.” Mr. R. Ball has seen one of these birds drop a cockle (Cardium edule) on a stone to break it, whilst another stood cun- ningly by to snatch it up, and succeeded in the theft. All this is but a counterpart of what is related by Dr. Fleming in his ‘ Philo- sophy of Zoology,’ as having been observed by him in Zetland. ‘The mere act of their rising into the air with shell-fish and letting them drop on rocks, I have myself repeatedly witnessed. This bird is use- ful on the sea-shore by consuming any animal matter cast by the tide upon the beach; but by the gamekeeper it is looked upon as an evil- doer, accused of sucking the eggs of game, and occasionally destroy- ing the infant birds, and is accordingly persecuted. I remember a pair of these birds being accused of sucking a dozen or more eggs in a wild-duck’s nest in the aquatic menagerie of a friend. At his place a novel experiment was once resorted to. Four young gray crows in a nest were pinioned, in expectation that their parents would con- tinue feeding them so long that a certain opportunity would be af- forded of shooting or trapping them. Disappointment was however the result, as the old birds, on returning to the nest and perceiving the mutilated state of their progeny, left them to perish. A gentleman of my acquaintance, who is very observant of the habits of birds, once saw two gray crows in pursuit of a rabbit in an open field. The chase was continued only as it ran ; when it squatted they never attempted to molest it: the chase and parley together were continued for some time. According to the testimony of seve- ral of the intelligent wild-fowl shooters of Belfast bay, gray crows are not uncommonly seen in pursuit of the smaller shore-birds (Grallatores); and two of my informants were witness to one of these crows pursuing a merlin (Falco 4salon) which had captured a sand- lark (Tringa variabilis) until the hawk dropped it, when the crow picked it up from the surface of the water. A pet buzzard ( Buteo vulgaris) belonging to a friend, was when flying about the demesne always persecuted by gray crows. ‘The gentleman before alluded to shot one of these birds when it had young, and the same evening saw about ten gray crows come to feed the nestlings, which how- ever died in the course of the night, which was very cold and wet. When engaged in the construction of their nest, these birds are more heedless of enemies than at other times, and then occasionally fall victims to the gun; but when one has been killed, the survivor is soon provided with a mate. At this early stage of the breeding- season (as remarked at ‘‘the Falls” near Belfast) neither these birds nor magpies were observed to be mated again for three or four - days, when a new nest was commenced, not at the same place, but. contiguous to the former one. ‘The twice-married crows and mag- pies here, proved always too wary to be shot. Mr. Yarrell observes, that ‘‘ more than two are seldom seen asso- ciated together, except when food is to be obtained.” But at all seasons of the year, I have seen them associating together in little troops up to the number of fifteen, on the shore of Belfast bay, when there was no apparent cause for their meeting; and when there has 430 Mr. J. C. Dale on some British Diptera. been such in the inland neighbourhood, so many as seventeen have been reckoned on a single tree. In a rabbit warren at the wild pen- insula of the Horn, in the north-west of the county of Donegal, I once, on the 27th of June, saw forty of these birds in a dense flock. A note appears in my journal stating that, on the 3rd of April and several previous mornings, seven or eight of these birds frequented an old garden in the town of Belfast, and one or two of them were occasionally to be seen perched on the back of a cow kept there. By George Mathews, Esq., of Springvale, county of Down, I have been informed that a relation living there, had a pet gray crow which followed him about the place. When not so engaged, it sometimes went to feed with its brethren on the shore, but always hurried back to its master when whistled for. In the middle of May last, I met with this species in the Valley of Sweet Waters, near Constantinople, and at the Reg mning of June, in the islands of Delos and Paros. LI. Descriptions, &c. of a few rare or undescribed species of British Diptera, principally from the collection of J.C. Dae, Esq., M.A., F.LS., &c. To the Editors of the Annals and Magazine of Natural History. GENTLEMEN, Havine some Diptera in my British Collection of Insects which I could not ascertain the names of, I forwarded a few to Mr. Haliday for his opinion ; and wishing that other entomologists should profit thereby as well as myself, I think I cannot do better than to make it public through the medium of the ‘ Annals.’ I am, yours obediently, J.C. Dare. Curtis’s Guide, genus 1157, Limnozia. (Subgenus Dicranomyta ?) Sectio.—Nervo cubitali furcato ramis liberis. Areola disci nulla. Areola brachiali anteriore posteriorem superante. L. flavo- -limbata(C. G., species 39°).—Fusca, thoracis et scutellilimbo, pectoris vitta laterali dilatatd et ventris incisuris flavis : alis ob- scure hyalinis, stigmate pallido, nervis pubescentibus. S 2? Long. 24—3; alar. 6 lin. ? Synon. L. (39 CG. ) pavida, A. H. H., Ent. Mag. I. From a late letter it appears to be different from pavida, though allied to it. “ Fusca nitida, Antennze fusce thoracis longitudine. Mesothoracis scu- tum et scutellum flavo-marginata. Pleurze magna parte flave. Abdominis incisurze ventrales et dorsalis ultima tenuiter flavicantes. Terebra rufescens gracilis recurva. Forceps g brachiis linearibus reflexis. Pedes fusci. Hal- teres fusco-pallidi. Ala obscure-hyalinz, nervis pubescentibus, stigmate obsoleto lutescente ad apicem nervi subcostalis. Nervus subcostalis margi- nem attingit adversus fuscam nervi cubitalis. Nervus mediastinus cum sub- costali connexus paulo ultra ortum radii, et cito marginem attingens. Nervus Mr. J. C. Dale on some British Diptera. 431 cubitalis fureatus, ramo anteriore brevi (4 posterioris), areola externa 2da dimidio tertize paulo longior : brachialis 2da parum brevior 1ma.”—Hal. MS. This species I find in plenty in a damp part of a small coppice here during the end of June and beginning and middle of July. Curtis’s Guide, genus 1157, Limnosra. (Subgenus [procera ?) L. sex-guttata.—Fusca, antennis medio flavicantibus, thorace schista- ceo vitta duplicaté fusca, pedibus ferrugineis, alis obscuré hyalinis albo fuscoque variegatis, guttis 3 marginalibus albis ante apicem. G Long. 24; alar. 54 lin. ? 3. 7¢ » *‘Fusca. Antenne thoracis longitudine articulis intermediis flavicantibus basi fuscis extremis valdé attenuatis. Thorax schistaceus vittis 2 fusco-fer- rugineis in scutellum continuatis. Venter fusco-testaceus. Terebra rufes~ cens gracilis recurva. Pedes cum coxis ferruginei. Femora et tibie apice, tarsi preter basin fusci. Ale obscuré hyaline, indistincté albo-maculate. Costa fusco-punctata. Nervi transversi et axillaris apex fusco-maculati. Costa fusco-limbata a furcd nervi cubitalis usque in apicem, guttis 3 albis, unica in areola singula. Nervus subcostalis exit adversus furcam nervi cubitalis. Nervus mediastinus adversus apicem areole brachialis 2dez exit, et cum subcostale connectitur contra ortum radii. Cubitus furcatus ramis liberis, posteriore apice incurvo. Areolz externa 2da (que petiolata) di- midia longitudine anterioris, nervo posteriore ejusdem basi rectangulatim fracto et appendiculato (scilicet areolze disci incomplete) ; areole brachialis posterior multo brevior anteriore.” I discovered this exceedingly pretty Limnobia on a boggy spot on Cosmore common near this place, and afterwards lost another out of my net in the New Forest, and lastly, on the sea-coast at Charmouth I took two or three more specimens. The dates are June 22, 1840: July 1, 1839 (Cosmore common). July 8, 1840 (Charmouth). It appears to be very rare. Mr. Haliday says it is very distinct, and one of the prettiest species he ever saw ; it was quite new to him. I have also given a pair to Mr. Curtis. I have a ¢ Limnobia fasciata from the lakes of Cumberland, taken by G. Wailes, Esq. Mr. Haliday says it is also found in Lapland. The L. (or Idioptera?) var.? of marmorata? or pulchella? I took in tolerable plenty, in one particular spot only (where the common marmorata, though it varies much, did not occur), and they agree in size and markings as well as may be. The date is end of May 1840 and 1841, and at no other.time; this seems in favour of its being a distinct species. Curtis’s Guide, genus 1217, Oxycrra. O. longicornis.—“ Nigra, macula laterali verticis, orbita interna supra antennas repanda, thoracis vitta laterali, scutello et abdominis limbo flavis; antennis capitis longitudine apice partm attenuatis. 2” Mr. Haliday has this unique species, and I cannot give the exact measure, but it is about the size of O. muscaria. ‘Nigra subglabra. Antenne solito longiores et graciliores, articulis ex- tremis pariim attenuatis, unde stylus indiscretus: os flavum : orbita postica et interna flave, hee supra antennas in margine frontis inflexa. Vertex 432 Mr. J. CG. Dale on some British Diptera. utrinque macula flava. Thorax vitta laterali flava pone alas dilataté. Scu- tellum flavum. Abdomen limbo tenui flavo. Halteres albidi. Ale hyaline nervis introrsum flavicantibus. Pedes cum coxis ferruginei : tibize anticze apice, posteriores medio, tarsi antici toti, posteriores apice fusci.” *« Seems very much similar to Macquart’s O. tenuicornis, but the peculiar marking of the head may afford a distinction, as Macquart leaves us to infer that his agrees in that with O. muscaria, very dif- ferent from yours.’’—Hal. MSS. (in litteris). This (at present) unique insect I believe I took at the same place and time on Cosmore com- mon with the Limnobia 6-guttata, but had previously taken it for a var. of O. muscaria (pygmea, Fall.?). Mr. Haliday considers it very distinct. While I am on the genus Ozycera, I may as well mention that he thinks he saw O. hypoleon? in the cabinet of the late Mr. Tardy of Dublin ; but as it is some years since, and he has no opportunity of again inspecting it, he will not be positive. If we can ascertain this to be British, our list will contain— 1. O. hypoleon? near Dublin (Mr. Tardy?). 2. O. pulchella, tolerably common in England, Scotland (and Tre- land? 3. re trilineata, common everywhere. 4. O. formosa, pretty common everywhere. 5 muscaria, Cosmore common, Portland. { pygmea (var. affinis), Charmouth, &c. 6. O. Morrisii, Curtis, Br. Ent. plate 441. This seems to be widely distributed : I have taken it here, near Charmouth, near Cam- bridge, and Castle Edendene ; and Mr. Haliday took it in Ireland. 7. O. pardalina ? I never took, except near Lyme, but I think Mr. Haliday has observed it in Ireland. My specimens do not quite agree with Meigen’s figure ; the spots on the abdomen are not so united as in his figure. 8. O. analis, confined to Glanville’s Wootton, as far as I know or can learn. 9. O. leonina, the rarest of all; I have a pair, both from Char- mouth ; the ¢ J took. 10. O. terminalis, found here and at Charmouth, and at Pinny, near Lyme Regis. 11. O. longicornis, Mr. Haliday as above. Curtis’s Guide, genus 1290, Cznosia, Meig. (This is not given as a new species.) C. mollicula? of Fallen and Zetterstald?? ‘* Cxsia antennis palpis pedibusque flavis ; abdomine antice pallido diaphano.”’ (Long. 24 lin.) Mas. C. testacea, Desv., et speciebus cognatis (sc. pallidicorne, Desv., ne- morali, &c.) gracilior, fronte angustiore, pedibus multo longioribus et rarius setigeris. Desvoidio Palusia audiret. “ Frons vitta atra postice bifurca. Facies pallescens. Antenne facie bre - viores, flavze, articulo 3° pallidiore oblongo obtuso, ariste subtiliter villosulz. Thorax czesius, absque vittis. Abdomen compressum, segmentis 2 anticis paliido-diaphanis lined dorsali ferruginosé. Pedes elongati flavi. T'arsi ob- Mr. Edward Forster on Mnium annotinum. 433 scuriores extrorsum fuscescentes. Tibize anteriores setis nullis supra preeapi- calem parvam, posticee unicé media. Ale hyaline exunguiculate, nervis obscuré flavescentes squame albide. Halteres flavi.”—Hal. in litteris. This is from the same locality mentioned for the Limnobia (or Idiocera?) sex-guttata, viz. Cosmore common, Glanville’s Wootton, and New Forest, middle of June and beginning of July. Mr. Haliday at first thought it new and named it albicornis, but as Meigen has one so named he thinks it may be as above; it varies however from it in size. I sent Mr. Haliday a pair of Limnobia (or Idioptera?) allied to marmorata, which I take only in one locality near this part; and as they agree in size and markings, I fancied they might be distinct. Mr. H. has also taken it in Ireland, and thought the same formerly ; but having observed marmorata to vary much, and not being able to lay hold of any tangible character, he has come to a very different conclusion ; he formerly named it fasciata? (which Wiedman has changed to pulchella), and asks me how it agrees with the J. fasciata I had from Mr. Wailes, taken in the lake district, which has a di- stinct fascia, which the other has not. Mr. Haliday has likewise a third species, the J. trimaculata, Zett., taken near Belfast. Ialso sent him a pair of HEMERODROMIA, which he decidedly says are only a var. of H. monostigma, although in size and colour they closely resemble A. mantispa ; but the nerves of the wings at once remove them from that division. I have lately had sent to me from my liberal correspondent Mr. Edleston of Manchester, a Geometra ¢ (so like Cidaria badiata, 930, 2 of Curtis’s Guide, that I can see no difference), taken on the moors in September with an apterous female (also sent) which is new tome. G. badiata has a winged ? and flies in March and April. I have an Hermaphrodite Dilophus vulgaris, one ( 8) wing white and the other ( ? ) black : the size of the white side is much smaller, and the same half-side of body is also smaller in proportion. I have also an hermaphrodite 4geria ichneumoniformis, Brit. Ent., which on one side has the antenna ciliated, and on the other plain like the 9 . Glanville’s Wootton, Jan. 1, 1842. LII.—On Mnium annotinum of Linneus. By Epwarp Forster, Esq., V.P.L.S. To Richard Taylor, Esq. My Dear Sir, Ir sometimes happens that a plant well known formerly is now forgotten. This is the case with Mnium annotinum of Linnzeus, one of the most remarkable among the mosses; yet it has been totally neglected or badly understood, though fifty years since, no cryptogamist had any doubts concerning it. Difficult indeed it is to account for the present ignorance of this Bryum, unless it arose from the plate 1862 in the 28th Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. 2F 434 Mr. Edward Forster on Bryum annotinum. volume of ‘English Botany’ comprising two very distinct species ; the barren figure only belongs to Bryum annotinum, the others in fruit being evidently Bryum capillare. It may be supposed, that as Mr. Wilson has lately communicated to the editors of the ‘ Supplement to English Botany’ specimens with capsules, this singular gemmiferous moss will gain pro- per attention ; but as this eminent botanist has given no re- ference except to Hedwig and Bridel, I fear the confusion will be rather perpetuated. It may not therefore be thought amiss to point out the following synonyms. Bryum annotinum, Huds., 490; Hedw. Sp. Musc., 183. t.43; Smith, Fl. Brit., 1378; Hull, 255; Sipth., 291; Turn. Musc. Hib., 123; Engl. Bot., vol. xxvi. 1862 (the barren stem with leaf and gemma under it) ; Suppl., vol. iti. 2856; Swartz, Musc. Suec., 50; Roth. Germ., vol. ill. 232; Bridel. Br. Un., vol. i. 662. Bryum annotinum, lanceolatum, pellucidum, capsulis pendulis, Dill. Musc., 399. t. 50. f. 68. Mnium annotinum, Linn. Sp., pl. 1576; Weir,151; With., 805; Hoff. Germ., Vol. ii. 215; Necker Meth., 232; Leers Herborn., 23. Trentepohlia erecta, Roth. Catal., vol.i. 1389 ; Hoff., vol. ii. 17. t. 14. In the ‘ British Flora,’ vol. 11. p. 60, the fructified speci- mens in ‘ English Botany,’ 1862, are properly referred to B. capillare, and no notice is taken of B. annotinum. In the se- cond edition of ‘Muscologia Britannica,’ p. 202, it is intro- duced under B. turbinatum with a mark of doubt ; in the first edition of this work it does not occur, nor has Dr. Taylor in- serted it in Mackay’s ‘ Flora Hibernica, although it is well described in Dawson Turner’s ‘ Muscologiz Hibernicz Spi- cilegium.’ I have formerly found this moss at Walthamstow in Essex, in fruit, but more abundantly barren male plants with beau- tiful gemme in the axils of the leaves, red when ripe. Leers describes them purple, I do not recollect that peculiar tinge ; in dried specimens they usually fall off. The botanical stu- dent should be informed that Mr. Wilson’s specific difference, “‘ stem very short; leaves crowded, erect, lanceolate, nerved, subserrulate at the apex ; capsule oblong-pyriform, pendulous; lid convex, apiculate,” applies only to the fertile plants, the leaves on the barren stems being distant, never crowded. The magnified figures are excellent, except in want of gemme, it being understood that all the leaves belong to the fertile stems ; the unmagnified are not so satisfactory, the perichze- tial leaves not being shown; these are accurately represented by Dillenius in his ‘ Historia Muscorum,’ I cannot suppose that B. turbinatum is an enlarged variety of this species growing in bogs; if it were so, annotinum must Mr. Shuckard on Bird-catching Spiders. 435 continue the trivial name, not only because it is Mniwm anno- tinum of Linnzeus, but, as applied to the genus Bryum, it is older than turbinatum. I am, my dear Sir, yours sincerely, Epwarp Forster. Woodford, January 17th, 1842. LIII.—On Bird-catching Spiders, with remarks on the Com- munication from W. S. Macleay, Esq. upon that subject, in the January number of the Annals. By W. EK. Suuck- ARD, Libr. R.S. To the Editors of the Annals and Magazine of Natural History. GENTLEMEN, 2 I am unwilling to have it supposed that in my reference in Lardner’s Cyclopzedia to Mr. W.S. MacLeay’s private letter, mentioned in his communication in your last number, I had made any use of it beyond what I understood to be in con- formity with his express wish; and shall therefore merely refer to the passage in his letter which I shall quote below, not merely permitting, but desiring me to make known his re- tractation of an opinion which he had expressed in his paper on Mygale in the ‘ Transactions of the Zoological Society.’ With respect to the errors which he has ascribed to me, I readily acknowledge two, not that I made them willingly or wilfully, for I see them only now that they are pointed out to me; one of these however is but partly mine, namely, mistaking Zosterops for Gasterops, which must be attributed im a great measure to Mr. MacLeay’s letter being, as he him- self states, hastily written; and being myself no ornithologist, I did not investigate the name, but took it as it seemed to present itself to me. My second error is, that I said, “ He therefore retracts his observations upon Mygaile in the Zoolo- gical Transactions.” This, I admit, was deduced from too hasty a reading of his letter; but certainly I did not mean it to imply that Mr. MacLeay retracted all his observations upon Mygale, as he infers, but those only which referred to the subject in hand, namely, the possibility of its propensity to feed upon small birds—when it could catch them. With respect to the “tale of Mygale catching birds being either ‘substantiated or confirmed’ by another spider of totally different habits having been observed to catch them,” although Mr. MacLeay may “deny,” I certainly never as- serted; I merely mentioned the probability of it from the analogy, as the most powerful, most rapacious and fero- cious genus of the class ene as likely to prey upon 22 436 Mr. Shuckard on Bird-catching Spiders. small birds when it could catch them, for there is nothing in their organization to prohibit their indulging in such a re- past when falling in their way; and I still consider that Mr. MacLeay’s statement with regard to one of the Epeiride lends authority by analogy to the assumption that such might be the case. Ifeven it be the exception to the rule of their insectivorous habits observed only by his father and himself, and which he remarks nobody but themselves has witnessed at Sidney, this gives further plausibility to Madame Merian’s statement ; for might not she have observed a similar diver- gence from ordinary habits in the case of Mygale in the Brazils to that which was detected by Mr. MacLeay and his father in the case of one of the Epeiride in New Holland ? But Madame Merian is not the only authority upon which this peculiarity in the habits of Mygale is based. We possess much more recent, and much weightier evidence ; and as to Langsdorff’s * total denial of it, this may pass current for what it is worth, when we reflect how absurd every positive negation is in natural history, merely because the fact has not come under the observer’s notice, provided always there be no insuperable objection arising from organization to the possibility of its occurrence. Perty+ says of Langsdorff’s statement: “ C. Langsdorff mea opinione perperam negat, M. avicularem aves parvas apprehendere, et devorare, addens, eam insectis solummodo victitare. Observatores recentissimi, priscorum indicia repetentes, non tantum avibus sed etiam reptilibus minoribus, presertim Sauriis ex Anolis genere nutriri asserunt.” Baron Walckenaer, who has made the Arachnide the study of his life, gives his opinion deduced from the observations of recent travellers in the following words : “ The Theraphoses,” the tribe of which Mygale is the first and chief genus, “include the largest species of Arachnide, and catch in their nets! not only very large imsects, but also small birds, such as humming-birds {.” In support of this he cites Milbert’s ‘ Voyage a V’Isle de France,’ and Palissot de Beauvais, who says of the Mygale Blondii, that at night it ascends trees, enters the nests of humming-birds and sucks their eggs or the blood of their young ones. Per- cival, in his ‘ Account of Ceylon,’ says of the Mygale fasciata, “‘ There is an immense spider found here, with legs not less than four inches long, and having the body covered with thick black hair. The weds! which it makes are strong enough to entangle and hold even small birds, which form * Reise um die Welt. i. Bd. 63. t Delect. Animal. Artic., p. 37. t Walckenaer, Aptéres, tom. i. p. 205. 1837. Mr. Shuckard on Bird-catching Spiders. 434 its usual prey*.” It was, besides, M. Latreille’s opinion, who distinctly says of Mygale, “ This division contains those mon- strous spiders, whose legs, in their natural position, occupy a circular space, the diameter of which is seven or eight inches, and which sometimes seize upon small birds+ ;” and M. Moreau de Jonnés, who made the natural history of these spiders the subject of special observation in the Island of Martinique, says, “It chases far and wide in search of its prey, and conceals itself beneath leaves for the purpose of surprising it, and it will climb the branches of trees to devour the young of the humming-bird, and of Certhia flaveola, Linn.{.” He further says of its mode of attacking its prey, whence we may infer it was derived from personal observation, “ When it throws itself upon its prey, it clings to the body by means of the double hooks which terminate its tarsi, and it then strives to reach the occiput, that it may insert its fangs between the skull and the first of the cervical vertebrae. I have observed in other American insects a simi- lar destructive instinct§.” With regard to its power of exe- cuting this, he says, “'The muscular strength of the Mygale is very great, and it is with difficulty made to let go what it seizes, even when the surface scarcely presents a hold for the claws with which the tarsi are armed, or for the powerful fangs which assist them to kill birds and the Anolis. Its obstinacy and ferocity in fighting cease only with its life.” It would be easy to add other authorities in support of their strength and rapacity, and those already cited state that Mygale spins nets or webs; I did not say they constructed geometrical webs, for very few genera of spiders form these, although all the pulmonary spiders have the means of spin- ning some kind of net. I will now cite the words of Mr. MacLeay’s letter to me, to show how far my account, which is to be found extracted in his letter to you, differs from his own; for, as old Chapman sings, I have no wish to “ blanch things further than their truth.” Mr. MacLeay’s words, verbatim, are these: “ I wish you would have the goodness to mention to such of your friends as have taken up the study of Arachnide, that I have found a spider that will prey on small birds, and in fact catches them in its net as well as insects. In my paper on Mygale in the ‘ Zoological Transactions’ I expressed a be- lief that no true bird-catching spider exists; but I retract this belief, as J have found a spider of the family Epeiride * Account of Ceylon. London, 1805, p. 310. + Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat., second edition, vol. xxii. p. 113. { Ibid, p. 117. § Ibid. 438 Mr. Bidwill on a new species of Araucaria. actually devouring the young of a Zosterops that had no doubt lately flown from the nest. My father had witnessed the same circumstance before, so that there is a spider which will feed on the juices of a warm-blooded animal. However, its more common food consists of Gryllide and large Lepi- doptera.” Having shown that I had authority for saying that Mygale makes nets and catches birds in them, I think the probability of the accuracy of the accounts enumerated above of their feeding upon birds was a legitimate deduction from the analogical discovery of one whom we know to be a fully competent observer, and I therefore suggest the comparison of the two extracts, which is all that either party said upon the subject, and which will necessarily reduce my “ tissue of mistakes” to two, namely, 1st. The mistake of one name for another, which in Mr. MacLeay’s autograph was exceedingly similar ; and 2ndly, my too hastily stating that he retracted his observations upon Mygale; whereas it should have been merely that he retracted his disbelief that any spider fed upon the juices of a warm-blooded animal. For this mis-statement I beg to apologize to him, although it is very venial, considering the array of authorities quoted above in support of the opinion that Mygale is a red- and warm-blood-thirsty creature, and that it constructs a web. I am, Gentlemen, truly yours, W. E. SHuUCKARD. Robert Street, Chelsea, January 2, 1842. LIV.—On a new species of Araucaria from New South Wales ; and on Nuytsia floribunda. By H. Brpwiut, Esq.* DEscRiPTION of a new species of Araucaria from about forty miles N.W. of Moreton Bay, New South Wales. A tree from 100 to 200 feet high, often without branches for 100 feet. Branches very slender, lax, verticillate ; branchlets very numerous, slender; leaves sessile, of two different kinds on different parts of the branches ; some ?ths of an inch long, somewhat triangular, slightly incurved, very like those of young specimens of A. wmbricata; the others lanceolate, 2 inches long, } an inch wide, recurved; both somewhat mu- cronate, surrounding the stem as in other species, but not so numerous ; the long ones are probably produced in summer, and the others in winter. Neither cones nor male flowers seen. Scales from top of cone containing abortive seeds 3 inches * We have to thank Mr. Bidwill for the male twig which accompanied his description; and shall be happy to avail ourselves of his offer.—Ep. Scientific Travellers. 439 long, 14 broad, spongy, hooked at end; seed 1} inch long, egg-shaped, compressed, free from the scale, apparently not winged ; whether diccious or not, not known. Ripens seed in January, when the natives collect from great distances to feed on it. It is said there is also another species, but I have not seen it.—H. Brpwiuu. Note on Nuytsia floribunda. In the government garden at Sidney is a single plant of Nuytsia, which flowers every year, but does not ripen many seeds. I this year picked up several and sowed them, but they have not come up. As I was particularly anxious to preserve the plant, I invariably looked around it for seedlings when- ever I entered the garden, and a few days since discovered two just breaking the ground. I then found that this curious plant has three (!) cotyledons, which are awl-shaped and per- fectly equal in size and appearance. As I never recollect to have heard of a plant with three cotyledons before, I thought it worth mentioning, in order to compare it, if possible, with Schepfia, Gaiadendron, Aucuba, &c., the other terrestrial ge- nera of (so-called) Loranthacee. I should like to know if it is to be found in English collections *.—H. B. Sidney, July 5, 1841. LV.—Information respecting Scientific Travellers. Some account of the Natural History of the Island of Che- dooba, from the Report of Kywarp P. Hausteap, Esq., Commander of Her Majesty’s Sloop Childerst. Tue island of Chedooba measures 154 miles in length, viz. from 18° 40’ to 18° 55! 30” N. latitude, and 17 miles in width, viz. from 93° 30! to 93° 47' E. longitude, and shows on the map as a square the S.W. angle of which has been reduced. With its de- pendency of Flat Island on the south coast, it covers an area of about 200 square miles. Its general appearance and character is that of a fertile, well-wooded island of moderate height and irregular outline. A band of level plain, but little raised above the sea, extends around its coasts, of far greater width on the east than on the west; within this lie irregular, low, undulating hills, varying in height from 50 to 500 feet, enclosing several higher detached mounds, of steep, well- wooded sides, the loftiest of which, near the south part of the island, rises nearly 1400 feet. The view from the top of these higher summits presents, imme- * On reference to Mr. Loudon’s ‘ Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum,’ it appears not to have been as yet introduced.— Ep. + From the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, No. exiii. 440 Scientific Travellers. diately below, a scattered irregular mass of hills, confined principally to the western part of the island, covered with jungle, interspersed with grass plains of more or less extent. To the eastward a broad flat plain intersected with patches of jungle; and surrounding all, lie the cultivated rice-fields with the different villages on their verge nearest the sea, the coast of which to the westward is everywhere strewed with broken and detached masses of rock jutting far out. In introducing to notice the more natural productions of the island, in the vegetable kingdom, it may be well first to speak of the soil in which they are found. This is with little exception of one character, a loose friable earth of light yellow colour, having the general clay base much modified with decayed vegetable matter, the angular fragments of soft sand- stone having passed from a greenish into a dirty yellow colour, and being in a state of rapid decomposition. The exceptions to this were found in a few spots to consist of a soil bearing more of the character of mould. The above soil extends throughout the interior parts of the island, embracing all the hills higher and lower down to those flatter lands which have been noticed as applicable for the extension of rice cultivation, and constitutes that of the jungles, which are co-extensive with it. These in their general character are open, consisting much of de- tached clumps of bamboo or of trees from 1 foot to 18 inches in dia- meter, well separated below, but in their branches having creepers thickly entwined. Throughout the lower jungles, open spaces, some deserving the character of small plains, are of very frequent occur- rence. On the higher hills the trees are closest of growth and largest of size, but still clear of understuff. Timber of great size, and some of valuable quality, is to be found, but it is confined to the very summits of the highest hills, and is therefore partly inaccessible, nor would its amount ever remunerate the labour of constructing roads for its transport. The soil in which these grow is of the same nature as that described above ; but within a few hundred feet of the summits, all of which are very steep, it is piled up in the loosest possible manner, The stroke of an axe or dah on an extensive hill-top would so shake it for a space of 150 yards around, as to make observation in the quicksilver of an artificial ho- rizon impossible. Precisely at the spot where this loose texture commences—com- mences the growth of the large timber, increasing in size thence to the summits, and from the trees not being deciduous (or at least not so at the same season), a most marked line of separation is thus traced out between these and the smaller leafless jungle below. The wood oil-tree was the most conspicuous in growth and size of the larger trees of these summits. One was felled on the west hill, which measured in diameter at the respective ends of a 60-feet length, 4 feet 6 inches and 3 feet 6 inches; and another is left stand- ing as a mark, on the summit, which measures 21 feet 4 inches in girt at 6 feet from the ground. The wood of this tree will not, I Scientific Travellers. 44] fear, be found valuable as timber, but its produce, the wood oil, has yet to be better appreciated than at present. This substance is pro- duced by cutting a hole into the body of the tree* and kindling a fire in it; the flat floor, as it were, of the hole has a groove cut in it, which receives the oil as it exudes from the wound, and whence a split bamboo conducts it to the pots placed for its reception ; the quantity thus yielded from a large tree is surprisingly great. In felling the above-mentioned individual the oil ran in a stream from it, and it must have contained even tons. The strict propriety of designating it an oil may be doubted. It has alwayS seemed to me more like a varnish ; it speedily forms a highly polished surface on wood work, and has a fine aromatic scent, not unlike that of cedar ; mixed with reeds and dried, it makes a brilliant and fragrant torch. The colour of the wood is a dull pink. In the course of clearing these summits for observations connected with the survey, many other trees were felled exhibiting characters apparently valuable as timber. Among the natives there were dif- ferences of opinion about their names, and waving even this obstacle to any description of them, the remark already made, of the difficulty opposed to their being brought down, renders such attempt unneces- sary. The oil-trees would be found most valuable as a source of supply for that material, and perhaps many of their neighbours also would be found more useful living than dead by the produce they may be found to yield. One of these, of large size, and with a bark similar to cork, was found to produce caoutchouc in great abundance. On cutting through the outer rough coat, a soft inner one, nearly an inch thick, is found closely attached to the more solid wood; on wounding this, the caoutchouc exudes freely, of a consistency and colour like thick milk. The tree was much avoided by the natives on account of the noxious quality of this milk, which, if by accident entering the eye, on the tree being struck, so as to wound it, was said to produce certain blindness. Another tree of very large leaf but moderate size was also much avoided, and great care taken in felling it to prevent its juice from touching the skin, which it was said to blister and poison. The adhesive quality of this substance was therefore more taken for granted than proved. A plant, with the appearance of a Cactus, but growing to the height and size of a tree, and known perhaps generally under the name of Sisso (not the timber tree of that name), yielded the caout- chouc in the greatest abundance. On severing a leaf, it ran forth in a small stream like milk. Many of the creepers also contained it in large quantities, and in one spot of the jungle of the Krae-rone Circle, I found the Caoutchouc tree of South America, affording prospect, that, as European intelligence and enterprize became more attracted towards the products of India, that continent may some day find its exclusive trade in this every day increasing valuable ar- ticle formidably disputed. The wild cotton tree grows to a great size, and at the time seen was covered with a mass of its beautiful * See Dr. Spry’s Visit to Arracan, No. 110. 442 Scientific Travellers. erimson flowers and flocks of birds. Its wool is sometimes used for stuffing pillows or beds. The Gamboge tree was found of large size, and in considerable quantity, in clearing the jungle from the summit of the N.W. Peak ; it was well known to the natives; but no use is made of its beautiful gum, which covered the stems in considerable quantities. It lives in the higher jungles. It is not doubtless the only tree in these wilds yielding a valuable gum, but want of acquaintance with botanical science prevented re- searches of that*kind, which might have led to useful discovery. The safety and facility, and even enjoyment with which such researches may be carried on in the fine season, in the woods of Chedooba, seem however to point them out as a spot very eligible for the care- ful examination of an able botanist, unless indeed they be considered too limited in extent to exhibit a sample of the general character of the jungles of this coast. A very brilliant crimson gum was found to flow in great quantity from a large creeper (Tallee-medzou-nowy) which is very common. If dried speedily in the sun, becoming very brittle, but retaining its colour; it is of very astringent quality, and is used in some diseases as a medicine by the native quacks. I may not fail to mention another creeper, whose properties are as valuable as interesting, and not the less so from its being found everywhere, both high and low. It is truly a traveller’s friend, and the wandering Mug well appreciates its value. With his dah he cuts off a junk and quenches his thirst with its contents, a pure, tasteless, cool water, of which it contains as much as its large nu- merous pores will hold, and which are immediately emptied by holding the piece perpendicular. A piece about 2 feet in length, and as thick as a small wrist, gave rather more than half a pint of water. In the rainy season it would have given double that quantity. In travelling through the jungles, the liquid of this water-creeper (Jabroon nony) is the constant beverage of the natives, when not otherwise supplied with that necessary, and its universal presence makes him very independent in his choice of road. The rattan is everywhere found in the jungles, and performs all the ordinary duties of rope; it grows to a great size; two were taken from the West Hill 114 feet in length, and 14 inch diameter. Although Chedooba may not be looked to for supplying valuable. timber to other parts, yet for its own consumption, and most, if not all domestic purposes, it possesses amply sufficient to meet any de- mand. For such purposes plank may easily be brought down from the hill, whence the whole tree must be immoveable. The lower jungles contain woods perfectly adapted to such uses ; 3 and in those of the Eastern Plains was found the ‘Thew-gaan growing plentifully, some of the trees between 2 and 3 feet in diameter, and which itself would supply material for almost all purposes. The wood of this tree is hard and close-grained, of a yellow colour and most durable. In the southern provinces of Tenasserim it grows to an immense size, and in the Sandoway district ; hereafter its qualities may Scientific Travellers. 443 be appreciated by other than the natives, with whom its durability has given rise to the proverb that ‘a Cemoe of Thew-gaan lasts 99 ears.’ Of the productions of the animal kingdom, the island exhibits but a limited variety. Of wild animals, the deer is the largest and most plentiful; they are very numerous throughout the island, though I never either heard or saw but one species, that which is generally known as the ‘barking deer.’ The natives run them down with dogs; they have no means of shooting them. The flesh was found less dry and un- flavoured than was expected. Next in size and number to the deer is the wild hog, the only species on the island. They are not large, but numerous, especially in the jungles which lie closest to the rice lands, on which they commit heavy depredations, and our assistance was frequently in- voked to destroy at least some of the enemy. But in general the labour of the day was deemed enough for our party without trench- ing on the hours of rest, which was necessary in order to comply with the request. Jungle cats are found, but are not numerous; but one was ever seen by any of our party. Squirrels are plentiful, and of large size, though of but one species ; a dark brown in colour throughout, with exception of the throat, and a narrow stripe along the belly of yellowish white. One was shot of the size of a full-grown rabbit ; it was a male; his lady in company was of more delicate size. Monkeys we heard of, but I much doubt their existence on the island ; at least it is strange, that in so long and extensive a traverse of it such an animal was neither seen nor heard. The freedom from any formidable wild beast is a circumstance of advantage in these countries, which may not be passed over without remarks; it contributed largely to the comfort and freedom with which we were enabled to penetrate through the Chedooba, forming a source of congratulation when obliged to take "P a night’s lodging or a day’s journey in the jungle. The natives state that a tiger did once attempt a landing on the island, but fortunately being seen while yet swimming towards the shore, time was afforded to the inhabitants of the nearest village to prepare for his welcome ; and before he could gain footing, either for attack or escape, he was cut in pieces with their dihs, since which his example has never been followed. I know not how far the swimming qualities of a tiger may bear witness to the truth of this story, but the feat in an opposite direc- tion was safely performed by one of the elephants which were placed at our service, which, after breaking from his ropes, swam the straits, and landed safely on the opposite coast of Ramree, a distance of seven miles at the least, where he was recaptured and sent back. Of reptiles, one snake was seen, and a few lizards and insects; the most numerous and beautiful are the butterflies, which were found even on the highest peaks. Bees are plentiful, but the jungles alone 444 Scientific Travellers. supply the honey, which is very sweet and good, and serves through- out the island in the place of sugar. Fish forms a very important part of the diet of the Mug, and mainly in this view are the villages of Chedooba formed around the shores. It is very plentiful, though not of any great variety. The most common is a species of Bonito, a muscular fish of rapid mo- tion and great strength, though seldom arriving at a weight of 4 lbs. It has a very thick smooth skin, without scale, and is of silvery white, longitudinaily spotted with blue. On the western coast, in the sandy bays, they are very numerous, and are taken in great plenty with hook and line. The bamboo supplies the fishing-rod, and in the evening, when most readily taken, the shore may be seen with twenty natives in a line from the nearest village, as close together as they can stand, up to their middles in the water, with their baskets slung on their backs, and casting their lines as rapidly as if fly-fishing, laughing and joking at their success, without the least fear of driving their prey away, though they must be among their legs. The flesh of these fish is very firm and nutritious. Very great quantities of a tiny little fish, most similar to, if not in fact, the Anchovy or a small Sardine, are taken on the same coast. They are dried in the sun without any preparation, a day or two’s exposure being sufficient for the purpose, and exported in great quantities to Ramree and the neighbouring coast. The method of taking them is perhaps peculiar, and forms an interesting and lively scene. ‘The morning isthe time of the best ‘ take,’ at which period, and when near high water, young and old assemble on the sand in groups, with flat open-mouthed baskets of bamboo work, awaiting the opportunity for a catch. This occurs when the shoals of tiny fish are driven for supposed safety close into the beach by their larger, persecuting, and ravenous brethren. ‘Then away dashes the nearest group of expectants into the water, to the back of the surf which is constantly though not heavily rolling in on the coast, and, driving back the original pursuers, face round in shore and place the flat mouths of their baskets in line together, just outside the retiring wave, receiving from it its finny contents. Sometimes more than a gallon will be thus deposited in a single basket. The uncertainty as to where the shoal will come in, and the ra- pidity and ability with which the fortunate group take advantage of their opportunity, afford all the excitement and amusement to these cheerful people of a game of chance, and cannot be looked on by a stranger without interest. Flocks of cranes, crows, kites and gulls, of many sizes, colours and voices, looking out for the stragglers on the sand that have escaped the mouths of the fishes and the bas- kets, form an addition to the scene. The gray mullet, of good size and flavour, is got from the creeks of the east side of the island. Rock fish are plentiful, but not easily taken ; when intended to be preserved, they are split into quarters, kept together at either end, and then opened by strips of bamboo, and the whole hung up to dry in the sun. Skate were frequently Bibliographical Notices. 445 seen, but none caught; they were often observed to make very high though clumsy leaps, a feat not often I believe practised by flat fish, A fish of considerable size, from twelve to twenty lbs. weight appa- rently, and in form resembling the salmon, was frequently seen of an evening performing very astonishing leaps. They were always quite perpendicular, and therefore appeared as a gambol, more than an effort to take prey, and sometimes extended to a height of thirty feet. Of shell-fish we found craw-fish and prawns, the latter of great size and very delicious; they are limited to the creeks of the east side of the island, where also the one in the neighbourhood of the Meug-breng village possesses truly fine oysters. They are large, but of a flavour as delicate as our own Colchester luxury: it may be lamented that they are not more generally known, and attempts made to grow them elsewhere. They have been transported to Kyouk Phyoo, and do well there. Turtle are common, and are taken by the natives on the sand- islands and bays. They are of large size and of good species, but I can make no mention of their quality as food. Many beautiful and valuable species of shells are to be found on the flats off the North Point of the island, where however but little leisure or opportunity of dredging for them was afforded. | Of wild birds, the Sarus [Larus?] is perhaps the largest on the island, and is plentiful. They are common in other parts of India, and are, I believe, good eating. There are a great many varieties of the crane, some of very beautiful plumage and great size. These constitute the greatest portion of the feathered inhabitants, and would supply perhaps some new and valuable varieties, if not species: doves are very numerous ; a small green parrot is found, and some few green pigeons were seen. But in general, other than have been mentioned, the birds are of those species most commonly met with in these cli- mates. The jungles are, however, scantily peopled, though I may not omit to notice one which, with its sweet and soft note late in the evening, often gratified us, and was deemed not an unworthy brother-songster of the nightingale. NIGER EXPEDITION :—DR. VOGEL. Our readers will rejoice to learn that Dr. Vogel, Mr. Fraser, and Dr. Stanger are not among the victims of the fatal Niger expedition, Dr. Vogel has recovered from an attack of fever, and will remain for a time at Fernando Po, for the purpose of botanical investigation. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. On the Structure of the Cyst-worm. By George Gulliver, F.R.S, (Medico-Chir. 'Trans., vol. xxiv.) In this memoir, after remarking the great importance of the Cyst- worm as one of the very few parasites that infest the muscular fibre of man, as well.as that of animals used by him as food, the author proceeds to describe many points in the anatomy of the Entozoon 446 Bibliographical Notices. which he believes have hitherto been either *imperfectly elucidated or altogether neglected. The neck or true body of the worm is thickly studded with oval corpuscles, the average long diameter of which is ;34-,nd of an inch, and the short diameter g>';5th. These corpuscles are composed of a shell of carbonate of lime inclosing an internal granular matter. Mr. Gulliver thinks it probable that they are the ova of the worm. ‘They are almost exclusively confined to the body, not one of them being found in the caudal vesicle; but the tissue of the latter is throughout pervaded by oil-like spherules. In a description of the configuration and arrangement of the hook- lets, the author shows that the two sets, though alike in form, are quite distinct in size, and arranged alternately ; and that each claw has a blunt lateral process, which has been mistaken for an ovum; and this process, when seen foreshortened, has the appearance of an oval body distinct from the claw. The paper is illustrated by several figures, exhibiting the form and structure of the corpuscles supposed to be the ova, of the tentacles, as well as of body, caudal vesicle and cyst of the Cysticercus, from the omentum of the Mexican deer. Genera Plantarum secundum Ordines Naturales disposita, auctore Stephano Endlicher, 1836—1840. A work to which reference could be made with almost a certainty of finding the complete characters of any genus of plants has long been a desideratum with botanists, and from the labour, not to say know- ledge, requisite for the production of such a book, many of them have almost despaired of its ever appearing. We feel therefore peculiar © pleasure in congratulating botanists in general, and more particu- larly Prof. Endlicher, on the completion of the above gigantic under- taking, the earlier portions of which have been long enough in our hands to give us practical experience of its usefulness. This book is closely printed in very large 8vo, consisting of 1483 pages, and containing nearly 7000 genera, and is so arranged as to form either one or two volumes at the pleasure of its possessor. A collection into one place of the descriptions given by the first observers of the several genera would have constituted a valuable work ; but here we “find the characters of each genus in an order reduced to the same form so as to contrast with each other, and thus point out in a peculiarly satisfactory manner the distinctions of each genus from every other. ‘This is a point far too much neglected by botanists in the description of species as well as genera, and we are therefore rejoiced to find that it has been so carefully attended to in the work before us. The author states that it is his intention to publish supplements, containing corrections and additions, as often as a sufficient quan- tity have been collected, and expresses a hope that all botanists will communicate to him such new genera as they may describe, or errors which they detect. We have no doubt that this very reasonable re- quest will be most cheerfully complied with, and that thus we shall Linnean Society. 447 have the advantage of possessing a Genera Plantarum complete up to the time of publication of each of the supplementary parts. Nomenciator Botanicus, seu Synonymia Plantarum Universalis, auctore E. T. Steudel, M.D. Ed. 2. 1840-41. The completion of the above laborious undertaking points out in a peculiarly clear manner the great advance in the knowledge of species that has been attained during the last twenty years. In the former edition of this work (if such it ought to be called), which ap- peared in 1821, there are 3376 genera and 39,684 species recorded, whilst in the present edition, which has appeared at intervals during the years 1840 and 1841, the names of 6722 genera and 78,005 spe- cies are recorded ; thus almost doubling the number of ascertained genera and also of species. It is probable that no previous period of similar extent would show any approach to so great a relative ad- vance in our knowledge of the Phanerogamic plants, to which di- vision the present work is confined. We need scarcely say more concerning a work that must recom- mend itself so strongly by its mere usefulness to the notice of bota- nists, but may add that, as far as English publications are concerned, it appears to include nearly everything up to the conclusion of the 17th volume of the Linnean Transactions. Enchiridion Botanicum exhibens Classes et Ordines Plantarum ; accedit Nomenclator Generum, auctore S. Endlicher, M.D. 1841. The great work that we have already noticed by Prof. Endlicher had hardly been completed when he again comes before us with the present volume, which contains very full descriptions of the natural orders of plants ; a complete list of the genera included under each ; and numerous observations on their affinities, geography, qualities and use in medicine, for culinary purposes, and in the arts. We can- not too strongly recommend this book to all botanical students. PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. LINNAAN SOCIETY. June 15, 1841.—The Bishop of Norwich, President, in the Chair. Read, an Extract from a Letter from William Griffith, Esq., F.L.S., to R. H. Solly, Esq., F.L.S., dated Meerut, March 29, 1841. Mr. Griffith states, that in its placentation, ovula, and protrusion of the embryonary sac, Osyris approaches Santalum, but presents in some particulars still more curious anomalies. First, the embryo- nary sac of Osyris seems to be produced beyond the base of the ovulum, passing down through the placenta and through the central tissue of the young fruit to its base. Secondly, the first steps of the growths consequent on fecundation take place outside the protruded sac, which may be found unaltered in the placenta of the ripe fruit. Whether the first cells, constituting the rudiments of the part in 448 Linnean Society. which albumen is subsequently deposited, are derived from the boyau or from the embryonary sac, Mr. Griffith states, that he has not been able to determine ; but he imagines that they are derived from the boyau. He adds, that if his views of the seed of Loranthus being derived from the boyau solely be correct, Osyris is intermediate be- tween Loranthus and Santalum; and intimates his intention of send- ing, on his arrival at Calcutta, a Supplement to his paper on Loran- thus, published in the Society’s Transactions. Read also a paper “On a reformed character of the genus Cry- ptolepis of Brown.” By H. Falconer, M.D., Superintendent of the Hon. East India Company’s Botanic Garden at Saharunpore. Dr. Falconer’s character is as follows :— Crypto.eris, R. Br. Calyx 5-partitus. Corolla infundibuliformis, 5-fida; tubo intus proces- subus 5 carnosis, obtusis, inclusis, cum limbi laciniis alternantibus, in- structo; fauce nuda. Stamina imo corollz tubo inserta, inclusa ; fila- menta brevissima, distincta; anthere sagittatee, dorso penicillato-bar- bate, basi stigmatis margini adherentes. Masse pollinis solitariz, granulosz, corpusculi glandulzeformis appendicule lineari tenuissimz applicite. Ovaria 2. Stylus brevissimus. Stigma dilatatum, margine attenuatum, apiculo conico. Squamule hypogyne nulle. Folliculi di- varicatissimi, ventricosi, apice acuto recto. Semina ad umbilicum co- mosa. Frutex volubilis, glaberrimus, succo lacteo scatens ; foliis oppositis, breve- petiolatis, lato-ellipticis cum acumine subulato brevi, supra lete-viren- tibus, subtus albido-glaucis, trunsversé venosis ; petiolis supra basin ar- ticulatis ; corymbis axillaribus, brevée-pedunculatis, curtatis ; floribus subsessilibus, majusculis, citrinis; corolle limbo patulo, segmentis ligu- latis. , C. Buchanani, Reem. et Sch., iv. p. 409. C. reticulata, Royle, Illustr., p. 270. Nerium reticulatum, Roxb. Flor. Ind. Orient., ii. p. 9. Hab. passim in India Orientali. In his Monograph in the Wernerian Transactions, Mr. Brown re- ferred the genus Cryptolepis, which he there established, to Apocynee, placing it next to Apocynum, and in this he has been followed by all subsequent writers; but Dr. Falconer states that it has. the whole stigmatic apparatus of Asclepiadee, with granular pollen as typically developed as in Cryptostegia or any other of the Periplocee, although in a less considerable degree of evolution. He regards it, however, as constituting the closest known transition from that family to Apo- cynee. He thinks the extreme minuteness of the appendicule may account for their having escaped Mr. Brown’s observation in the dry specimen; but adds, that there are two other points of difference, which lead him to suspect his plant to be distinct from that described by Mr. Brown. These are the want of hypogynous scales, of which he finds no trace, and which he believes to be wanting in the series of Periploceous genera allied to Cryptolepis; and the axillary, and not interpetiolar, inflorescence. He also gives a detailed description of the sexual organs, and states that he has never been able to observe the pollen tubes either naturally or artificially produced. Linnean Society. 449 In a supplementary note, Dr. Falconer adds, that he has since Jearned by letters from Dr. Wight and Mr. Griffith, that both those gentlemen have been long aware of Cryptolepis being an Asclepiadeous genus. With reference to Dr. Wight and Mr. Arnott’s genus Sére- ptocaulon, under which those authors include the mass of Dr. Wallich’s Indian species of Periploca, he observes, that S. calophyllum wants the principal character on which the distinction of that genus from Periploca is founded, and suggests its restoration to Periploca, of which he also characterizes a new species from the neighbourhood of Cashmeer with a peculiar pseudo-aphyllous habit. Of these spe- cies he gives the following characters :— P. calophylla, volubilis glabra, foliis angusté lanceolatis longé attenuatis utrinque nitidis transversé venosis, cymis subsessilibus paucifloris, flo- ribus breviter pedicellatis, corollis intus parcé hirsutis, squamis hirsutis- simis, folliculis elongatis gracilibus subparallelis (nec divaricatis !). Streptocaulon calophyllum, Wight, Contr. Ind. Bot., p. 65. Hab. passim in vallibus exterioribys montium Himalensium. P. Hydaspidis, volubilis ramosissima glabra, ramis fasciculatis nodoso- articulatis, foliis tenuissimis linearibus apiculatis adpressis remotis ca- ducis, cymis axillaribus multifloris, floribus breviter pedicellatis, corolla intls squamisque tomentosis. Hab. secus ripas Hydaspidis extra Kashmeer prope ‘* Khutao Kelah.”"— #l. Septembri. The paper was accompanied by a coloured drawing of Cryptolepis Buchanani ? var. reticulata, and of the details of its fructification. Read also, ‘‘ A Description of an additional species of Paussus.” By J. O. Westwood, Esq., F.L.S., &c. The following are the characters of this species, which Mr. West- wood states to be most nearly allied to P. ruber, Thb., and of which he has seen only a single specimen in the collection of Samuel Stevens, Esq., who obtained it together with specimens of Platyrho- palus denticornis and P. aplustrifer in a small collection of Indian in- sects, without any indication of its precise locality. Paussus Stevensianus, pallidé luteus, capite rugosulo tuberculis 2 elevatis inter oculos, antennarum clavé magna posticé excavatd, elytris versus apicem fasciculis duobus minutis pilorum instructis. November 2.—The Bishop of Norwich, President, in the Chair, Read, ‘‘ Notes on the Habits of the Box-Tortoise of the United States of America, the Cistuda Carolina of .Gray.”” By George Ord, Esq., F.L.8. Mr. Ord states that this species is common in Pennsylvania, and appears to prefer dry situations, only frequenting the wet in pursuit of some favourite food, such as the remains of fish which lie scattered under the trees in swamps where the Night-heron (Ardea Nyctico- raz, ls.) breeds. It feeds also on insects, worms, and tender fungi, and eats greedily of strawberries, raspberries, and soft peaches. Its flesh is excellent, but the farmers have the same prejudice against it as against that of frogs. It hybernates about the middle of October, preferring a loose soil and southern exposure; and in severe winters some individuals perish in consequence of not having penetrated toa Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. 2G 450 Linnean Society. sufficient depth to escape the frost. About the 20th of April the sur- vivors reappear in a feeble state, until invigorated by the returning warmth. Mr. Ord kept a number of these Tortoises for several years in his garden, where they had an ample range, abundance of suitable food, and convenient places of winter resort. They regularly deposited their eggs, but seldom produced young, a circumstance which he at- tributes to the destruction of the eggs by ants. He gives from his books of memoranda the details of observations made in the years 1814 and 1832 on their mode of laying and depositimg their eggs, and the circumstances attending their hatching. The earliest deposit observed took place on the 22nd of June 1814. The Tortoise scooped out the earth with her hinder feet, using them alternately, as deep as she could reach, when the earth at the bottom of the hole was loosened. ‘The first egg was secured in this loose earth, and five other eggs were laid and deposited in the same man- ner, at intervals of four or five minutes, the earth being scraped from the sides of the hole and carefully pressed upon each egg as it was deposited, and the hole itself being finally covered over with the loose earth carefully packed and pressed. The animal kept in one position during the whole process, not looking once at the deposit. The eggs appeared to pass with facility, and shortly after laying the last egg, she uttered a guttural sound, several times repeated. The number of eggs appears to vary from three to six. In June 1832 Mr. Ord renewed his observations. Two of the female Tortoises then in his possession having been disturbed when about to lay, abandoned the place ; one of these laid on the subsequent day, and the other not until the second day after, whence Mr. Ord concludes that they possess the power of retaining their eggs under certain circumstances. The eggs were always laid about or after sun- set ; and some of the Tortoises, if not all, laid twice during the season. Of a deposit made on the 28th of June, one of the eggs (that nearest the surface) was hatched on the 24th of September. On struggling out of the shell the young animal seemed to be almost blind; its case was very soft and cartilaginous ; and in the centre of the under shell, or between the abdominal and the femoral shields, there was a large umbilical process. It measured an inch in length and could crawl with ease. On the 14th of October another young Tortoise made its appearance from the same deposit ; it was livelier and larger than that first hatched, measuring an inch and three-quarters in length, and its eyes were completely open. Mr. Ord conjectures that it had emerged from its shell some days previously, but had only then made its way to the surface. On the 15th another made its appearance, of a size between the other two; and on the same day Mr. Ord inspected the deposit and found a fourth young one, still in its shell, but strug- gling to get free, in which it succeeded during the afternoon. It was rather larger than any of the rest, and had remained in the shell one and twenty days longer than the first. On the 29th of September, Mr. Ord examined a deposit of eggs laid on the 26th of June. None appeared to haye hatched, but the shell of the uppermost having Linnean Society. 451 been partly eaten by the ants, he opened it and found a perfectly formed foetus, measuring an inch in length, attached to a yolk-bag three-quarters of an inch long. On the 21st of October Mr. Ord examined one of a number of eggs which he had removed from their deposits on the 24th of September, and found it to contain a living young, not quite so large as that last mentioned, and having a much larger yolk-bag ; and on the Ist of December he took up all the eggs of which he had any knowledge, none of which (although some were still living) were sufficiently matured for exclusion ; a circumstance which he attributes to a deficiency of the usual summer heat and to severe early frosts. Of the four young ones hatched, one escaped ; and the remaining three hybernated with the adults, reappeared in the spring, and lived in the garden for several years. November 16.—E. Forster, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. Read, ‘* Descriptions of some Vegetable Monstrosities,” by the Rev. William Hincks, F.L.S., F.R.S.E., &c. In this paper, which is a continuation of one read before the So- ciety towards the close of the year 1839, Mr. Hincks arranges the monsters described by him under the several heads of adherences, transformations, and increased or diminished developments of par- ticular parts. The adherences comprise, first, a case of the union of five grapes into one fruit in so complete a manner as to render it probable that the flowers were also united; secondly, an instance of cohesion be- tween four peduncles of Centaurea moschata, without fusion of their capitula; and thirdly, the common case of adherence of two flowers of Fuchsia fulgens. The latter is introduced for the purpose of re- marking how frequently, when the usual number of organs in a circle results from the suppression of certain parts rudimentally present, the same cause which produces adherence with the nearest flower, also developes all the rudiments, and thus increases the number of parts. On the other hand, in cases of union by fusion, that is, where the united flowers form one enlarged flower, Mr. Hincks observes, that one organ at least is generally sacrificed at each point of junc- tion. Of transformations Mr. Hincks notices two: first, a terminal bud of an Azalea, gathered about the period when the plant ceased to produce blossoms, which is partially converted into a flower, the leaves nearest the centre being imperfectly changed into stamina, and surrounded by many of petaloid aspect, while the outer leaves differ from the ordinary appearance only in haying a little colour; the organs are not arranged in circles, and one leaf only, and that among the most remote from the centre, assumes the form of a pi- stillum. The second transformation described occurs in a specimen of Gentiana campestris, in which all the parts of the flower are con- verted into leaves, which are somewhat petaloid and crowded into a rose-like tuft: this kind of transformation is similar to that described and figured by M. De Candolle in Trifolium repens. The first case of increased or diminished development noticed by 2G2 452 Entomolagical Society. Mr. Hincks affects a specimen of Anagallis arvensis, resembling one described by M. Mogquin-Tandon as found by M. Gay, in which an increased development of the exterior circle is accompanied by dimi- nution in the interior ones: the effect produced is stated to be very unequal in different flowers, but the more the calyx is enlarged, the more the interior circles are contracted. The second case is the well- known wheat-ear carnation, Dianthus Caryophyllus imbricatus, L., which is noticed as probably affording the best example of the mon- strous multiplication of a particular circle. A third case occurs in a capitulum of Matricaria, in which the: bractez, consisting under ordinary circumstances of paleaceous scales, are enlarged into full- sized leaves, completely deforming the flower: the rose-ribwort is noticed as a phenomenon of the same kind. Fourthly, Mr. Hincks mentions a monstrous variety or highly developed form of Convallaria multiflora, cultivated at Kew, which he presumes to be the var. bracteata of De Candolle and Duby: in it the number of flowers usually reaches five or six, and each of them proceeds from the axilla of a small leaf on the pedicel. And lastly, the author notices under this head a case of abortion or atrophy affecting the leaf of a fern cultivated by Messrs. Rolleston, by which in one instance the whole side of a frond, and in another the secondary veins with the parenchyma at both sides are entirely suppressed; a phenomenon which he has also observed in Scolopendrium officinale. Read also the commencement of a paper ‘“‘ On the Influence of the Dew-point on the Temperature of Plants,” by D. P. Gardner, M.D., of Hampden Sidney College, Virginia, communicated by the Secretary. December 7.—R. Brown, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. Read, ‘‘ On the Structure of the Nut known as Vegetable Ivory,” by Daniel Cooper, Esq., A.L.S. Read also the conclusion of Dr. Gardner’s paper ‘“‘ On the In- fluence of the Dew-point on the Temperature of Plants.” ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. August 2nd, 1841.—John Walton, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. Mr. 8. Stevens exhibited a number of minute British Coleoptera recently captured in Kent, including specimens of a species of Mi- cronyx Schonh., a genus not hitherto recorded as British, but which Mr. Curtis had described as a species of Pissodes (P. pygmeus). Mr. Curtis still however considered his insect as distinct, being smaller than Mr. Stevens’s specimens; but Mr. Walton stated that he possessed specimens smaller than any of Mr. Curtis’s. Mr. F. Parry exhibited two cases of splendid insects (chiefly non- descripts) from the Himalayas. Mr. Westwood stated that three specimens of Carabus Schinherri were taken on Ben Lomond in 1822 by A. Melly, Esq., in whose col- lection he had recently observed them. Mr. White also stated that there was a specimen in the British Museum cabinet, taken on Ben Lawes by Dr. Leach, which had also been supposed to be this species. Entomological Society. 453 » Mr. Westwood exhibited a few of the extensive collection of dis- sections made by Latreille, consisting of several hundred illustrations chiefly of the Coleoptera and Hymenoptera, accompanied by notes and sketches, and. which had been presented to him by Mr. Melly. He commented upon the value of this collection, as affording the means of authenticating Latreille’s various descriptions and notices ; adding as a proof of the minute scrupulosity of that distinguished entomo- logist, that occasionally several dissections occurred of the same insect (four of Oryssus and three of Psammechus were exhibited): it likewise afforded the means of determining the precise types of certain genera, of which Anteon and Ceraphron, with their dissections, were exhibited as illustrations. Mr. Westwood also exhibited Latreille’s specimens and dissections of the anomalous genus Prosopistoma, from Madagascar, regarded by that author as Crustaceous near Apus, but which M. M. Edwards regards as the larva of some other crustaceous animal. Mr. A. White exhibited a drawing of Echidnocerus cibarius, a new genus of Anomourous crabs, brought from the Colombia river by Sir George Staunton, used by the natives for food, and nearly allied to Lithodes, but distinguished by the spinose. basal joint of the antenna. He also exhibited drawings of a species of Hga, allied to H. affinis of M. Edwards, taken on the cod by the Newfoundland fishermen, by whom it is called the fish-doctor. Its spawn is called by them egg- salve, and is used both as a salve and as a bait for the cod. He also exhibited specimens of some very minute bees, which had lived in a colony for two years near Southampton. ‘Their nest had been found in a piece of log-wood from Campeachy, from which they had been removed into a cocoa nut. filled with pieces of log-wood, in which they had thriven and made honey. The specimens were too much damaged to admit either the genus or species to be deter- mined. The following memoirs were read :— Monograph of the Elaterideous genus Compsosternus, Latr. By the Rev. F. W. Hope. eS Sp. 1. (Type of the genus) Elater fulgens, Fabr. Long. corp. lin. 20. [Hab. China. Sp. 2. C. sumptuosus, H. C. aurato-viridis, nitidus, capite antic? subfoveolato, elytris aurato-viridibus, acuminatis, glabris, nitidis et punctulatis. Long. corp.lin. 142. [Hab. Java? Manilla. Mus. Dupont. Sp. 3. C. aureolus, H. Metallico-viridis roseoque colore tinctus, antennis nigricantibus, thorace vir subconvexo, postice lobato, elytris viridibus striato-punctatis, striis haud fortiter impressis. Long. corp. lin. 144. _[Hab. Singapore. Tenasserim coast. Var. C. Calanus, Hope, MSS. olim, Sp. 4. C. Cantori, H. Afneus thorace marginato et tomentoso, an- tennis palpisque nigricantibus, thoracis lateribus roseo-cupreis, elytris eneis, substriatis, tenuissime punctulatis, Long. corp. lin. 224. [Hab. Assam. Dr. Cantor. Sp. 5. C. Latreillii, Purpureo-viridis, thorace in medio purpureo, 454 Entomological Society. lateribus roseis, elytris viridibus purpureoque tinctis; corpore infra aurato-viridi. Long. corp. lin. 154. (Hab. Cochin China. Duvaucel. M. Dupont. Sp. 6. C. Wilsoni, H. TO: CF TT: The discovery of this species adds another form to the genus Os- tracion, the shapes enumerated in the ‘ Régne Animal’ being trian- _ gular with or without spines, quadrangular with or without spines,— and compressed with a keeled belly and scattered spines. In Jenti- cularis we have a compressed form with a keeled back and belly and no spines. The compressed Ostracions with scattered spines have been characterized by Mr. Gray as a subgeneric group, under the name of Aracana, and several Van Diemen’s Land species were lately de- scribed to the Society by the author of the present paper. The Aracana Reevesii (Gray) from China differs from the Van Diemen’s Land species in having the back slightly keeled, and thus forms a transi- tion to the form of lenticularis, in which the sides are convex, the back and belly acute, and the profile elliptical. Lenticularis, though unarmed, exhibits an analogy to the armed /4racane, in the umbones of the reticulated surface being largest where the spines would be situated, did they exist. The species is Australian, and the author expresses his obligations to Dr. Andrew Smith, of Fort Pitt, for the loan of two specimens of different ages. 3. ANGUILLA AUSTRALIS. Van Diemen’s Land Eel. ANGUILLA AUSTRALIS, mavilld inferiore longiore, pinnd dorsi supra anum incipienti, rictu magno. Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. 2H 466 Zoological Society. This is a Port Arthur freshwater species, for which the author expresses himself indebted to Mr. Lempriére. It differs from the common freshwater eels of Europe in the more posterior origin of the dorsal, as well as in the more anterior position of the vent. The pectorals are lanceolate, the vertical fins are but moderately high, and the gape extends to the posterior margin of the orbit. 4, Narcine TasManieEnsis, dorso dipterygio, corpore late obovato ; valvuld nasali obtuse trilobatd integerrimd ; pinné ventrali disco pectorali approximatd. The author having but recently had an opportunity of consulting Henle’s Monograph of the genus Narcine, takes this opportunity of supplying a specific character of the Van Diemen’s Land species, which was formerly described to the Society (Zool. Proceed. for March 1840, p. 29), but which could not be distinctively character- ized from his want of knowledge of the other species. A paper by W. J. Broderip, Esq., in which the author proceeds with his descriptions of Mr. Cuming’s shells, was next read. Heuix cryprica. Hel. testéd tumidd, subumbilicatd, subglobosd, anfractibus 3 subcorrugatis (ultimo longé maximo, obscure fascia- to), lineis incrementi creberrime obliqué substriatis, purpureo- brunned, epidermide sordidé brunned ; apertura subelongato-auri- culiformi, intus subargenteo-carulescente, subiridescente ; labii limbo rubro-brunneo, haud patulo, reflexo. Long. 18; lat. 24 poll. Hab. ad Catbalonga Insulze Samar sub foliis desiccatis. Mr. Cuming found this Helix hidden under the decayed leaves of trees. The inside of the mouth has that silvery iridescence which may be observed in the tendon of a muscle in some of the mammife- rous animals, and through it may be seen the purple-brown colour of the shell, which thus puts on a subcerulescent appearance. Henix tatirans? Hel. testd subtumidd, subcomplanatd, purpureo- rubrd, anfractibus 3 lineis incrementi creberrimé striatis (ultimo longissimé maximo), epidermide sordidé albente’; aperturd maxima e brunneo subalbido-iridescente, labio patulo, reflexo, rubente, albi- do interne limbato. Long. 12; lat. 2% poll. Hab. ad Gindulman Insule Bohol sub foliis desiccatis. At first sight, this Helix, which was also found by Mr. Cuming under decayed. leaves, looks a good deal like H. cryptica; but on a nearer inspection not only will a difference in form almost inde- scribable be observed, but also in the texture of the shell, which is without corrugations. 'The mouth too is much wider and broader, and the reflected lip much more patulous. The silvery iridescence of the mouth extends but a short distance within the aperture, but the polish is continued far in. Still it may only be a variety of H. eryptica. Heuix crerata. Hel. testd subglobosd, tumidd, anfractibus 3 (ul- Zoological Society. 467 timo longé maximo, fasciis et lineis nigricantibus cincto), lineis in- erementi creberrimé oblique striatis et lineis elevatis cinctis, brun- neo-nigricante, epidermide cretaced ; aperturd argenteo-subceru- led, labit limbo obscure rubente. Hab. ad Tannauan Insulz Leyte foliis arborum hzerens. Mr. Cuming has shown me a young shell which he brought from the mountains of Tanhay in the Isle of Negros, where it was taken on the leaves of trees. I thought at first that it might be the young of Helix Harfordii, but the sculpture of the shell and the quality of the epidermis correspond so closely with those of the adult shell just described, that though there is some difficulty arising from the capture of the two shells in different islands, I am inclined to be of opinion that it is probably the young of Helix cretata. Heuix Pan. Hel. testdé globosd, subelevatd, umbilicatd, zonatd, an-. Sractibus 4 (ultimo maximo) lineis incrementi minutissimé oblique striatis ; columellé albiddé, aperturd subrotundd, ceruleo-albente, labu limbo angusto, subrefiexo. Long. 12; lat. 14, variat ad infinitum. Var. a. Albens brunneo et nigro pulcherrimé fasciata. Of the whitish class of variety (a) there are variations without end, according as the bands are more or less present or absent. In some the whitish epidermis is only relieved by a brown sutural line and a deep submedial band on the body-whorl, which is more or less interrupted and ribanded with white and light brown towards the base. Var. 6. Brunnea albido et nigricante concinné fasciata. The same may be said of this section, which varies as much as var. a. This imperfect description was drawn from six of each class; but at least treble the number of each would be requisite to give a correct idea of the infinite variations of this beautiful species. March 23.—William Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. A collection of birds from Newfoundland, presented by E. Moore, Esq., was exhibited: it consists of specimens, in different states of plumage, of the Willow Ptarmigan (Tetrao Saliceti), a specimen of the Pin-tailed Duck (Dajila caudacuta), the American Teal (Querque- dula Americana), and the Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus). The collection also contains a foetal Esquimaux preserved in spirit. A paper by G. B. Sowerby, Esq., was read, in which the author proceeds with his descriptions of the new species of shells collected by H. Cuming, Esq., in the Philippine Islands. The following species were described and exhibited :—— Hewix marrueis. Hel. testd depressiusculo-subglobosd, tenuius- culd, levi, castaned, epidermide opacd, pallescente, hydrophand indutd ; spird subdepressd, anfractibus quatuor subrotundatis, ul- timo maximo, ventricoso ; suturd distinctd ; aperturd subtrape- zoidali, extis rotundatd, intis sinum prope columellam efformante, 2H? 468 Zoological Society. labio externo reflexo rotundato, fusco ; columelld latiusculd, declivé, antice oblique subtruncatd. 3 Long. 11; lat. 1°6 poll. Hab. supra foha arborum propé Cagayan, Provinciz Misamis, In- sule Mindanao, Philippimarum. Obs. Variat interdim spird minus depressd. Of this species there are two varieties in form and several in colouring. ‘The variety with a rather more than usually elevated spire very closely resembles some of the varieties of Helix Roissyana ; still it may be distinguished from that species by the much greater declivity of the columella, and its broader and less rounded outer lip. In the general arrangement of the colouring all the varieties are somewhat similar, particularly in the dark chestnut colour of the apex, which is continuous down the anterior part of the following volutions ; the upper part of the second and third volutions are lighter ; the columella is dark brown, and there is always a very light band surrounding it, which when covered with its epidermis is light yellow-brown, but when deprived of it is white; this is sur- rounded by a very dark brown band. The following are the varieties in colour, viz. : a. Shell with a dark brown band at the periphery and another antesutural dark brown band; epidermis with a very pale band at the circumference. b. Shell coloured precisely like a.: epidermis with a very dark band at the circumference. c. Shell with the spire more elevated; last volutions very dark brown, with a white antesutural and another white band at the cir- cumference. Hewix seticEr. Hel. testd suborbiculari, tenui, brunned, spird le- vatiusculd, anfractibus senis, rotundatis, angustioribus ; aperturd semilunari, labio externo, tenuissimo ; epidermide setigerd, setis regulariter. coordinatis. Long. 1°; lat. 1-2 poll. Hab. in ligno putrido propé St. Jaun, Provinciz Cagayan, Insulze Lucon. Shell dark brown, with a yellowish band in front of the periphery, and a broad band of the same surrounding the columella, which is small and white and deeply placed. Hewix vetutina. Hel. testd suborbiculari, subdepressd, tenut, pallide brunned, epidermide velutino indutd, anticé levi, nitidd ; spird depressd, anfractibus quinque, rotundatis ; aperturd semi- lunari, posticé rotundato-subtruncatd ; labio externo tenui; colu- mellé parva, profundd. Long. 0°7; lat. 1°2 poll. Hab. in arboribus putridis ad Insulam Guimaras, Philippinarum. Close-set short hairs, covering the whole of the upper part of the shell and part of the lower, give it a velvety appearance and soft- ness. ‘T'wo varieties of this species have occurred, one of smaller Zooloyical Society. 469 size and paler coleur at the Isle of Negros, and the other like the last with two brown bands at Mount Isarog. Hewix Bprevipens. Hel. testd suborbiculari, subdepressd, tenuius- culd, pallidé brunned, lined brunned superné circumdatd; spird sub- planulatd, anfractibus quatuor, superné subplanulatis, ad periphe- riam rotundato-subangulatis, infra rotundatis ; apertura semiluna- ri, posticé depressd, labio externo albo, rotundato-reflexo, anticé, propé columellam unidentato, dente brevi, obtuso, albo ; umbilico. parvo, labio columellari partim obtecto. Long. 0°5; lat. 0°8 poll. Hab. at Puerto-Galero. The epidermis of this species has numerous close-set, very short hairs, which renders it rather rough to the touch. } Hexix gummata. Hel. testd suborbiculari, conico-subdepressd, crassiusculé, superné decussatim striatd, infra levi, nitidd, striis incrementi solim insculptd ; spird conico-subdepressd, anfractibus senis, rotundatis, angustioribus, epidermide corneo, nitido, superné indutis ; apertura semilunari, labio externo tenui, propé columel- iam subincrassato ; columella profundd. Long. 0°8; lat. 1°3 poll. Hab. in ligno putrido prope Nuevam Insulz Lucon, Philippinarum. The upper or posterior part of this shell is covered with a thin horny epidermis, which gives it the appearance of having had a coat of varnish or gum spread over it, whence the name. In colour its upper surface is dark brown, the circumference light yellowish brown, then a band of the same colour as the upper surface, and then the lower or anterior part is of the same colour as the circumference. A variety occurs which is smaller and darker coloured, at the same time its brown band in front of the circumference is much broader. Heuix spuzeica. Hel. testd spheroidali, crassiusculd, flava, lined spirali nigro-fuscescente circumdatd ; haud nitente, spird ob- tusd, anfractibus quatuor ventricosis, ultimo magximo ; aperturé subcirculari, labio externo crasso, reflexo, albo, margine nigro;. columella latd, crassd, albé margine nigricante. Long. 0°9; lat. 1-0 poll. Hab. supra folia arborum propé St. Esteven Provincize Ilocos me- ridionalis Insule Lucon, Philippinarum. Five varieties of this very brilliant species have occurred to Mr. Cuming; viz. a. Bright yellow with a narrow white band close to the suture in front. : b. Pale brownish yellow: in other respects the same as a. c. Bright yellow with a narrow white band close to the suture in front and a broad brown band at the circumference. d. Same as a, only having in addition pale brown irregular lon- gitudinal stripes on the last volution. e. Same as a, only having in addition bright brown irregular longitudinal stripes on the last volution ; found on the leaves of the Pandanus in the mountains of the Igorro in the north part of Lugon. 470 | Royal Irish Academy. Hexix (Carocotna) semigranosa. Hel. testé suborbiculari co- nico-subdepressd, superné granulosd, subtis levi, nitidd ; spird conico-subdepressd, anfractibus senis, rotundatis, ad marginem ca- rinatis ; labio externo tenui, acuto, prope columellam crassiusculo ; umbilico minimo. : Hab. ad Insulam Luban dictam, Philippinarum. ' The margin of the last volution immediately in front of the keel is slightly crenulated, and of a dark brown colour: the remainder of the shell is of an uniform yellow-brown colour. ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY. Feb. 22, 1841.—Mr.Charles T. Webber presented to the Academy an ancient stone, on which is carved a rude bass-relief, supposed to be the representation of a dog killing a wolf. Mr.Webber accompanied the present with a communication to the effect that the stone was taken from the Castle of Ardnaglass, in the barony of Tireragh and county of Sligo, and was said to commemorate the destruction of the last wolf in Ireland. ‘The current tradition in the place from whence it came was, that, some years after it was supposed that the race of wolves was extinct, the flocks in the county of Leitrim were at- tacked by a wild animal which turned out to be a wolf; that there- upon the chieftains of Leitrim applied to O’Dowd, the chieftain of Tireragh (who possessed a celebrated dog of the breed of the ancient _ Trish wolf-dog), to come and hunt the wolf; which application being complied with by O’Dowd, there ensued a chase, which forms the sub- ject of an ancient Irish legend, detailing the various districts through . which it was pursued, until at length the wolf was overtaken and killed in a small wood of pine-trees, at the foot of one of the moun- tains in Tireragh. The quarter of land on which the wolf was killed, is to this day called Carrow na Madhoo, which means the dogs’ quar- ter. In commemoration of the event, O’Dowd had the representation of it carved on the stone, and placed in the wall of his baronial resi- dence. A wood engraving of the bass-relief is given in the Pro- ceedings of the Academy, No. 28. March 16.—In connexion with the subject of Mr. Webber’s re- marks at the last. meeting, Sir W. Betham communicated the follow- ing document, giving an account of an order made by King James I. for the destruction of wolves in Ireland. | Patent Roll, 12 Jac. I.d. R. 17. ‘* The King being given to un- derstand the great loss and hindrance which arose in Ireland by the multitude of wolves, in all parts of the kingdom, did by letters from ‘Newmarket, 26th November 1614, direct a grant to be made by patent to Henrie Tuttesham, who by petition had made offer to repair into Ireland, and there use his best skill and endeavour to de- stroy the said wolves, providing at his own charge men, dogs, traps, and engines, and requiring no other allowance, save only four nobles sterling, for the head of every wolf, young or old, out of every county, and to be authorized to keep four men and twelve couple of hounds in every county, for seven years next after the date of these letters.” 12 Jac, s. L. R. 27, i Imperial Academy of St. Petersburgh. 471 IMPERIAL ACADEMY OF ST. PETERSBURGH, 1841. In the botanical section, M. Trinius delivered a revision and a clas” sification of the genera and species of the family of the Agrostidee and MM. Fischer and Meyer, two notes, the first containing the de" scription of a plant from Mexico, which forms the type of a new genus of the family of the Orchidee, under the name of Seraphyta multiflora; and the second, of the Uwarowia chrysanthemifolia of M. Bunge, with a drawing of this plant. M. Meyer also read a mono- graphic memoir on the Alyssum minutum, and the analogous species, followed by a view of the species which form the genus Psilonema, as well as the first part of a long treatise on the natural family of the Polygonacee, under the title of An attempt at a natural arrange- ment of the genera of this family. He has in fact finished a work begun by the late M. Bongard, the object of which is the descrip- tion of the plants gathered, in 1838, in the neighbourhood of the Saisang-Nor, and on the banks of the Irtish. This collection, con- taining 331 species, was made by a pupil of M. Gebler, named Po- litoff, at Barndoul, in an excursion during the summer months of the above-mentioned year, at the expense of the Academy. However abundant this collection may be thought, considering the little time and expense which it cost, it is still far from furnishing us with a complete picture of the remarkable flora of Sungarie; it nevertheless presents some of its isolated and characteristic features, to which M. Meyer directs the attention of botanists in his preface. He has annexed to his memoir drawings of eighteen new species contained in this collection, and has expressed a desire of seeing his work not only inserted in the Collected Acts of the Academy, but of its being printed separately in octavo by the title of M. Ledebour’s Second Supplement to the Flora of the Altai, the first having been made by M. Bunge from the materials which he had collected during his journey in 1832, which was also made at the expense of the Aca- demy. ‘The Academy complied with this desire. M. Ruprecht, who, as we mentioned above, has furnished a description of the Algze collected by Mertens in his circumnavigation, has, together with M. Baer, undertaken the arrangement and the determination of the Thalassiophytes which this academician brought back from his ex- peditions in the north. M. Bunge, a corresponding member, has sent us a note on the genus Siphonostegia, established by Mr. Bentham the English botanist, and a memoir on a new species of the genus Pedicularis. M. Trautvetter has sent to the Academy the descrip- tion of a new species belonging to his genus Faldermannia, and to which he gives the specific name of parviflora ; and also, in two notes, his remarks on two species of (Nenuphar) water-lily to which he has given the name of Lotus circinatus and Lotus Candollei, and on the genera which have the greatest analogy with Trifolium. Lastly, we are indebted to M. Schrenk for an interesting sketch of the vegeta- tion of the island of Hochland, in the Gulf of Finland.— Recueil des Actes, &¢., p. 32. 472 Miscellaneous. MISCELLANEOUS. FAUNA OF DORSETSHIRE. To the Editors of the Annals and Magazine of Natural History. ]1 senpD you an account of the occurrence of two or three rare birds which do not seem to be noticed in Dr. Pulteney’s ‘ Nat. Hist. of Dorsetshire,’ viz. Scolopax Sabini, shot by George Morant, Esq., about the middle of November last at Muston, near Dorchester, and preserved by Mr. Wheatham of Abbotsbury, who prepared also Falco peregrinus for me, which was taken alive here by a labourer two winters ago just after it had killed a woodpigeon and was going to devour it. Striz nyctea was shot in a wood at Langton, near Blandford, two or three years ago, belonging to J. J. Farquharson, in whose possession I saw the specimen (a most beautiful and dark spotted [ ¢ ?] one). The Ardea nigra (Black Stork) was also shot a year or two ago near Wareham, and is now in the possession of the Earl of Malmesbury. Mr. Anstice of Bridgewater lately men- tioned in the paper that his specimen (sent to Col. Montagu) was unique; but I think Mr. Edward Quekett, of the Langport Museum, told me another had been shot a few years ago between that town and Bridgewater, which he endeavoured to obtain, but it found its way to Taunton in rather a mutilated state. Thus we have four in- stances of its being found in Britain ; and should any doubt arise, a reference to the persons named above would settle the matter. I have seen the solitary snipe myself in Elsington Wood (the property of the Earl of Orford). I saw the gray wagtail yesterday; it has some yellow above the tail, zot a yellow breast (Iam not much of an ornithologist, but I am pretty sure I am right), and it is not unfre- quent here in winter and spring, and three sorts I saw formerly in plenty in ploughed fields near Cambridge in spring, whilst being ploughed. ‘The Egyptian goose was shot last winter at West Staf- ford, near Dorchester, and is now amongst a collection of aquatic birds belonging to (my cousin) John Floyer, Esq. Merops apiaster (Bee- eater), shot many years ago at Chidiock near Bridport, is in the Museum there, belonging to the late Dr. Roberts, who suspected that the bird had escaped from some cage. From the Dorset County Chronicle, Jan: 1st, 1835, is the follow- ing :—‘‘ Phoca vitulina was taken off Portland, Dec. 29, 1834, ina cod-net ; weight, 80 lbs.; 3 feet 6 inches from snout to tail; body, 26 inches in circumference ;” now in the museum of Mr. Bridge, Surgeon, Weymouth. We have had lately about here rabbits of a black slate colour and of a yellowish cast; and in Yorkshire I saw a white one, at large, but suspect some tame rabbit had escaped and caused the mixture. J also saw some years ago a stuffed gray hare in the possession of Mr. Goatley of Newbury, Berks. An eagle was shot in Sherborne Park some years ago, and is in the possession of the Earl of Digby. Circus cinerascens (Ash-coloured Harrier), shot near Charmouth by C. Bartlett, Esq., on the authority of Dr. B. R. Morris; also a Hoopoe near Charmouth, spring of 1835, by Lord Bridport’s - Miscellaneous. 473 gamekeeper ; also Cinclus aquaticus (Water Ouzel), near the same place ; a hybrid between the pheasant and turkey, figured by Edwards from one shot (out of four or five) at Hanford by the late H. Sey- mer, Esq., F.L.S.; Anthus rupestris (Rocklark), common at Char- mouth and Portland ; Least Willow-wren, Isle of Purbeck, the late Rey. J. M. Colston; Turdus? (Pastor?) roseus, shot in Portland, 1831 or 1832, by the Rev. G. Port, now in Stalbridge Museum (Mr. Hoddinott); Emberiza nivalis, shot near Turnwood prior to 1826, in the possession of the Rev. E. Stuart of Houghton; Pied Flycatcher, Mr. Selby had one from Dorset ; Emberiza cirlus, Char- mouth, Dr. Morris ; Z. montifringilla, near Blandford, the late Hon. A. Stuart, and also near Christchurch, Hants; Hirundo riparia I once saw late in autumn in very great abundance near late (the old passage now ) Portland Bridge, as if preparing to migrate ; Lesser Tern, at Glanville’s Wootton, end of October 1831; Lesser Black-backed Gull, Charmouth, Dr. Morris ; Larus ridibundus (Black-headed Gull), Charmouth, Dr. Morris; 1831-32, Tringa maritima (Bruce), shot near Lyme Regis; Colymbus stellaris and Procellaria Leachii near Charmouth, by R. H. Sweeting, Esq., Surgeon, Charmouth. Your obedient Servant, Christmas Eve, Glanville’s Wootton, J.C. Date. near Sherborne, Dorset. Ribes petreum.—In Hooker’s British Flora, ed. 4, Ribes petreum is combined with R. rubrum, and Wulfen’s figure in Jacq. Aust., t. 49, is quoted as ‘‘ bad;” Smith also, in Eng. Bot., fol. 705, considers that same figure as faulty, from the colour of its flowers. Now it appears to me that Hooker is correct in referring the R. petreum of Smith to R. rubrum, but wrong in quoting Wulfen, since his plant is described by all the continental writers as a distinct species, cha- racterized by a campanulate coloured calyx, with its edges ciliated, and leaves deeply divided into somewhat triangular acute lobes, which are not serrated to their base ; whilst in R. rubrum the calyx spreads so much as to be almost flat, and is not ciliated, and the leaves are less deeply divided into rounded blunt lobes, serrated to their base. I have examined specimens of R. petreum from Bohemia (contained in Tausch Pl. Selectz), from Croatia (being No. 1736 of Reich. Fl. Exsic.), and from the Vosges mountains, and find them to agree exactly with the above characters, and to be quite distinct specifically from the plant called R. petreum in Britain. The figure in Jacquin’s work is certainly far from being a good one, for it re- presents the flowers of R. petreum as spreading in the same manner with those of R. rubrum, which is certainly not the case in the spe- cimens that I have examined, and does not agree with the descrip- tions given by foreign authors. Cares C, Basineron. Cream-coloured Courser.—Mr. Mummery informs us that there has just been placed in the Margate Museum a fine male specimen of the Cream-coloured Courser (Cursorius europeus), an African bird, and. rarely found north of the Mediterranean (see Mr. Yarrell’s ‘ Birds’). 474 Miscellaneous. Some years ago one was shot by Mr. Hammond of St. Alban’s Court, near Wingham, in Kent. The present specimen was shot by a boy employed in keeping crows in a field at Dandelion, near Mar- gate, on the 2list of last December, and sold for fourpence to a dealer. | LONGEVITY OF GEESE. To the Editors of the Annals and Magazine of Natural History. GentLEMEN,—Most willingly do I concede to Mr. Hassall pri- ority in his observations on the phosphorescence of zoophytes, &c.,* and I regret that I was ignorant of them till I received a kind and polite note from himself. I have little reason however to regret that I sent my paper to you, as it has been the means of obtaining for me the acquaintance of Mr. Hassall, whose experiments have been made on a richer field and a more extensive scale, and who writes in the con amore style of a true naturalist. Before I lay down my pen, may I use the liberty of asking you, as I am not deeply read in Anserine annals, whether you can tell me how many years a goose may live, if insured against all deadly at- tacks at Christmas and New-Y ear’s-day from gourmand and gastero- nome? You may perhaps archly reply, that you could give a good guess, if you knew the age of some of your veteran correspondents. I shall not tell you mine; but I may state that I am not yet so old as a goose whose premature death was recorded about seven years ago in my manuscript memorabilia. I was then told by the Rev. Mr. Gibb, that when he was tutor in the family of Mr. Campbell, of Auchlian, in Argyleshire, a new cook, by mistake, killed a goose which had reached the patriarchal age of threescore and four years, This was matter of great sorrow to the family, for the goose was precisely the same age as the Laird; and willingly would they have cherished it all the days of its natural life. With these feelings of regard, it would have been like cannibalism to feast on their old feathered friend. Mr. Gibb and two of his pupils were at Glasgow College when the catastrophe took place, and they sent the slaugh- tered goose to them, that in their ignorance they might regale them- selves without prejudice. ‘The goose was welcomed and roasted, and served up; but sharpset as these young Highland chieftains were, poor goosie set them at defiance, for its flesh was as tough as leather. Yours, &c., D. LanpsBoroueu. Manse of Stevenston, Ayrshire, 13th January 1842. M. PETIT ON THE QUESTIONABLE AUTHENTICITY OF NAMES GIVEN TO UNDESCRIBED GENERA AND SPECIES. We have submitted to our readers in one of the late numbers of the ‘Revue Zoologique,’ some observations tending to show the error into which Dr. Grateloup had, in our opinion, been led, in considering as definitely established specific names given by him, without description, to some new. shells which he did not actually make known till subsequently, and after Mr. Sowerby. * We would refer our correspondents to Ehrenberg’s treatise on the phos- phorescence of the sea in the Memoirs of the Berlin Academy.—Ep. Miscellaneous. 475 Since our article appeared, we have received several letters, pro- ving the adhesion of various persons to these principles, the general adoption of which seems to them to be quite indispensable for put- ting an end to this confusion ; which, as one of our [English] cor- respondents writes, ‘‘ is constantly increasing in the nomenclature of species.” The Academy of Sciences has also just sanctioned the opinion which we have expressed on this subject, on the following occasion. At the very time when we were opposing the course pursued by Dr. Grateloup, the medical officers belonging to the sloops Astrolabe and Zelée communicated to the Institute some short descriptions of birds, insects, and mollusks, &c., collected by them during their ex- pedition, thinking in this manner to entitle their labours to take their date. This was proceeding exactly as Dr. Grateloup did, if the descriptions communicated were not inserted textually in the proceedings of the sittings of the Academy of Sciences. Such in- sertion has not been ordered, nor anything further than a mere ac- knowledgement of the sending the document, together with a bare list of specific names; this mode of giving publicity has then been rejected by the Academy; but it has done still more: a natu- ralist living in Paris desired to inspect the descriptions thus depo- sited in the archives of the Institute ; for this purpose he addressed a request to the Secretary, who did not think it right to entertain it. The subject is thus mentioned in the Compte Rendu of the sit- ting of the 27th of September 1841, p. 666. “M. Allibut asks permission to inspect the notices sent by MM. Jaquinot, Hombron and le Guillon, concerning observations in natural history made during the voyage of the Astrolabe and the Zelée. ““M. Allibut must apply to the authors to obtain an opportu- nity of consulting their writings, or wait until these writings have been made public by being printed.” It is thus, in fact, decided by the Academy that the communica- tions made by MM. Guillon, Jaquinot, and Hombron cannot con- stitute a publication, and that their labours must remain unpublished, in manuscript, until they shall have been made public by being printed. Moreover, one of these medical officers, Dr. le Guillon, fully understood how insignificant’ was the fact of the deposit which. he had made with the Institute, a deposit sanctioned by courtesy merely ; for he hastened to get a considerable number of the de- scriptions which he had sent to the Academy inserted in the ‘ Revue de la Société Cuviérienne,’ of which he is a member; and by this real publication has established an authentic date for his labours : the English do so in their ‘‘ proceedings ;”’ so also did M. d’ Orbigny upon his American voyage. It is the course that MM. Jaquinot and Hombron will also probably adopt; the means of publication will not be wanting at Paris ; and if it were necessary, the editor of the last voyage of M. Dumont Durville would not refuse to devote a hundred francs to the publication of a synopsis of whatever they have brought which is new. 476 Miscellaneous. These two gentlemen will also feel the necessity of not separating themselves from their laborious colleague M. le Guillon; they will not wish to leave him all the burden and all the honour of the work ; still less will they be able to treat, as having no existence, whatever has been described before them, and made public by being printed. There would be but one voice in opposition to this manner of treat- ing science, and without being aware of it, they would come to a lamentable result, that of for ever throwing discredit upon publica- tions for which the state makes enormous sacrifices.—S. Perir. Revue Zoologique, p. 329, No. x. 1841. [We know nothing of the merits of this particular case, but insert the above as the subject to which it relates is of general interest.—Ep. } NESTS OF THE HIRUNDO RIPARIA. ‘««M. Eugene Robert, having had an opportunity of observing the nests which the sand-martens excavate in the gravelly banks along the river Volga, noticed that the upper surfaces exhibited a yellowish white plastering of animal matter. ‘This matter, in which he ex- pected to find some analogy to that of which the nest of the Hirundo esculenta is composed, appeared to him formed of the spawn of fish, perhaps of the sturgeon, which is common in that river. ‘‘ It is impossible,” says M. Robert, ‘‘ not to observe in this ar- rangement an admirable foresight in the bird, to prevent the falling down of the gravel from destroying its dwelling.”—-Comptes Rendus Nov. 1841. Somer Notices or THE Later Proressor Don, anv oF HIS FATHER, Mr. Greorazt Don, FORMERLY CURATOR OF THE EDINBURGH Botanic GARDEN™*. As Professor Don was, in the strictest sense of the terms, a here- ditary botanist, naturalist, and man of general information, it may not be amiss, before giving an exceedingly brief outline of the prin- cipal events of his life, to say something still more brief of his father. We have no occasion to dilate upon the character of either; they are safe in the memories of large circles of friends ; and wherever either had an opportunity of making an impression, the remembrance of it is delightful. Mr. Georce Don was a native of Kincardineshire, from which, however, his parents removed in his infancy. While yet a very little boy he revisited the place of his nativity ; and the clergyman of the parish, having called on the family with whom Don was re- siding, found the nascent student of nature busily engaged forming into a natural system of his own, all the wild flowers which he had been able to cull in the neighbourhood ; upon observing which, the clergyman remarked, that a boy, who voluntarily entered upon such a course at the very dawning of life, would ultimately become one of the brightest and most successful naturalists of his time. * Extracted from an article in the Florist’s Journal, No. xxiv. Miscellaneous. 477. | The hint was in so far taken, from this prediction, that Don was bound apprentice to the gardener at Dupplin Castle, in Perthshire, a near relation of his own. While in this situation he devoted his leisure time to the study of the natural sciences, especially botany ; but he was careful not to neglect his employment. The fact is,- that. while still at that age at which the majority of boys addict themselves to frivolous sports, Don was a general and successful observer in the fields, and student in the closet; and he continued to be so under all the vicissitudes of a very varied life. The botany of the Grampians, and the secondary hills at their base, was a fa- vourite study with him at the commencement, and continued to be so till the close of his life. On leaving Dupplin he went to the south of England, and after a short residence there he visited the continent. On the completion of this tour, he returned to Forfar, along with a relation of his own, and soon after established a nursery and botanical collection of plants at Doo Hillock, a spot remarkably well adapted for his pur- pose, from the great diversity of the soil. Though of very limited extent, some parts of it are very elevated and dry; and the soil passes through all the gradations, from this to a sludgy peat bog. Consequently the soils best suited to every variety of British plants were found within a short distance of each other. While settled here he resumed his observations of nature with fresh ardour, and in the course of his studies passed many nights on the Grampians, sometimes with only the shelter of his cloak. After residing for some time in Forfar, he went to Edinburgh, where he studied in the medical classes, and acquired some acquaint- ance with the theory and the practice of the healing art. Amid all this study and practice, he also evinced much knowledge and dex- terity in the mechanical arts ; and had his main studies not led him to different subjects, he would have been a first-rate artist in the construction of time-keepers, and the finer parts of spinning and other machinery ; for even circumstanced as he was, he gave prac- tical proofs of the skill of his head and the dexterity of his hand in such matters. Some time after, having taken up his residence in Edinburgh, he was appointed Curator of the Botanic Garden there. This appoint- ment brought him in contact with the ablest men in Edinburgh, of pursuits similar to his own; and, among others, with Mr. Patrick Neill, Secretary to the Wernerian Society, and author of some ad- mirable memoirs on scientific subjects. This friendship, begun in congeniality of feeling, went on increasing, till it was closed by the death of Mr. Don in January 1814, or the same month in 1816. Several years before this he had returned to Forfar, to resume the cultivation of his nursery and the study of nature ; and here conti- nued to reside till his death. Altogether, Mr. Gzorer Don was an extraordinary man, both for the vigour and the versatility of his talent ; and had the vicissitudes of his life been recorded and pre- pared for the press by a competent biographer, they would have 478 Miscellaneous. afforded a most curious and entertaining, as well as a most useful memoir. Mr. Don was married, and had a family of fifteen children, of whom four sons still remain, who are eminent as botanists, as cul- tivators, or as both. Professor Davip Down was born in his father’s cottage at Doo Hillock, in the year 1800; and may be said to have been a botanist and cultivator from his very infancy, having acquired a thorough knowledge of these subjects under his father, who made the best of all possible teachers ; and along with these studies, and afterwards, he made himself acquainted with Latin, and acquired some know- ledge of Greek and Hebrew, as well as those modern languages which could be most serviceable to him in his pursuits. Mr. D. Don continued in his father’s nursery until he made him- self, while yet merely a lad, a botanist of no mean acquirements,— we will not say pretensions, for few men, of anything like equal capacity, have been so unpretending as Professor Dow. *Upon lea- ving Forfar he went to Edinburgh, in order to enjoy a wider range both of study and of occupation ; and while there had charge of the conservatories and stoves in the grounds of Messrs. Dickson, brothers, nurserymen at Broughton, in the close vicinity of that city, who had at that time one of the best collections in Scotland. After remaining there for some time, Mr. Don removed to London, where his brother George then was, and engaged in the Physic Gardens at Chelsea. ‘Then, or soon after, the late Mr. Lambert, one of the great encouragers of botanical science, was in want of a librarian; and Mr. Don’s practical experience, general knowledge, and suavity of manner, recommended him as amply suited for the situation; he accordingly went to reside in the town mansion of Mr. Lambert, to the mutual satisfaction of both parties, and the gratification of Mr. Lambert’s scientific friends and the visitors of his ample collection. This situation, and more especially the manner in which the duties of it were discharged, brought Mr. Don into general acquaintance with the higher classes of the botanical world ; and soon after the death of Sir Joseph Banks, the illustrious Mr. Robert Brown having resigned his office of Librarian to the Linnean Society and Curator of its Museum, Mr. Don was chosen as a worthy successor to that first botanist of the age. In this new position, Mr. Don was found to be a most valuable acquisition to the Society ; and his accurate knowledge and amiable manners endeared him to all, while his numerous contributions to science extended his name widely over the botanical world. About the year 1836, he was appointed Professor of Botany in King’s College ; which situation he held jointly with the Librarian- ship of the Linnean Society. He was seized with his last illness, in a serious form, in the end of April, or the beginning of May. It may be regarded as a general breaking up of the system, which assumed a topical character, and defied the skill of the most eminent men. ‘Though latterly his Meteorological Observations. 479 disease became a very painful one, he bore it with singular fortitude, until delivered both from the evil and the good of this world, on the 8th of December 1841. On the 15th of the same month he was borne to his resting-place in the cemetery at Kensal Green; his re- mains being followed to that mansion of repose by Mr. Brown, Sir William J. Hooker, Mr. Bentham, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Smith, and various other botanists, who, no doubt, felt the blank which had been made in their circle. Of his character we need add nothing to what has been already embodied in this brief notice. [We would add, as our own record of his personal character, that he was. unpretending, disinterested, openhearted, and sincere. His native kindness, cordiality and hilarity as a companion will long be affectionately remembered by those who knew him.—Eb.] METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR DEC. 1841. Chiswick.— Dec. 1. Overcast. 2, Cloudy: rain. 3. Fine: rain: clear at night. 4. Clear: heavy rain: densely clouded. 5, Cloudy: clear and fine: cloudy. 6. Overcast: heavy rain: clear. 7. Clear: overcast at night. 8. Rain: cloudy. 9. Very fine: rain. 10. Overcast: rain: clear. 11. Slightly overcast: clear: rain at night. 12. Rain: stormy. 13. Rain: clear at night. 14. Cloudy and cold. 15. Densely overcast. 16. Very fine. 17. Clear and frosty. 18. Frosty haze.. 19. Sharp frost: slight snow. 20. Frosty: fine. 21. Clear. 22. Slight frost: drizzly. 23. Hazy: drizzly. 24. Overcast: rain. 25. Rain: clear. 26. Overcast: clear: cloudy at night. 27. Hazy. 28. Foggy: cloudy and fine. 29. Dense fog. 30. Hazy. 31. Very fine: rain at night. Boston. —Dec. i. Fine: rain yesterday p.m. 2. Fine. 93. Rain: rain early A.M. 4. Stormy: rain early A.M.: rain a.m. and p.m. 5. Stormy. 6. Rain: rain early am. 7. Fine. 8. Cloudy: rain early a.m. 9. Fine: rain p.m. 10. Cloudy: rain a.m. 11. Fine. 12, Cloudy: rain early a.m.: rain a.m. 13. Cloudy. 14, Stormy. 15. Cloudy. 16. Fine: rainearlya.m. 17—19. Fine. 20. Misty. 21,22. Fine. 23. Cloudy. 24. Fine. 25. Fine: rain p.m. 26— 28. Fine. 29. Rain: rain early a.m. 30, 31. Fine. Applegarth Manse, ae enc geet Dec. 1. Slight showers. 2. Rain a.m, 3. Wet and stormy. 4. Fine a.m.: rainr.m. 5. Fine. 6,7. Rain morning and evening. 8. Rain morning and evening: Aurora. 9. Frost a.m.: rain P.M. 10—12. Heavy showers. 15. One slight shower. 14. Frost a.m, : Aurora. 15. Heavyrain. 16. Rain and squalls. 17. Clearandfrost. 18, Clear and frost: cloudy r.m. 19. Slight fall of snow: frost. 20. Thick fog: frost. 21. Frost. 22. Frost: fine. 23. Fog and thaw: rain. 24, Rain. 25. Frost A.M.: rain P.M. 26. Frost, fair and clear. 27. Frost a.m.: thaw and rain p.m. 28. Fine. 29. Dull and moist: raine,m. 30. Thick fog: rainr.m. 31. Fog and rain. Sun shone out 21 days. Rain fell 21 days. Frost 10 days. Snow 1 day. Fog 4 days. Aurora 2 days. Wind north 3 day. North-north-east $day. North-east Iday. East 2days. South-east 14 ‘day. South-south-west 4 days. South-west 11} days. West- south-west lf day. North-west 53 days. North-north-west 3 days. Calm 9 days. Moderate 9 days. Strong breeze 6 days. Boisterous 6 days, Stormy 1 day. Mean temperature of the month .........seseeeeeeees 38°°9 Mean temperature of Dec, 1840 .........ceceeeeeeeee 36 -O Mean temperature of spring-water .....:. siestine bas 41 °6 » 68 lep.g|r¥.6|Z9.1|t-8 ors ¥9-68}¥9-6 |P-F|8-€F] 9.88 |86-£8 |08-9F) 8.88 | I-LF | 9-1F | 88F-62] 00F.66) GaF-6a) 0F1-62) 2z-62 | Z6s.6z | 99/.6e | ¥69.6c | ‘uwayy ce | teeee| 4g ‘ms | ‘8 ‘as ‘a |feh | Ih | 16] Sh | LE} 8 | OF | 0-98 | Z.EF | 0.9¢ | 10-0E | 6.62 | Z6.6 | 86-62 | 68.62 | Z81.0¢ | 11Z.0¢ | ZOz-0E | “LE 8& | PI. [***""*] FO. 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Pol ee} on| 8 | &§ a ompueg | ‘astys | 3g |. Sie yoLmpurg aatys Bal & Pe ty RS SPR lel le] BR] EF FL BS Tou |-suing | > > {AHI | ‘sat uopuoy ‘Koug2Q | -saryumg | * ~ | “PMS |" Be ES ° : 4 = OD ob =] m 4 = “Ue ‘pul, *19JOULOWIOY T, *19JOMMOIV Ss cy “wa ‘asunpy yunsajddy yo ‘xequng “IW Ag fNoLsog 7” “|waA ‘a 49 SuopuorTyT unau “YOIMSIHY yy Azawog jounymaysozy ayy fo UapLvE) ay, qo ‘uosdmoyy, “iy 49 ! uowaqoy ‘ay ‘Aunjasoag quojsissp ay] fig ‘Noano'y ‘hja00g pohoy ayg fo stuaupundyy ay2 qv apou suoywasasgg poosojosoaqoyy oe oi rrrger rena WH Baily debevtith. Ann & Mag: Nat Hisé Vol. 8.P1:X. Ce icine Ra INNS WH Baily ded with: “THE ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. SUPPLEMENT TO VOL. VIII. MARCH 1842. LVI.—On a new genus of Fossil Bivalve Shells. By Mr. SaMueEL Stutcusury, F.G.S., A.L.S., &c., Curator of the Bristol Institution. - [With two Plates.] Some years since my attention was called to several species of bivalve shells which were generally placed in the genus Unio; upon a close examination of many specimens, I was enabled to characterize eight or nine species certainly distinct from any established genus ; also finding that they appeared to be confined to the lias and inferior oolite, which are deter- minate marine beds, I was anxious to remove them from the genus Unio, with which they appeared to have but slight ana- logy. “With this view I forwarded, in 1837, a paper to the then editor of the ‘ Magazine of Natural History,’ which from some cause was not inserted; but in the meantime the name Pa- chyodon, by which I had designated the new genus, became pretty generally adopted by those who had access to the Mu- seum of the Bristol Institution. I have since been informed that Professor Agassiz has given, or intends to notice the genus under the name of Cardinea: if he has already done so, I shall yield the name Pachyodon, being anxious not to in- crease the already overloaded list of synonyms. In the list of genera published in the ‘ Synopsis of the Bri- tish Museum,’ by J. E. Gray, Esq., it is designated by the name of Ginorga, and arranged among the Crassinide, but no description accompanies the name. I have also to observe, that both in the ‘ Mineral Concho- logy’ and in the ‘ Genera of Recent and Fossil Shells,’ the Messrs. Sowerby, with their accustomed acumen, had thrown considerable doubt upon the propriety of continuing these several species in the genus Unio. PACHYODON. Gen. Char.—Shell bivalve, equivalve, inequilateral; hinge con- sisting of a single, oblique, thickened cardinal tooth in the right valve, with a hollow for its reception in the left valve; anterior la- teral tooth in the right valve obtusely conical; the posterior lateral Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol.viii. Suppl. 21 482 Mr. S. Stutchbury on Pachyodon, tooth in the left valve elongated and attenuated towards the umbo. In the right valve there is a flattened fold parallel to the ligament, and divided obliquely near the umbo by a faint groove; from the an- terior extremity of this fold a depression extends beneath the lunule in front of the anterior lateral tooth, and in the left valve there is a corresponding elevation. Umbones closely approximating ; muscular impressions deep; ligament external, situated in a deep, marginal, posterior dorsal sinus. This remarkable genus of bivalve shells differs essentially from any other described, as will be seen by reference to the generic character above. The difference between this and other genera, particularly Unio, in which genus several. species have hitherto been placed, consists in the following characters :—In Pachyodon the cardinal tooth is often obsolete; the anterior lateral tooth is thick, simple, without striz, situated in the right valve, ha- ving for its insertion a corresponding hollow in the left valve ; the posterior lateral tooth is placed in the left valve, the sul- cus for its reception being in the right. There are two cica- trices of muscular adhesion very deep and strongly marked, with a small round impression above the anterior one in the left valve. The impression of adhesion of the mantle is entire, having no siphonal sinus. Shell thick and heavy, without any trace of erosion at the umbo, so common to freshwater bivalves ; apparently without nacre; the lines of growth very prominent, forming strongly marked transverse lines. 1. Pachyodon Listeri, Plate IX. fig. 1, 2. Shell thick, heavy ; transverse lines of growth from ;/,th to {th of an inch apart, as distant near the umbo as towards the base; height from basal margin to the apex of the umbo, 1 inch ;6,ths ; length from the anterior to the posterior margin, 2°0 ; thickness 0°7. Lias, Frethern, Gloucestershire, and Battledown, near Cheltenham. Unio Listeri, Sowerby, Min. Conch., tab. 154. fig. 1, 3, 4. —-, Goldfuss, p. 181. pl. 132. fig. 1. Donax? Parkinson, Org. Rem., vol. iii. pl. 13. fig. 7. Museum of Bristol Institution. 2. Pachyodon hybridus, Plate 1X. fig. 3, 4. Shell cuneiform, thick; lines of growth distant and strongly marked; umbones closely approximating; lunule deep; height 1:2, length 1°8, thickness 0°7. Lias, Langar, Nottinghamshire; near Cheltenham, Gloucester- shire. Unio hybrida, Sowerby, Min. Conch., tab. 154. fig. 2. Museum of Bristol Institution, Samuel Worsley, Esq. a new genus of Fossil Shells. 483 I think it probable that this species may, upon examination of numerous specimens, prove to be merely a variety of P. Lis- tert. 3. Pachyodon imbricatus, n. s., Plate IX. fig. 5, 6, Shell subtriangular; lines of growth thin-edged, imbricated and numerous; lunule cordate; height 1°1, length 1°5, thickness 0°7. Lias, banks of the Severn, Gloucestershire, and Bishport, Somer- setshire. Museum of Bristol Institution. 4. Pachyodon crassissimus, Plate IX. fig. 7. Shell subtriangular ; umbo incurved towards the anterior margin *;, lines of growth forming deep transverse sulci; height 2°6, length 2°8, thickness 1°6. Inferior oolite, Dundry Hill, Somersetshire. Unio crassissimus, Sowerby, Min. Conch., tab. 153. Museum of Bristol Institution, George Cumberland, Esq. This species I have little doubt is the Unio crassissimus of Sowerby, although I do not understand his figure as regards the teeth; the shell is remarkably thick, being 1:6 from the outside extremes of one valve to the other, while the space for the animal is only 0°6. I have seen another specimen from Wick, near Bath, three inches in height and nearly four in length; both in the col- lection of George Cumberland, Esq. 5. Pachyodon crassiusculus, Plate IX. fig. 8. Shell ovate, symmetrical ; lines of growth equidistant; anterior extremity 4th of the length; height 1°8, length 2°5, thickness 1:1. Lias, Langar, Nottinghamshire ; near Cheltenham; Blue Anchor, Somersetshire ; Robin Hood’s Bay, Yorkshire. Unio crassiusculus, Sowerby, Min. Conch., tab. 185. Pullastra, Phillips, Geol. of Yorkshire, pl. 13. fig. 16. Museum of Bristol Institution, Wm. Bean, Esq., Scarborough. It is evident from the figure in the ‘ Mineral Conchology,’ that the Unio crassiusculus belongs to this genus, three or four specimens having come into my possession. I have no doubt of its being a distinct and well-characterized species ; it is the most symmetrical of the genus. I very strongly suspect that the locality given in the ‘ Mine- ral Conchology ’ must be a mistake, originating from the close resemblance in colour which the fossils of the ferruginous marlstones have to the fossils of the crag formation. * This portion of the shell is frequently described as the posterior in the ‘Mineral Conchology,’ and vice versd. ) 212 484 Mr. S. Stutchbury on Pachyodon, 6. Pachyodon abductus, Plate X. fig. 9, 10. Shell triangular; umbones produced anteriorly ; lines of growth nearly smooth ; lunule cordate ; height 1:3, length 1:7, thickness 0°7. Inferior oolite, Dundry Hill, Somersetshire. Lias, near Cheltenham. Unio abductus, Phillips, Geol. of Yorkshire, tab. 11. fig. 42. _ Museum of Bristol Institution. 7. Pachyodon cuneatus, n. s., Plate X. fig. 11, 12. Shell cuneiform ; anterior portion but slightly produced beyond the umbo ; lunule deep and heart-shaped; height 0°7, length 1-2, thick- ness 0°4. Lias, Frethern, Gloucestershire. Museum of Bristol Institution. 8. Pachyodon lanceolata, n. s. Shell lanceolate; anterior portion 4th of the length, posterior portion acutely produced ; hinge-line straight; lunule small; base curved ; height 1°4, length 3°4, thickness 0°9. Robin Hood’s Bay, Yorkshire. Mus. W. Bean, Esq., Scarborough. This singular species has been kindly sent me for exami- nation by Mr. Bean of Scarborough, who has for some time distinguished it by the specific name of lanceolata. It approaches most closely to P. attenuatus, but differs in being more acute posteriorly, by the straightness of the hinge- line, as also by its greater thickness upon the basal margin. I regret that this species did not come to hand in time to al- low of its being included in the Plates. * ee a new genus of Fossil Shells. 485 9. Pachyodon attenuatus, n. s., Plate X. fig. 13, 14. Shell cuneiform ; transverse diameter twice its height ; posterior end strongly attenuated ; lunule small but deep ; transverse diameter 2°8, height 1°4, thickness 0°7. Lias, Battledown, near Cheltenham. Museum of Bristol Institution. For an extended suite of this elegant species I am indebted to my excellent young friends Messrs. Buckman and Murley of Cheltenham, and I would gladly have availed myself of the opportunity of attaching their names to this and another species, but from the feeling, that character alone can be le- gitimately used for specific names. 10. Pachyodon concinnus, Plate X. fig. 15, 16. Shell smooth, transversely oblong, ovate, anterior portion produced; lunule deep; lines of growth distant with intervening lines; basal margin convex ; height 2°0, length 4:5, thickness 0°9. Lias, Langar, Nottinghamshire ; Saltford and Weston, near Bath. Unio concinnus, Sowerby, Min. Conch., tab. 223. fig. 1, 2. , Goldfuss, p. 181. pl. 132. fig. 2. a 6. Museum of Bristol Institution, Samuel Worsley, Esq. This elegant species has the anterior (posterior of Sowerby) margin considerably more extended than is exhibited by the figure in the ‘ Mineral Conchology.’ Casts of the interior are common in the lias at Saltford and Weston, near Bath. (Vide Walcott’s Fossils near Bath, fig. 4.) 11. Pachyodon ovalis, n. s., Plate X. fig. 17, 18, 19. Shell elliptical ; anterior margin rounded, posterior margin but little attenuated ; the lunule or depression of the anterior dorsal part small and narrow ; height 1°1, length 1:7, thickness 0°6. Lias, Frethern, Gloucestershire. Museum of Bristol Institution. Of this species there is a singular rugose variety (fig. 19.) which deserves especial notice, and were it not for the inter- vention of H. EK. Strickland, Esq., I should have described it as a distinct species under the name of P. rugosus; but from an examination of a large number of specimens, he is con- vinced the rugose and crumpled character depends upon a crushing under pressure subsequent to interment. In addition to the species above described, I have seen two individual specimens, which I think, upon further examina- tion, will prove distinct—one in the Bristol Institution collec- tion, the other in the possession of H. E. Strickland, Esq. 486 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. LVII.—The Birds of Ireland. By Wm. Tuompson, Esq., Vice-Pres. Nat. Hist. Society of Belfast. [Continued from p. 430.] No. 10.—Corvide (continued) ; Picide ; Certhiade. Tuer Rook, Corvus frugilegus, Linn., is as common through- out the cultivated and wooded parts of Ireland as in any other country*. It is generally looked upon by the farmer as an arch enemy, of which he has ocular demonstration,— “ the evil that it does” being very apparent in the headless stalks of grain, while its virtues do not in a direct manner come under his cognizance. I have always been disposed to regard the rook as a bird intended by its Crearor to check the unwonted increase of the insects most destructive to the vegetation of the field, and keep them within due bounds: both England and the continent furnish us with instances of the almost total destruction of crops in particular districts, consequent on its extirpation. The good done by this bird is generally admitted by our authors who have written within the last sixty years, greatly to exceed the evil it commits. The only exception to this which I have met with is Sir Wm. Jardine, who speaks of the good as “‘ at least com- pensating for their destruction or injury to the produce of the fields.” It may be possible that in particular localities the ‘“‘Dr.” and “Cr.” account will about balance. A gentleman whose extensive farm is situated in the valley of the Lagan, and little more than a mile di- stant from three extensive rookeries (his place forming, as it were, the centre of the circle), once remarked to me, that he would rather than ten pounds a year that rooks never alighted on his fields. His charges against them comprise about the sum total of the evil pro- pensities of the species. They are as follow :—‘*‘ When the blade of wheat just shows itself above ground, and the pickle of grain is by frost or otherwise rendered accessible, these birds at daybreak pick it off; when grain is lodged they utterly destroy it, and do serious damage to it when in stooks, not only by eating it, but by carrying away heads of the grain, which are found scattered about the adjacent fields. The potatoe crop too they injure, by picking up the planted ‘sets’ in spring whenever accessible, as likewise in autumn the young potatoes ; but only where the crop is thin and poor, as from such bare spots they can have a look-out against ap- proaching enemies : where the foliage is luxuriant they never alight. They sometimes too have attacked the cherries in the garden +.” * At the more genial period of the year, flocks of rooks occasionally visit the mountain pastures about Belfast. + Mr. Jesse, who in his ‘ Gleanings of Natural History’ treats most agree- ably of rooks generally, and particularly of the Royal rookeries, remarks, that these birds are ‘sad depredators on my cherry-trees, attacking them early in the morning and carrying off great quantities.’ He is nevertheless sa- tisfied that the good done by the species greatly counterbalances the evil. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 487 The only good here attributed to them is in “ picking the grubs off lay ground, when broken up and harrowed.” ‘That where very nu- merous they do much of the harm here alleged is undoubted ; but to prove that they do much more good than is imagined, I requested to be allowed to examine any slaughtered birds, that by exhibiting the food they contained, my friend might be convinced of the evil of his ways in destroying them; but though promised they were never sent. The propriety of having boys to guard the lately-sown wheat under the circumstances mentioned, where the depredations are per- haps the most serious, was suggested, but the very early hour was said to be an insuperable obstacle.. They could however be watched* and frightened away by boys at this time, and when the grain is lodged, at a trifling expense, and then very little harm indeed would be done by them. One of the inimitable tail-pieces to Bewick’s Birds (ed. 1832, vol. i. p. 93) points to the inutility of one kind of scarecrow, where a rook is represented peering curiously, but without the least fear, at the wretched effigy of humanity erected to frighten the spe- cies from its vicinity. Every person may have observed similar in- stances. The most notable that has come under my own observa- tion, was where, in a newly-planted. potatoe-field, a host of these birds were feeding, while among them: hung four of their brethren gibbeted, and looking so fresh, that they had apparently been killed only two or three days beforet. | By Wm. Sinclaire, Esq., of Milltown, near Belfast, I am in- formed, that towards the end of autumn, when the harvest has been gathered in, numbers of rooks have, for the last dozen years or more, come every morning, for about a fortnight, to the pine-trees (Pinus sylvestris) in that district, for the sake of the cones, which they pluck from the branches and carry away. When the cones cannot be detached in the ordinary manner, they seize them in their bills, and launch off from the branch into the air, that the weight of their bodies may detach them. ‘This is their common procedure with unyielding cones, and has been witnessed with much. interest from the windows of my friend’s house, within a few yards of which are some pines, in which this ingenious feat is regularly practised. The rook being an especial favourite with me on account of the benefit it does man- kind, I was much gratified to learn this proof of its. intelligence, which raises it to an equality with the gray crow (as evinced by its rising into the air with shell-fish and dropping them on the rocks to break them), and proves it to be not unworthy, on the score of in- tellect, of being placed in the same family group with the raven. What they do with the cones has not been ascertained. It would seem to me, that unless the scales of the cone be so widely open that * In his ‘Familiar History of Birds,’ the Bishop of Norwich fairly weighs the good and harm done by rooks, and is convinced that the former greatly preponderates. He suggests this watching, as Sir Wm. Jardine, likewise, has subsequently done. + A friend who kept three eagles procured rooks enough on which to feed them in summer, as these birds came to regale themselves at the troughs containing pig’s-meat, of which potatoes formed the principal part. 488 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. the seed is ready to drop out, they could hardly reach it, and even then a portion only would be accessible ; the scales themselves could not, I conceive, be detached, unless they were partially decomposed ; unfortunately, the proceedings of the birds, subsequent to their Curry ing off the cones, have not been watched*. Great meetings of rooks, before the breeding season commences, have been alluded to by authors, some of whom consider that the object is to settle preliminaries respecting that important period—of the correctness of this idea I have little doubt. These assemblages are sometimes long continued. During four weeks in the year 1837— from January 21st to February 17th—whenever I happened to ride between two and three o’clock in the direction of two rookeries, I always saw, at a place intermediate between them, and about a mile distant from each, extraordinary numbers, amounting certainly to several thousands ; more than I conceive the two rookeries could furnish—a third rookery, about a mile and a half distant, must, I imagine, have likewise contributed its numbers. Although they closely covered fields of all kinds (pasture, meadow-land and ploughed ground), they were not congregated for the purpose of feeding, not more perhaps than one in a hundred being ever so engaged. Again they would be all on wing at such a height as to look no larger than swallows, and keeping within as limited a ete in the air as they had occupied on the earth. As remarked by Mr. Macgillivray, rooks “‘ seem to calculate upon the protection which they usually receive in the neighbourhood of their breeding-places.” Here it is highly interesting to observe them become fellow-labourers with man when the plough is at work, closely following its track to consume the destructive insect larve which are turned up; thus performing an important office that the lords of creation could not accomplish for themselves. At such times too, as if conscious of the good in which they are engaged, they admit of a near approach, and their finely polished plumage has a beautiful effect as it glances like burnished metal in the sun. Their time of reosting varies a little, according to the afternoon being bright or gloomy. On the 10th of August 1837, I remarked a great number busily employed in feeding at some distance from the rookery so late as seven o'clock in the evening : the day through- out had been dull and dark. I was informed by Richard Langtry, Esq., in the spring of 1831, * Mr. Blackwall, in his ‘ Researches in Zoology’ (p. 156), remarks, that “rooks in the autumn frequently bury acorns in the earth, probably with the intention of having recourse to them when their wants are more urgent.” It is added, that they sometimes forget where they have concealed them. Mr. Jesse too states, that these birds “are known to bury acorns, and I believe walnuts also, as I have observed them taking ripe walnuts from a tree, and returning to it before they could have had time to break them and eat the contents. Indeed, when we consider how hard the shell of a walnut is, it is not easy to guess how the rook contrives to break them. May they not, by first burying them, soften the shells, and afterwards return to feed upon them ?” (Gleanings in Nat. Hist., 1st series.) Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 489 that a pair of herons built their nest in the rookery at Dromedaragh (county of Antrim), that the rooks tore the first nest to pieces, but that the herons eventually succeeded, and reared their brood in safety. A few years before that time about one hundred and fifty young rooks had been killed there during a storm, by being blown out of the nests. Among adult birds, there was an extraordinary fatality in the county of Westmeath on the night of the great hurri- cane of January 7th, 1839. As was noticed.in a communication to the Annals*, my friend Mr. R. Ball was assured by Dean Vig- nolles, on whose property the circumstance occurred, that the ama- zing number of 33,000 + were picked up dead on the shores of a lake some miles in length, and with extensive rookeries on its borders. So remarkably numerous were the dead bodies, that as a matter of curiosity they were reckoned by some boys as they gathered them into heaps. Dean Vignolles likewise submitted to Mr. Ball’s inspection a more than ordinarily strong panel of a new window shutter, which was driven in and split by a rook being dashed against it on the night in question—the innocent cause of the damage was found dead between the window and the shutter inside the | room. Other fatalities occasionally befall the rook. In the autumn of 1831 (?) there was a dense fog over Lough Neagh and its neigh- bourhood for two nights and an entire day, during which time great numbers of these birds perished in its waters, and were afterwards washed ashore. I have been told that a similar circumstance occurred in the harbour of Cove in the south of Ireland some years ago. At Redhall, county of Antrim, a friend once saw a brood of four young rooks, all of which were white : both parents were of the or- dinary sable hue. J. V. Stewart, Esq. of Rockhill, near Letterkenny, informs me that he possesses two varieties of the rook, one entirely of a dingy brown colour, and having a diseased appearance; and the other with two white bars across the wings, the rest of the plumage - being of the usual colour. In the year 1839 I was told by Mr. G. J. Allman of Bandon, that several light fawn-coloured birds of this- species were shot near to that town a few years before, some of which he had seen in company with other rooks, that freely associated with them. In Scotland these birds have, by suiting themselves to circum- stances, come under my observation in a manner in which they have not done in Ireland. I have for many miles along the coast of Ayr- shire met with them in the autumn, feeding among the fresh sea- weed or rejectamenta of the preceding tide; and at other times they were crowded seeking for food among the heaps of sea-weed collect- * ‘Note on the Effects of the Hurricane of January 7, 1839, in Ireland, on some Birds, Fishes, &c.’ vol. iii. p. 182. + Were a figure taken off the above number, it would be reduced to what I have remarked to constitute a respectable rookery. Mr. Jesse too states that “the average number of rooks’ nests, during the last four years, in the ave- nue of Hampton Court Park, has been about 750; allowing three young birds and a pair of old ones to each nest, the number would amount to 3750.”—Gleanings, p. 65, Ist Ed. 490 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Frelanid. ed on the beach for manure. About two miles inland from Ballan- trae, in Ayrshire, a few hundreds of these birds, in the autumn of 1839, regularly roosted on the ground upon a rising knoll in a pas- ture-field. I first saw them there at eight o’clock p.m. on the 20th of August ; and afterwards, on returning late from grouse-shooting in distant moors, they were always to beseen. ‘This roosting-place was in the midst of a cultivated district, in which there was no wood of sufficient age to be patronized by the rook. At the commence- ment of a snow-storm in England, and after the ground became well covered, I was once amused at seeing a rook rolling in the snow, apparently enjoying itself as much as a Newfoundland dog could have done*. In summer I have met with the rook in Holland, France and Switzerland, and in some parts of the first-named coun- try observed that it was as common as in its chief haunts in the British Islands. At the Hotel Bellevue, which is situated close to the king’s park at the Hague, I for the first time experienced the evils of a rookery, the cawing from a closely adjacent one being so incessant from daybreak as to drive all sleep from me, unaccus- tomed as I was to such music ;—this was at the end of May, when the calls of the young are almost constantly uttered. The rook has attracted the attention of authors possessing a cele- brity of a very different kind. In the ‘ Bracebridge Hall’ of Wash- ington Irving, an admirable chapter is devoted to it. Goldsmith gives a very interesting account of its nestling in the Temple Gar- dens, London, as observed by himself. A most graphic description of its manner of life about Selborne is furnished by White. Sir Wm. Jardine introduces it in a picturesque manner as an adjunct to the scenery of the park; and Mr. Macgillivray, as if conceiving that the subject had already been quite exhausted, imparts a new feature to the history of the bird, by visiting a rookery at night, and relating the proceedings at that period. Tur Jackpaw, Corvus Monedula, Linn., is found through- out the island, especially where the labour of man is evinced by buildings, the plantation of trees, and the cultivation of the ground. But it is much more interesting to meet with this bird in its more wild and natural abode in the bold and precipitous cliffs which it frequents, whether inland or ma- rine. ‘he basaltic precipices of the north-east of Ireland are much re- sorted to by these birds, and I believe at all seasons—in the month of October, in different years, 1 have observed them at the approach of evening to gather in as great numbers as in summer, to roost in the rocks at the Cavehill, near Belfast. In the wild peninsula of the Horn (co. Donegal) they breed in the marine cliffs, and according to the late T. F. Neligan, Esq., of Tralee, they nestle in caverns in very small islands about three miles distant from the coast of Kerry. On the 29th of May, 1836, I saw many jackdaws at the sandy pre- * Waterton in his ‘ Essays on Natural History’ mentions a tame raven acting similarly. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 491 cipitous cliffs rising above the beach of Lough Neagh, at Massareene deer-park, where they breed in holes, all of which were stated by the gamekeeper to be the deserted burrows of rabbits. Church towers* and steeples, chimnies}, and occasionally trees, are their ordinary nestling-places. ‘They are generally described as late breeding birds ; but a most accurate observer furnishes me with notes to the effect that on the 2nd of March he had seen them carrying building materials to a chimney in Belfast; and to other chimnies in the same town he on the 20th of that month, and on the 7th of April, saw them carrying food, as he conceived, for their young. The first foray of certain country jackdaws, in the early morning, is to the town, where they are very punctual in making their appearance : on the 11th of June I once noted the precise time of their appearance to be 45 minutes past 3 o’clock. Here they are quite innocuous ; but in the country, it must be confessed, they occasionally levy contri- butions. Montagu has remarked that they are “‘ fond of cherries,” to the truth of which more than one of my friends’ gardens about Bel- fast, had they not ‘‘ poor dumb mouths,” could bear testimony. Of all birds they are the most destructive to this fruit. A friend on one occasion coming upon a number regaling in one of his cherry-trees, fired at them, without reflecting on the damage he must necessarily do to the tree, and five fell dead to the ground; here they and other species, particularly blackbirds (Turdus Merula), for some years en- tirely consumed the crop of cherries on a number of fine and tall standard trees which could not conveniently be netted, and in conse- quence of their depredations the trees were all cut down. The cherry- trees in the garden of another friend, resident in the neighbourhood of Belfast, were sacrificed for a similar reason. In a district well known to me, jackdaws generally associate with rooks, and hence participate both in the good and evil done by these birds to the farm ; though, as mentioned in treating of the rook, the former greatly preponderates. In a wild and uncultivated district on the northern coast of the island, I have in summer remarked flocks of these birds feeding on the sea-shore between tide-marks, and among fucus-cover- ed stones. | The sites chosen by the jackdaw for perching are frequently amusing ; thus I have observed five of them, in flying to a vane, alight with the most correct regularity on the letters N. E. W.S., while the other surmounted the ball, and thus would they remain stationed for some time, looking as if they were “‘ part and parcel’’ of the weathercock. On the head of Nelson, as he stands erect in all his majesty on the top of the pillar which bears his name in * In the tower of a country church near Belfast, jackdaws had in the course of time accumulated such quantities of sticks, that cart-loads of them had to be removed before some repairs on the building could be com- menced, + The burning of Shanes Castle (the mansion of Earl O'Neil, situated on the borders of Lough Neagh), which happened about twenty years ago, was said to have been caused by the dry sticks forming the nests of jackdaws in one of the chimnies having caught fire. [The last fire at York Minster has been attributed to the same cause.— Ep. ] 492 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. Sackville Street, Dublin, I have seen the jackdaw alight, and impart an air of the ludicrous to the hero of Trafalgar. But under similar circumstances, this bird would not scruple to perch even ‘€ On the bald first Ceesar’s head*.’’ Three jackdaws, entirely white, were reared in a chimney in Bel- fast a few years ago, and about the same time two of a similar colour were brought up in a demesne in the neighbourhood; here they were observed by a friend associating, both in feeding and on wing, with their sable brethren, who acknowledged them as kindred. On account of their colour, they were unfortunately persecuted to the death, when they proved to be perfect albinoes, the bill and legs, as well as the plumage, being white; their hoary moustaches gave them a most venerable appearance, though in reality they were birds of the year. On the 29th June 1835, I saw many jackdaws about the fissures of the lofty chalk-cliffs rising above the river Derwent, near Mat- lock in Derbyshire, where it was presumed they nestled, and the next evening heard their call there so late as ten o’clock, which tended to confirm the conjecture. In the Morea and the Archi- pelago, late in the spring and in the summer of 1841, I observed jackdaws equally numerous, and in localities similar to those at home, such as about the ruins of the old castle at Patras, the high western cliffs of the island of Sphacteria (the scene of Byron’s Cor- sair), and on a rocky islet, lying to the north-east of the entrance to Port Nousa, in the island of Paros. Tue Maapie, Corvus Pica, Linn., has long been common throughout the island, but, according to several authors, was unknown down to a certain period. Smith, in his ¢ History of the county of Cork,’ published in 1749, remarks, that it “was not known in Ireland seventy years ago, but is now very common ;” and Rutty, in his ‘Natural History of Dublin,’ observes, that “ it is a foreigner, naturalized here since the latter end of King James the Second’s reign, and is said to have been driven hither by a strong wind.” (!) Dean Swift thus alludes to it in his ‘Journal to Stella’ :—“ Pray observe the inhabitants about Wexford; they are old English; see what they have particular in their manners, name and lan- guage. Magpies have been always there, and nowhere else * The following note is contributed by my friend Mr. R. Patterson of Belfast :—‘‘ I remember some years ago my uncle, John Fowler, Esq., of the bank of Ireland, had a pet jackdaw, which answered to the name of Jack, and was regularly in the habit of performing a feat, which might baffle many a person who talks about ‘the centre of gravity.” When Mr. Fowler after dinner had mixed his ‘ tumbler’ of punch, and called ‘ Jack,’ the bird instantly came, and perched on the edge of the glass, where he poised himself so nicely that it was never upset. I believe that, on such occasions, he used to get from his master a bit of white sugar, which he ate while thus resting on the tumbler.” Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 493 in Ireland*, till of late years.” To a commentary on this by Mr. Ogilby, published in Yarrell’s ‘ British Birds’ (vol. ii. pp- 111, 112), the reader is referred. In the Irish Statutes, 17 Geo. II. ch. 10, a reward is offered for magpies, along with other “ four- and two-footed vermin+.” That this bird has, like other species, increased and multiplied to a goodly extent in Ireland, appears from the following circumstance. In September 1836, I was informed by the intelligent and trust- worthy gamekeeper at Tollymore Park (co. Down), the seat of the Earl of Roden, that by ranging the country for many miles around the park, he, by robbing their nests, shooting and trapping them, destroyed in one half year 732 birds and eggs. At the assizes held in the spring and autumn of every year he ‘“ presented” for vermin killed, and on the occasion in question received 12/. for magpies, &c. So long as a reward was offered for their heads, he killed im- mense numbers of these birds—it was discontinued two or three years previous to 1836. In extensive districts in the north of Ire- land, where the farms are small, and every cottage possesses a few sheltering trees, the magpie’s nest is a certain accompaniment; and the trees being generally the open-topped ash, the dark ball of the nest is visible from so great a distance, that I have often reckoned a considerable number from one point of view. The magpie builds rather early, and in all kinds of trees, none being greater favourites than fine old hawthorns: the eggs not uncommonly amount to seven in number. In a note on the margin of the copy of Montagu’s ‘ Or- nithological Dictionary’ which belonged to the late Mr. John Mont- gomery, of Locust Lodge near Belfast, an accurate observer, it is stated, that ‘‘ when angry or alarmed for the safety of its young, the * Derricke, who wrote his ‘ Image of Ireland ’ in Queen Elizabeth’s time, eo ‘“‘ No pies to pluck the thatch from house Are breed in Irishe grounde, But worse than pies, the same to burne A thousande maie be founde.” Letter xxvi. vol. ii. p. 309, 2nd edit. + The following notice of the magpie appears in the lately published ‘Tracts relating to Ireland,’ printed for the Irish Archeological Society, vol. i, In ‘A brife Description of Ireland, made in this yeere 1589, by. Robert Payne,’ it is remarked—‘ There is neither mol, pye, nor carren crow.” In a note to this, contributed by Dr. Aquila Smith of Dublin, it is observed, ‘‘ As to the magpie (Pica caudata) our author is probably cor- rect, for Derricke, who wrote in 1581, in his ‘ Image of Ireland,’ says— [—the four lines above quoted are introduced here.] ‘Ireland,’ says Moryson, in 1617, ‘ hath neither singing nightingall, nor chattering pye, nor undermining moule.’ Itinerary, part iii, b. ili. p. 160. [The extract elsewhere given from Smith’s ‘Cork’ appears here.] The earliest notice of this bird as indigenous in Ireland is in Keogh’s ‘ Zoologia Medicinalis Hibernica,’ Dublin, 8vo, 1739: he merely mentions the ‘ magpie or pianet, Hib. Maggidipye.’ ‘This evidently Anglo-Irish word, for we have no name for it in the ancient Irish language, favours the opinion held by our best- informed naturalists, that this bird is of recent introduction into this country.” 494 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. magpie is not only very clamorous, but pecks the branch on which it rests, violently tearing the bark off in its rage.”” On the 9th of May, I once saw a gray crow attack the nest of a magpie, when the latter, “‘single-handed,”’ boldly repulsed and drove it off to some little distance. The crow nevertheless returned to the nest several times, but was always beaten off without effecting its evil purpose. Bold as the magpie is in defence of its own, I have more than once seen it beaten away by a pair of missel-thrushes (Turdus viscivorus) from the vicinity of their nest. It has been often observed, that if one of a pair of magpies having a nest be shot, another mate is soon found, the period, according to Mr. Selby, ‘‘ sometimes scarcely exceeding a day ;” but a gentleman of my acquaintance assures me, that on his shoot- ing one of a pair of these birds in the forenoon, the survivor had found another partner before evening. Perhaps the most remarkable instance of widowed magpies becoming provided with new partners is that recorded by the celebrated Dr. Jenner in the Philosophical Transactions for 1824 (p. 21). These birds are often so far gre- garious as to frequent particular groves near their feeding-ground for roosting, in considerable numbers, and to which they resort in straggling flocks: I have thus reckoned twenty-six on wing to- gether, when the distance between the first and last resembled that in an ill-matched pack of hounds during the chace. November 20, 1838, was a dull, dark, true November day throughout, and so early as half-past two o’clock p.m., I saw a number of these birds that had evidently retired to roost for the night; so many as about twenty of them, which on being alarmed by me flew from a fine old willow on the banks of the Lagan, looked very beautiful as they rose together. Magpies are very generally persecuted with us on account of their evil propensities. One friend complains that his garden has suffered much from their depredations on cherries and other fruit; another that the eggs of game, &c. are greatly destroyed by them ;—their propensity for eggs is taken advantage of for their destruction, and they become victims to the trap baited with those of our domestic fowl. Grain, too, they certainly consume, but their numbers are not anywhere so great as to do much injury in this respect. That they do a great deal of good, I have had abundant and positive evidence from an examination of the contents of their stomachs (supplied me by bird-preservers) at various times, but particularly in winter, when almost every one contained insects (chiefly Coleoptera), or the re- mains of mice and slugs—of the last, the internal shell (Limacellus, Brard.) only remained—mixed with these occasionally appeared oats and other grain. In winter, the magpie, as well as others of the Corvide, is of great service to the public, by resorting in numbers to such meadows as are manured with the offensive refuse of the slaughter-house, and feeding on the titbits*! By George Mathews, * Since writing my account of the magpie, I find that this and several other particulars dwelt upon are much better treated of by Mr. Waterton in his ‘ Essays on Natural History.’ His description .of the bird through- out is excellent. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 495 Esq., | have been informed that a trustworthy warrener at Springvale, county of Down (the seat of his grandfather Major Mathews), assured him, that he once saw a magpie fly some distance out to sea with a stoat or weasel fastened to it, and that he and some other men launched a boat, and followed to see the issue ; when they found the magpie lying dead upon the water. The quadruped had disappeared, and they conjectured had been drowned; but Mr. Mathews thinks that it may rather have made its way ashore, as he has often seen these animals swim admirably. Montagu, in the ‘Supplement to his Ornithological Dictionary,’ mentions his having been witness to a weasel killing a carrion crow, the latter being in the first instance the aggressor. Magpies are so bold, as apparently, through mere wantonness, to persecute birds that would seem to be more than a match for them : the beautiful kestrel or windhover they occasionally annoy. ‘To- wards the peregrine falcon they dare hardly show any impertinence, but the curiosity which I once saw exhibited by a pair of them to- wards a bird of this species was highly amusing. A trained falcon belonging to my relative Richard Langtry, Esq., on being given its liberty, after taking a few circuits through the air, alighted in a small tree, where first one, and then another magpie likewise alighted, without exhibiting the least fear, but with the intention only, to all appearance, of examining it more closely. They gradu- ally approached the hawk until almost touching it ; one indeed seemed to strike it, and immediately after they both flew to a tree close by, and commenced an incessant chattering, which was continued for some time, and which a spectator could not have believed to be any- thing short of a discussion upon the merits of the stranger bird. When in the tree with the hawk, they maintained a respectful silence. At the same place,a tame magpie and a sheep of a peculiar variety, whose fleece hung nearly to the ground, were great friends, and generally associated together. The favourite perch of the bird was on the sheep’s back, and this animal became innocently a re- ceiver of stolen goods, as the magpie concealed its pilferings in the thick wool of its back. It sometimes hopped after the sheep, pick- ing at its heels; and, whether through mischief, or manifesting a natural carnivorous propensity, was very partial to pecking at the bare heels of beggars who came about the house, excessively to their annoyance. Here, also, two magpies were proficients in talking. One, without any teaching, learnt all the phrases of a parrot kept in a neighbouring cage*, and the other was taught several words and short sentences, by their being repeated to it by its master; perhaps * It would seem that, in a wild state also, either this species or a nearly allied one will imitate the notes of other birds. Mr. Nuttall, who, from a knowledge of the bird both in Europe and America, considers the common magpie of the two continents identical, remarks—‘‘I one day observed a small flock, and among the fraternity heard one chattering familiarly in the varied tone of the cat-bird, as he sat on a bough by the water, where birds might become his prey.”—Audubon’s Ornithological Biography, vol. iv. p- 409. 496 Mr, W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. the most comical of these was ‘‘ pretty-poll,” as passing strangers, on hearing the well-known words, turned round to look at the sup- posed parrot, and saw only impudent ‘‘ mag” instead. But anything more on this subject would be only taking a leaf out of the history of a pet magpie communicated by my friend Mr. Stevelly, Professor of Natural Philosophy in Belfast College. He remarks—_ ‘‘ When a boy I succeeded in rearing a magpie from a very young bird; he became much attached to me, and long before he could fly would follow me about with a curious kind of sideling hop, and even at this time of life began to show great archness, running after the peasant children, who, in the south of Ireland, go for the most part without shoes and stockings, and pecking at their bare heels; and then instantly looking up to see if punishment were meditated, of which, if he saw the least symptom, he would escape with won- derful celerity. He became so adroit at length at this amusement, that the children who came near the house were much afraid of him ; when his beak became stronger, he also attacked dogs in the same manner, but always with much and very droll caution. He flew well and strongly before I attempted to confine him in the slightest de- gree, and roamed at large round my father’s place; but when I wished him to come home in the evening, one or two loud calls of his name ‘ Jack’ were sure to bring him from some neighbouring high tree on which he had perched, to my shoulder, which was a very favourite resting-place ; when there, it was a favourite practice of his gently to run his beak between my lips or into my ear, with that peculiar motion which pigeons are observed to use when they caress each other; the tickling sensation which this process caused when my ear was in question made me always submit with diffi- culty, and I was frequently obliged to withdraw my head suddenly with a shudder; at this he always seemed highly delighted, and used to chatter with a guttural sound not unlike Irish words. ‘‘ The country people in the south of Ireland have a manner of calling each other from a distance by bending their fore-finger, put- ting it into their mouth, and producing a very loud and shrill whistle. This whistle ‘Jack’ became very expert at imitating, and it was a favourite amusement of his to sit on a very hot day on the top of the house, and if he chanced to espy any person at a distance, as, for example, the market-boy riding into town, a whistle from Jack, repeated if necessary, was sure to bring him back, however great his hurry, under the impression that some important commis- sion had been forgotten, or that his presence was required at the house or farm-yard; the length of the avenue, and a gentle slope in it at about a quarter of a mile distance from the house, rendered this trick very easy to be practised, and he seemed to take great delight in it when successful, and many a hearty curse he received from the wearied subject of his practical joke as soon as he had discovered the individual who had so importunately called him back. ‘«‘ He was particularly fond of any shining article, such as spoons and trinkets ; these he frequently stole, and we came upon his trea- sure-house in a laughable way. There was an old gentleman, a Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 497 great friend of my father, who resided with us almost continually. He was of a peculiarly studious disposition, but from a deformity in his person used generally to read standing, with his arms and breast resting on the back of a chair, and the book placed on a table before him ; after having read for a while, it was his habit to take off his spectacles, lay them beside him, blow his nose, take a pinch of snuff, and after a few moments, pondering what he had been reading, re- sume the spectacles and proceed. One very warm day I lay read- ing at one end of a room in which there was an open glass door leading to the greenhouse ; in this room the old gentleman was most intently pursuing his studies at a little distance from me. My at- tention was soon arrested by seeing the magpie perched upon the chair near him, eyeing him most intently and with a very arch ex- pression, and at length, in an instant, he had with a most active hop touched the table, secured the red leather spectacle-case, and was out of the glass door with the most noiseless wing and with a very graceful motion. I remained quiet, resolved to see the end of the joke ; after a few seconds’ absence ‘ Jack’ was again at his post, eyeing the old gentleman with a most inquisitive and yet business-like glance ; it was nearly impossible to resist the ludicrous impression produced by the entire scene : at length off came the spectacles, and out came the | pocket handkerchief and snuff-box; quick as thought Jack had in- vaded the table and was out of the open door with the prize, which I have no doubt had from the beginning been the object of his covetous admiration while they were on the nose of the old gentleman. This time the magpie did not return, either because he found it more dif- ficult to reach his storehouse with the spectacles than with the case, or because, having gained the object of his ambition, he con- ceived his presence no longer necessary. At length the period of rumination having elapsed, the old gentleman set about replacing the spectacles ; as soon as his surprise had abated at not finding them with his hands beside him on the table, he removed the chair and groped about on the carpet, then raised the book and examined every part of the table. Not being able to restrain myself any longer, I ex- ploded in laughter; and of course I was instantly suspected of playing off a practical joke, and charged with taking the spectacles, but at length succeeded in convincing him I had never risen from the sofa on which I reclined ; but after a good deal of laughing, and two or three other members of the family having been attracted to the room by the hubbub, I was compelled, under cross-examination, to own that I had witnessed ‘ Jack’s’ abstractions. ‘The question then be- came serious how the articles were to be recovered ; some person sug- gested to leave a teaspoon near him and watch him. This was ac- cordingly done, but his motions were so rapid that he eluded us all, seeming at first to pop completely over the house; at length, by placing two or three persons in favourable positions, he was ‘ mark- ed’ in a leaden valley between a double part of the roof; and this having been closely searched, a deposit was discovered not only of the things which ‘ Jack’ had that day carried off, but also of some articles which had been for some time supposed to be lost, but re- Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. Suppl. 2K 498 Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. specting which a breath of suspicion as to him had never been en- tertained. This day’s successful foray led to his losing his entire store, no doubt in the midst of his triumphal rejoicing. ‘‘ His thieving propensities seemed to gather strength from this period ; but I have little doubt many articles which were lost were set down to his account without sufficient evidence that he was the thief. A valuable brooch which belonged to a lady who was on a visit with my mother was at length lost, and every finger pointed to ‘Jack’ as the thief; this charge acquired probability from the fact that he had on the previous day overturned and destroyed a very valuable writing-desk in her room while examining too anxiously some of the silver ornaments of its bottles; an order was forthwith issued by my father that a cage must be made for him, and the ab- solute liberty he had heretofore enjoyed somewhat curtailed. I sub- mitted the more cheerfully to this order as his flights from home were now becoming obviously longer, and on one or two occasions he had not returned all night; and although at these times he made his appearance next morning hungry and cold and with a very rue- ful aspect, yet I was beginning to fear that he would at length ac- quire the habits necessary for shifting for himself, and stay away al- together. Accordingly he was caged ; at first he furiously attacked the wooden bars of the cage and broke some of them, but in places so scattered, that in no one place did he succeed in making a breach large enough for his exit. He pined very much at the confinement, and the beauty of his plumage was much deteriorated, so that I at length began to let him fly about.: his delight on these occasions was excessive and often laughably expressed; but his distress when again seized on to be returned to his cage was at least equally strongly expressed, He used to screech long and loudly, and resist with beak and talon; hence he soon began when liberated to fly straight off and remain away for several hours. In one of these rambles, a woman returning from Cork was astonished to see him stand so tamely on the public road _ beside a small pond at which he occasionally drank; she came near him and held out a herring to- wards him, which he very thankfully began to eat, when she secured him, cut one of his wings, and on reaching her home put him among some poultry, who beat him most unmercifully. It was four or five days before I was able to discover his prison, the woman living three or four miles off; and when I did, and had paid a few shillings for his ransom, he came home in most piteous plight; his spirit was quite broken, his plumage much injured and dingy, and except for the well-known ‘ Jack’ and one or two other words, chiefly Irish, which he pronounced, I should have doubted or disbelieved his identity. I however pulled the feathers of his wings (which were mere stumps on one side), and by care he was beginning to recover his vivacity ; when, attempting to drink at a barrel, in which, when he could fly, he was in the habit of splashing, he fell in, and was drowned before his danger was discovered. I never felt so bereaved as upon the death of poor ‘ Jack.’”’ At the performance of the Maid and the Magpie in Belfast Thea- Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 499 tre, on one occasion in my young days, a schoolfellow about fourteen years of age, who had not before been at any dramatic representation, was present. On seeing that the woman was about to be executed for the theft committed by the bird, he from the pit gallantly roared out at the top of his voice that she was innocent, for he had seen the magpie steal the spoons.—I well remember the laugh of the school being turned against him on the following morning. This species rarely exhibits variety in its plumage: a white one frequented a demesne near Belfast for two or three years; and a friend once saw three pure white ones, which were brought from the neighbourhood to town for sale ;—they had probably been reared in the same nest. In the month of May last, I met with the magpie about Smyrna : over the greater part of the European continent it is common. In their respective works on British Birds, Sir Wm. Jardine ad- mirably points out the favourite haunts of the magpie ; and Mr. Mac- gillivray gives a very characteristic description of its manners in a wild state. Tue Jay, Garrulus glandarius, Flem., can now be claimed as an indigenous bird by about the southern half of Ireland only. Smith, in his ‘ History of the county of Waterford’ (1745), says, ‘the jay is pretty common in our woods,” and in his ‘ History of Cork’ enumerates it among the birds of that county. Mr. R. Ball considers it to be now rare in that quarter: in the summer of 1837 he saw young birds which were taken from a nest near Youghal. Mr. G. J. Allman informed me in 1839, that the jay had of late, owing to its being protected, become common in Lord Bandon’s park, in the last-named county. Mr. R. Davis, jun., of Clonmel, replied as follows to some queries in Feb. 1837 :—‘‘ The jay must be indigenous : the oldest inhabitants remember them to be much more plentiful than they now are: they still breed in woods near us, but were formerly to be seen close to the town.” About Portarlington (Queens-county) they are particularly numerous, and to go out there specially for jay-shooting is not an uncommon practice. About Portumna they are said to be met with, but not frequently. In Rutty’s ‘ Natural History of Dublin,’ the jay appears as one of the birds of that county, and as such it is known at present to Mr. R. Ball. I am not aware of the existence of this bird either now, or for a long time past, in the north of the island, although there are many districts apparently well suited to its abode, and every year becoming more so from the increasing age of full-grown timber. Dubourdieu, in his ‘ Survey of the county of Antrim,’ remarks—‘*The jay was much more frequent before the woods at Portmore were cut ; it is still [1812] however to be met with about Shanes Castle, and other woods at the borders of the lake [Neagh].” I have been un- able to verify its being there at so late a period. It must not be taken for granted that the bird called jay in the north of Ireland is the Garrulus glandarius, as that name is frequently bestowed on the 'K 2 500 Mr..W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. missel-thrush (Turdus viscivorus*). The latest positive evidence known to me of the occurrence of the true jay in the quarter alluded to, is afforded by a venerable friend, who about sixty years ago re- ceived three young ones from a nest in Portmore park, on the borders of Lough Neagh, once rich in fine woods of oak, but which long since have fallen before the axe. In the Irish Statutes, 17th of George II., chap. 10, a reward is offered for the head of the jay, together with that of the magpie and others of the Corvide. Mr. Yarrell seems to imagine that itis to the numbers killed in conse- quence of this reward being offered, that the species generally be- came less numerous with us; but as the jay can, like the Corvide, for which a reward was at the same time offered, take very good care of itself, I should attribute its decrease to other and more natu- ral causes. With reference to the distribution of this bird in Ireland, it is desirable to ascertain its distribution in Scotland. Sir Wm. Jardine observes, that ‘‘as we proceed northward it becomes much more local, though by no means rare, where it is found frequenting generally the older wood around private seats, and in parks, and some of the forests in the middle highlands. It is common both in Perth- and Argyleshire, but we are not sure that it extends to the forests of the far northt.” I have never met with this beautiful bird in a wild state in Ire- land, but have had the gratification of seeing it in Scotland among the natural wood about the northern extremity of Loch Lomond, as well as about Coniston Water in Lancashire; and on the continent, in Switzerland and Italy—in the latter country, on the richly wooded banks of the Nera, not far from its confluence with the Tiber, and 14° to the south of the first-named locality t. GREATER SPoTTED WoOoDPECKER, Picus major, Linn.— All that can be positively stated of woodpeckers as Irish birds, is, that the P. major has in a very few instances been met with. Templeton records a specimen obtained in the county of London- derry in August 1802, having been sent to Dr. M‘Donnell of Bel- fast§; and a second having been met with since. An example * This-bird is correctly remarked by Dubourdieu to be “ now frequent,” so that the true jay is evidently the bird alluded to. + Brit. Birds, vol. ii. p. 253. + The nuteracker, Nucifraga Caryocatactes, Briss., cannot be announced with any certainty as having ever been met with in Ireland. Among the notes of Mr. Templeton is one to the effect that a bird of this species “ had been shot at Silvermines, county of Tipperary, by Mr. J. Lewis.” In the preparation of Mr. Templeton’s ‘ Catalogue of the Vertebrate Animals of Ireland’ (published in the ‘ Magazine of Natural History,’ vol. i. New Se- ries) by his son, the nutcracker was omitted in consequence of the latter gentleman being unaware of any further particulars. § Among Mr.Templeton’s drawings is a beautiful coloured representation of this bird. I have only met with this species in its native haunts, in the richly wooded valley of Sarnen, Switzerland. Mr. W. Thompson on the Birds of Ireland. 501 which I saw in the museum of the Royal Dublin Society in 1834, was stated by Mr. W. S. Wall, bird-preserver, to have been killed on the banks of the canal near the metropolis in December 1831, when another was seen in company with it. By a letter from Mr. R. Davis, jun., of Clonmel, dated Feb. 1837, I learned that, six years before that time, a P. major was shot at St. Johnstown, in the same county. ‘To the fifth vol. of the ‘ Annals’ I communicated the fol- lowing note on the greater spotted woodpecker. ‘On Nov. 13, 1839, one of these birds was shot at Castlereagh, near Belfast, by Mr. Greenfield, who remarks that it was ‘ very tame,’ and when fired at was engaged in pecking into a dead tree ; it seemed to be unaccom- panied by any of its species. It is a male bird, but not in adult plumage; and has been liberally presented by the gentleman just named to the Belfast Museum.” Smith, in his ‘ History of Cork,’ remarks under ‘‘ Hoopoe””—“ Mr. Willoughby ranks it among the woodpeckers, of which I have not yet seen one in this county.” In the same author’s ‘ History of Waterford’ there appears ‘‘ Picus Martis, the woodpecker, a bird rare in this county ;’’ can P. martius here be meant? Rutty enu- merates the ‘‘ Picus varius minor, lesser spotted woodpecker,” as one of the birds of the county of Dublin; and it likewise appears in Dr. Patrick Browne’s ‘ Catalogue of the Birds of Ireland,’ into which it was probably copied from Rutty. All these notices of woodpeckers are very unsatisfactory *. Tue Tree Creeper, Certhia familiaris, Linn., generally inhabits districts throughout Ireland in which old wood pre- vails, and is everywhere resident. Owing to its habits, it is perhaps of all our native birds the least known, but to the ornithologist is particularly interesting, from being the only one of the zogodactyle birds indigenous to the island : its presence too throughout the winter is an additional attraction. * IT have been told that the green woodpecker is found in an old wood in the county of Donegal, but no proof was ever afforded :—when in Dublin some years ago, I saw in the possession of a bird-preserver a fresh example of this species, which was accordingly believed to have been shot in Ireland ; but by inquiry from the owner, I learned that it had been sent him from England: other similar cases respecting the Picus viridis have occurred to me. : A recent specimen of the Nuthatch (Sitta europea), sent to a bird-pre- server in the metropolis, was on the same presumptive evidence as the green woodpecker mentioned to me as an Irish bird; but on inquiry it was found to have been killed in Wales. This species is not known to have ever visited the island, Wryneck, Yunx Torquilla, Linn. There is no record of this species having ever been met with in Ireland, On the 29th of April last I saw one of them among some shrubby plants in the island of Sphacteria, which bounds the western side of the fine bay of Navarino. On the 25th of the same month, a wryneck which alighted in H.M.S. Beacon, when about sixty miles to the south-east of Calabria, was captured, as mentioned in the ‘ An- nals,’ vol. viii. p. 127, 502 Royal Society. 3 In the woods of the counties Down, Antrim, and Fermanagh*, this bird has occurred to me. Mr. J. V. Stewart notices it as found in the north of the county of Donegal; Mr. R. Ball, as met with about Dublin and Youghal; to the Rev. Thomas Knox it is known as common in some parts of Westmeath, and about Killaloe; by Mr. R. Davis, jun., it is reported to be not uncommon in Tipperary ; and that the species is common in Kerry, I was informed by the late Mr. T. F. Neligan. Such of these birds as have come under my observation, though apparently aware of my presence, never ex- hibited any Shyness, but admitted of a near approach, when it was extremely interesting to observe the regular, quick, and business- like manner in which they searched for their food. Now one would appear moving in a straight line up the trunks of the largest pines, from near the base until it would almost reach the summit; then it would be seen ascending the next tree to which it flew, by spirally winding round it, the effect being much heightened by its breast, in contrast with the dark-coloured bark, appearing of a silvery white- ness. Mr. R. Ball has ‘‘ known the creeper to be captured by boys getting to the opposite side of a tree at the base of which it com- menced feeding, and making a random stroke with a cap or hat, at the place they supposed it had reached in its upward movement.” This species is generally stated by authors to live entirely on insects ; but the stomachs of the only two I have examined, contained each, in addition to such food, a few seeds of the common pine (Pinus syl- vestris) : the specimens were shot in the month of January. Wil- son, in his ‘ American Ornithology,’ mentions his having found the seeds of the pine-tree (of course a different species from P. sylvestris) im the stomachs of individuals killed in the United States, and like- wise ‘‘ fragments of a fungus that vegetates on old wood.” Mr. Macgillivray gives a very full and graphic description of the creeper, ‘ Brit. Birds,’ vol. iii. [To be continued. } PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. ROYAL SOCIETY. Dec. 16, 1841, and Jan. 6, 1842.—A paper was read, entitled, * On Fibre,” by Martin Barry, M.D., F.R.SS. Lond. and Edin. The author observes, that, in the mature blood-corpuscle, there is often seen a flat filament, already formed within the corpuscle. In Mammalia, including Man, this filament is frequently annular ; some- times the ring is divided at a certain part, and sometimes one ex- tremity overlaps the other. This is still more the case in Birds, Am- phibia, and Fishes, in which the filament is of such length as to con- * Here I have seen it close to the house at Florence Court; and a friend living near Belfast has observed this bird creeping up the yard-wall attach- ed to his dwelling-house, There is in reality nothing remarkable in such cases: they are mentioned, as some persons imagine that the creeper never leaves the depth of woods. Royal Society. 503 stitute a coil. This filament is formed of the discs contained within the blood-corpuscle. In Mammals, the discs entering into its forma- tion are so few as to form a single ring; and hence the biconcave form of the corpuscle in this class, and the frequent annular form of the filament it produces. In the other Vertebrata, the discs contain- ed within the blood-corpuscle are too numerous for a single ring ; and they consequently form a coil. At the outer part of this coil, the filament, already stated to be flat, often presents its edge; whence there arises a greater thickness of the corpuscle, and an appearance of being cut off abruptly at this part; while in the centre there is generally found the unappropriated portion of a nucleus ; and hence the central eminence, surrounded by a depression, in those corpuscles which, from the above-mentioned cause, have the edge thickened. The nucleus of the blood-corpuscle in some instances resembles a ball of twine ; being actually composed, at its outer part, of a coiled fila- ment. In such of the invertebrata as the author has examined, the blood-corpuscle is likewise seen passing into a coil. The filament, thus formed within the blood-corpuscle, has a re- markable structure; for it is not only flat, but deeply grooved on both surfaces, and consequently thinner-in the middle than at the edges, which are rounded ; so that the filament, when seen edgewise, appears at first sight to consist of segments. The line separating the appa- rent segments from one another is, however, not directly transverse, but oblique. Portions of the clot in blood sometimes consist of filaments having a structure identical with that of the filament formed within the blood-corpuscle. The ring formed in the blood-corpuscle of Man, and the coil formed in that of Birds and Reptiles, have been seen by the author unwinding themselves into the straight and often parallel filaments of the clot; changes which may be also seen occurring in blood placed under the microscope before its coagulation; and simi- lar coils may be perceived scattered over the field of view, the coils here also appearing to be altered blood-corpuscles, in the act of un- winding themselves ; filaments, having the same structure as the fore- going, are to be met with apparently in every tissue of the body. The author enumerates a great variety of organs in which he has ob- served the same kind of filaments. Among vegetable structures, he subjected to microscopic examina- tion the root, stem, leaf-stalk, and leaf, besides the several parts of the flower : and in no instance of phanerogamous plants, where a fibrous tissue exists, did he fail to find filaments of the same kind. On subsequently examining portions indiscriminately taken from ferns, mosses, fungi, lichens, and several of the marine alg, he met with an equally general distribution of the same kind of filaments. The flat filament seen by the author in all these structures, of both ani- mals and plants, he states to be that usually denominated a fibre. Its appearance is precisely such as that of the filament formed within the corpuscle of the blood. It is known, he remarks, that discoid corpuscles circulate in plants; and it remains to be seen whether or not filaments are formed also in these. 504 Royal Society. By gradually tracing the fibre or filament above-mentioned into similar objects of larger size, the author endeavours to show that it is not possible to draw a line of separation between the minutest fila- ment, and an object being to all appearance composed of two spirals running in opposite directions, and interlacing at certain regular in- tervals; an arrangement which produces in the entire object a flat- tened form, and gives it a grooved appearance. It is, in fact, the structure which, for want of a better term, he has called a flat fila- ment. The edge of this filament presents what, at first sight, seem like segments, but which, in reality, are the consecutive curves of a spiral thread. A transverse section of such an object is rudely re- presented by the figure 8. This is also precisely the appearance pre- sented by the minutest filament, generally termed Fibre: and the author particularly refers to the oblique direction of the line sepa- rating the apparent segments in the smaller filament, in connexion with the oblique direction of the spaces between the curves of the spiral threads in the larger one. The spiral form, which has heretofore seemed wanting, or nearly so, in animal tissues, is then shown to be as general in animals as in plants. Nervous tissue, muscle, minute blood-vessels, and the cry- stalline lens, afford instances in proof of this. And if the author’s view of identity in structure between the larger and the smaller fila- ments be correct, it follows that spirals are much more general in plants themselves than has been hitherto supposed; spirals would thus appear, in fact, to be as universal as a fibrous structure. The tendency to the spiral form manifests itself very early. Of this the most important instance is afforded by the corpuscle of the blood, as above described. The author has also obtained an interesting proof of it in cartilage from the ear of a rabbit ; where the nucleus, lying loose in its cell, resembled a ball of twine, being composed at its outer part of a coiled filament, which it was giving off to weave the cell-wall ;—this cell-wall being no other than the last-formed por- tion of what is termed the intercellular substance—the essential part of cartilage. These nuclei in cartilage, as well as those in other tis- sues, there is ground for believing to be descended, by fissiparous ge- neration, from the nuclei of blood-corpuscles. The author then describes the mode of origin of the flat filament er fibre, and its reproduction in various animal and vegetable tissues, which he enumerates. He conceives that each filament is a com- pound body which enlarges, and, from analogy, may contain the ele- ments of future structures, formed by division and subdivision, to which no limits can be assigned. He then traces the formation of muscle out of cells, which, ac- cording to his observations, are derived from corpuscles of the blood, to the state where there exists what is denominated the fibril. In this process, there are to be observed the formation of a second order of tubes within the original tube; a peculiarly regular arrangement of discs within these second tubes; the formation, first of rings and then of spirals, out of discs so arranged ; the interlacing of the spirals ; and the origin, in the space circumscribed by these, of spirals having Royal Society. 505 a minuter size; which in their turn surround others still more mi- nute; andso on. ‘The outer spirals enter for the most part into the formation of the investing membrane discovered by Schwann, but for the only complete description of which, in a formed state, we are indebted to Mr. Bowman. The inner spirals constitute what are de- nominated the fibrille. The fibril appears to the author to be no other than a state of the object which he designates a flat filament; and which, as he shows, is a compound structure. ‘The fibril he finds to be, not round and beaded, as it has been supposed, but a flat and grooved filament ; the description above given of the structure of the filament being especially applicable here. This flat filament is so situated in the fasciculus of voluntary muscle, as to present its edge to the observer. It seems to have been the appearance presented by the edge of this filament, that is to say, by the curves of a spiral thread, that suggested the idea of longitudinal bead-like enlarge- ments of the fibril, as producing striz in the fasciculus of volun- tary muscle. In the author’s opinion, the dark longitudinal striz are spaces (probably occupied by a lubricating fluid) between the edges of flat filaments, each filament being composed of two spiral threads, and the dark transverse striz, rows of spaces between the curves of these spiral threads. The filament now mentioned, or its edge, seems to correspond to the primitive marked thread or cylinder of Fontana—to the primitive fibre of Valentin and Schwann—to the marked filament of Skey—to the elementary fibre of Mandl—to the . beaded fibril of Schwann, Miiller, Lauth, and Bowman—and ‘to the granular fibre of Gerber. The changes known to be produced by the alternate shortening and lengthening of a single spiral are exhibited in the microscope by a fasciculus of spirals, not only in its length and thickness, but in the width of the spaces (strie) between the curves of the spirals. And amuscle being no other than a vast bundle of spirals, it is in contraction short and thick; while in relaxation it is long and thin; and thus there occurs no flattening of bead-like segments in contraction. ‘The author has found no segments that could undergo this change. These observations on the form of the ultimate threads in voluntary muscle, were first made on the larva of a Batrachian reptile; and have been confirmed by an examination of this structure in each class of vertebrated animals, as well as in the Crustacea, Mollusca, Annelida, and Insects. He finds that the toothed fibre, discovered by Sir David Brewster in the crystalline lens, is formed out of an enlarged filament; the projecting portions of the spiral threads in the filament, that is, the apparent segments, becoming the teeth of that fibre. The compound filaments are seen with peculiar distinctness in the blood-vessels of the arachnoid membrane. In connexion with the spiral direction of the outer filament in these vessels, the author refers to the rouleaux in which the red blood-discs are seen to arrange them- selves, in the microscope, as probably indicating a tendency to pro- duce spiral filaments. To form rouleaux, corpuscle joins itself to corpuscle, that is to say, ring to ring; and rings pass into coils. The union of such coils, end to end, would form a spiral. But the formation by the blood-corpuscles of these rouleaux is interesting in 506 Geological Society. connexion with some facts recorded by the author in a former me- moir; namely, that many structures, including blood-yessels, have their origin in rows of cells derived from corpuscles of the blood. The hu- man spermatozoon presented a disc with a pellucid depression, each of the two sides of the peripheral portion of which was extended into a thread; these two threads forming by being twisted the part usually designated as the tail. The occurrence of two tails, observed by Wagner, is accounted for by the author by the untwisting of these threads. The author has noticed very curious resemblances in mould, arising from the decay of organic matter, to early stages in the formation of the most elaborate animal tissues, more particularly nerve and muscle. Flax has afforded satisfactory evidence of identity, not only in struc- ture, but in the mode of reproduction, between animal and vegetable fibre. - Valentin had previously stated that in plants all secondary deposits take place in spiral lines. In the internal structure of animals, spirals have heretofore seemed to be wanting, or very nearly so. Should the facts recorded in this memoir, however, be established by the re- searches of other investigators, the author thinks the question in fu- ture may perhaps be, where is the ‘‘ secondary deposit’ in animal structure, which is not connected with the spiral form? The spiral in animals, as he conceives he has shown, is in strictness not a se- condary formation, but the most primary of all; and the question now is, whether it is not precisely so in plants. In a postscript the author observes, that there are states of volun- tary muscle in which the longitudinal filaments (‘‘ fibrille’’) have no concern in the production of the transverse striz; these strie being occasioned by the windings of spirals, within which very minute bundles of longitudinal filaments are contained and have their origin. The spirals are interlaced. When mature, they are flat and grooved filaments, having the compound structure above described. With the shortening of the longitudinal filaments (‘‘ fibrille’’) in muscular contraction, the surrounding spirals, and of course the striz, be- come elongated and narrow ; while in relaxation these changes are reversed.* GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. April 7, 1841.—‘‘ A note by Mr. Murchison on a Section and a List of Fossils from the State of New York,” by James Hall, Esq., was read. Mr. Murchison says, that in consequence of the researches of Mr. Featherstonaugh, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Hall, Mr. Vanuxem, Mr, R. C. Taylor, and other geologists, large tracts in the British colonies in North America and in the United States have been for some time known to be composed of formations containing Silurian, old red sandstone and carboniferous fossils. Mr. Hall’s section, presenting a tabular view of the succession of formations, commences with the [* We learn that the author has satisfactorily demonstrated to Professor Owen and others, since the reading of the above paper, the facts described in it.—Ep17.] Geological Society. 507 red sandstone of Blossburgh in Pennsylvania, proved to be the repre- sentative of the old red sandstone or Devonian system of Great Bri- tain, in consequence of its inclosing remains of Holoptychius and Coccosteus. This deposit is succeeded in descending order by others, referable, on account of their testaceous remains, to the lower part of the same system, and these are again underlaid by limestones and shales, especially at Lockport and Rochester, charged with Pitilo- dictya lanceolata and other Silurian corals and fossils. The lowest deposit alluded to by Mr. Hall is the Medina sandstone. The fol- lowing sectional list, in descending order, is copied from his com- munication :— Red sandstone. Sandstone and shale, abundance of fossil shells. Shale, with thin layers of sandstone ; Fucoides, abundance ; few shells. Green and black shale, several hundred feet thick. Black shale. Moscow shale. Encrinal limestone. Ludlowville shale. Thin mass, with Bellerophons. Shale. Thin limestone, with fossils. Marcellus shale. Limestone, with hornstone. Onondaga limestone. Onondaga saliferous group, containing gypsum and salt-springs. Lockport limestone. Rochester shale. Limestone. Green shale, with fossils. Pentamerus limestone. Green shale and iron ore. Red and grey sandstone, Medina sandstone*. With respect to.the Onondaga saliferous group, Mr. Murchison points out its extremely low geological position, resting upon a cal- careous stratum, which has been proved by its organic remains to be the equivalent of the Wenlock limestone ; and he states that it is of higher antiquity than the oldest salt-bearing beds of Russia. Mr. Murchison also alludes to the great value of Mr. Hall’s communica- tion in proving the wide application of the paleeozoic succession esta- blished in Great Britain. June 2.—‘ On the Faluns of the Loire, and a comparison of their Fossils with those of the newer Tertiary Strata in the Cotentin, and on the relative age of the Faluns and Crag of Suffolk,” by Charles Lyell, Esq., V.P.G.S. In a paper ‘‘ On the Crag of Norfolk and Suffolk,” read in 1839+, * For detailed accounts of the New York Devonian and Silurian Systems and their Organic Remains, see the Geological Reports of the State for 1838, 1839, 1840. + Proceedings, vol. iii. p. 171. 1839. 508 Geological Society. Mr. Lyell stated, that when M. Desnoyers assigned in 1825 a con- temporaneous origin to the Crag and the Faluns of Touraine, he dis- sented from the conclusion ; first, because the per-centage of recent species then assigned to the crag, including the Norwich beds, was greater than that ascribed by M. Deshayes to the shells of Touraine ; 2ndly, because almost all the fossils in each locality were of distinct species, though only 300 miles apart; and 3rdly, because the fauna of the Suffolk crag had a northern, and that of Touraine an almost tropical aspect, notwithstanding the geographical proximity of the two districts. In 1839, however, when he compared, with the as- sistance of Mr. G. Sowerby, a large collection of Touraine shells, and ascertained that the recent species amounted to 26 per cent., a nearly similar result to the one at which he had previously arrived respecting the red and coralline crag, he was induced to adopt M. Desnoyers’ views. As some doubts nevertheless remained in his mind respecting the localities and true geological position of certain shells assigned to the Faluns, and as he was desirous of determining the range southwards of the organic remains of the English crag, as well as northwards of those of the Faluns, and ascertaining whether the fossils of the most northern of the Falun deposits approached nearest in character to the shells and corals of the English crag, Mr. Lyell examined in the summer of 1840, first, certain of the newer tertiary deposits in La Manche, particularly those near Valognes, and between Carentan and Coutances ; then the tertiary strata in the neighbourhood of Dinan and Rennes; and afterwards those along the course of the Loire from Nantes to Tours and Blois, extending his researches northwards of that river as far as Savigné, and south- wards to Bossée and Pontlevoy. The following notices contain sum- maries of the observations made at each locality. CraG. Tertiary strata near Valognes.—The first geologist who explored the Cotentin was M. De Gerville. M. Desnoyers, in his memoir on that part of Normandy (published in 1825), shows that the newest secondary rock near Valognes is Baculite limestone*, and that it is overlaid by patches of tertiary strata, of the age of the Paris basin ; but © he does not allude to any deposit of more recent date. By the advice of M. De Gerville, Mr. Lyell visited a marl-pit at the farm of Cadet, near Ranville la Place, eight miles south-west of Valognes, and he found it to abound with Suffolk crag shells. He obtained twenty- nine species of Testacea, fifteen of which Mr. Searles Wood has identified distinctly with crag species, and seven doubtfully, the most abundant shell being Lucina radula. In M. De Gerville’s col- lection from this locality, Mr. Lyell saw a specimen of the Falun va- riety of the Voluta Lamberti, or of what he considers to be a distinct species of Voluta. It is stated to have been found under an oyster- bed, and beneath the stratum containing the above shells. * Mr. Lyell examined this limestone, and recognised its resemblance to the uppermost chalk at Faxoe in Seeland. See ‘ Proceedings,’ vol. ii. p. 191, and ‘ Geol. Trans.,’ 2nd Series, vol. v. p. 248, for an account of the Faxoe deposit. . Geological Society. , 509 Carentan.—At St. George de Bohon, five miles south-west of Ca- rentan, is another deposit of Suffolk crag fossils. In travelling south from Carentan this formation is first met with at the hamlet of La Flaget. It consists of an iron-stained calcareous tufa, or an aggre- gate of fragments of organic remains, and is in some places thirty feet thick. The shells are difficult to extract, but Mr. Lyell ob- tained fourteen species; also three species of corals, and a caudal tubercle of a Raia, all of which have been identified with Suffolk crag fossils. Among the shells are numerous fragments of the large Terebratula variabilis. The corals and some of the Testacea are com- mon to the Faluns of Touraine, but none of the distinguishing fossils of the latter have been discovered in the Carentan deposits. Sainteny.—In sinking a well at this place, more than sixty feet of a white calcareous aggregate of comminuted shells were passed through. At Longueville, one and a half mile from Sainteny, is a soft calcareous stone, consisting of innumerable casts of fragments of shells, among which Mr. Lyell detected the Pecten striatus of the Suffolk crag; and a similar rock occurs at the farms of Blehou and Raffanville, several miles distant. ‘The fossils obtained at these lo- calities could not be satisfactorily determined, but Mr. Lyell is of opinion that they agree with those which are found near St. George de Bohon, except that he observed no fragments of the Terebratula variabilis. As far as they can be identified, they consist of Suffolk crag species, and they do not appear to possess a character interme- diate between the Suffolk fauna and that of the Faluns. Mr. Lyell saw no recurrence of this crag further south, and the most northern point at which he noticed a deposit of the age of the Faluns of Touraine was near Dinan, sixty geographical miles to the south-east of Sainteny, the intermediate country consisting of ancient strata and crystalline rocks. FALbuns. Dinan.—M. Desnoyers does not describe the Falun near Dinan, although he alludes to it. The neighbourhood of Dinan is en- tirely composed of granitic rocks ; but at the village of Evran, situated near a stream which flows into the Rance, seven miles south of Dinan, is a small tertiary deposit, consisting of ten or twelve feet of white coralline and shelly sand, overlaid by a bed of stiff, reddish-brown clay, of very variable thickness. The great irregularities presented at the junction of the two strata, and the occasional projection of continuous layers of the sand into the clay, Mr. Lyell explains by supposing that the former at the time of its denudation, and pre- viously to the deposition of the clay, possessed a certain amount of hardness, which allowed of its being undermined. At the bottom of the sand occur large oysters, different from the common Touraine species O. virginica ; and in the same quarries Mr. Lyell found many corals, fragments of Echinodermata, sharks’ teeth, ribs of the Laman- tin, vertebre of a Delphinus, and a tooth of a Mastodon. Some of the bones were buried in a solid semi-crystalline limestone, in which casts of shells are common. The formation occasionally 510 Geological Society. assumes a concretionary or travertine structure: at Le Quiou it is micaceous, and splits into flags; and at the village of Pas de Hac some pinnacles of soft, white, calcareous aggregate present in the lower part fine examples of cross-stratification. At St. Juvat the variety of building-stone called La jauge, and com- posed of comminuted organic remains, resembles the deposit near Sainteny, but the occurrence of casts of cones and large Cypreex convinced Mr. Lyell that it must be assigned to the Faluns. It is overlaid by a bed of clay of variable thickness, having been very irregularly denudated; and it is penetrated by cylindrical hol- lows, similar to the sand-pipes in the English chalk. From these localities Mr. Lyell obtained twenty-six species of shells, one Cir- riped, five species of Echinodermata, five of corals, and seven of fishes, besides the remains of Cetacea and Mammalia before men- tioned. The shells are for the most part identical with species found in the Faluns of Touraine; the whole of the corals, are well- known Touraine fossils; and the fishes, according to M. Agassiz, have been all found in the molasse of Switzerland, with the excep- tion of one species, Carcharias megalodon. In the solid limestones of the localities above enumerated, many of the shells, which in several places in Touraine are beautifully preserved, occur cnly as casts. Rennes.—The country between Dinan and Rennes consists of an- cient rocks. M. Desnoyers states, in the memoir before alluded to, that tertiary beds of the age of the Paris basin and of the Faluns occur near Rennes, but Mr. Lyell is not aware of any published ac- count of the fossils. In the ancient quarries of St. Gregoire, to which he was conducted by M. Pontallier, he found corals and casts of shells of Touraine species; also a large Spatangus, a claw of a crab, and teeth of sharks, imbedded in soft and hard limestones similar to those near Dinan. At La Chaussairie, five miles south of Rennes, occurs a perfectly distinct limestone, containing Milliolites and casts of marine shells, resembling those of the Paris basin; and associated with it are green and blue marls, enclosing freshwater Testacea. The deposit is of small extent, and rests upon transition strata; but Mr. Lyell suspects that it is in places overlaid by the ruins of the true Faluns, and that from these were derived the re- mains of a Lamantin and a tooth of Carcharias megalodon, found in the debris of a shaft sunk at La Chaussairie. Nantes.—The district between Rennes and Nantes consists of transition and granitic rocks, but there are many detached patches of Miocene strata around Nantes. At Les Cleons is a soft coralline limestone, containing pebbles of quartz and spangles of mica, the fundamental rock of the country being mica-schist. Mr. Lyell ob- tained from the limestone six species of corals and five of Testacea, the whole of which, capable of determination, belong to Touraine fossils. In the museum at Nantes he saw specimens which indicate the existence of Falun strata at Le Loroux, Vieilleville and Limousi- niére, places within thirty miles of Nantes; also other organic re- mains which prove that Eocene strata occur at Cambon. Angers.—Mr. Lyell was prevented from examining the pits north Geological Society. 511 of this place, but he was presented by M. Millet with an extensive suite of shells and corals, collected by that gentleman. Of fifty- seven species of Testacea, all but thirteen occur in the Faluns near Tours, Savigné and Pontlevoy; but the fact of there being thirteen peculiar to the Angers district induces Mr. Lyell to suspect that the fossils depart more than those of other localities from the common type. ‘The collection contains also only nine species which can be positively identified with known recent shells, and one which is doubtful, giving about seventeen per cent. of existing species, a much smaller proportion than was obtained by the author in other localities. Doué.—At this town are extensive quarries of a calcareous build- ing-stone, composed of comminuted shells and corals, and exposed to the depth of forty feet. The beds are horizontal, but exhibit highly inclined cross-stratification. From the marl-beds at La Gré- zille, and the calcareous sand and limestone of Renaudan and TIlet, villages situated six or seven miles north of Doué, Mr. Lyell pro- cured twenty-four species of corals, four of Echinodermata and three of fishes ; also a few species of shells, the most conspicuous being the large Pecten solarium. In the great abundance of corals and Echi- noderms, and the small number of Mollusks, Mr. Lyell states that this deposit presents a perfect analogy to the white or coralline crag of Suffolk; but that its fauna is as distinct, with respect to species, from the fauna of the coralline crag, as the other localities of the Faluns of the Loire generally. Savigné.—Between Doué and Savigné the country consists partly of the Eocene freshwater formation, which extends thence almost continuously to Paris, and partly of Craie-tufeau. Near Savigné the Falun is composed of limestone, containing most of the Doué fossils. The result of Mr. Lyell’s labours in this neighbourhood gave the following amount of organic remains, obtained chiefly from a pit which he had made near the point where the road from Savigné to _ Channay divides from that leading to Courcelles. The total number of species of corals which have been determined amounts to eighteen, of Echinodermata to two, of Testacea to seventy-six, and of fishes to four. Mr. Lyell also obtained an upper molar of a deer, and a molar of the Cheropotamus Cuvieri. Of the shells, only ten species were not found by the-author at other Falun localities near the Loire ; and twenty-three species, or about thirty per cent., have been identified with recent shells. Among the fishes is Lamna contortidens, a spe- cies which occurs in the Suffolk crag. The tooth ascertained by Mr. Owen to belong to the C. Cuvieri, affords, Mr. Lyell states, an- other instance of a mammifer common to Eocene and Miocene pe- riods. District south of Tours.—The immediate neighbourhood of Tours consists of cretaceous valleys, with intervening platforms of Eocene freshwater strata. ‘The Faluns occur from twelve to sixteen miles to the south, at Louans, Manthilan and Bossée. At Louans the de- posit is exposed in pits from four to five yards deep, and consists of white and yellow marl, formed, to a great extent, of comminuted shells and corals. From this bed Mr. Lyell obtained 180 species of 512 Geological Society. shells, many very small, and generally overlooked by collectors ; the corals hitherto determined amount to only six species. Of the Tes- tacea he procured all the species, except thirty-three, at other loca- lities ; and the recent species have been ascertained to be about forty- nine, or in the proportion of twenty-six per cent. At Bossée he obtained 129 species of Testacea, forty of which, or thirty-two per cent., have been identified with living shells; and of the entire num- ber Mr. Lyell found all except thirteen in some of the other Faluns. Six species of corals,and remains of Lumna and Myliobates, have been also ascertained to occur at Bossée; and a posterior molar tooth which Mr. Lyell procured there, Mr. Owen has proved to belong to the Dichobunes, a genus of Pachyderms, found likewise in the Eocene strata of France and the Isle of Wight. Pontlevoy.—At this town, thirty miles south-east of ‘Tours, a patch of white Falun marl rests on the Eocene freshwater formation. In the pits east of the town Mr. Lyell procured perfectly preserved shells; and fragments of the Eocene freshwater limestone are found in the Falun bored by Petricole, and full of their shells. The marl is usually covered by three feet of red clay, sand and mould. Mr. Lyell found here the first specimens of the shell, generally con- sidered to be the Voluta Lamberti of the English crag, but which he believes to differ from it. During his researches at Pontlevoy he procured 163 species of shells, forty-five of which, or twenty-five per cent., have been identified with existing Testacea ; and on comparing the whole number with a collection of 180 from Louans, 106 were found to be common to the two localities. Only. thirty-four of the Pontlevoy shells were not procured by Mr. Lyell, at some other Fa- lun locality. Not more than six species of corals have yet been as- certained to occur in this district. The other localities near Pont- levoy examined by Mr. Lyell are Sambin and Contres. At the former the white Falun, containing hard flags, is covered by a great deposit of red, ferruginous, stratified gravel, with grains of quartz and flint derived from the Eocene freshwater formation ; and it bears a striking resemblance to the gravel-beds which overlie the red crag in Suffolk. Immediately east of Sambin, as well as between Cortres and Soing, Mr. Lyell found specimens of the Ostrea virginica asso. ciated with fragments of other Testacea, which identified the deposits from which they were obtained with those of Touraine. These de- tached Faluns imply, he says, that a large part of France, now drained by the Loire and its tributaries, was submerged during the Miocene period, although it is only at a few isolated points that the evidence can be detected of the long time this submergence must have lasted, and of the distinctness of the fauna which then lived, both from that now existing, and still more from that of the ante- cedent Eocene epoch. General Remarks.—Previously to his tour, Mr. Lyell considered that the collections which he had seen from the Loire might be di- vided into two groups, the larger resembling a Mediterranean or even a more northern fauna, and the smaller a tropical one; and that some of the shells composing the latter came from inferior beds of the de- Geological Society. 513 posit, or from patches of Falun of more ancient date than others: he also suspected, that where the tropical forms abounded, there would be found a smaller proportion of recent shells. He is, how- ever, now convinced that all the shells belong to one group, or that the forty-four crag species were really contemporaneous in Touraine with the large cones, Cypreeas, Fasciolarias, and other tropical forms of Testacea. At Bossée, where he found these large univalves, as well as the Astrea, Lunulites, and Dendrophyllia, most fully developed, he obtained the greatest proportion of recent shells, or thirty-two per cent., the average being twenty-five. In making the examinations upon which these results depend, Mr. Lyell states that he always had recourse to the assistance of Mr. G. Sowerby, and in doubtful cases to that of Mr. E. Forbes, or some other conchologist ; and that he excluded from his calculations a great many species of which he did not possess perfect specimens, or a sufficient number to enable the specific identification to be confidently proved. Of the corals collected by the author, forty-three species have been determined by Mr. Lonsdale, only seven of which, or fifteen per cent., agree spe- cifically with those found in the Suffolk crag. This per-centage in the Polyparia is almost exactly the same as that which has been ob- tained from a comparison of the Testacea. Some of the genera of corals, fossil in Touraine, as the Astrea, Lunulites, and Dendrophyllia, have not been found in European seas north of the Mediterranean; ne- vertheless thePolyparia of the Faluns do not indicate a climate warmer than that which now prevails on the southern coasts of Europe. The next general question considered by Mr. Lyell is, whether the Faluns of the Loire and the English crag can be referred to the same geological period, eighty-five per cent. both of the corals and the shells being of distinct species. ‘‘ Can,’’ he says, ‘‘such a con- clusion be embraced on the ground of the corresponding degree of analogy which both deposits bear to the existing fauna, and to the extremely wide departure which both the crag and the Faluns make from the fossils of the Eocene period ?” When Mr. Lyell compared in 1839, with the assistance of Mr. Searles Wood and Mr. G. Sowerby, the Suffolk crag shells in Mr, Wood’s cabinet, the proportion of recent species in the red crag was found to be about thirty per cent., and in the older or coralline about twenty, or, including both, twenty-five per cent., the same amount as in the Faluns of Touraine; the analogy of the recent crag-shells being almost entirely to shells of the British seas, and that of those of the Faluns mostly to Mediterranean species. The argument which might be derived in favour of the more modern origin of the crag, from the recent species being precisely those of the neighbouring seas, while the existing species of the Faluns are not to the same extent, Mr. Lyell combats by stating that the whole assemblage of English crag genera and species departs very widely from that of the ad- jacent seas, consisting of northern and southern forms, Thus the Glycimeris, Cyprina and Astarte are northern genera, and of the Astarte there are about fourteen species; and of genera now known as existing only in equatorial latitudes, are Pyrula, Lingula, and some Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. Suppl. 2L 514 Geological Society. others. The fact, that four-fifths of coralline crag Testacea are ex- tinct, implies high antiquity ; as well as the sixteen species of Echino- derms found in the crag being unknown as recent species. The author therefore refers both the crag and Faluns to the Miocene epoch, notwithstanding the specific discordance of their fossils, and he is of opinion that this disagreement may be diminished when the two faunas are better known. The difference between the Testacea of the British coasts and of the Mediterranean is pointed out ; and if the greater distance of these seas from each other than of the eastern shores of England from the Faluns should be urged as an objection to the inference that the crag and Faluns belong to one epoch, Mr. Lyell calls attention to the difference in the Testacea on the opposite sides of the isthmuses of Suez and Panama, though these tracts are very incon- siderable, both in height and breadth. That land existed in the imme- diate neighbourhood of the Faluns, Mr. Lyell says, is proved, from the occurrence of the remains of terrestrial Mammalia, and of land and freshwater shells, though they are of rare occurrence, compared with the marine reliquiz ; and if it formed a barrier between the district oc- cupied by thecrag and that by the Faluns, the more northern charac- ter of the crag fauna might be due to the sea in which it lived opening tothe north; and in supportof thisopinion he alludes to the rapid trans- ition in the southern hemisphere from a district possessing a mild and equable climate, in which tropical forms of Testacea exist with others common to high latitudes, to one of extreme cold. Lastly, Mr. Lyell says, whatever speculations may be indulged, it is clear that the fos- sils of the crag and Faluns are almost entirely different from those of the London clay and Paris basin; that at least one-fifth of the fossil shells, both in the crag and Faluns, are identical with recent species ; that fifteen per cent. of the shells and corals of the Faluns are spe- cifically identical with those of the Suffolk crag; and that the sup- posed difference of climate indicated to the Testacea and Polyparia is by no means so great as some observers have supposed. Mr. Lyell nevertheless does not attach such importance to the per-centage of recent shells in the present state of knowledge of all the recent species, as to deduce from this source alone a positive inference regarding the precise agreement in age of the Faluns and the crag, merely stating that both deposits are referable to the Miocene epoch ; and as. the red and coralline divisions of the Suffolk crag were not formed at the same time, so he conceives there may have been shades of dif- ference in the relative age of the Faluns and the crag. Junel6. ‘ Description of a Newer Pliocene Deposit at Stevenston, and of Post-Tertiary Deposits at Stevenston and Largs, in the County of Ayr,” by the Rev. David Landsborough, and communicated by James Smith, Esq., F.G.S. The Newer Pliocene Deposit.—This stratum was discovered in 1839 in opening two coal-pits in the parish of Stevenston. After penetra- ting from thirty to thirty-five feet of sand, a bed of blue clay, nine feet thick, was passed through, and found to contain marine fossils of the newer Pliocene epoch. All the species have been obtained in other deposits of the same age in the basin of the Clyde, except two, Geological Society. 515 — Astarte borealis, which occurs in a fossil state in the crag and living in the Arctic seas, and Astarte propingua, a new shell. Mr. Lands- borough gives a list of the twenty-seven species collected by him, nineteen of which are common in the adjoining seas, six are known to exist in the Arctic seas, and two, Natica glaucinoides, a crag fossil, and Astarte propinqua, are believed to be extinct. Post-Tertiary Deposits.—The author prefixes to his account of these beds a notice of the older formations in that part of Ayrshire. The prevailing rock is red sandstone, which, at almost every point on the coast, has been worn, by the former action of the sea, into cliffs, which indicate a change of level of about forty feet. The ter- race at the base of the cliff, Mr. Landsborough states, may be con- sidered a marine raised. beach, and the shells contained in it are, with two exceptions; one of which is doubtful, of existing species. At Ardrossan, a deposit twenty feet above the level of the sea, and at Kelly, the soil which covers the base of the inland cliff to the ~ height of thirty feet, are full of common marine shells. Similar beds are stated to occur in the islands of Arran, Cumbra, and Inch Mar- nock. In the parish of Stevenston, immediately under the vegetable soil, is a bed of shingle, in which forty-seven species of shells com- mon on the adjacent shores have been found. It rests upon shale perforated in many places by the Pholas crispata, of which the shell, in a very friable state, is generally found within the cavity. At Largs the shore rises to the height of twenty feet above high water. Under a bed of loam, from five to ten feet above the sea- level, is a sandy stratum one foot thick, from which Mr. Lands- borough has obtained specimens of Millepora polymorpha, and seventy species of marine shells, the whole of which are well-known inhabit- ants of the British seas, except two species of Rissoa, one of which had been previously found only in the crag, and the other is referred with doubts to the Rissoa Harveyiit of Mr. Forbes. Respecting the age of this deposit, Mr. Landsborough states, that 160 species having been found in it by Mr. Smith and other geolo- gists, it would be rash to infer from the above two exceptions, ‘‘ that there is a difference in the faunas of the existing period of sea-level and of that which preceded it ;’’ but he thinks it is not improbable that some change may have taken place during the very long period in which the inland cliff was formed by the slow wasting of the sea ; and he adds, the position of the bed at Largs, being ten feet under the surface, indicates a considerable antiquity, although its age must be much newer than that of the Pliocene strata, in which there is a decided proportion of extinct Testacea. - Lists of the shells found by the author at each locality accompany the paper. ** Notes by Mr. Maclauchlan, F.G.S., to accompany some Fos- sils collected by himself and Mr. Still, F.G.S., during their employ- ment on the Ordnance Survey in Pembrokeshire.” Taking for a base-line the northern boundary of the Llandeilo flags laid down by Mr. Murchison, the author proceeds to describe a section extending from near Llanhuadain on the south, to Dinas YT 2 516 Geological Society. Head on the north. At Potter’s Slade, a little north-west of Llan- huadain, a conglomerate dips to the northward, and is traceable westward to Ford, and eastward towards Llangan, where a sandstone conglomerate occurs containing Trilobites and shells. Proceeding on the line of section, the conglomerate is succeeded first by sand- stone and sandstone shales, and then at Clarbeston by limestone with carboniferous shales, dipping northward, and containing Graptolites and casts of shells. Similar carbonaceous shales exist on the west of Clarbeston, at St. Catharine’s Bridge, near Camrose; also at Rudbaxton, and on the east at Long Ford, near Llandysilio. They have in some localities been unsuccessfully worked for coal. Grap- tolites have likewise been found in calcareous shales at Robleston, about a mile north-west of Camrose. At Llys-y-fran, north of Clar- beston, the carbonaceous shales are succeeded by roofing-slates, which at Mynydd Castell-bythe (Castell-y-furoch, Ord. Map) and Morfel alternate with trap. On the summit of Mynydd Pontfaen, sandstone with coarse slates occurs, and between the summit and Pontfaen, trap again alternates with slates. Thesummit of Mynydd Llanllawer consists of coarse-grained, rudely columnar greenstone, flanked on the northern declivity of the mountain by coarse sand- stone of trappean aspect. This rock is overlaid by roofing-slates, which extend nearly to Dinas Head, where a hard conglomerate sandstone, containing crinoidal remains, is exhibited. All these strata are represented in a section as dipping towards the north. In Aberreiddy Bay, about twelve and a half miles to the south- west of Dinas, slaty beds with a northwardly dip, and apparently prolongations of the schists on the line of section, contain the Grap- tolithus Murchisonii and G. foliaceus of the Llandeilo flags, also nu- merous casts of an Euomphalus, resembling the EF. perturbatus of that formation, and a species of Lingula. Although these slates differ in lithological characters from the Llandeilo flags, yet Mr. Maclauchlan is of opinion that this difference may have been pro- duced by the masses of trap which are associated with the slates. The conglomerate sandstone of Dinas Head, which occurs also in Newport Bay and at Trewyddel, near Cardigan, is stated to resem- ble one of the conglomerates of the Caradoc sandstone described by Mr. Murchison ; and the crinoidal stems which it contains, to agree with analogous remains found by Mr. Murchison in the Caradoc sandstone at Little London, May Hill*. In addition to the phenomena which occur in the immediate vi- cinity of the section, Mr. Maclauchlan alludes to indications of anti- clinal lines near Narberth and at Camrose, in Southern Pembroke- shire ; also at Solfach, south-east of St. David’s, and at Porthllisky, to the south-west of that city. At the latter village the dip changes to the westward, and continuing to alter, assumes in Whitesand Bay a northwardly direction. This dip also prevails at St. Laurence, thirteen miles east of St. David’s Head; at Leweston, three miles south of St. Laurence, and at Long Ford, about two and a half miles south of Llandysilio. Trappean ash also is stated to occur near green- *Silur. Syst., pl. xx. fig. 19. Geological Society. 517 stone at Penbury (Penberry, Ord. Map) Hill, two and a half miles north-north-east of St. David’s; at Llanllawer, two miles south-east of Fishguard ; and at Carningley, one mile south of Newport. Though the summit of the principal Pembrokeshire chain is roofing-slate, yet trap-rocks occur near the top, and are described by the author as continuous through the district, extending to Plumb- stone Mountain (five miles north-west of Haverfordwest) and to St. David’s Head, re-appearing at the Bishop and Clerks and the Hat and Barrels rocks, and at the Smalls light-house. At Fishguard and Strumble Head, three miles west of Fishguard Bay, the trap is co- lumnar. On the north-east of the chain at Whitechurch (Eglwys- wen), six miles south-east from Newport, on the east at Llanfirnach (Llanfrynach, Ord. Map), and on the south at Llanglwydwen, are beds of dark carbonaceous shale, which have been fruitlessly worked for culm; they appear to mantle round the trap, but preserve a northerly dip; they are accompanied by lead-veins, one of which, at Llanfirnach, has been worked successfully. At Llanglwydwen Bridge are indications of copper in a lode in contact with a considerable bed of limestone. Mineral veins also exist along the coast, from Newgate, in St. Bride’s Bay, to St. David’s Head. ** Description of some remains of a gigantic Crocodilian Sau- rian, probably marine, from the Lower Greensand at Hythe; and of Teeth from the same formation at Maidstone, referable to the genus Polyptychodon,” by Richard Owen, Esq., F.G.S. The fossil saurian remains from the lower greensand discovered by Mr. H. B. Mackeson include portions of the iliac, ischial and pubic bones, a large proportion of the shaft of a femur, parts of a tibia and fibula, and several metatarsal bones. In consequence of the absence of vertebre and teeth, the determination of the specific characters of this Saurian is, the author states, a subject of great difficulty, and he therefore confines his remarks, in the present paper, to indications of the characters by which it differs from previously known extinct genera of Saurians. In the first place, Mr. Owen shows, from the femur and other long bones having no medullary cavities, but a central structure composed of coarse cancelli, that the animal of which they formed part was of marine habits; he, however, adds, that the principal bone being a femur, independently of the size and shape of the metatarsals, at once negatives the idea that these remains belonged to the cetacean order; and that the form and proportions of the metatarsals equally forbid their reference to any other mammalian genus. Femur.—The portions of this bone secured by Mr. Mackeson in- clude about the two distal thirds, excepting the articular extremity. Its length is two feet four inches, its circumference in the middle or smallest part of the shaft is fifteen inches six lines, and at the broken distal end, two feet five inches. ‘These dimensions prove that the animal was equal to the most gigantic described Iguanodon*. If * Femur of the [guanodon,—tength, 4 feet 6 inches ; smallest circum~ ference, 1 foot 10 inches. 518 Geological Society. the supposition of the proportion of the femur which has been pre- served be right, this bone, Mr. Owen says, differs from that of the Iguanodon, not only in the want of a medullary cavity, but also in the absence of the compressed second trochanterian process which projects from the outer side of the middle of the shaft, and which forms one of the several curious analogical relations between the Iguanodon and Rhinoceros. The bone also expands more gradually than in the femur of the Iguanodon, and the posterior part of the condyles must have been wider apart in consequence of the posterior inter-condyloid longitudinal excavation being longer and wider. Va- rious other minor points of difference are noticed by the author. Tibia and Fibula.—The portion of a tibia which has been preserved is compressed near its head, and the side next to the fibula is slightly concave. The longest transverse diameter is eight inches nine lines, and the two other transverse diameters at right angles to the pre- ceding give respectively three inches three lines and two inches six lines. ‘The bone soon assumes a thicker form, its circumference at about one-third from its proximal end being sixteen inches six lines. The cancelli occupying the central portion of the bone are arranged in a succession of layers around a point nearest the narrower end of the transverse section. Lower down the tibia again becomes compressed, and towards the distal end the transverse section exhi- bits a plate bent towards the fibula, and its narrowest transverse diameter is two and a half inches. The portion of the fibula is eleven and a half inches long. In the middle it is flat on one side, slightly concave on another, and convex on the two remaining sides. It presents the same cancellous struc- ture as the tibia, but the concentric arrangement of the layers of cells is more exact. ‘Towards the opposite end of the bone the con- cave side becomes first flat and is then produced into a convex wall, terminating one end of a transverse section of a compressed and bent thick plate of bone. Metatarsals.—These bones, Mr. Owen says, exhibit the charac- teristic irregularity of length of the crocodilian metatarsals. Of two imbedded in the rock, and considered by the author to be the inner- most and second, the former or smaller measured one foot in length, and the latter two feet, having a diameter of eight inches at its greater and of four inches five lines at its narrowest or middle part, and of six inches at its other extremity, which was imperfect. ‘The whole of the bone within the compact outer crust consisted of cells varying from a half to two-thirds of a line in diameter. Portions of four other detached metatarsals are described. Ilia, Ischia, Pubis, and Coracoid Bone.—These bones, the author states, also conform to the crocodilian type. The remains of the ilia are flat and nearly straight, and they gradually but slightly widen towards one end. Of one ilium, a portion, twenty-five inches long and ten inches across at the broadest end, is preserved, and. of the other a fragment twenty inches in length. The mesial extremities of the pubis and ischium are preserved in the same block of stone. ‘The pubis, Mr, Owen states, differs from Geological Society. 519 the crocodilian type in its greater breadth. The portion exposed in this block is principally convex, but it becomes concave towards the opposite or median margin. At its broadest. part it is thirteen inches across, and its length is seventeen inches. This expanded extremity is rounded, and the diameter of the corresponding ex- panded extremity of the ischium, which is obliquely truncated, is nine inches. In another block of stone the expanded extremity of the opposite pubis is preserved, and measures fourteen inches across and twenty-two inches in length. The bone, considered by Mr. Owen to be a coracoid, is two feet in length and seventeen inches in its greatest breadth, and it varies in thickness from three to five inches. The breadth of this bone in- dicates, the author states, the great development of the muscles de- stined for the movement of the fore-leg, whence he infers that the anterior extremities were. more powerfully and habitually used in progressive motion than in the Crocodiles, and that they were con- sequently provided with a webbed modification of the hand. Mr. Owen then enters upon the question of the identity or affini- ties of the Hythe remains with any of the known marine genera of the-saurian order, the texture of the long bones being conclusive against their having belonged to the terrestrial genera, the Iguano- don and Megalosaurus. The length, thickness, and indications of condyles in the femur, and the length, thickness, and angular form of the metatarsal bones, place, he says, the Plesiosaurus and the Ichthyosaurus out of the pale of comparison ; as well as the Mosasaurus, the locomotive ex- tremities of which are considered to have been flattened paddles. The superior expanse of the pubis and the broad coracoid (?), with the form of the femur and the gigantic proportions of the bones, for- bid a reference to any subgenera, recent or extinct, of the crocodilian reptiles ; and he shows that it is distinct from the Poikilopleuron of M. Deslongchamp by the long bones of that Saurian having medul- lary cavities. Saurian Teeth from the Lower Greensand.—These teeth, described by Mr. Owen in his ‘Odontography’ under the name of Polypty- chodon, are characterized by the crown presenting numerous closely set longitudinal ridges, which are continued, of nearly equal length, to near the apex of the crown. In their size and simple conical form the teeth of the Polyptychodon resemble those of the great sauroid fish, Hypsodon, Ag., but may be distinguished by the solid compact structure of the dentine, which is resolved by decomposition into successive cones ; and also by the ridges on the exterior of the crown of the Hypsodon’s teeth being alternately long and short, and ter- minating abruptly at different distances from the base, the interspaces between the longer ridges widening as they approach the apex. The tooth of the Polyptychodon is slightly and regularly curved, and in- vested with a layer of enamel of a clear, amber-brown colour, and of which the ridges are composed, the surface of the outermost layer of dentine being smooth. A tooth from the lower greensand near Maidstone has a crown three inches long, and one inch four lines 520 Zoological Society. across the base. It consists of a body of compact dentine composed of successive lamelliform cones, and has a short and wide conical cavity at the base. From the teeth supposed to have belonged to the Poikilopleuron, the specimens above described differ in the ridges on the crown being greater in number and more closely set, as well as in the form of the teeth being nearly circular instead of elliptical; from the teeth of the Pliosaurus they differ also in being round and not three-sided, and in having longitudinal ridges over the whole surface of the crown ; and from the teeth of the Mosasaurus they differ in being ridged and not smooth. In conclusion, Mr. Owen states, that as the Hythe Saurian is di- stinct from all other described Saurians, and as these teeth: belonged to a great Saurian also undescribed, and further, as the Maidstone tooth was found in the same formation as the Hythe fossil, so it may be convenient to consider all these remains for the present to have belonged to the genus Polyptychodon, originally proposed for the animal which was provided with the teeth. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. April 13, 1841.—William Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. The following paper, on some new genera of Birds, by Hugh E. Strickland, Esq., was read. «It is not without some unwillingness that I venture to point out some new generic groups of birds, because I am of opinion that the process of naming and defining new genera has been in many cases carried too far already. The class of birds probably does not contain more than 6000 species, and these have already been dis- tributed into upwards of 1000 genera, and I think therefore there can be no doubt that systematic ornithologists are now fast approach- ing the point beyond which it will not be expedient to carry the subdivision of the older groups into new genera. For we must not lose sight of the fact, that expediency or practical convenience does form an element in the construction even of a natural system. In such a system the materials which constitute any group must be na- turally allied, and they must be placed in such order as will best show their natural affinities, and yet the number of nominal genera into which such a group is to be divided may be a question of mere expediency. For the species, which are the only rea/ ingredients in a family or subfamily, often pass from one form of structure to an- other without any hiatus, so that it becomes a mere matter of opinion whether the so-called genera into which they are to be classed shall be many or few. Nature draws no line by which the rank or ex- tent of genera can be determined. As a general rule, varieties of form are considered to constitute genera, and varieties of colour, species; but this criterion is far from infallible, for we very rarely find two species, however closely allied, possessing precisely the same form and proportions; so that if every difference of structure be held to be generic, we shall end in having as many genera as Zoological Society. 521 there are species. Take, for instance, the two very natural groups Corvus and Parus, as now restricted; it will be found on examina- tion that there are marked differences of both structure and habits which characterize almost every one of the species. It is plain then that we have in general no other guide in the definition of new ge- nera than a mere opinion as to the amount of structural variation which is considered to authorize their adoption, and I think there can be no doubt that in many of the genera recently established in ornithology, the standard has been reduced too low; in other words, these genera are based on diversities of structure of so little value as to be practically inconvenient. All genera profess to be of equal rank, and we should therefore aim at making them as nearly so as possible, and at the same time not inconveniently numerous. “‘ Granting, however, that many of the existing genera of birds are based on insufficient characters, and may require to be reincorporated with the groups from which they have been divided, it is equally certain that other groups exist in our cabinets, whose characters, as yet undefined, are so marked, as to demand in fairness, and with the view of producing equality of rank, to be defined and namied as ge- nera. A few of these groups J now bring forward, illustrated by specimens from my own cabinet, and the meeting will be able to judge how far the structures here exhibited Sere to authorize generic distinction. “T also take this opportunity of exhibiting a specimen of that rare bird the Glyphorhynchus cuneatus (Licht.), afterwards named Xeno- phasia platyrhyncha by Mr. Swainson. ‘This bird has the tail of Dendrocolaptes and the general form of Xenops, while the beak is altogether anomalous; being compressed at the sides and depressed at the apex.” : Fam. Syiviap2z. Subfam. Marvurinz. Genus SpHena@acvs*, n. g. < Motacilla, Gm., < Malurus, Sw., < Sphenura, Licht. Diff. Char.—Beak much compressed ; tail cuneate. Rostrum mediocre, compressum, ad basin elevatum, culmine sub- recto, juxta apicem deorsum, gonyde pariter sursum curvato, to- mio makxillari emarginato, commissura leviter deflex4. Nares oblong, membrana supra tecte. Vibrissz nulle. Ale breves rotundate, remigibus 44, 54, 68, 74, zqualibus, primam duplo excedentibus. Cauda longiuscula, maximé cuneata, rectricibus strictis, acutis, sub- decompositis, intermediis exteriores triplO superantibus. Pedes fortes, tarsis longiusculis, acrotarsiis scutellatis, paratarsiis _ integris, digitis lateralibus zqualibus. Ungues modicé curvati, acuti. Ptilosis rigida, pennis subdecompositis. Habitat in Africa. Species unica, S. Africanus (Gm.), Levaill. Ois. d’Af., pl. 112. f. 2. (Sphenura tibicen, Licht.) * Sov, a wedge ; otaé, a helm. 522 Zoological Society. Fam. Musocrcaprip2. Subfam. Fiuvicoiinaz. Genus Corurus*, n. g. < Platyrhynchus, Spix, < Muscipeta, Cuv. Diff. Char.—The two medial rectrices greatly prolonged. Rostrum triangulare (desuper spectanti) paulo longius quam latum, modicé depressum. Culmen rotundatus, ad basin lenté, versus apicem citits decurvans. Nares ovate, patule. Tomia maxillaria modicé emarginata. Commissura leniter decurvata, gonys leniter ascendens. Vibrissz rictales mediocres. Ale longiuscule, remige prima breviore, 24, 34, 44, fere xqualibus. Cauda mediocris, quadrata, nisi quod maris rectrices duz intermediz graciles spathuliformes reliquas magis duplo excedunt. Tarsi mediocres, acrotarsiis paratarsiisque scutellatis. Digitus ex- ternus interno longior, ad basin paulo cum intermedio coadunatus. Ungues longiusculi, satis curvati, acuti, graciles. Habitat in America Meridionali, Species unica, C. filicaudus (Spix), Av. Braz. v. 2. pl. 14. (Mus- cicapa leucocilla, Hahn.) Obs. This bird bears much resemblance to Pipra in the colours of its plumage and in the elongate rectrices, as Mr. Swainson has re- marked (Classif. Birds, v. ii. p.90). The depressed beak, however, rounded culmen, shorter tarsus, and slender claws, sufficiently prove its true place to be among the Flycatchers, near Alectrurus. Fam, Pipripa? Subfam. ParpaLoTinz ? Genus Paroncesmnive ts n. g. < Pardalotus, Temm. Diff. Char.—Margins of the beak minutely aerated: Rostrum longiusculum, subcompressum, mandibulis subzequalibus ; culmine subcarinato, juxta basin recto, deinde usque ad apicem gradatim decurvato; commissuraé modice decurvata; gonyde sur- sum curvata. Maxilla haud emarginata, sed tomia mandibule utriusque per medietatem externam minutissimé serrata. Nares oblong, membrana supra tectz. Ale mediocres, remige 14 spurid, 38, 44, et 54 subzequalibus. Cauda brevis, rectricibus zequalibus. Pedes subbreves, gressorii, acrotarsiis subscutellatis, paratarsiis in- tegris. -Digitus externus interiore longior, ad medium per longi- tudinis dimidium coadunatus. Habitant in Malasia. Species: 1. P. percussus (Temm.), Pl. Col. 394.f. 2. 2. P. thora- cicus (Temm.), Pl. Col. 600. f. 1, 2. 3. P. maculatus (Temm.), Pl. Col. 600. f. 3. Obs. The nearest affinity of this group is Calyptomena, Raff., to which it approaches in the structure of the beak and feet much more * Kwan, an oar; ovpa, the tail. + Ipiwy, a saw; xeiXos, a lip. Zoological Society. 523 nearly than to Pardalotus. The serrations of the tomia appear not to have been hitherto noticed. Fam. LAnriap#? Subfam. ? Genus AX ruiops*, n. g. Diff. Char.— Beak subconical, slightly emarginate, dilated at the base. Rostrum subconicum, subelongatum. Mazxilla ad basin paulo dila- tata, juxta apicem compressa, leviter emarginata, apice paulo de- orsum curvato, tomiis inflexis. Culmen subcarinatus, gradatim a basi ad apicem decurvatus. Nares ovate. Commissura leviter decurvata, gonys ascendens. Ale mediocres, rotundate, remige 14 spurid, 34, 44, et 54 subeequalibus. Cauda breviuscula, rotundata. Tarsi breves, acrotarsiis scutellatis, paratarsiis integris. ‘ Digiti me- diocres, medius tarsum eequans, postico longior; externus inter- num paulo superans. Ungues breviusculi, modicé curvati, ad la- tera sulcati. Habitat in Africa occidentali. Species unica. AXTHIOPS CANICAPILLUS. AUth. vertice, cervice, dorsoque canescente- cinereis, verticis lateribus, uropygioque canescente-albidis. Fronte, genis, guld, partibusque inferioribus omnibus nigerrimis. Ale nigre, tectricibus minoribus omnibus, majoribusque dorso proximis macula subapicali rotundatad alba. Cauda unicolor nigra, tectrici- bus superioribus nigrescente-plumbeis. Rostrum pedesque nigri. Long. tot. 5 poll. Rostrum ad rictum 7} lin., ad frontem 6 lin., latum 34 lin., altum 3 lin. Ala 2 poll. 8 lin. Rectrices medii 1 poll. 11 lin., externi 1 poll. 7 lin. Tarsus 8 lin. Digitus intermedius cum ungue 8 lin., externus 6 lin., internus 54 lin., posticus 6 lin, Hab. in insula Fernando Po. Mus. meo. Obs. This singular generic form is very difficult to classify. The beak is somewhat similar in form to that of a Tanager, but its other characters and the African habitat forbid such a collocation. The beak also exhibits some resemblance to that of Artamus, but the shortness of the wings makes a marked contrast to that genus. Fam. FrInGILLIDA. Subfam. TaNnaGRINA. Genus STEPHANOPHORUST, R. g. < Tanagra, Tem., < Pyrrhula, Vieill. Diff. Char.—Beak very short, tumid, of equal height and length. Rostrum breve, subconicum, mandibulis subzqualibus, intumidis; culmine gradatim deorsum, gonyde sursum incurvatis; commis- sura subrecta, leviter deorsum curvata; maxilla juxta apicem ob- soletissimé emarginata. Nares subrotunde. Ale mediocres, rotundate, remigibus 34, 44 (hdc longissima) et 5t§ fere aequalibus. * Aidiop, a negro, in reference to the colour and habitat. + LUrépavos, a crown; Pépw, to bear. 524 Zoological Seciety. Cauda mediocris, rectricibus subeequalibus. P54 Pedes mediocres, acrotarsiis scutellatis, paratarsiis integris. Digitus externus interiorem paulo excedens. Ungues mediocres, leviter curvati. Ptilosis ceerulescens, nitore sericeo. Vertex colore igneo insignis. Habitat in America meridionali. _ Species unica, S. ceruleus (Vieill.), (T. diadema, 'Temm.), Pl. Col. 243. Obs. The beak is more tumid and the under mandible more de- veloped in this well-marked type than in any other of the Tanagrine, and it has hence been referred to the genus Pyrrhula. The mar- ginal notch, however, together with the blue and silky plumage, and the geographical distribution, sufficiently prove the true place of this bird to be among the Tanagers, and in the vicinity of Tanagra, Lin. (restr.), and Calospiza, Gray (Aglaia, Sw.). Fam. Picip#. Subfam. CELEINz. The genus Brachylophus, as defined by Mr. Swainson, includes three very distinct groups: first, the Green Woodpeckers, which had previously been named Gecinus by Boié; secondly, the crimson- winged species, miniatus, puniceus, and mentalis, to which I propose to restrict Swainson’s name Brachylophus; and thirdly, the short- thumbed Woodpeckers, which are here characterized. Genus BracHyPreRnvs™, n. g. < Picus, Linn., < Brachylophus, Sw. _ Diff. Char.—Hind toe and claw very short, almost obsolete. Rostrum longitudine caput zquans, apice obtusé securiformi, culmine paulatim decurvato, acie laterali nulla, commissura rectissima, go- nyde paulo ascendente. Ale mediocres, remige 14 subspuria, 44, 54 (hac omnium longissim4) et 64 subzequalibus. Cauda mediocris. Tarsus mediocris. Digitus intermedius ac versatilis tarsum equipa- rantes, posticus cum ungue brevissimus, propemodum obsoletus. Ptilosis : dorsum aleeque aurantia aut rubra, facies et partes inferiores albido nigroque variegate. Habitant in India, Malasia. Species: 1. B. aurantius (Linn.), (P. bengalensis, Gm. ; P. nuchalis, Wagl.; B. hemipodius, Sw.). 2. B. goensis (Gm.), (P. peralaimus, Wagl.). 3. B. philippinarum (Lath.), (B. palalacca, Wagl.). 4. B. hematribon (Wagl.). 5. B. erythronotus (Vieill.), (P. neglectus Wagl.). Fam. CHARADRIADA. Subfam. CuarapRIANaA. The group of Plovers affords an instance in addition to those fur- nished by the genera Ceyr, Alcyone, Jacamaralcyon, Tiga, Tridactylia, ' * Boayds, short; mrépva, a heel. Zoological Society. 525 Halodroma, and others, that the presence or absence of the hind-toe in birds becomes, under certain circumstances, a character of very small value in the natural arrangement. ‘The fact seems to be, that when in any group the hind-toe becomes so slightly developed as to be unable to perform those functions of prehension or of progression which are its usual duties, the transition from the abortive state of this organ to its total disappearance becomes very unimportant. In the group of the Plovers too much weight has hitherto been attached to the presence or absence of the hind-toe; it has been made the groundwork of divisions into families and subfamilies, whereas the utmost value that can justly be assigned to it amounts only to that of a generic character. This is proved by the fact that the absence of the hind-toe is not coincident with the other and more extensive changes of structure in the group, so that it becomes indicative of analogy rather than of affinity, as the following table of the genera of Charadriane will show :— A. Acrotarsia reticulate, wings pointed, plumage spotted. Puree Woed ys cic 4a es Charadrius. Pour-toed: 5.6 asuss'ah s « Squatarola. B. Acrotarsia reticulate, wings pointed, plumage black, white, and grey, in large masses. Three-toed .... Eudromias. Hiaticula. C. Acrotarsia scutate, wings rounded, plumage black, white, and grey, in large masses. I, Face unwattled. a. wing-spine short, Three-toed. . Philomachus, Meehr. P. coronatus (Gm.). (Hoplopterus, Bon.) b. wing-spine long, P. spinosus (Linn.). a. wing-spine short, V. cristatus (Linn.). b. wing-spine long, V. cayennensis (Gm.). Four-toed .. Vanellus, 'Temm. II. Face wattled. Three-toed ......... Sarciophorus, mihi. Four-toed ....asvess Lobivanellus, rihi. The last two groups which have hitherto been united, the one with Charadrius, the other with Vanellus, are now for the first time defined. Genus SarciorHorvus*, n. g. < Charadrius, Gm. Diff. Char.—Three-toed, lores wattled. Rostrum ut in Charadriis. Membrana loris affixa, nuda, erecta, in anticum protensa. Ale elongate, caudam vix superantes, remigibus tribus primariis subeequalibus. Spina pollicaris brevis, obtusa, Cauda modice longitudinis, rectricibus zqualibus, * Sapkioyv, a caruncle ; déow, to bear. 526 Zoological Society. Pedes elongati, graciles, tridactyli, acrotarsiis scutellatis. Habitant in Africa, Asia, Australia. Species: 1. S. pileatus (Gm.), Pl. Enl. 834. 2. S. tricolor (Vieill.), (Charadrius pectoralis, Wagl.). 3. S. bilobus (Gm.), Pl. Enl. 880. Genus LoBIVANELLUS™, n. g. < Parra, Gm., < Tringa, Lath., < Charadrius, Wagl., < Va- nellus, Cuv. Diff. Char.—Four-toed, lores wattled. Rostrum ut in Charadriis. Membrana loris affixa, nuda, erecta, in anticum protensa. Ale elongate, caudam vix superantes, remigibus tribus primariis subzequalibus. Spina pollicaris valida, acuta. Cauda modicz longitudinis, rectricibus zqualibus. Pedes elongati, graciles, tetradactyli, acrotarsiis scutellatis. Habitant in Africa, Asia, Australia (America ?). Species: 1. L. goensis (Gm.), Pl. Enl. 807. 2. ZL. gallinaceus (Wagl.), Jard. Ill. Orn. ser. 1. pl. 84. 3. LZ. ludovicianus (Gm.), Pl. Enl. 835. 4. L. senegalus (Linn.), Pl. Enl. 362. 5. L. albicapillus (Vieill.), Sw. W. Af. v. ii. pl. 27. 6. L. tricolor (Horsf.), (Ch. macropterus, Wagl.). 7. L. dominica (Gm.), (Ch. brissonii, Wagl.). 8. L. albiceps (Gould), Proc. Zool. Soc. pt. ii. p. 45. 9. L. cucul- latus (Temm.), Pl. Col. 505. The Secretary called the attention of the members to a new spe- cies of Monkey, allied to the green Cercopitheci, living at the So- ciety’s Menagerie. The Monkeys allied to Cercopithecus sabeus, observes Mr. Ogilby, are now so numerous, that they may be considered to form a sub- genus of themselves, at least for all the practical purposes of de- scriptive zoology. Four species have been already distinguished by M. Frederic Cuvier, C. sabeus, faunus, griseus, and pygarythrus. Colonel Sykes has described a fifth, C. albogularis, though it is cer- tainly less closely allied to the others than they are among them- selves; and there is now a fifth living in the Gardens. This species is most nearly related to C. sabeus and pygarythrus, between which it is intermediate in many of its characters. It may be described as follows :— CERCOPITHECUS TANTALUS. Cerc. supra saturate flavo-viridis, in artus cinerescens, subtus stramineus; facie subnigrd, circa ocu- los lividd ; auriculis palmisque fuscis ; caudd fuscd ; apice caude, mystacibus et perineo flavis ; tenid frontali albd. Head, back and sides a mixture of yellowish brown and green, of the same intense shade as that which prevails on the upper parts of the allied species, C. sabeus and pygarythrus; outer surface of the limbs of a clearer ashy grey colour; whiskers, throat, breast, belly, and inside of the limbs yellowish white ; tail brown at the root, light grey at the tip; backs of the hands and feet light grey; face covered with very short hairs, black on the nose and cheeks, livid flesh-colour * Lobus, a caruncle; vanellus, a Lapwing. Zoological Society. 527 round the eyes, and light brown on the lips; eyebrows black, sur- mounted by a broad white fillet which passes across the forehead ; nose very prominent and narrow between the eyes, but flatter and broader towards the extremity; ears and palms of the hands brown; scrotum surrounded by yellowish hairs; size and form of C. sabeus, but with a rounder head and shorter face. The specimen here described was procured at es abi but its previous origin is unknown. A paper, in which Mr. Broderip proceeds with his descriptions of Mr. Cuming’s shells, was next read. Hexurx Reevir. Hel. testd ovato-subpyramidali, anfractibus 5 ven- tricosis, lineis incrementi creberrimé oblique striatis, ultimo maz- imo, ceteris dupld longiori, apice subplano, umbilico vix apparente, columella robusta basi subsinuatd, labii limbo reflexo, apertura ceruleo-alba. Long. 3; lat. 23 poll. Var. a. Rubro- brinnea, epidermide ex albo brunnescente obtecta »fas- cis latis nigricantibus insignis. Var. b. Lineis fasciisque nigricantibus numerosis cincta. Hab. ad Luchban in Tayabas insule Luzon. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. Var. c. Tota rubro-brunnea anfractu basali nigrescente. Hab. ad 'Tayabas insule Luzon. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. This fine Helix, named, at the request of Mr. Cuming, after Mr. Reeve, an assiduous collector, was found by the former at the lo- calities above mentioned, adhering to the leaves of trees. The ground-colour is reddish brown, deepening on the body-whorl to rich, dark plum-colour, approaching to black. A brownish white epider- mis covers the two first varieties, with the exception of certain inter- vals, through which the ground-colour is exposed in the form of lines and bands, ‘Thus in var. a. three small cinctures of brown lines appear towards the upper part, and a broad brown band at the lower part of the fourth whorl. At the upper part of the body-whorl are two hair-like dark lines, and the middle and lower part of it is belted with four bold, broad, nearly black bands. In var. 6. the body- whorl is belted and filleted with more numerous lines and bands, but none of the latter are so broad as they are in var. a. In all the va- rieties the peritreme and reflected lip are of a rich plum-colour, and the inside of the aperture is bluish white. The pattern resides in the epidermis, and, when the shell is plunged into water, disappears. Buuinus Onyx. Bul. testé subpupiformi, umbilicatd, lineis incre- menti obliquis creberrime substriatd, anfractibus 7, ultimo maximo ; anfractibus 4 primis sordid? albis, quinto et sexto castaneis, ultimo supern? castaneo, basi albo, labii reflexi margine lato et columella nigricantibus, apertura alba. Long. 23; lat. 12 poll. Hab. ad “Calanang insule Luzon. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. 528 Zoological Society. The above description is taken from a shell deprived of its epi- dermis, and I have only seen one with the epidermis on, and that one is notin good condition. ‘The epidermis is dirty white. On the an- terior part of the fourth whorl a band of longitudinal brown dashes, occurring at regular intervals, extends far upon the whorl from near the suture. A similar band skirts the anterior part of the body- whorl, which is belted with two whitish bands, the uppermost rather below the middle, and is greenish at the base. Upon plunging the shell into water the upper epidermis disappears, and exposes the ground-colour ; but the greenish epidermis remains unchanged. The aperture of the shell almost looks as if it had been curtailed arti- ficially, so suddenly does it terminate. ' Butinus ALBERTI. Bul. testd pyramidali, anfractibus sex, lineis incrementi obliquis creberrimé striatd, anfractu ultimo ceteros vix - equante, apice acuto, rubro-brunneo, basi viridi ; columellé subsi- nuatd et labii reflexi margine nigricantibus ; aperturé albd. Long. 28; lat. 18 poll. Var. a. Strigis angulatis albidis et nigricantibus concinne marmorata ; anfractu basali fasciis 2 subalbidis cincto. Hab. ad montem Isarog insule Luzon. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. Var. 6. Obscurior ; anfractu quinto albido superné unifasciato, an- fractu basali albido trifasciato. Hab. ad Calanang insule Luzon. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. This species, the most elegant of all the Bulini which I have yet seen, is named in honour of His Royal Highness Prince Albert. The form and rich but elegant colouring of the shell combine to make it very beautiful. The pattern, as in the two last species, resides in the epidermis, and, when the shell is plunged into water, disappears ; but the green at the base remains unchanged, as in the last species. Mr. Cuming found var. a. on the leaves of trees in the woods at the foot of Mount Isarog, in the province of South Camarines, at the south-east end of Luzon. It was very rare, for Mr. Cuming, — after a search of many days, could only procure six specimens. Var. 6. was found in dense woods, also on the leaves of trees, in the province of the Laguna, at Calanang, in that island.—W. J. B. April 27.—William Horton Lloyd, Esq., in the Chair. The exhibition was resumed of the new species of Shells collected by H. Cuming, Esq. in the Philippine Islands, and the following de- scription of new species, by W. J. Broderip, Esq., was read. Heuix (Carocotzia) Recina. Car. testd hyalind, prasind, lineis incrementi oblique striatd, lineolis transversis creberrimé decussatd suberectd, antice compressa ; anfractibus 3, ultimo latissimo, acuto, suturam versus concinne celato ; apertura infra angulata ; labii margine subexpanso, acuto. Long. 4; lat. 12 poll. Hab. ad Sibongam Insule Zebu foliis arborum heerens, rarissima. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. Zoological Society. 529 This rare Carocolla excels in beauty and delicacy all the land- shells that I have yet seen. Green is by no means a common colour in the testaceous mollusca generally ; but in the pulmoniferous tes- taceans it is comparatively rare, and, in the cases where it occurs, generally resides in the epidermis, or forms a part of the pattern. But this elegant species, of a delicate transparent green, somewhat between the colour of an emerald and a chrysoprase, is more like a gem than a shell. It does not lie flat like most of the Carocolle, but when placed with its aperture downwards, stands at a high angle. A light-coloured line marks the suture and the edge of the body-whorl, while the expansion of the lip (which expansion termi- nates at the angle of the aperture) is of a glassy clearness. On the under part of the shell, especially, the strize formed by the lines of growth are crossed by other delicate and very frequent transverse lineations. Var. a. Anfractus basalis angulo brunneo lineatus. The animal of both varieties is grayish white. Hab. ad Puerto Galero insuiz Mindoro foliis arborum heerens. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. Heuix (Carocotia) papyracea. Car. testé albo-flavescente, dia- phand, lineis incrementi oblique creberrimé striatd; columellé crassd, excavatd, lata et elongatd ; labii limbo vix expanso. Long. 3; lat. 1 poll. Though this Carocolla may at first sight be taken for a variety of Car. Regine—and such was my original impression—a nearer inspec- tion will detect the distinction between the shells. The spire in Car. papyracea is more elevated, and the shell stands at a higher angle; the expansion of the lip is not so wide, and it is not termi- nated at about half the distance from the outer edge to the columella (as it is in Car. Regine), but continues until it forms a slight angle below the columella. In Car. papyracea the edge of the expanded lip is the lowest part of the shell, whereas in Car. Regine the white continuous edge of the columellar lip is placed above a green por- tion of the base of the volution, which is prominent below it; the columella is also quite different; and these distinctions cannot be attributed to difference of age, for the most complete specimens of each which have furnished the comparison are full-grown. Hab. ad Puerto Galero in insula Mindoro foliis arborum sashes Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. Hexrx (Carocotta) Dryrore. Car. testd subdiaphand, subpy- ramidali, lineis incrementi creberrime striatd et striis transversis levibus frequentissimé decussatd ; anfractibus 4, ultimo maximo acuto, ex albido virescente ; apice, labii limbo, et umbilico nigro- oastaneia s apertura auriculiformi, intis iridescente. Long. 3; lat. 1 poll. Hab. ad St. Juan in provincié Cagayan insule Luzon, foliis arbo- rum heerens. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. The sculpture of this species resembles that of Car. Regine, but Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. Suppl. 2M 530 Zoological Society. there the similitude ends. The termination of the aperture is below the line of the body-whorl. The shell consequently rests more on its base: it is much more opaque than Car. Regine, and has no angle dat the aperture, the inside of which has the iridescence of mother of pearl. ‘The sharp edge of the body-whorl is light yellow. Var. a. Planior albido- et luteo-virescens ; anfractu basali maculis albidis obscuris guttato; basi flavescente ; labii limbo ex albido flavescente. Hab. ad insulam Bureas, foliis arborum parvorum heerens. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. In this variety, which is much flatter, the sharp edge of the body- whorl is whitish. Heurx (Carocotza) Listerr. Car. testd complanatd, umbilicaté ; anfractibus 4, lineis incrementi creberrimé striatis, ultimo maximo acuto ; albido-fuscd maculis brunneis guttatd, et brunneo uni-fas- ciatd ; peritremate deorsim flexo auriculari, albido ; labii uni- dentati margine acuto, antice lanceolato. Long. 2; lat. 14 poll. Hab. ad Albay insule Luzon, truncis arborum herens. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. Mr. Cuming had named this species Car. Gallina; but as it is designated as Car. Listeri on the boards of the British Museum, and as Lister appears to have been the first who figured it, but appa- rently from an imperfect shell, the latter name is retained. In colour and in the direction of the form and shape of the aperture it bears much resemblance to Helix auriculata, figured by Mr. Swain- son (Zoological Illustrations, 1st series) from a specimen formerly in the cabinet of Mr. C. Dubois, afterwards in mine, and now in the British Museum; but in H. auriculata the whorls are comparatively rounded, and the body-whorl is quite round instead of having a sharp edge. H. auriculata is besides, in many individuals, dimpled with small depressions. These differences may be sufficient in the present state of our knowledge to constitute specific distinction ; but whether they are in reality strong enough to form such a separation, may well be doubted. My present impression is, that H. auriculata and H., Listeri are identical; but I shall return to this subject when I have examined the whole of the cognate series in Mr. Cuming’s collection. Hexrx (Carocotia) Parmura. Car. testdé valde complanatd, um- bilicatéd ; anfractibus 4, lineis incrementi striatis, ultimo maximo, acuto ; fusca, lined brunned suturam juxta albam fasciatd, margine anfractés ultimi acuto, albo ; peritremate deorsitm flexo auriculari ; labii antice sublanceolati subalbidi margine subreflexo. Long. 3; lat. § poll. Hab. ad Argao insule Zebu, arborum excelsorum truncis herens. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. This is a delicate though not showy species. Var. a. Elevatior, obscuré albens fascid suturali et centrali fuscis ornata. Zoological Society. 53] Hab. ad insulam Negros, truncis arborum herens.’ Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. Hex (Carocoizra) Srauisorunsis. Car. testd subcomplanatd anfractibus 4, lineis incrementi creberrime striata ; ultimo maximo, acuto ; lubit subreflexi limbo superiore haud deorsitm depresso ; fused, epidermide cinerascente coopertd. Long. $; lat. 1 poll. Hab. ad radices arborum et arbusculorum in insula Siquijor. Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. < he ash-coloured epidermis which covers this species, upon im- mersion in water, disappears, to reappear when it is dry. When it is wet the dark brown ground-colour is exposed. The shell varies to a lighter whitish-brown hue. The sutural line is darker than the general colour, and the lower surface of the expanded edge of the lip is dark brown and shining in each variety. The termination of the upper edge of the lip is on the same line with the edge of the body- whorl. Hewix (Carocoutia) Tuersites. Car. testdé subcomplanatd, gibbd, tenuissimd, hyalind, diaphand ; anfractibus 4, lineis incrementi cre- berrimé striatis, ultimo anticé acuto, postic? subitd rotundato, gibbo ; aperturd magnd ; labit antice reflexi limbo subreflexo, flavescente ; anfractibus suturam versus et medio castaneo-fasciatis ; nucleo CHR AER. Long. 4; 12 poll. Hab. ad Calopan i in insula Mindoro, foliis arborum a ea Legit H. Cuming in sylvis. The deformed appearance of this species arises from the flattened and sharp edge of the body-whorl suddenly becoming rounded at about half way. The colouring is pretty, the chestnut bands show- ing to advantage on the transparent amber-colour of the shell. The young shell has no gibbosity. Var. a. Subdiaphana, fascid latissimd nigro-castaned ornata. Hab. cum precedente. This variety is more opake, and the broad, blackish, chestnut band extends from the suture half-way down the whorls. The base of the shell is broadly bifasciated with the same dark colours, the nar- rowest band being nearest to the outside edge. The termination of the lip in this species is on the same line with the body-whorl.— W. J.B. The next paper read was by G. B. Sowerby, Esq. This also con- sists of descriptions of Mr. Cuming’s new species of shells. Hewix mopesta. Hel. testéd acuminato-subovali, tenui, albicante, fasciis spiralibus badiis modesté ornatd ; spird acuminatiusculd, apice obtuso; anfractibus 44 subrotundatis, levibus, lineis incre- menti tenerrime insculptis, ultimo maximo, ventricoso ; suturad di- stinctd ; aperture margine externo rotundato, interno superné an- fractu penultimo modificato ; columellari recto, angulum efformante ; peristomate paululim reflexo, badio ; columelld recté, albd, subin- crassatd. 2M 2 532 Zoological Society. Long. 1°1; lat. 0°8 poll. Hab. supra folia arborum, propé Catanauan provincie Tayabas insule Luzon, Philippinarum. An extremely rare species, rather remarkable among its gay asso- ciates of the Philippine Islands for its unpretending modesty of co- louring, as well as for its neat contour. Heuix pyrRaMIpDALis. Hel. testd oblongo-pyramidali, brunned, cras- siusculé ; apice obtuso, saturatiore ; fascid suturali nigro-brunned nonnunquam ornatd ; spirdé acuminatd ; anfractibus 54, leviter ro- tundatis, levibus, lineis incrementi tenerrime insculptis, ultimo ma- jori, rotundato ; aperture margine externo rotundato, interno su- perne anfractu penultimo modificato ; columellari recto, angulum efformante ; peristomate reflero, subincrassato, brunneo ; columella rectd, crassiusculd, alba. Long. 1°5; lat. 0.8 poll. Hab. supra folia arborum, ad insulam Cuyo, Philippinarum. This species most nearly resembles our Helix incompta, but may . be easily distinguished by its proportions, the number of volutions, and its longer, more pyramidal spire. Heuix acuminata. Hel. testd acuminato-pyramidali, brunned, nigrd, crassiusculd ; apice obtusiusculo, pallidiore, spird acuminato ; anfractibus 5, planulatis, levibus, nitidis, lineis incrementi tenerri- mé insculptis, ultimo majori, mediané subangulato ; aperturd antice subeffusd ; peristomate externo subincrassato, reflexo, brunnescente- nigro ; columelld alba, subincrassatd, subdeclivi. Long. 1°3; lat. 0°8 poll. Hab. supra folia arborum ad insulam Cuyo, Philippinarum. Two specimens only of this species have been found ; it somewhat resembles the last, but may be known from that by its more acumi- nated shorter spire, and by the sides of the volutions being nearly straight, and not rounded. Remains of an opake hydrophanous epi- dermis are to be seen on both the specimens. Heix ostonea. Hel. testd oblongd, subcylindricd, tenui, brunned, obscurd, subrugosd ; anfractibus senis, latis, ventricosis, ultimo ma- jori; suturd distinctd ; aperturd subovali, postice anfractu ultimo modificuto ; peristomate amplo, subincrassato, reflexo ; columella albd, subincrassatd, rectiusculd ; umbilico mediocri. Long. 1°5; lat. 0°75 poll. . Hab. supra folia arborum, ad insulam Luban, Philippinarum. Somewhat like H. Oomorpha, but distinguished easily by its pro- portions, by the number of its volutions, and by the nature of its pe- ritreme. Heuix rraciuis. Hel. testd subglobosd, tenuissimd, levi, viri- descente ; anfractibus tribus, raptim crescentibus, ultimo maximo, lineis interruptis fasciisque duabus anticis albis ; aperturd magnd ; peristomate tenui, subreflexo ; columella tenui, rectiusculd. Long. 1°; lat. 1°15 poll. Hab. supra folia arborum, prope Tanauan ad insulam Leyte, Phi- lippinarum. a Zoological Society. 533 ' One of the most delicate and fragile of the Helices, which in ge- neral form somewhat resembles our common Helix aspersa ; the white interrupted lines, as well as the two white bands, consist of hydro- phanous epidermal matter. Hexix BrunngEA. Hel. testd subglobosd, crassiusculd, levi, obscurd, brunned, albido nigroque fasciatd ; spird brevi, obtusd ; anfractibus quatuor, subrotundatis, ultimo maximo, ventricoso; aperturd late semilunari ; peristomate nigro, subexpanso, crassiusculo, reflexo ; labio columellari lato, albo ; columelld declivi, incrassatd, alba. Long. 1°3; lat. 1°7 poll. Hab. supra folia arborum, prope Puerto Galero ad insulam Min- doro dictam, Philippinarum. Usually of a rich brown colour, the circumference having a black band posteriorly, and a whitish band anteriorly, in front of which there are several whitish and brown bands alternately: the circum- ference of the columellar lip is nearly black. May 25.—William Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. A letter was read from the Society’s Corresponding Member, J. M‘Clelland, Esq. It states that several Birds and Quadrupeds had been forwarded from India for the Society’s Menagerie, and likewise that Mr. M‘Clelland had sent a collection of the rarer Indian fresh- water fishes for the Museum. Some notes, from Sir Robert Heron, Bart., were next read. These notes relate to the breeding of Gold-fishes in the author’s menagerie. Sir R. Heron observes, that about two out of five of the specimens hatched are deficient of the dorsal fin, and about two in a hundred, or rather more, have a triple tail-fin, and as many have the anal fin double. All the deformed fishes are separated from the others and placed in a pond by themselves, but they do not produce a greater proportion of deformed offspring than the perfect fishes. The following paper, by George Gulliver, Esq., F.R.S., entitled ‘‘ Observations on the Blood-corpuscles of the order Fere,”’ was then read. “Tt appears to me that a systematic and comprehensive set of ob- servations is yet wanting on the blood-corpuscles of the different orders of the class Mammalia, for the subject is interesting in con- nexion with physiological questions now perpetually arising, and which may be expected to multiply as inquiries in minute anatomy are extended. ‘In the order Fere the result of my observations will show that the size of the blood-discs has a general relation to the different families, Although some exceptions may appear, these will probably fall into order as our knowledge of the subject becomes more com- plete ; and it must be recollected that zoologists differ as to the exact affinities of a few of the animals in question. ‘In the Insectivora the size of the corpuscles is considerably smaller than in the Plantigrada. ‘The corpuscles of this latter fa- mily are very uniform in size, and, as far as I have at present ob- served, larger than those of the other species of the Fere, with the 534 Zoological Society. exceptions afforded by the genera Canis, Lycaon, Hyena, Lutra, and Phoca. ‘The corpuscles of the common species of the two latter, and of the Dog, are the largest I have yet found in the order. The most minute corpuscles of the Fere were also found in the family Carni- vora. In the Viverride and Felide the corpuscles appear to be very small, as compared with those of the Phocide and Canide; and in the genera Paradorurus and Herpestes the corpuscles are, for the most part, remarkably so, especially in the Paradocrurus Bondar*, in which animal they only slightly exceed those of the Goat in size, as noticed in the ‘ Proceedings of the Society,’ Nov. 24, 1840. Among the Cats there is a great resemblance of the corpuscles, which are only just appreciably larger in the Lion, Tiger, Chetah, and Leopard, than in the domestic Cat, so that it would require a nice observation to detect any difference. In the Serval and Norway Lynx, the cor- puscles, obtained after death from the heart, appeared to be fully as large as those of any other species of the genus; the corpuscles of the Ocelot and Persian Lynx presenting the smallest size. But as the blood was obtained from the two last species during life, the ob- servations were not quite satisfactory for comparison, as the corpus- cles soon undergo changes after death, and are very liable to certain alterations quickly after being abstracted even from the living ani- mal}. In the Dog they were uniformly found to be slightly larger than in the Fox and some other congenerous species; and in the Striped and Spotted Hyznas the corpuscles closely resemble those of the genus Canis, and are therefore distinctly larger than in the Viverride and Felide, with both of which the Hyzna has been as- sociated. The corpuscles of the Bassaris approximate pretty nearly to those of the Urside. “*On the whole then, although there is considerable diversity in — the magnitude of the red particles of the order, there is generally a well-marked relation between these and the different families. ‘Thus the blood-corpuscles of the Plantigrada may he immediately distin- guished from those of the Viverride. Adopting Mr. Waterhouse’s subdivisions of the Carnivora, they would stand as follows, if set down in the order of the size of their blood-discs :—Seals, Dogs, Bears, Weasels, Cats, Viverras. The difference in size is generally quite distinct between the corpuscles of the first two and last two tribes, the discs of the Weasels forming the connecting link, and closely approximating to those of the Cats. The corpuscles of the Otter, however, are much larger than any I have yet seen of the rest of the Mustelide, and in fact agree very nearly in size with the corpuscles of the Seals and Dogs. “It has been stated, that in the Carnivora the corpuscles are inter- mediate in size to those of the omnivorous species and of the strictly vegetable feeders—smaller in the Carnivora, for example, than in * In the Menagerie of the Zoological Society this animal is called Para- doxurus Typus, but 1 have been assured that it is the P. Bondar of authors ; it is the same species as that designated P. 7ypus in the Phil. Mag. for Jan. 1840, p. 28. + See Lond. and Edin. Phil. Mag. for March 1840, p. 195. } Ibid, Nov. 1840, p. 325. Zoological Society. 535 Man.and the Quadrumana, but larger than in the Ruminantia ; and the same assertion has been extended to the Marsupiata, especially that the red particles of the Perameles, which derives its nourish- ment from the greatest number of organized substances, are larger than the particles either of the carnivorous Dasyure or of the herbi- vorous Kangaroo. *« This opinion is not supported by numerous measurements given by me in the ‘ Philosophical Magazine’ for January, February, March and August, 1840. In one of the Ruminants indeed the corpuscles are singularly minute, but in another granivorous animal they are as singularly large ; and they are larger in several of the Ruminants than in some of the Carnivora. Among the marsupial animals, al- though the corpuscles of the Perameles slightly exceed those of the Viverrine Dasyure in size, yet in the Ursine Dasyure the corpuscles are larger than in either, and just as large too as those of Bennett’s Kangaroo.” An abstract of the measurements of the bloed-corpuscles of the order. Fere is subjoined. | Measurements of the Blood-corpuscles of the order Fere. The measurements are all expressed in fractions of an English inch, and, for the sake of brevity, the average-sized corpuscles only are mentioned, as deduced from numerous observations in each spe- cies. INSECTIVORA. Canis aureus, Linn. pele 13860 Talpa Europea, Linn. .. 1:4747 mipsg nine, Schreb. oe Sorex tetragonurus, Herm.1°4571 Lupus, Linn. .... 1°3625 Er; E ‘Lina Lycaon tricolor, Brookes. 1°3801 rinaceusEuropezeus, Linn. 1°4085 Hrema wpleasis,, Des. 4/8735 PLANTIGRADA . “ : , crocuta, Linn... .. 1°3820 Meles vulgaris, D esm... 1°3940 Herpestes griseus, Desm. 1°4662 Ursus maritimus, Linn. . 1°3870 Jevainaa? ...::.3..48790 Arctos, Linn. .... 1°3732 Smithi, Gray..... 1°4466 Viverra Civetta, Linn... 14274 tigrina, Schreb.... 1°5365 —— Americanus, Pallas. 1°3693 ferox, Lewis & Cl. . 1°3530 labiatus, DeBlainy. 1°3728 | Felis Leo, Linn. ...... 1:4322 Procyon lotor, Cuv..... 1°3950 hector. Lian,, .. 14465 Nasua fusca, Desm..... 1°3789 Tigris, Linn...... 1:4206 rufa, Desm. . PESTS bes it Gane Leopardus, Linn... 1°4819 Basaris astuta, Licht. .. 1°4033 jubata, Linn. .... 1:4220 CARNIVORA. pardalis, Linn..... 1°4616 Paradoxurus binotatus.. 1°4660 leucomystax, Gray 1:4236 ——— Bondar. . ise esos ih28693 Canis familiaris, Linn. .. 1°3542 domestica, Brisson. 1°4404 Caracal, Gmelin .. 1°4684 cervaria, Temm. .. 1°4220 Serval, Zinn. .... 1°4129 Dingo, Blum. .... 1:3397 | Galictis vittata, Beil... .. 1°4175 - Vulpes, Linn. .... 1°4117 | Mustela Zorilla, Desm.,. 1°4270 fulvus, Desm. .... 1:3920 furo, Linn. ...... 1°4134 argentatus, Desm. . 1°3888 | Lutra vulgaris, Hral. .. 1:3502 lagopus, Linn... ., 1°3888 | Phoca vitulina, Linn. ,. 1°3281 536 Zoological Society. The next paper read was from W. J. Broderip, Esq., in which the author resumes his descriptions of Mr. Cuming’s shells. Hexrx (Carocotta) Vireo. Car. testdé subcomplanato-globosd, nitidd, subdiaphand, lineis incrementi obliquis creberrimé striata, suturis et anfractds basalis angulo subelevatis subcrenatis, vir umbilicatéd ; aperturdé auriculato-angulatd ; labii limbo rare Var. a. Alba, labii limbo purpureo-brunneo. Long. %; lat. 14 poll. Var. b. Tota alba. | Hab. ad insulam Zebu, foliis arborum heerens. Legit H. Cuming. The entirely white variety of this delicate shell (which has the ap- pearance of being framed of the purest wax overlaid with a glassv transparent enamel) is rather smaller than var. a. The animal in both varieties is of a light bluish green, so that when it is with- drawn into the transparent shell it produces a strong resemblance to Carocolla Regine ; and indeed, when Mr. Cuming first saw them, he for a moment thought that he had found large specimens of that lovely shell; but when the animal was taken out, the delusion va- nished. Hetix (Carocotia) DEALBATA. Car. testé sordidé albd, subfta- vescente, subdiaphand, subglobosd, lineis incrementi obliquis creber- rime substriatd, viz subumbilicatd ; 5 Oper auriculatd, magna ; labii limbo vix substriato. Long. +9; lat. 14 poll. Hab. in insula Siquijor, foliis arbusculorum hierens. Legit H. Cuming. The dim and sordid white of this species is enriched when the greyish white animal is withdrawn into the shell. Heuix (Carocotia) Purnia. Car. testé globosd, diaphand, lineis incrementi obliquis creberrimé substriatd ; aperturd auriculato-ro- tundatd ; labii limbo subreflexo. Hab. in insula Camiguing, foliis arbusculorum adherens. Var. a. Alba, anfractu basali lined brunned subcentrali cincta. Var. 6. Tota alba. Legit H. Cuming. The colour of the animal is dark greyish white. Hewix (Carocotza) Rota. Car. testdé complanatd, rotundatd, subdiaphand, umbilicatd, superne lineis elevatis, acutis, infra lineis elevatis haud acutis, concentricis, regularibus corrugatd, flave- scente ; anfractibus superné medio bilineatis, anfractis basalis infra unilineati angulo acuto, dentato, unilineato ; lineis custaneis ; aper- turd auriculatd; peritrematis unidentati limbo subeapanso albo. Long. %; lat. 1 poll. Hab. in insula Siquijor, arborum truncis herens. Legit H. Cuming. The animal of this elegantly worked Carocolla is yellowish, some- what like the ground-colour of the shell, which is exquisitely scul- ptured after the manner of engine-turned trinkets. Above, the ele- vated concentric lines are sharp, and the shell on that side has some- what the appearance of a flattened Scalaria: beneath, the elevated Zoological Society. 537 lines are rounded, and radiate very regularly from the open umbili- cus. The chestnut line that borders the sharp dentated edge of the angle of the body-whorl is, beneath, interrupted with white bead- like elevations. All the four chestnut lines of the body-whorl can be seen through the shell when it is placed with the lower side up- permost. . Heuix (Carocotua) Zesuensis. Car. testd complanato-convexda, solidd, subumbilicatd, purpurascente ; lineis incrementi obliquis creberrime striata; suturis acutis subelevatis ; anfractis basalis angulo acuto ; aperturd ceruleo-albd, acuto-auriculari ; labit limbo nigro-castaneo, subexpanso, subacuto ; epidermide fusca, subcrassa. Long. 3; lat. 12 poll. Hab. ad Dalaguete in insula Zebu, foliis arborum heerens. Var. a. Albido-fusca nigro-castaneo interrupte lineata et maculata. In this variety the edge of the whorls above the suture is consi- derably elevated with a gutter or furrow on the upper side. The brown interrupted lineations take the form of bands running in the directions of the whorls, and the lower side of the body-whorl is marked immediately under the edge of the angle with a circle of large, well-defined, tessellated spots, which reach to the edge of the angle of the whorl. Var. b. Fusca anfractibus suturam juzta obscuré maculatis. In this variety the angle of the whorl next to the body-whorl is elevated, but there is no gutter above. Var. c. Albescens, suturis et anfractds basalis angulo nigro-castaneo maculatis, infra nigro-castaneo creberrime teniata. In this variety there is no elevation of the suture; the broad tes- sellated band near the angle of the body-whorl below, and the in- terrupted spotted and lineated bands which ornament the lower side of the shell, are neatly and prettily disposed. Var. d. Fusco-albescens rubro-brunneo oblique strigata. In this variety the edge of the penultimate whorl is elevated, and has a slight gutter on the upper side. The shell beneath is ob- scurely lineated in the direction of the whorl, and the red-brown dashes radiate from the angle of the whorl to the interrupted linea- tions which gird it. On the upper side the bold oblique stripes of the same colour completely cross the whorls. Var. e. Tota fusca. In this variety the angle of the upper whorls is very much ele- vated. The ground-colour of all these varieties is a purple or red-brown, and the pattern of the variegated specimens resides in the epidermis, or rather is produced by the intermixture of the ground-colour of the shell and of the epidermis. Thus, if any of the variegated varieties be immersed in water, the pattern vanishes as long as the shell re- mains wet; when it is dry, the pattern is restored. If, for instance, var. a. and var. e. be immersed, the general colour becomes identi- cal, and the dark interrupted lineations of the former can hardly be traced. The absence or presence of the elevation of the edge of the upper whorls, in the different varieties of this species, shows that such 538 Zoological Society. a conformation cannot be trusted as a specific character. The animal is a dark purplish brown.—W. J. B. Mr. Yarrell exhibited a British example of the Motacilla alba of Linnzus, which had been shot at Kingsbury. ‘I'wo pairs of this species of Wagtail were seen by Mr. Bond near the reservoir in the early part of the present month, and, although they were very shy, that gentleman, who furnished Mr. Yarrell with the specimen ex- hibited, succeeded in shooting three of them, two males and one female. M. Leonard read a paper on the intelligence of animals, which he illustrated by means of two pointer dogs which he had trained for the purpose. To show that these animals possessed the power of comparison, he placed different objects upon the ground, such as a glove, a roll of paper, a small box, &c., and having kept similar objects himself, he showed them one after another to either of the dogs, and desired the animal to fetch that which was like it from the ground. 'The dogs performed this task correctly, and all others which they were desired. Cards, with numbers from 1 to 9 painted upon them, were placed upon the ground, and the dogs fetched any particular number they were bidden: a number brought, M. Leonard ordered the dog to take back again and exchange for another number, and at the same time to deposit it in the place of that number. The dogs also se- lected a card of a particular colour, when desired, from among many of different colours. Pieces of bread were placed on the ground, and in placing them, their master called them by the names of different numbers in an irregular manner, and afterwards ordered the dogs to fetch the piece of bread he had called a certain number. These and various other experiments (some with pieces of meat) were all per- formed correctly, and tended to show the great intelligence of the animals and the control which their master had obtained over them. The dogs were named Phylax and Braque, and either dog, upon his name being called, performed the task he was ordered; but one of them appeared to be more quick than the other. June 8.—William Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. Read a paper by G. B. Sowerby, Jun., Esq., entitled ‘‘ Descrip- tions of eight new species of the genus Ranella,” in the collection of Mr. Cuming. 1. RANELLA VEXILLUM, Conch. Illustr., f. 3. R. testd ovali, ven- tricosd, subacuminata, pallide brunned, transverse striatd, fasciis rufescentibus elevatis noduliferis cinctd; varicibus irregulari- bus, decumbentibus, latis ; apertura magna albd, intis griseo fas- ciatd, postice vix canaliferd, antice in canalem brevem rectum, latum terminante ; labio interno sublevi decumbente, dentibus le- vibus paululim incrassato ; labio externo subexpanso, leviter undu- lato, dentibus fere obsoletis intus incrassato. Long. 3°40; lat. 2 poll. Hab. ad (Chiloe) Conception. Zoological Society. 539 Mr. Cuming collected specimens at rocky places from three to six fathoms deep. The outer lip is more expanded, and the knotted brown bands are narrower and more numerous than in R. argus. 2. RaneLua cruEentTata, Conch. Illustr., f.5,5*. R. testd sub- quadratd, rugulosd albd vel pallide fulvd, rubro-maculatd, inter varices ad angulum anfractuum tuberculis magnis tribus, in medio tribus minoribus ; varicibus elevatis, utrinque foveolatis ; aper- turd paululim angustatd, extremitatibus validissimé canaliferis ; labio interno decumbente, dentibus acutis instructo, maculis san- guineis 5 ad 6 in medio picto.; labio externo complanato, subdigi- tato, intus dentibus validis instructo. Long. 1°50; lat. 1°20 poll. Hab. ad insulam Ticao, Philippinarum. H. Cuming legit. Found on coral reefs. This species is remarkable for the well- defined spots of blood-red colour by which that part of the inner lip which rests upon the body-whorl is ornamented. A darker va- riety occurs, in which the spots are of a strong brown colour. 3. Ranevua NANA, Conch. Illustr., f. 6. RB. testd elongato-ovali, levi, inter varices nebuloso-purpured, in medio anfractu fascid albd cinctd, ad angulum anfractuum tuberculis acutis quatuor, anterius tuberculis parvis ; varicibus prominentibus, antice laque- atis, postice canalem exhibentibus; aperturd ovali, ad extremita- tes validissimé canaliferd ; labio interno granoso ; labio externo valde denticulato. Long. 1°80 ; lat. 1:05 poll. | Hab. ad insulam Panama, Philippinarum. H. Cuming legit. Found in coarse sand at seven fathoms. 4. RANELLA ALBO-FASCIATA, Conch. Illustr., f. 14. R. testd ovali, subcompressd, granulosd, fusco-purpured, fascid albd in medio anfractu cinctd, lineis moniliformibus numerosis et ad angulum 6 ad 7 tuberculis cinctd ; varicibus granuloso-tuberculiferis ; aper- turd ovali, ad extremitates validissimé canaliferd ; labio interno granoso ; labio externo valde denticulato. Long. 1°80; lat. 1:20 poll. Hab. ad insulam Panama, -Philippinarum. Much broader and more completely granulated than the former, which is nearly all over smooth. In this respect our shell resembles R. granulata, Lam., but it is neither so oval nor so compressed, the varices are more strongly marked, and the posterior canal is more perfect. | Found in coarse sand at 10 fathoms. 5. RanELLA RHODOSTOMA, Conch. Illustr., f. 10. R. testd sub- quadraid, rugulosd, granulatd, pallide fulvd, rufo-punctatd et maculatd, inter varices tuberculis prominentibus tribus ad angulum, tribus in medio anfractu ; aperturd roseo-purpured, paululim an- gustatd, ad extremitates valde canaliferd ; labio interno granu- loso prope canales transverse dentato, labio externo sub-expanso, undulato, intts dentato ; varicibus granoso-tuberculatis, validis, utrinque foveolatis. 540 Zoological Society. Long. 1°15; lat. *85 poll. Hab. ad insulam Masbate, Philippinarum. Found on coral reefs by Mr. Cuming. It is a pretty little species with a delicately purple aperture. 6. RaneLya suBGRANosA, Conch. Illustr., f. 18. R. testd ovali subangulatd, purpureo-fuscd, brunneo-fasciatd et maculatd, trans- verse lineis elevatis, moniliformibus alternantibus striatd ; ad an- gulum anfractuum tuberculis acutis ; varicibus elevatis, utrinque subfoveolatis, granoso-tuberculatis ; uperturd ovali, albd, intis pallide purpured ; canali postico lato, antico subrecurvo, lato ; labio interno tenut, postice dentato antice extanti; labio externo crenu- lato validissime dentato, ad canalem posticum aculeato, unticé sub- expanso. Long. 2°85; lat. 1:70 poll. | Hab. ad sinus Manille. H. Cuming legit. This species very nearly resembles R. elegans, Beck, Chemn. 1270, Conch. Illustr., f. 17, of which it may perhaps be only a local va- riety. Our shell is of a more oval shape and is more evenly granu- lated in every part. Found in sandy mud at ten fathoms. 7. Ranewtua Neextecta, Conch. Illustr., f. 22. R. testd subquad- ratd, brevi, lineis granulatis transverse striatd, pallide fulvd, Susco-maculatd ; inter varices ad angulum posticum tuberculis tribus magnis, in medio tribus ad quatuor parvis, prope caudam uno, et aliquando serie moniliformi tuberculorum parvorum ; vari- cibus crassis lirattm granulosis posticé foveolatis ; aperturd ovali albd ; canali postico brevi, recto ; canali antico brevi, subrecto ; labio interno decumbente, granulato, prope canalem posticum acuté denticulato ; labio externo, minute denticulato, prope canales solum reflexo. , Long. 1°60; lat. 1:15. Hab. ad insulam Ceylon. This shell, which is now common, differs from R. crumena in the foliowing respects : it is shorter, the tubercles are more obtuse, the canals are shorter and straighter, the outer lip is scarcely reflected, and the inner lip is not raised at the caudal extremity. 8. RanELtuia ruGosa, Conch. Illustr., f. 7. &. testd ventricosd, granulosd, angulatd, pallide fulvd, fusco-maculatd ; inter varices ad angulum posticum tuberculis tribus obtusis, granulosis, inter granula fusco interrupto-lineatis, in medio lined duplicatd mo- niliformi ; caudam versis lineis quinque alternantibus monilifor- mibus ; varicibus crassis, granoso-tuberculatis, utrinque validis- simeé foveolatis ; canali antico tortuoso, magno; aperturd rotun- dato-ovali albd, canali postico sub-elongato ; labio interno tortuoso, prope extremitates valide extanti; labio externo reflexo, extis la- queato, intus quinquefariam bi-denticulato, denticulis foveolato. Long. 2°30; lat. 1°50. Hab, This species has not the thickness, flatness, nor the elongated, curved, posterior canal of R. bufonia, nor are the tubercles so large. 4 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 541 BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. ' This Society held its first meeting for the season on Thursday the 11th of November, 1841, Professor Graham in the Chair. The following papers and communications were read :— 1. Account of a Botanical Excursion to Skye and the Outer He- brides, during the month of August 1841, by Professor Balfour and Mr. Charles C. Babington; and remarks on the plants observed by them in the Islands of North Uist, Harris and Lewis. In this communication the authors drew attention chiefly to those facts which tend to illustrate the variations produced by climate, soil and elevation. In Skye their observations were confined to the south- western part of the island. They landed at Armadale, and passing by Knock, Ord and Strathaird to Loch Coiruisg, they crossed the Cuillin Hills to Sligachan, and from thence went by Bracadale to Dunvegan. Among the plants observed in this route may be men- tioned Rumex aquaticus, Atriplex rosea, Arabis petrea, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Potamogeton oblongus, Orobanche rubra, Mimulus luteus, &e. From Dunvegan they crossed the Minsh to Loch Maddy in North Uist, and after examining the botany of that island, they proceeded to Harris and Lewis. On the lofty mountains of the Forest of Harris, some of which they reckoned to be at least 3000 feet high, they were surprised to find very few alpine plants, for which they could only account by suppo- sing the climate of the island to be so modified by the vicinity of the great Atlantic Ocean, as to be too mild for the production of the usual alpine vegetation. The following are mentioned among the more interesting plants found in Harris and Lewis :—Lamium intermedium, Ruppia maritima, Pinguicula lusitanica, Thalictrum alpinum, Salix herbacea, Aira alpina, Saussurea alpina, Luzula spicata, Arabis petrea, Silene acaulis, Blys- mus rufus, Juncus balticus, Scirpus lacustris, &c. They also gathered Hymenophyllum Wilsont among rocks upon the summit of Chesham, apparently the highest mountain of the range. The number of species observed in North Uist, Harris and Lewis, during this excursion, was 311, of which 21 belonged to the orders Filices, Lycopodiacee and Equisetacee. The number of true ferns was 14, being in the proportion of 1 to about every 22 of the flower- ing plants ; that is, they form about 1-22nd part of the whole number of species at present known to be indigenous in these islands. Mr. T. Edmonston, jun. records 249 species of native plants for the Shetland Islands (Ann. Nat. Hist. viii. 287), of which 14 are ferns, Lycopodiacee and Equisetacee, the number of true ferns being 7, thus showing a proportion of 1 fern to about 33 flowering plants. Owing to the necessarily imperfect character of the Long Island list, it is impossible to draw any satisfactory conclusions, from the above proportions, between the flowering plants and ferns; yet it may be noticed that there is a great preponderance of ferns in both these northern and insular countries, although the actual numbers recorded 542 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. are remarkably small. The ferns in Shetland are less numerous than those in Iceland or Faroe, while those of the Long Island exceed the Faroe species by four, and are exactly equal to the number found in Iceland,—the Faroe and Iceland lists being the smallest recorded in Mr. Watson’s valuable paper on the Distribution of Ferns, recently published in the Transactions of this Society (vol. i. p. 89). The more mountainous character of the Long Island will probably account for the much larger proportion (1 to 22) which its ferns bear to the flowering plants, than that which appears to exist in Shetland ; for although considerable allowances be made for the imperfect state of the Long Island list, on account of the short time employed in its preparation, yet it does not seem probable that the number of its flowering plants will be so far increased as to raise their relative pro- portion as high as that shown to exist in Shetland, since this would require an addition of 151 species, even if the number of ferns re-_ mained stationary. The communication concludes as follows :—‘‘ We must be allowed to impress upon the Society, that this tour is not of the less interest . for not having produced any plants new to the British Flora, since we consider the determination of the flora of any district, peculiar either in its structure or situation, to be of importance, as elucidating the effect of soil or climate upon the distribution of plants. “ We would also take this opportunity of expressing our sense of the obligations under which we lie to the gentlemen of Skye and the Long Island, who in a truly kind and liberal manner exercised their hospitality towards our party, and greatly contributed to the pleasure, indeed we may say to the success, of the excursion.” 2. On the Anatomy and Physiology of the seed of Phaseolus vul- garis, or French Bean, by Dr. Spencer Thomson, Burton-on-Trent. _In this paper, which was accompanied by illustrative drawings, the author, after giving an elaborate dissection of the seed, stated a va- riety of circumstances relative to its mode or course of germination, and traced the analogy between that process and the growth of the foetus in the animal kingdom. He also noticed M. DeCandolle’s views on the subject, and pointed out the results which seemed to arise from them. 3. On the discovery of three species of Fungi new to the British Flora, viz. Tuber ferrugineum, Aicidium Thesii, Leefe, and Uredo Sym- phyti, D.C., by the Rev. J. E. Leefe. With regard to the first of these fungi, Mr. Leefe says,—‘‘ The specimens are in general of a rich red bronze colour. ‘Their smell is peculiarly strong and penetrating, so that on receiving a letter enclosing specimens, Mr. Berkeley can, before opening it, determine positively what it contains.” 4. Notice of the discovery of Cerastium triviale (3. holosteoides, Fries, near Kinfauns Castle, Perthshire; and of Rubus arcticus, near the head of Glen Tilt, Perthshire, by Mr. J. Robertson, Kinfauns Garden. Considerable interest was manifested respecting the occurrence of the latter species in the British Flora, and some discussion took place erent ; => : ue 7 ae Oy a - A, 2. ¥. aay, oO OP ERG a, ees Bibliographical Notices. 543 with regard to its identity; but the specimen exhibited was so im- perfect as to leave doubts whether the discovery ought yet to be fully relied on, especially as our botanists have more than once been dis- appointed in this respect. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. A History of Infusoria, living and fossil, arranged according to ‘ Die Infusionsthierchen’ of C. G. Ehrenberg ; containing coloured en- gravings illustrative of all the Genera, and Descriptions of all the Species in that work, with several new ones. By Andrew Pritchard, author of ‘ Microscopic Illustrations, &c.’ 8vo. 1841. Whittaker and Co. Mr. Pritrcuarp informs us in his Preface, that “‘ the translation of ‘ Die Infusionsthierchen’ was made for him by Dr. Willshire, who also compared his manuscript of Part Il. with that work,” and on whose authority he relies for stating that the materials taken there- from are correctly given. ‘‘ Since Dr. E.’s volume appeared,” he adds, ‘* some discoveries in Fossil Infusoria have been made ; these, and the Spermatozoa of plants, unknown in this country, I have introduced. Information derived from other sources is duly acknowledged.”’ The work is illustrated by twelve large and well-filled plates*, containing more than 500 finely executed and coloured figures, which must greatly recommend it to the student as well as render it attractive to the general reader. Of the drawings, the author informs us, ‘‘ Those for plate xii. were kindly furnished me by that venerable and distinguished botanist, Dr. Unger of Gratz, and the late eminent microscopic observer, Mr. F. Bauer. Every original drawing has the artist’s name mentioned in the description of it, and the others, with few alterations, are from ‘ Die Infusionsthierchen.’ The labour and time occupied in selecting, reducing, arranging and condensing these was far greater than most persons would imagine, and the cost of this undertaking has far exceeded my anticipation ; but should it meet with patronage sufficient to repay the outlay, and my health permit, it is my intention to bring out, on another branch of microscopic science, a work of equal extent to the present, materials for which I have been for some time collecting.”’ The ‘ Natural History of Animalcules’ being out of print, Mr. Pritchard offers the present volume as a preferable substitute for a new edition of that work, in which to introduce the later discoveries. ‘«« Dr. Ehrenberg’s magnificent and elaborate work, entitled ‘ Die In- fusionsthierchen,’ having since appeared, and offering a better classi- fication than Miiller’s, it has been adopted here, I have only to regret,” he adds, ‘‘ that its distinguished author, or some more competent na- turalist than myself, has not presented us with an epitome of it.” * In the description of the families, genera and species, I have not adhered to ‘ Die Infusionsthierchen,’ but only condensed such * Of which the one attached to our present Number will, except as to colour, serve as a specimen. 544 Bibliographical Notices. portions as appeared desirable, interweaving them with other matter; hence it would be unjust to its author to consider this manual an abstract of it. ‘That work being intended to establish a new classi- fication, and as a book of reference, a large portion of its ample 600 folio pages is occupied in giving the synonyms, in references, and in discussions ; these I have omitted, but every species described in that work will be found here, together with many others since dis- covered. A new system of classification is seldom acceded to wholly at first: that by Dr. Ehrenberg has met with its share of opponents. The principal arguments respecting it will be found herein ; so that the student, having both sides of the question before him, will be able to arrive at a fair conclusion.”’ The work is divided into two Parts. In the First, the general history of infusorial animalcules is treated of, in 34 sections; and Part II. consists of their classification and description, viz. 188 genera, and 732 species. Ehrenberg’s late work on the Infusoria of the Chalk Formations* is briefly alluded to inan Appendix, bringing the number of species up to 786. We are much pleased to find in Mr. Pritchard’s volume a very seasonable assistant and acceptable source of information to those who feel an interest in the contributions which the microscope is daily making to the knowledge of nature. Supplementary remarks on Mr. G. R. Gray’s ‘ Genera of Birds.’ Since the publication of my former notice of Mr. Gray’s work in ~ the ‘ Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist.’ for January last, a few additional observations have occurred to me. Being desirous of rendering this excellent work as extensively useful as possible, by pointing out those minor details which seem to require correction, I do not scruple to add the following criticisms by way of supplement to my former review. Page 12 of the ‘ Genera of Birds.’ Dr. Horsfield’s genus Hury- laimus should be written Eurylemus. P. 72. It is satisfactory to find that the several authors who claim the honour of giving a specific name to the type of Geococcyx, may cease from the contention. This bird was first described by Fer- nandez 191 years ago under the name of Hoitlallotl (see Ray, Syn. Av., p. 158), and was recorded by Latham and Gmelin under the name of Phasianus mexicanus. It will therefore now stand as Geo- cocccyx mexicanus (Gm.). P.80. The European species of Bonasa should be called B. betulina (Scop.) instead of B. sylvestris (Brehm.). P. 83. Cursorius europaeus, Lath., ought, in point of priority, to be called C. gallicus (Gm.). * Of this record of Prof. Ehrenberg’s latest discoveries, with his state- ment of the important geological inferences to be deduced from them, a translation will immediately appear in the forthcoming Part of the ‘Scren- Tiric Memorrs.’ Miscellaneous. 545 P.86. Tigisoma lineatum (Gm.) ought to be termed T. braziliense Lin.). : The European species. of Nycticorax should be called N. griseus (Lin.). The specific name gardeni was originally given to the nearly allied American species, after Dr. Garden of South Carolina. , P.88. Aramus scolopaceus (Gm.) was called Scolopar guarauna by Linneeus, and should therefore bear the latter specific name. Glottis chloropus (Nils.) should be called G. canescens (Gm.), being the Scolopawr canescens of the latter author. P.93. The word ferus was first used as a specific name for the Wild Goose by Stephens, not by Gmelin, and is therefore subsequent to Meyer’s name cinereus. The Wild Swan should be termed Olor musicus (Bechst.), as Lin- neeus did not distinguish it specifically by the name of ferus. It may be further remarked, that the characters which distinguish Olor of Wagler from Cygnus are far too unimportant for generic separation. P. 94. Pecilonitia should be written Pecilonetta. The original type of the genus Querguedula (Briss.), Steph., is — clearly the Garganey (Anas querquedula, Lin., Cyanopterus circia (Lin.), Eyton), and not the Teal (Anas crecca, Lin.). But would it not be better to follow Stephens in uniting the Teals and Garganeys in one genus, Querquedula? : P. 96. The specific name leucocephala, Scop:, is prior to mersa, all. Mergus castor, Lin., should be called M. merganser, Lin., as the former synonym applied to the female, while the latter name was given to the adult male. P. 98. Those who adopt Meehring’s genus Uria should retain for its type the specific name grylle, Lin. But as I consider that Mceh- ring’s work is beyond the pale of the binomial nomenclature, I adopt Stephens’s name of Grylle scapularis. Buffon’s Pl. Enl. 993 represents the Thalassidroma oceanica (Forst.), not T. pelagica (Lin.). P. 100. Gygis candida (Forst.) was first published by Sparrman under the name of Sterna alba, and the latter specific name ought therefore to prevail. P.101. The name Onocrotalus, Briss., should be cancelled as a mere synonym of Pelecanus, Lin., and a new generic name should be given to the Pelecanus thagus of Molina. H. E. SrrickLanp. MISCELLANEOUS. DR. MARTIN BARRY ON FIBRE. Dr. Barry requests us to add the following, in connexion with his Memoir on Fibre, an abstract of which is given at p. 502. The ‘‘ white substance of the nervous fibre,” surrounding Remak’s ** band-like axis,” consists of filaments having the remarkable struc- ture above described, and often curiously interlaced with one an- other, as though each of them had a spiral direction. In examining Ann, & Mag. N. Hist. Vol. viii. Suppl. Be | 546 Miscellaneous. the substance of the optic, olfactory, and auditory nerves, as well as that of the brain and spinal chord, Dr. Barry employed for the most part such as had been preserved in spirit; and, besides using ex- tremely minute portions, he very often avoided adding any covering whatever, the weight of thin mica itself being sufficient to rupture or to flatten this delicate substance, and thus entirely prevent its structure from being seen. In the parts last mentioned, he finds red . discs, which pass first into rings, and then into spirals. In fasciculi from the spinal chord, and ‘surrounded by spiral filaments, he met with a “‘ band-like axis,” which perhaps corresponds to that of Re- mak in the nerves: but if so, Dr. Barry’s observations go farther even than Remak’s. The ‘ axis” described by this observer was found by him to be susceptible of division into filaments. So also is the one described by Dr. Barry. But the latter adds, that each filament is a compound object, which enlarges, and, from analogy, may contain the elements of future structures, formed by division and subdivision, to which no limits can be assigned. The sperma- tozoa, mentioned in the abstract, were from the epididymis of a per- son who had died suddenly. The depression noticed in their discoid extremity—corresponding apparently to the ‘‘sugient orifice” of some authors—is probably analogous to the source of new substance in other discs. In these examinations, Dr. Barry has generally added to the objects dilute spirit (sp. gr. about 0°940), containing about zGoth of corrosive sublimate. Spirals from the leaf-stalk of the strawberry, after the addition of this reagent, were seen to have di- vided into parallel filaments having the same structure as those above described. Flax presented a quadruple coil of such filaments. In early states of voluntary muscle also, there were seen double and quadruple coils, evidently produced by the same means—division. Dr. Barry compares the appearance of the vegetable ‘‘ dotted duct,” in its several stages, with that of objects found in mould, in the cornea, in the crystalline lens, and in voluntary muscle ; all of which are produced by associations of minute spiral threads. The distri- bution of the remarkable filaments above described is so universal, that they are found in silk, in the incipient feather, in hair, in the feather-like objects from the wing of the butterfly and gnat, and in the spider’s web. Dr. Barry informs us that he has had the opportunity of showing to several physiologists the principal appearances described in his memoir on fibre. And Professor Owen permits him to state, that he has exhibited to him spirals in voluntary muscle,—muscular “ fibrille ’’ having a flat, grooved, and compound form,—the fila- mentous structure of the ‘‘ white substance in nervous fibre,’’—the vegetable spiral becoming double by division,—a coiled filament within red blood-discs,—and the incipient unwinding of the. coil in coagulating blood. . 547 INDEX to VOL. VIII. AGATES, moss, 460. Alder, Josh., on Lottia virginea, 404. Alge, on new species of, 90; Manuel of the British, reviewed, 211. Amici, G. B., on the stomata of plants, 134. Ammonites, on some new species of, found in the Oxford clay, 161. Amylum, on the presence of, in flowers, 328; on the structure of, 332. Animals, on the chemical statics of, 360; intelligence of, 538. Annular vessels, on the structure of, 16, 28: Antechinus, description of the new genus, 241, 337. Apion levigatum, 456. Araucaria, new species of, 438. Arcana Entomologica, noticed, 296. Arum maculatum, evolution of heat in the spadix of, 28, 31. Australia, fishes of, 464. Austria, on the freshwater fish of, 207. Babington, C. C., on the saxifrages of the Robertsonia group which are found in Treland, 3213; on Ribes petreum, 473; on the plants in the islands of North Uist, Harris, and Lewis, 541. Balfour, Prof., on the plants in the islands of North Uist, Harris, and Lewis, 541. Barry, Dr. M., on fibre, 502, 545. Bat’s hair, on the microscopical structure of, 227. Beetles, longicorn, 221; lamellicorn, 457. Bergsma and Van Beck, on the heat of vegetables, 30. Bidwill, H., on a new species of Arauca- ria from New South Wales; and on Nuytsia floribunda, 438. Birds, of the Outer Hebrides, 9 ; notes on, 46, 230, 317; new species of Aus- tralian, 66, 138, 150, 380; notices re- specting migratory, 125; of Thibet and Cashmere,224; of Ireland, 273, 353; a List of the Genera of, reviewed, 367 ; on some new genera of, 520. Blood-corpuscles of Ferz, 533 ; measure- ments of the, 535. Botanical excursion to Skye and the Outer Hebrides, 541. Botanical Society of Edinburgh, 541. 2 Botanical travellers, information respect- ing, 210. Botany, physiological, report on, 27, 130, 249, 328. . Bowerbank, J. 8., on three new species of sponges, 393; on moss agates, and’ other siliceous bodies, 460. Bowman, J. E., notice respecting the late, 399. Box-tortoise of America, habits of the, 449, Broderip, W. J., on new species of shells from the Philippines, 62, 148, 380, 466, 527, 536. Buckland, Rev. Prof., on excavations by snails, 459. Bulimus, new species of, 63, 149, 380, Bushnan’s, Dr. J. T., Natural History of Fishes, noticed, 138. Carabus Schonherri, from Ben Lomond, 452. Carabus violaceus, 455. Carinese, T., on the crysualline moisture in the cotyledons, 332. Carnivora, measurement of blood-cor- puscles of, 535. Cephalopods, on the curious motion of the colour-cells of, 49. Cerambycide, 458. Cerastium triviale 8. holosteoides, disco- very of, 542. Certhiade, 486. Cetoniidz, on a character distinctive of the sexes in, 338. Charadriade, 524. Chedooba, Natural History of, 439. Chough, numerous in Ireland, 420. Chusan, notice of the zoology of, 288. Cicada, new genus of, 458. Coleoptera, new species of, 123, 203. Colocasia odora, development of heat in the spadix of, 27. Compsosternus, on the Elaterideous genus, 453. Corvide, 406, 486. Corylus, observations on the genus, 344, Craticus Tibicen, remarks on, 47. Crossbill, occurrence of in Ireland, 407; white-winged rare in Ireland, 412, Crow, carrion, 421; gray, 422. N 2 548 Cryptodus, on the genus, 303. Cryptolepis, on the genus, 448. Cucurbitacez, on the fruit of the, 260. Cuming, H., on new sheils collected by, 62, 148, 380, 527, 586, 5388; on new insects collected by, 217. Cursorius europeus, 473. Cycadex, on the gum-passages in the, 256. Cyclostoma elegans, occurrence of in Ire- land, 228. Cyprinidz, descriptions of Indian, 35, 108, 192. Cyst-worm, structure of the, 445. Dale, J. C., on some British Diptera, 430 ; on the fauna of Dorsetshire, 472. Decaisne, M., on the structure of the wood of the misseltoe, 130; on the structure of the beet-root, 253; on me Lardiza- bales, 254. Dendromys, new species of, 53. Deposits, pliocene, 514; post-tertiary,515. Dermoptera, description of new, 272. Deslongchamps, M., on the occurrence of cryptogamous plants on the air-cells of an Eider duck, 229. Diptera, British,.430. Disphericus, description of the genus, 298. Dogs, the Natural History of, reviewed, 137. Don, Prof., notice respecting the late, 397, 476; and of his father, 476. Dorsetshire, fauna of, 472. Drosera, on the glanduliferous hair of, 132. Dumas, M., on the chemical statics of or- ganized beings, 360. Dutrochet, M., on the temperature of plants, 28. Dynastide, 454. Echidnocerus cibarius, 453. Eel, on the geographical distribution of the, 207 Egerton, Sir P. G., on the occurrence of triassic fishes in British strata, 391. Elsner, M., on the red-colouring matter in plants, 33. Endlicher S., genera plantarum, noticed, 446; enchiridion botanicum, noticed, 447, Entomological Society, proceedings of the, 217, 297, 452. Entophytes, on, 229. Entozoa, on the anatomy of four species of, 151. Eocene sand of Kyson in Suffolk, occur- rence of molar teeth in the, 1. Epilobium angustifolium, observations on, 170, 246, 401; Epilobium brachycar- pum, description of, 403. INDEX. Euplectella aspergillum, a new species of sponge, 222. Eurynotis, new species of, 53. Everest, Rev. R., on the effects of cold on Mammalia, 325. Eyton, T. C., notes on birds, 46. Falconer, Dr. H., on the genus Crypto- lepis, 448. Faluns, of the Loire, 5073; occurrence of, near Dinan, 509; at Rennes, 510; at Angers, 510; near Savigné, 511; near Tours, ib.; at Pontlevoy, 512. Fer, blood-corpuscles of, 533 ; measure- ments of the, 535. Fibre, Dr. Barry, on, 502, 545. Fishes, fossil, of Mundesley, remarks on the, 61; the Natural History of, no- ticed, 1388; on the breeding of, artifici- ally, 166; remarks on some observed in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen, 230; on the occurrence of Triassic, in British strata, 391; Australian, 464. Flora of Western Norfolk, 171. Flowers, on the production of odours in, 31. Foraminifera, fossil, in the greensand of New Jersey, 158. Forster, Edward, on Mnium annotinum, 433. Fossil bivalve shells, new genus of, 481. Fossils, from Stonesfield, 456; from New York, 506; Suffolk crag, near Valognes, 508; at Carentan, 509; at Sainteny, ib.; ina Pembrokeshire, 515. Fringillide, 406, 523. Fungi, occurrence of, on insects, 217 ; discovery of three species of, 542. Geese, longevity of, 474. Geological Society, proceedings of the, 56, 305, 391, 459, 506. Geology, analogies of European and In- dian, 74; of Russia, 289. Glacial and diluvial phenomena, remarks on, 319. Gobel, F., on the quantity of potash and soda contained in the principal Halo- phytes of the Caspian Steppe, 333. Gold-fishes, breeding of, 533. Goliathus, new species of, 458. Gould, Mr., on new species of Australian birds, 66, 138; on a new species of Himantopus, 227; on a new species of Hypsiprymnus, 380; on Menura su~ perba, 396. Gray’s, G. R., List of the Genera of Birds, reviewed, 367 ; supplementary remarks on, 544, Greensand, saurian teeth from the, 519. Griffith, W., on the fecundation of Osyris, 447. Gulliver, George, on the cyst-worm, no- INDEX. ticed, 445; on the blood-corpuscles of Fere, 533. Hairs on the stigma in plants, on the functions of the, 84. Hall, J., on fossils from New York, 506. Halstead, E. P., on the Natural History of Chedooba, 439. Hares of Little Thibet, remarks on the, 225; new species of, 231. Harvey’s, W. H., Manual of British Alge, reviewed, 211. Hassall, A. H., on the functions performed by the hairs on the stigma in plants, 84; on the structure of the pollen gra- nule, 92; on the phosphorescence of Zoophytes, 341. Helix, new species of, 62, 72, 148, 383, 527, 531, 536. Hering, M., on some new species of Alge, 90. Heron, Sir Robert, Bt., on breeding gold- fishes, 533. Himantopus, new species of, 227. Hincks, Rev. W., on vegetable monstro- sities, 451. Hirundo riparia, nests of the, 476. Hodésum, on the Natural History of the, 153. Hodgson, B. H., on the common hare of the Gangetic provinces, 231; on three new species of monkey, 314. Hoffmann, S. F., on the hairs in the air- passages of plants, 136. Hogg, J., on the horny sponges, 3. Hope, Rev. F. W., on some nondescript Lamellicorn insects, 302; on the Ela- terideous genus Compsosternus, 453. Horses, the Natural History of, reviewed, 137. Hunefeld, M., on vegetable colours, 34; on the presence of amylum in the flowers of plants, 328. Hypsiprymnus, on a new species of, 380. Hyracotherium, on a new species of, 1. ria era Academy of St. Petersburgh, 471. Infusoria, history of, noticed, 543. Insectivora, measurement of blood-cor- puscles of, 535. Insects, new genera and species of, 123, 203, 221, 272, 298. Ireland, on the birds of, 278, 353, 486. Jackdaw, 486. Jay, 499. Jeffreys, J. G., on testaceous Mollusca collected in the Shetland isles, 165. Keith, P., on the pith of plants, 131. Korthals, M., on the glanduliferous hairs of Drosera, 132. Labyrinthodon, on the teeth of, 58, 305. Lamia, 455. 549 Lamellicorn beetles, descriptions of new, 221, 302. Landsborough, Rev. D., on the phospho- rescence of Zoophytes,257 ; on the lon- gevity of geese, 474; on pliocene and post-tertiary deposits in the county of | Ayr, 514. Laniade, 523. Lardizabalez, anatomical structure of the, 254. Larve, coleopterous, 455. Latreille, his dissections of coleoptera, &c., 453. Leefe, Rev. J. E., on the discovery of three species of Fungi, 542. Leighton, W. A., on Epilobium angusti- folium, 246, 401; notices in Botany, 344. Leonard, M., on the intelligence of ani- mals, 538. Lepus, new species of, 53. Lindley, Prof., on the anatomy of the roots of the Orchidex, 330. Linnean Society, proceedings of the, 447. Loire, faluns of the, 507. Longicorn beetles, descriptions of new, Lottia virginea, remarks on, 404. Lyell, C., on the faluns of the Loire, 507. Emcdhbde: on a character distinctive of the sexes in, 121. Lyell, Mr., on the fossil fishes of Mun- desley, 61. MacLeay, W. S., on bird-catching spi- ders, 435. Macacus, remarks on the genus, 314. Maclauchlan, Mr., on fossils from Pem- brokeshire, 515. Macgillivray, J., on the zoology of the Outer Hebrides, 7; on some Mamma- lia, birds and fishes, observed in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen, 230. Mackenzie, Sir F., on the breeding of sal- mon and other fish artificially, 166. MacLeay, W. S., on anew genus of Mam- malia discovered in New South Wales, 241, 337; on doubts respecting the existence of bird-catching spiders, 324. Magpie, 492. Mammalia, remarks on some, observed near Aberdeen, 230; on a new genus of, 241, 337; effects of cold on, 325. Mantell, G. A., on fossil remains of turs tles from the chalk, 55. Martin, Mr., on the eastern and western chalk denudations, 56. M‘Clelland, J., on Indian Cyprinide, 35, 108, 192. Medusa aurita, on the development of, 48. Menura superba, description of, 396, Mergulus Alle, on the occurrence of, 394. 550 Meteorological observations, 79, 159, 239, 319, 399, 479. Meyen, Dr. F. J., report on physiological botany, 27, 130, 249, 328; on glan- duliferous hairs, 1382; on the roots of the Orchidez, 330. Meyer, E., on the structure of.amylum, 332. Microscopical Society, proceedings of the, 74, 151, 227, 392. Mnium annotinum, Linn., 433. Mohl, H., on the structure of annular ves- sels, 16; on spiral formations in the cells of plants, 251. Mollusca, list of, collected in the Shetland isles, 165. Monkey, new species of, 314, 526. Monstrosities, vegetable, 451. Moore, E., notice on the pilot fish, 316. Morren, Prof., on the appearance of in- digo in Polygonum tinctorium, 34; on Malaxis Parthoni, 130; on the discoid pith of plants, 131; on the structure of Hedychium and Musa, 1385; on the presence of fatty and volatile oils in the cells of plants, 255; on the gum found in the Cycadez, 256. Munford, Rev. G., on the Flora of West- ern Norfolk, 171. _ Murchison, R. I., on the geology of Rus- sia, 289. Mus agrestis, notice on, 395. Musa paradisiaca, on the fibres in, 133. Muscicapide, 522. Mygale Ionica, i saree made with, 455. _ Myriapoda, on the organs of reproduction and on the development of the, 389. Mystromys, new species of, 53. Naturalist’s Library; Marsupialia, re- viewed, 54; History of Dogs, of Horses, reviewed, 137; of Fishes, 138. Naturhistorisk Tidskrift, contents of the, 296. Naucrates ductor, occurrence of, 316. Nematoptera, monograph of the, 376. ae Newport, G., on the organs of reproduc- tion and on the development of the My- riapoda, 389. New York, fossils from, 506. Niger expedition, 445. Norfolk, on the Flora of, 171. Nuytsia floribunda, note on, 439. Ogilby, W., on a new species of monkey, 526. Orchidez, anatomical structure of the roots of the, 330. Ord, George, on the box tortoise of Ame- rica, 449. Ornithichnites, remarks on, 235. Osyris, fecundation of, 447. INDEX. - Owen, R., on some molar teeth from the Eocene sand, 1; on the teeth of Laby- rinthodon, 58, 305; description of.a new genus of sponge, 229; on a gigantic crocodilian Saurian from Hythe, 517. Pachyodon, description of, 481. Pachyrhynchus, new species of, 218. Panorpa, monograph of the genus, 298. Pastor, rose-coloured, rare in Ireland, 418. Paussus, species of, 449. Pediculus Melitte, 455. Petit, M., on names given to undescribed genera and species, 474. Phaseolus vulgaris, anatomy and physi- ology of the seed of, 542. Picide, 486, 524. Pilot-fish, capture of, in fresh water, 316. Pines, on some species of European, 87. Pipride, 522. Plantigrada, measurement of blood-cor- puscles of, 535. Plants, on the structure of annular vessels in, 16, 25; on the evolution of heat by, 27; on the odours of, 313 on the formation of colours in, 33; on the func- tions of the hairs on the stigma in, 84 ; on the pith of, 131; on the stomata, 184; of Western Norfolk, list of the, 171 ; on spiral formations in the cells ,of, 249; on the presence of fatty and volatile oils in the cells of, 255; cata- logue of British, reviewed, 294; on the presence of amylum in the flowers of, 328 ; on the movement of the sap in, 334; on the chemical statics of, 360. Pliocene deposit at Stevenstom, on a newer, 514. Pollen, on the structure. of, 92. Polyptychodon, on teeth referable to the genus, 517. Pratt, S. P., on some new species of Am- monites found 3 in the Oxford clay, 161. ‘Pritchard, A., on Infusoria, noticed, 543. Psophodes crepitans, remarks on, 46. Pteromys, new species of, 53. Quekett, J., on the anatomy of four spe- cies of Strongylus, 151; on the minute structure of bats hair, 227. Ranella, new species of, 538. Raven, numerous in Ireland, 423. Reade, Rev. J. B., on the stomata in the epidermis of the garden rhubarb, 74, 392. Rhombomys, new species of, 53. Ribes petreum, 473. Richardson, Dr., on Australian fishes, 464. Rodentia, on the natural arrangement of the, 50; observations on the, 81. Rook, 486. Royal Irish Academy, proceeding gs of the, 470. INDEX. Royal Society, proceedings of the, 55, 389, 502. Rubus arcticus, discovery of, 542. Salmon, on the breeding of, artificially, 166. Sargassum, remarks on the genus, 213. Sars, M., on the development of Medusa aurita, 48. Saunders, S. S., on some experiments with Mygale Ionica, 455. Saurian, gigantic, from Hythe, 517. Savi, P., on the stomata of plants, 134; on the resin-passages of Schinus molle, 328. Saxifrages of the Robertsonia group, ob- servations on the, 321. Schinus Molle, on the resinous passages of the, 328. Schleiden, Dr., on the structure of annular vessels, 25; on spiral formations in the cells of plants, 249. Schultz, Dr., on the movement of the sap in plants, 334. Scientific travellers, information respect- ing, 439. Seeds, experiments on the conservation of the vegetative powers in, 77; on the vitality of, 317. Sennopithecus, remarks on the genus, 314, Shells, new species of, 62, 72, 148, 380, 527; new genus of, 481. Shuckard, W. E., on bird-catching spiders, 435. Smith’s, Lieut.-Col. C. H., Natural History of Dogs and of Horses, reviewed, 137. Snails, limestone rocks corroded by, 459. Sowerby, G. B., on new shells from the Philippines, 72, 383, 467, 527, 531. Sowerby, G. B., jun., on the genus Ra- nella, 538, Spach, Ed., on the genus Corylus, 344. Spiders, doubts on the existence of bird- catching, 324; bird-catching, 435. Sponges, proposed divisions of the order of, 3; new species of, 222, 393. Starling, migration of, into Ireland, 413. Steudel, E. T., nomenclator botanicus, noticed, 447. Stephens, H. O., on Epilobium angusti- folium, and species which have been confounded with it, 170. Stevens, S., on coleoptera from Kent, 452. Strata, tertiary, near Volognes, 506: Strickland, H. E., on Gray’s genera of birds, 367 ; on Mergulus Alle, 394; on . some new genera of birds, 520. Sturnide, 406. Stutchbury, S., on a new genus of fossil bivalves, 481. Sylviade, 521. 551 Sylvia rubecola, on the disappearance of, in parts of Belgium and Germany, 395. Tachina pacta, 455. Teeth, Saurian, from the lower green- sand, 519. Thomas, Dr. S., on the anatomy and physiology of the seed of Phaseolus vulgaris, 542. Thompson, W., on migratory birds which were seen on a passage from Malta to Morea, 125; on the occurrence of Cy- clostoma elegans in Ireland, 228; on the birds of Ireland, 273, 353, 406, 486. Tickell, Lieut., on the natural history of the Hodésum, 153. Tree creeper, 501. Trinchinetti, Sig., on the production of odours in flowers, 31. Turtles, on fossil remains of, from the chalk of the south-east of England, 155. Upupa epops, occurrence of, 235. Volognes, tertiary strata near, 506. Vigne, G. T., list of birds found by him in Thibet, Cashmere, &c. 224. Vrolik, and de Vriese, on the evolution - of heat in the spadix -of Colocasia odora, 27. Wagner, Prof. A., on the arrangement of the Rodentia, and natural families, with descriptions of new species, 50. Walton, Mr., on Apion levigatum, 456. Waterhouse, G. R., natural history of Marsupialia, reviewed, 54 ; observations on the Rodents, 81; on two new spe- cies of birds, 151; on names applied to certain Carabideous insects, 205; on a new genus of Carabide from tropical Africa, 208 ; on new species of Pachy- rhynchus, 218; on new Coleoptera from the Philippines, 221. Webber, C. T., on the wolves of Ireland, 470. Westwood, J. O., on a character distinc- ‘ tive of the sexes in certain Lucanide and Cetoniide, 121, 338; on new in- sects, 123, 203, 272; Arcana Entomo- logica, noticed, 296; monograph of the Panorpide, 298; on the Austra- lian genus Cryptodus, 303; monograph of the genus Nematoptera, 376; on species of Paussus, 449 ; on Dynastide, 454 ; on a fossil from Stonesfield, 456 ; on Lamellicorn beetles, 457. Widdrington, Capt., on some species of European pines, 87; on the Eel and on freshwater fish of Austria, 207. Wiegmann’s Archiv fur Naturgeschichte, notice of the contents of, 47. a 552 ue A INDEX. Wight, Dr., on the fruit of the Cucurbi- Zoological travellers, information respect- tacee, 260. ing, 210, 288. Woodpecker, greater spotted, 500. Zoology of the Outer Hebrides, 7. Zoological Society, proceedings of the,62, Zoophytes, on the phosphorescence of, 138, 222, 376, 464, 520. 257, 341. END OF THE EIGHTH VOLUME. ae ne orau'e MSs PRINTED BY RICHARD AND JOUN E. 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