tS /Cr^ /^C' THE ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY, INCLUDING ZOOLOGY, BOTANY, and GEOLOGY. (bfING a CONTINUAIION OF THE 'MAGAZINE OF BOTANY AND ZOOLOGY,' AND OF LOUDON AND CH ARLESWORTh's 'MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY.') CONDUCTED BY Sir W. JARDINE, Bart.,F.L.S.— P. J. SELBY,Esq.,F.L.S., GEORGE JOHNSTON, M.D., CHARLES C. BABINGTON, Esq., M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S., J. H. BALFOUR, M.D., Reg. Prof. Bot. Glasg., AND RICHARD TAYLOR, F.L.S., F.G.S. 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 : LTZARS, AND MACLACHLAN AND STEWART, EDINBURGH : CURRY, DUBLIN .* AND ASHER, BERLIN. 1845. ** Omnes res creatse sunt divinae sapientiae et potentise testes, divitiae felicitatis humanse : — ex harum usu bonitas Creatoris ; ex pulchritudine sapientia Domini ; ex ceconomia in conservatione, proportione, renovatione, potentia majestatis eiucet. Eariim itaque indagatio ab hominibus sibi relictis semper aestimata; avere eruditis et sapientibus semper exculta ; male doctis et barbaris semper inimica fuit." — Linn. Co IS- CONTENTS OF VOL. XV. NUiMBER XCV. Page I. On the Anatomy of EoUs, a genus of Mollusks of the order Nu- dibranchiata. By Albany Hancock and Dennis Emeleton, M.D., F.R.C.S.E., Lecturer on Anatomy and Physiology in the Newcastle- upon-Tyne School of Medicine. (With five Plates.) 1 II. Memoirs on Geographic Botany. By Richard Brinsley Hinds, Surgeon R.N., F.R. Coll. Surg 11 III. On the Occurrence of the genus Pollicipes in the Oxford Clay. By John Morris, Esq. (With a Plate.) SO IV. Description of some new species of the genus Ancyloceras. By John Morris, Esq. (With a Plate.) 31 V. Descriptions of a new genus and some new species of Homopte- rous Insects from the East in the Collection of the British Museum. By Adam White, Assistant Zool. Dep. Brit. Mus 34 VI. Descriptions of two apparently new species of Lamellicorn Beetles. By Adam White, Assistant Zool. Dep. Brit. Mus 38 VII. Description of a new species of Melanogaster. By C. E. Broome, Esq 41 VIII. On the Laws which regulate the Geographical Distribution of Littoral Mollusca. By M. Alcide d'Orbigny 42 New Books : — Elements of Comparative Anatomy, by Rud. Wagner, M.D. ; translated from the German by Alfred Tulk, M.R.C.S.E. . 45 Proceedings of the Zoological Society ; Botanical Society of Edinburgh ; Geological Society 46 — 68 Submarine Explorations by M. Milne Edwards; Observations on some Polypes ; Food of the Australian Natives; Mr. Schomburgk's Col- lections in Guiana; Meteorological Observations and Table ... 68 — 72 NUMBER XCVI. IX. Description of some Animals found amongst the Gulf-weed. By Harry D. S. Goodsir, M.W.S. (With a Plate.) .'. 73 IV CONTENTS. Page X. On the Anatomy of Eolis, a genus of MoUusks of the order Nu- dibranchiafa. By Albany PIancock and Dennis Embleton, M.D,, F.R.C.S.E., Lecturer on Anatomy and Physiology in the Newcastle- upon-Tyne School of Medicine 77 XI. Memoirs on Geographic Botany. By Richard Brinsley Hinds, Surgeon R.N., F.R. Coll. Surg. {Continued.) 89 XII. On the Preservation of Objects of Natural History for the Microscope, By the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, F.L.S 104 XIII. A Century of new Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants. Characterized by Professor Lindley 106 XIV. Description of an apparently new species of Longicorn Beetle from Mexico in the Collection of the British Museum. By Adam Whiti:, Assistant Zool. Dep. Brit. Mus. (With a Plate.) 108 XV. Note on a British Shell of the genus Circe. By William King, Curator of the Museum of the Natural History Society of Northumber- land, Durham, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne 112 XVI. Note on the Boring Apparatus of the Carnivorous Gastero- pods, and of the Stone- and Wood-burrowing Bivalves. By Albany Hancock, Esq 113 XVII. On a new species of Plafycercus. By John Gould, F.R.S. 114 XVIII. On the Means by which various Animals walk on the Ver- tical Surfaces of highly polished Bodies. By John Blackwall, F.L.S. 115 XIX. Remarks on the Synonyms of a Homopterous Insect described in the last Number of the * Annals.' By Adam White, Assistant Zool. Dep. Brit. Mus 119 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh ; Zoological Society ; Geological Society; Botanical Society of London 121 — 140 Notes in Natural History, by G. Clarke, Esq., Mauritius ; Ehrenberg's Researches on Infusoria ; Occurrence of the Anoplotherium in the lowest layers of the Tertiary period of the Paris Basin, by M. E. Robert ; Description of a new Australian Bird, by J. Gould ; Biblio- graphical Notice; Meteorological Observations and Table... 140 — 144 NUMBER XCVII. XX. Miscellanea Zoologica. By George Johnston, M.D., Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. (With a Plate.) 145 XXI. On the British Desmidiecp. By John Ralfs, Esq., M.R.C.S., Penzance. (With a Plate.) 149 XXII. On the Morphology of the different Organs of Zoophytes. By R. Q. Couch, M.R.C.S.L. (With a Plate.).... 161 XXIII. Ornithological Notes. By John Blackwall, F.L.S 166 XXIV. On the " Nigger " or *' Cotton Spinner " of the Cornish Fishermen. By Charles William Peach, of Goran Haven, Cornwall (With a Plate.) 171 CONTENTS. V Page XXV. On the Import of the inferior Paleaj of the Grasses. By Hugo VON MoHL. (With a Plate.) 174 XXVI. Botanical Notices from Spain. By Moritz Willkomm ... 178 New Books : — Die Kieselschaligen Bacillarien oder Diatomeen, von Dr. F. T. Kiitzing.— The Botany of the Voyage of H.M.S. Sulphur, by G. Bentham, Esq.—Algae Hihernicse, by Wm. M^Calla. — Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis, editore et pro parte auctore Alph. DeCandolle 185 — 190, Proceedings of the Linnaean Society ; Zoological Society ; Royal In- stitution ; Geological Society 190—213 Falco Islandicus ; On the Origin of the Corms of Colchicum ; Infusorial Deposits in America; Meteorological Observations and Table 213 — 216 NUMBER XCVIII. XXVII. On the Penetration of the Cuticle into the Stomata. By Hugo von Mohl, Professor of Botany at the University of Tubingen . 217 XXVIII. Researches into the Structure, Functions and (Economy oiiha Araneidea. By John Blackwall, F.L.S 221 XXIX. On the Preservation of Objects of Natural History for the Microscope. By Willtam Reckitt, M.R.C.S.L 242 XXX. On the genera Eleutheria and Synhydra, By P. J. Van Beneden, Professor at the University of Louvain 244 XXXI. Description of a new species of Pecten. By Thomas Ed- MONDSTON, F.B.S.E. & L 250 XXXII. Account of a Dredging Excursion. By the Rev. David Landsborough 251 XXXIII. A Century of new Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants. Characterized by Professor Lindley 256 XXXIV. On the Animal of Spirilla. By J. E. Gray, Esq., F.R.S. (With a Plate.) 257 XXXV. On Cyanocitia, a proposed new genus of Garrulines, and on C. superciliosa, a new species of Blue Jay, hitherto confounded with C. ultramarina, Bonap. By H. E. Strickland, M.A 260 XXXVI. Note on Mr. W. Thompson's Paper on the Ova of the Large Spotted Dog-fish. By Capt. Portlock, R.E 261 XXXVII. Note on Euplocamus, Triopa and Idalia. By Joshua Alder, Esq 262 XXXVIII. On the Occurrence of Phytozoa in Phanerogamous Plants. ByDr.A. Grisebach 264 XXXIX. On the Rats, Mice, and Shrews of the Central Region of Nepa^ By B. H. Hodgson, Esq., late British Resident at Nepal ... 266 VI CONTENTS. r.ge XL. Contributions to the Fauna of Ireland. By Fredeuick M^Coy, Esq., M.G.S.D. (With a Plate) 270 New Books : — Illustrations of Indian Ornithology, by T. C. Jerdon. — Salictum Britannicum exsiccatum. Fasc. 1. and II., by the Rev. J. E. Leefe 274—277 Proceedings of the Royal Society ; Linnsean Society ; Zoological So- ciety .' 277—292 On the Metamorphoses of the Strepsipterd, by Dr. Siebold ; Descrip- tion of a new species of Nymphon, by H. D. Goodsir, Esq. ; De- struction of the Orange-trees in the Azores ; Meteorological Obser- vations and Table , 293—296 NUMBER XCIX. XLI. Description of a new genus of Calcareous Sponge. By J. S. BowERBANK, F.R.S., L.S. &c. (With a Plate.) 297 XLII. On the Structure of the Cocoon of a Leach. By J. S. Bower- bank, F.R.S., L S. &c. (With a Plate.) 301 XLIII. Description of three new species of Rubus. By T. Bell Salter, M.D., F.L.S 305 XLIV. Additions to the Fauna of Ireland, including descriptions of some apparently new species of Invertebrata. By William Thompson, Pres. Nat. Hist, and Phil. Society of Belfast. (With a Plate.) 308 XLV. On the correct Nomenclature of the Lastr«a spinosa and L. multiflora of Newman. By Charles C. Babington, M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S. &c 322 XLVI. Characters of six new species of Nepalese Birds. By Brian H. Hodgson, Esq., late British Resident at Nepal 326 XLV 1 1. Notice of some Rarities found on the West Coast of Scot- land. By the Rev. David Landsborough 327 XLVIII. Notes on the Synonymy of the Genus ^pon, with Descrip- tions of Six new Species, &c. By John Walton, Esq., F.L S 331 XLIX. Further Notice respecting Cyanocitta superciliosa, a sup- posed new species of Blue Jay. By H. E. Strickland, M.A 342 L. Note on Mr. H. E. Strickland's Paper on the genus Cardinia (Agassiz). By Capt. PoRTLocK, K.E 343 LI. Further Notice respecting the Ova of the Large Spotted Dog- fish (Scyllinm Catulus). By Capt. Portlock, R.E 345 LI I. Generic Characters of Gasterochisma melampifs, a Fish which inhabits Port Nicholson, New Zealand. By John Richardson, M.D., F.R.S. &c 346 New Books : —Recherches sur rEmbryog^nie des Tubulaires, et I'His- toire naturelle des diffdrens Genres de cette Famille qui liabitent CONTENTS. Vll Page la c6te d'Ostende, par P.-J. Van Beneden.— Mycologia Britannica, or Specimens of British Fungi, by Ph. B. Ayres, M.D 346—349 Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh ; Zoological So- ciety 350—371 Abundant Occurrence of Rare Infusoria in the Scallop ; Hcematococcus sanguineus^ Ag. ; Observations on 4he Formation of Capillaries, by E. A. Platner ; Reproduction of Lost Parts in the Articulata ; De- scription of a new species oi Solarium, by R. B. Hinds, Esq., R.N. ; Meteorological Observations and Table 371—376 NUMBER C. LIII. Descriptions of some Gigantic Forms of Invertebrate Animals from the Coast of Scotland. By Harry D. S. Goodsir, M.W.S. (With a Plate.) 377 LI V. A Century of new Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants. Characterized by Professor Lindley 383 LV. On a Monstrosity of Gentiatia campestris. By G. Dickie, M.D., Lecturer on Botany in the University and King's College of Aberdeen. 387 LVI. Notes on the Synonymy of the Genus Apion, with Descrip- tions of Six new Species, &c. By John Walton, Esq., F.L.S 392 LVII. On the British Desmidiece. By John Ralfs, Esq., M.R.C.S., Penzance. (With a Plate.) 401 LVIII. Note on Mr. Bowerbank's Paper on the genus Dmistervillia (Bowerbank), with Remarks on the Ischadites Konigii, the Tentaculites and the Conularia. By Thomas Austin, Esq., F.G.S 406 LIX. On the Formation of Aerial Tubers in Sedum atnplexicaule, DeC. By L. C. Treviranus 408 LX. Anatomical and Organogenical Researches on LathrcBa clan- destina. By M. Duchartre 410 LXI. On the Growth of the Stem of Palms, and on the Decurrence of the Leaves. By M. von Martius 415 LXII. Botanical Notices from Spain. By Moritz Willkomm 417 New Books : — Contributions towards a Fauna and Flora of the County of Cork. — Musee Botanique de M. Benjamin Delessert, par A. Lasegue. — Classification der Saugethiere und Vogel, von J. J. Kaup 419—423 Proceedings of the Linnaean Society ; Botanical Society of Edinburgh j Zoological Society ; Entomological Society 423 — 442 On the Fossil Cycadea in general, and especially on those which are found in Silesia, by Prof. Gceppert; Extract of a Note from J. E. Gray, Esq., relative to his paper on the Animal of Spirula, p. 257 ; Vm CONTENTS. Page * On the Development of Doris, by C. W. Peach ; On the Nidi of Buccinum reticulatumy by C. W. Peach ; Obituary ; Meteorolo- gical Observations and Table 442 — -i 48 NUMBER CI. SUPPLEMENT. LXIII. Notices of various Mammalia, with Descriptions of many new Species. By Edward Blyth, Esq., Curator of the Asiatic Society's Museum, &c 449 Proceedings of the Zoological Society ; Linnsean Society 475 — 408 Index 499 PLATES IN VOL. XV. Plate I.' II. III. >-Anatomy of Eolis. IV. V. J VI. New species of Pollicipes and Ancyloceras. VII. Animals from the Gulf-weed. VIII. New species of Longicorn Beetles. IX. British Nereides. x.-i XI. ^British Desmidicse — Staurastrum. XII.J XIII. Morphology of Zoophytes. — Morphology of Grasses. XIV. The " Nigger." — Development of Doris. XV. Animal of Spirula. XVI. New Irish Echinodermata. XVII. Dunstervillia. XVIII. Structure of the Cocoon of a Leech. XIX. New Irish Mollusca. XX. New British Invertebrata, The Binder is requested to substitute the half-sheet at the end of No. 100, in place of pp. 301— 308. Ami.^- MoQ.Naji.Zist. 'Vol./ 5. Yll. A.EanM>cic del^ ArvaJbom^y o^ Ho Lis. J-D- CSo werhy Ann J Mag. Nat^ Hist. Vol.iO Pi, I Jici/tMOck d/^l. A?iat:(miy o/^'j£oli.s\ J. D. C. tSotrerd v fc. t AruiJ^Mag. Nat. Hist. Vol. SS- VA . UI. /LSartccci (/^. A7ii//i>mj cf F.olis J.lXC.So»rerl AtmA- Jlaif . Hal. Mist. Voi.0 Kl.iV. A Ifaiu'ock.dd . ^natvNty o/' £olz9. jp.r.soivertyr r;A Ann. ,1^M)^. Mzt.mst. Yol/f. YiY. AJTimcoek, deV. tAnatoT?^ ofJ!oli^. t/.D. ('.Sowfrbv.Jb. THE ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NVrURAL HISTORY, ♦* per litora spargite museum, Naiades, et circilm vitreos considite fontes ; PoUice virgineo teneros hic carpite flores : Jloribus et pictum, divaj, replete canistrum. At vos, o Nymphee Craterides, ite sub undas ; Ite, recurvato variata corallia trunco Vellite muscosis e rupibus, et mihi conchas Ferte, Dese pelagi, et pingui conchylia succo." P arthenii Ec\. 1. No. 95. JANUARY 1845. I. — On the Anatomy of Eolis, a genus of MoUusks of the order Nudibrancliiata. By Albany Hancock and Dennis Em- BLETON, M.D.J F.R.C.S.E., Lecturer on Anatomy and Phy- siology in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne School of Medicine. [With five Plates.] 1 HE Nudibranchiate MoUusks are divided into two families, the Doridce and the Tritoniadce ; the anatomy of the former was fully investigated by Cuvier, that of the latter, however, was only partially examined by that illustrious physiologist ; and the Eo- lidina^, a very extensive division of it, were left totally unex- plored, but were nevertheless considered to agree in organization with Tritonia Homberffii, the typical form of the group. Recently however the attention of zoologists has been drawn to the subject by M. Milne Edwards, who was the first to point out that the Eolidin(B deviate in a very striking manner from the rest of the family. He found in the genus Calliopaa a ramified digestive apparatus. This curious organ was supposed by that gentleman to perform the double function of digestion and cir- culation, and consequently to have analogy with the gastro- vas- cular system of the Medusidceiiyn the one hand, and on the other with the Nymphon, on account of the csecal prolongations of the digestive organ that penetrate the exterior branchial papillae. Since this discovery there has appeared in the ' Annales des * We use this name to designate the subfainih' of which EvUs is the type. Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol xv ' /B 2 Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy of Eolis. Sciences Naturelles' a very elaborate article by M. A. de Quatre- fages on what that gentleman considers a new generic form, to which he has given the name Eolidina paradoxum ; this he states differs from the typical organization, not only in its digestive apparatus, but also in many other respects, and in some instances in the most extraordinary manner. The subject of M. de Quatref ages' memoir however does not vary in any external characters from Eolis, to some of the British species of which it is closely allied. We should therefore expect the anatomy of Eolidina paradoocum to coincide pretty accurately with that of Eolis, at least not to deviate from it to any extent in the more important organs ; yet very considerable deviations do exist, if the observations of M. de Quatrefages be correct. Several of these observations however we are disposed to question. Previously to the publication of the memoir just named, we had investigated the anatomy of Eolis in company with Mr. Joshua Alder, and although many of our results were borne out by those of the French naturalist, yet in several important particulars we found that we entirely disagreed with him. We have therefore reinvestigated the matter with much care, and particularly with reference to the points in dispute, and have been able to corro- borate our original views in the most satisfactory manner. The subject is of considerable interest, as it is principally on his views of the anatomy of Eolidina and two other allied species that M. de Quatrefages has proposed his order Phlebenterata. It is therefore desirable that the anatomy and physiology of the Eolidina should be fully ascertained. With a view to this we now publish the results of our researches, hoping that they may have the effect of fixing the attention of others more able than ourselves to inquire into the matter. W^e would premise that, in the following paper, where no au- thority is given after the name of any species mentioned, it must be understood that that species has been described by Messrs. Joshua Alder and Albany Hancock. We have chiefly turned our attention to Eolis papillosa, John- ston, probably E. Cuvierii of French authors, PL I. fig. 1 ; not more on account of its general resemblance in form to Eolidina paradoxum than for the advantages presented by its great size, which has enabled us to ascertain by actual dissection almost every point of importance. Of this species we have had numerous specimens, both alive and in spirits, and in all stages of growth, from two lines to two inches in length. It is slightly depressed, tapering more abruptly than usual to a point behind ; both the dorsal and oral tentacles are simple, short and conical ; the branchial papillae are slightly compressed Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy of Eolis. 3 and taper to a point ; they arc arranged down the sides of the back in about twenty transverse series of from twelve to eighteen papillae each ; the foot is broad, and slightly produced at the sides in front. We have not however confined ourselves to this species, but have extended our inquiries to several others, for the purpose of showing how far the internal organization varies in the group. E. olivacea, PI. I. fig. 3, is thus frequently alluded to. It closely resembles the species described by M. de Quatrefages, and is in fact, according to the generic characters given by him, with the exception of a posterior dorsal anus, an Eolidina. It is generally about half an inch long, has four simple, slightly conical tentacles ; the anterior part of the foot is rounded at the sides, or only slightly angulated ; the branchial papillae are cylin- drical, and arranged down the sides in about seven transverse rows of four or five papillse each. E. coronata, Forbes, PI. I. fig. 2, has also been examined with the same view. This species differs from the two former as much perhaps as any of the genus, and is therefore well calculated for our purpose. It is sometimes one inch and a half long, the body is almost cylindrical, and terminates in a fine point behind ; the anterior lateral angles of the foot are somewhat produced; the oral tentacles are long and simple, the dorsal annularly laminated ; the branchial papillse are cylindrical, and arranged down the sides in six or seven clumps. Besides these three, we have had upwards of twenty other spe- cies, to some of which we shall occasionally refer. A few of these have the anterior angles of the foot produced into tentacular points, as described by Cuvier ; and others have the large vase- shaped branchial papillse resembling those of the genus Ampho- rina of M. de Quatrefages. During our investigations, we have used in the dissection of the organs the simple lens, and for the examination of the mi- nuter parts of the organs, the tissues and fluids, one of Powell and Lealand's best compound microscopes. We have avoided using the compressor as much as possible, being aware that it is a great cause of error in studying the structure of animals so complicated and delicate as the Eolidina. These mollusks invariably contract themselves greatly when subjected to pressure, and the various organs are confusedly crushed together, so that it is quite impos- sible to distinguish any of them with precision. We have never succeeded in tracing in this manner the whole of any of the vis- cera, though we have several times made the attempt, and we can easily conceive that the compressor has led to many of the errors which we believe M. de Quatrefages has committed, though we give him full credit for the amount of information that he has B2 u 4 Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy of Eolis. really gathered from the very limited number and minute size of his specimens. We propose to treat of the anatomy of Eolis by describing suc- cessively the various organs, beginning with those of digestion, which will form the subject of the present article. The physio- logy will be found incorporated with the anatomy. In PI. V. fig. 16, is given a general view of the viscera of E. papulosa, the dorsal skin having been removed. 07'gans of Digestion. These consist of 1st. An outer and an inner lip, leading to 2ndly. A buccal mass, composed of a pair of horny plates, pro- vided with strong cutting-edges, and inclosing a spiny prehen- sile tongue, having strong muscles adapted to produce all ne- cessary movements. From the posterior part of the dorsal aspect of this mass passes backward, 3rdly. A short constricted oesophagus, which ends in 4thly. A ramified digestive cavity ; the ramifications continued into the branchial papillse, and developed into a more or less complicated follicular apparatus for the biliary secretion, being at the same time continued into ovate vesicles which open externally at the apices of the papillse. 5thly. A short intestinal tube coming off from the posterior part of the dorsal aspect of the bulb of the stomach, and ending in an anus placed on the right side of the body. 6thly. Minute salivary glands. The mouth, in Eolis papillosa (an anterior view of which, from a specimen that had been in spirit, is shown in PI. V. fig. 14), opens on the inferior surface of the head and in front of the an- terior border of the foot. It is provided with an external pair of large soft lips, PI. I. fig. 4 a, that divide vertically on the median line. A little within these there is a strong, firm, somewhat com- pressed, muscular layer — the inner lip, PI. I. figs. 4, 6, and 8 b, surrounding an oval vertical space, through which two strong, brown, horny laminae, the cutting-blades of the jaw, PI. II. fig. 2 a, are visible. These blades are seen to be separated by a vertical fissure (PI. V. fig. 14 c) opening into the cavity of the mouth. An inferior view of the mouth of E. olivacea in its natural state is seen in PI. V. fig. 15. The buccal mass itself, PI. I. fig. 7, is composed of a pair of large corneous plates, a tongue, and the muscles necessary for the movements of these organs. It is a large and apparently compact body of a subtriangular form, with the sides a little com- pressed. The corneous plates, PL I. figs. 4 «, 9 « «, PI. II. 5, 7, &c., are nearly co-extensive with the general mass, on the sides of Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy of Eolis. 5 which they are placed, partially imbedded in the muscles. They are of an irregularly elliptical form, slightly concave internally and convex externally, and are gradually thinned to a fine edge at their inferior and posterior margins. From the superior mar- gin of each plate near its anterior part projects inwards a trian- gular process, PL I. fig. 9 b and PI. II. fig. 7a ; these processes are united at their apices on the median line by a strong ligament, forming a hinge-like joint or pivot on which the horny plates move easily. Below and a little in advance of these processes project downwards the two large arched cutting-blades, PI. I. fig. 9 c, PI. II. 5, and 7 b ; these blades form the anterior edges of the corneous plates, and end inferiorly in long pointed pro- cesses, w^hich are kept together by muscular insertions. The upper surface of the processes for the hinge is divided un- equally by a slight ridge, PI. I. fig. 9 a and PI. II. 7 c, into two parts ; these give attachment to transverse muscles which move the horny plates upon the pivot : the muscle in front of the ridge, PI. I. figs. 6 6*', 7d, 10c, and PI. II. 2 b, is also in front of the pivot, and has the ofiice of closing the jaws ; that behind the ridge, PI. I. figs. Q d,7 e and 10 b, is the opponent of the former and opens the jaws. The latter is much larger than the former and consequently stronger, and extends backwards as far as the oeso- phagus. There is however another transverse muscle, PI. I. figs. Qe, \0d and PI. II. 2c, the duty of which is to assist in closing the cutting-blades. This muscle is seen attached to the edge of the horny plates at their anterior inferior aspect below the cut- ting-blades. The closure of the jaws is further materially pro- moted by a sphincter muscle which forms part of the lips, and will be described further on. On the upper aspect of the buccal mass, behind, and partly covered by the transverse muscle that opens the jaws, and run- ning on each side of the oesophagus backwards and then down- wards, is a well-defined muscular layer, PI. I. figs. 5 a, 7 /and 9 e, having its origin from the inner border of the horny plates. The fibres which arise the furthest forward form the inner edge of each muscle, and unite on the median line immediately behind the oesophagus ; those which come off" behind these pass parallel to them, and are united also on the median line at points suc- cessively further behind and below the former, and the fibres which are last in origin are prolonged and become lost upon the under aspect of the buccal mass. All the fibres of this muscular layer, besides uniting with each other, are attached by their an- terior surface to the muscles of the tongue upon which they lie. One ofiice of these muscles appears to be to pull forwards the oesophagus so as to close its orifice; their principal function we will explain when we come to the tongue. 6 Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy of Eolis. On removing these muscles there is brought into view a very thin stratum of ghstening muscular fibres, PI. I. fig. 9/, attached to the opposed edges of the horny plates and converging towards the oesophagus, upon which they pass, forming at once a coating of longitudinal fibres for that tube, and the attachment of it to the skeleton of the mouth. This delicate layer lies upon the lining membrane of the mouth and oesophagus. On cutting through the hinge and separating the horny plates, we obtain a view of the interior of the mouth, PI. I. fig. 8; here we find in the median line the arched prominent ridge of the tongue c, extending from before backwards, formed of seventeen or eighteen transversely curved imbricated plates, PI. II. fig. 1, their posterior free edges thickened, of a dark chestnut colour, and presenting about forty spines slightly bent, and having their points directed backwards. This ridge is supported upon the curved apex of a wedge-shaped muscular mass, PL I. figs. 6/ and 8 dj that rises from the posterior inferior wall of the mouth, and is much thicker behind than before. A lateral view of this mass shows two sets of muscular fibres : one, by far the stronger and larger, arising from the inner surface of the inferior posterior margin of the horny plate, and radiating to all parts of the curved ridge, where they are inserted into the ends of the transversely arched plates which sustain the spines ; the other set, much less strongly marked, and crossing obliquely over the former, arise from the posterior extremity of the curved ridge of the tongue, and thence pass forward to be inserted successively into the ends of all the transverse plates of the ridge from back to front ; the upper fibres are consequently the shortest, the lower the longest. The former set of fibres, when acting as a whole, will carry downwards and backwards the entire ridge of the tongue. When the muscles of the two sides act alternately, the tongue will be moved from side to side; when the anterior and posterior borders of the muscles act alternately, as it may be supposed they can, the alternate advance and retreat of the spiny ridge will be assisted. The degree of curvature of the tongue and the situation of the curve will materially depend upon the former, as well as upon the latter set of fibres. On removing the muscles just described from off one side of the tongue, a very beautiful piece of mechanism is brought into view ; we find, corresponding to the base of the tongue and the under surface of the buccal mass, two strong semicircular bands of muscle ; one, the inferior, PI. I. fig. 5 b, arises from the infe- rior pointed extremity of the cutting-jaws e, directly above the inferior transverse muscle that assists to close the jaws; and thence passes in a curve backwards and upwards, and is inserted into the posterior extremity of the ridge of the tongue. It is to Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy w/Eolis. 7 the under and posterior surface of this band that the muscle [a) we have mentioned, as coming down from the upper part of the buccal mass by the side of the oesophagus, is attached. The use of this inferior band is to pull the posterior end of the ridge of the tongue downwards, and thus assist in the rotatory motion of this organ backwards, by which food is carried to the opening of the (Esophagus. The other, the superior band, PI. I. fig. 5 c, lies within the curve of the former, and has its ends fixed to the ends of the spiny ridge of the tongue, which it will serve to ap- proximate ; but it will more particularly pull downwards and back- wards the anterior end of the tongue, being the main agent in its rotatory motion forwards, on account of the muscles which come down from the upper part along the posterior surface of the buccal mass pulling upon the inferior semicircular band to which they are attached, and thus making the posterior end of the tongue a fixed point. Of the three muscles here last mentioned, the posterior a, and the superior c, are associated together in action, and are opposed by the inferior Z>, which is also in part intermediate in situation between the others. Altogether they are the chief instruments in producing the rotatory backward and forward motions of the tongue, whilst the muscles that overlie them laterally assist in the rotation, and regulate the place and degree of curvature of the ridge, whilst they can depress the tongue in totality. Now, the nearly circular space that is left between the concave border of the upper semicircular muscle and the concavity of the ridge of the tongue is filled up by a mass of stout, short, transverse fibres eformis. AnatinaPandorcBformis,^t\itch- bury, Zool. Journ. vol. v. p. 99 ; Tab. Supp. xliii. f. 3 and 4. Conch. Iconica, Myadora, pi. 1. f. 10. The Myadora striata, brevis, and Pandoraformis are the only spe- cies of the genus at present known to have the clavicle. The Secretary called the attention of the Meeting to a specimen of the Two-toed Sloth, Bradypus didactylus, which was now in the Gardens, and requested Mr. Ball, Secretary to the Royal Zoological Society of Ireland, to communicate such particulars connected with the habits and manners of this curious animal as had fallen under his observation. Mr. Ball regretted that it was out of his power to state the exact locality from which the animal had been obtained ; however, he had reason to believe that it was brought from Demerara. Its general food was sea-biscuit and water; of fruit it partook sparingly, but he had observed it pick the young buds of the haw- thorn flowers and eat them with great avidity. While in the Zoological Gardens at Dublin its favourite position was where it was supported partly by the branch to which it clung, and partly by an adjoining branch on which its back could rest. In lapping water, the great length to which its tongue was pro- truded was very remarkable, thereby showing its affinity to the other Edentata of South America. BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. This Society held its first meeting for the session on Thursday the 12th of December 1844, Dr. Seller in the Chair. Numerous donations to the library and museum were announced, particularly from Dr. Fraser, Algoa Bay, eleven volumes of botani- cal works and specimens of Cape woods and plants. From the Rev. J. E. Leefe, the second Fasciculus of his * Salictum Britannicum Ex- siccatum.' From Dr. Dewar, Dunfermline, plants from the river Congo, &c. From Mr. Charles Lawson, jun., plants from the Rocky Mountains, &c. The thanks of the Society were voted to the re- spective donors. The following communications were read : — 1. •' Notice of the discovery of Alsine striata in Teesdale," by Messrs. J. S. Gibson and J. Tatham, jun. 2. " On the genus SpiruUna," by Mr. Ralfs. One species only, the S. tenuissima (Kutz.) was described. [This paper will shortly ap- pear in the * Annals,* and in the forthcoming series of the Society's Transactions.] 3. ** Notice of the discovery of C/mwm5e/o5wm,Bieb. , near Culross," by Dr. Dewar. [Notices of the discovery of this and of Alsine striata have already appeared in the * Annals of Natural History.'] 4. " Journal of a Tour through part of the United States and the Canadas" (continued), by Mr. James M'Nab. In the last part of this paper, read before the Society, Mr. M'Nab Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 65 gave an account of the botanical features of the country in the neigh- bourhood of Stillwater, and concluded with an examination of the woodland grounds in the vicinity of Whitehall ; the present i^ortion embraces the journey from the latter ])lace to Montreal. " The southern extremity of Lake Charaplain is winding and nar- row, having considerable tracts of level ground extended on each side. The woods for the first sixteen miles are very various, the principal trees being the wild cherry (Prnnus virgimana), elms, wal- nuts, sugar-maple, and the aspen poplar (Po/7m/m5 tremuloides) . The rocky grounds overhanging the lake were densely clothed with the Arbor vitse. After having fairly entered upon the expanse of the lake, the appearance of the lofty white or Weymouth pines {Pinus Strobus), towering above the deciduous trees, along the rising grounds at the base of the hills, was remarkable ; most of them being destitute of branches, which gave them more the appearance of palms than pines. About Essex, half-way along the lake, it widens, and all at once the wooded rocky land by the water's edge is changed for a rich champaign. The fields of the different farms being laid off in squares, and each farmstead having a large orchard attached to it, render this tract very interesting. The soil seemed a light- coloured clay, and the wood on the lower grounds was not very plentiful ; but the rising grounds behind were closely studded with scraggy pines. " Near the northern extremity the lake contracts : by this time we had entered upon Lower Canada. The country here presented a totally different appearance, owing to the dense dark masses of pines, elms and spruces, which covered a vast extent of the country, and having every here and there, along the edge of the lake, rustic but picturesque log-houses, inhabited by French Canadians, employed in felling the timber, dressing and carrying it to the lake for the pur- pose of being floated down to the harbour at Lapraire, on the St. Lawrence river, for exportation. On reaching St. John's, the north- ern extremity of Lake Champlain, the forests presented the same appearance as they did when we first entered the lake, with the addi- tion of the balm of Gilead fir, Abies balsamifera : numbers of this tree were seen covering the drier grounds ; the largest observed did not exceed thirty feet in height and four feet in circumference. On the dry surface of these woods, the spice -root, Dalibarda repens, formed exceedingly beautiful tufts, resembling in its ground-clothing pro- pensity the Epigcea repens, as seen in the New Jersey forests. The sugar-maple, Acer saccharinum, is here in greater quantities, and attains a larger size than hitherto noticed, and notwithstanding the great mutilation to which they are yearly subjected in spring, for their sap, which is here extensively used in the manufacture of sugar, appears in the most perfect state of health. "At St. John's we picked in the swampy grounds and in the shal- low water by the edge of the lake, luxuriant flowering specimens of the sweet flag, Acorns Calamus, Iris versicolor and Utricularia vulga- ris. In drier soil, the Eupatorium verticillatum was the chief plant in flower, and covered a great extent of gi'ound. " Passing onwards to Lapraire, the only tree of any interest and Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol.xv. F 66 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. deserving of notice was the canoe birch, Betula papyracea. Several compact masses of these trees, evidently of the second growth, oc- cupied the lower grounds ; but from their closeness none had attained a great size. Large trees must exist in the neighbourhood, although we did not fall in with them, as many of the canoes in this district were made from the bark of this tree ; although the greater number were scooped out of the trunks of the fir tribe. " On crossing the St. Lawrence to Montreal, we were much sur- prised to see the great difference which the Canadian winter pro- duces upon the species of ornamental trees : as examples may be mentioned the Ailantus glandulosa, the trees here being quite small and stunted ; the osage orange, Madura aurantiaca^ seemed barely alive ; mulberries were small and unhealthy ; weeping willows are almost always killed in winter, although in the neighbourhood of New York the stem of this tree is seen averaging from eight to fifteen, and sometimes twenty feet in circumference. None of the Catalpa trees and Magnolias, which prove so ornamental in the pleasure- grounds both of New York and Philadelphia, can be made to thrive here, with the exception of Magnolia glauca ; and even these are in a very unhealthy condition. The deciduous cypress, Cupressus disti- cha, is also much dwarfed. Evergreens, with the exception of the fir tribe, were rarely to be seen. On visiting the gardens and nur- series in the neighbourhood, we were much gratified at finding them so well managed. On the garden walls we observed healthy trees of peaches, apricots and nectarines, having well-ripened wood, and every appearance of aflfording plentiful crops. Gooseberries and currants were in great abundance, with high-flavoured fruit, which is seldom to be met with in the gardens of the United States ; apples were plentiful, but pears rather scarce. Vines trained on espaliers had a promising appearance. '* In the nursery-grounds the fruit and flower departments seem to receive the most attention. Few of the indigenous plants are cultivated, although considerable quantities of the genera Cypri- pedium, Trillium, Orchis, Habenaria, Goody era. Calypso, Pagonia and Sarracenia, procured from their native habitats when in flower, lay stored in boxes for sale and barter with the British merchants. " We next proceeded to the Montreal Mountain, situated to the north-west of the town. A number of fine specimens of the sugar- maple were seen,with a great mixture of shrubby plants. The lime- trees, Tilia americana, had a singular and beautiful eff'ect, from the large size of their foliage ; some of the leaves measured thirteen inches long and eleven broad. Very few herbaceous plants were obtained, owing to the penetrating rays of the sun having scorched everything. In very shady places, particularly on the north and east side of the mountain, we procured a few good specimens, in flower, of Orchis macrophylla, Corallorhiza multiflora, Aralia hispida and ra- mosa. Aster acuminata, Aspidium hulbiferum, which, with the Cyperus retro-fractus from the most exposed places, formed the most inter- esting part of our collections. After some difficulty we reached the summit, and the view as seen around was truly grand. We beheld Geological Society. 67 the St. Lawrence winding its way through a vast extent of level country, while in various parts extensive wooded islands were seen obstructing its course. On descending the south side of the moun- tain, which is closely wooded, the thermometer indicated 89° of Fahrenheit. The exertion caused by ascending and descending was severe ; and owing to the parched state of the ground, and the flaccid vegetables with which it was covered, walking was rendered nearly as difficult as over sea-weeds on a rocky shore." At this meeting the election of office-bearers for the ensuing year took place, when Dr. Douglas Maclagan was chosen President ; and Professor Graham, Drs. Lowe, Greville and Seller, Vice-Presidents. GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Nov. 20, 1844. — A paper was read " On the Geology of Gibraltar." By J. Smith, Esq., of Jordan Hill. The great rocky masses terminating Europe on the S.W. and Africa on the N.W., and cut through by the Straits of Gibraltar, con- sist of siliceous sandstones, associated with limestone, chert, shale and coal, all apparently of the oolitic formation. The Gibraltar limestone contains casts of Terebratula fimbria and T. concinna, species found in Britain in the lower oolite. The covering of the older rocks consists of soil, river alluvium, post-tertiary marine sands, and local patches of diluvium. Wherever the covering is removed, the surface of the rock beneath is seen to be water- worn. The rock of Gibraltar is 1470 feet high. The southern extremity is marked by a triple series of terraces and inland cliffs, formed by the sea at former levels. Its northern terminates in a perpendicular cliff. 7'he elevated part is divided into three distinct eminences, the effects of different local upheavals. The northern of these (the rock gun) does not appear to have undergone any derangement in its stratification since its first upheaval, although it must have been subjected to many elevations and depressions of level. Its older beds (those of the limestone) dip west at an angle of 20°, and those formed since the elevation are horizontal, remaining in their natural position. In this state the whole of the rock must have remained for a lengthened period, until a second upheaval broke it across, leaving the northern portion in its original position, but lifting the whole of the southern 20° more, so that its beds, which formerly dipped 20° west, now dip 40° ; and the fresh deposits, formerly horizontal, 20°. On these deposits, others, formed after the upheaval, rest unconformably. A third upheaval in the same direction, but still further to the south, lifted the rock there about 20° more, leaving the northern and middle hills in their former position, but inclining the southern 60°. Thus we have four distinct epochs ; of the deposits formed during each we have remains, and at Martin's Cave the whole may be seen in juxtaposition. Immediate- ly under O'Hara's tower, the highest peak, the inclination of the beds to the west is nearly 80°, and a short way to the south of it, they are vertical. Under this point there is, at the height of about F2 68 Miscellaneous. 50 feet, sloping inwards 11°, beds of sandstone in a sea- worn cave, proving at least one other disturbance in addition. Subsequent to these great disturbing changes, there occurred a series of elevations and depressions, indicated by mixed beaches and sea-bottoms at dif- ferent levels and by the surface of the rock perforated by Lithodomi and sea-worn to the very summit, indicating that the amount of change of level in these comparatively modern times— for the fossils in these deposits are in every case identical with species now living in the neighbouring seas — exceeded the height of the mountain, or 1470 feet. There are evidences, also, of a series of movements of depression. All these changes must have preceded the historical period, as previous to the last change, Gibraltar must have been an island, of which there is no record ; the most ancient accounts de- scribing it as it is now. The upheaving forces must have been deep- seated, as there are no erupted igneous rocks near. MISCELLANEOUS. SUBMARINE EXPLORATIONS BY M. MILNE EDWARDS. M. Milne Edwards in a communication to the French Academy- states, that having for some time been occupied in studying the lower marine animals, particularly Zoophytes, Mollusca, Vermes and Crusta- cea, in their living state, on the northern and eastern coasts of France, and being desirous of also entering upon a comparative study of species peculiar to warmer regions, he had visited with this view the shores of the Mediterranean, where their habitats not being rendered access- ible as on the coasts of the Channel and the Atlantic by the alterna- tions of the tide, he had availed himself of the apparatus invented by Colonel Paulin for a course of submarine exploration. He then de- scribes the apparatus, which is a sort of helmet with glass eye- holes, and a flexible tube for a supply of air ; and states, that by its aid, in Provence, Italy, Sicily and Algeria, he often explored the habitations of a multitude of these animals, remaining under water more than half an hour, and at a depth of more than seven metres. "Exploring by these means," he adds, "the rocks and the bottom of the port of Milazzo, I procured an immense number of the eggs of mollusks and annelides whose development I wished to study. Besides, I was enabled to catch in the irregularities of the bottom the minutest animals that remain fixed, and cannot be obtained in any other manner. I saw perfectly all that surrounded me, and it was muscular fatigue alone that hindered me from walking at the bottom of the sea just as I could do on the shore. " The questions to which I had especially directed my attention re- late to the embryology of the Annelida and of the Mollusca, to the circulation of the blood in the latter animals, as also in the Crustacea, and to the organization of the StephanomitE, and of the Ciliograde Acalephse in general ; but whilst following out these investigations I had occasion to make various observations on subjects of secondary Miscellaneous. 69 interest: thus I have succeeded in tracing the mechanism of the sin- gular motions discovered by M. Sieboldt in the interior of the audi- tory capsule of the Mollusca ; I have convinced myself in the most positive manner of the existence of herraaphrodism in the Anatifcs, a fact which had been rendered doubtful by the observations of Mr. Goodsir on the alleged males of the Balani. I have observed that in the Haliotides the sexes are separated as in the PatellcB, and that consequently it is at present less possible than ever in my opinion to admit as the basis of classification of the Gasteropod Mollusca, the distinction of these animals into moncecious, hermaphrodite, and dioecious. I have discovered a new fact which shows how little physiological importance should be attached to the colour of the blood, so constant in the '\"ertebrata, in the inferior animals, a con- clusion which already resulted from my observations on the Vermes. I have found in fact, in the neighbourhood of Palermo, an Ascidia with red blood. I shall in conclusion notice another zoological fact which of itself is of no importance, but will furnish a further proof of the errors which might be committed by placing too much con- fidence in the invariability of the relations which appear to exist be- tween the organization of the lower animals and their external cha- racters. M. Savigny, in showing how much the internal structure of the compound Ascidice differs from those of the Halcyons and other polypes with which they had up to that time been confounded, pointed out the existence of six tentacula in the one and of eight in the others, as being the external character the most fit to distinguish them without the aid of the scalpel ; and in truth never more than six tentacula had hitherto been found round the mouth of the com- pound AscidicB, while the Halcyons and other zoophytes constructed after the same type, always present eight ; but this empirical cha- racter now loses its entire value, for I have found in the Mediterra- nean a compound Ascidia having eight of these appendages." The author promises to give an account in a future communica- tion of his observations on the development of the Annelida. From the Comptes Rendus for Nov. 25, 1844. OBSERVATIONS ON SOME POLYPES. Dr. Reid has detailed several new observations he has made upon certain polypes when carefully examined by the microscope : he men- tions some appendages to the polypidom in the Cellularia scruposa and Cellularia reptans which had not been previously described. At the antei'ior part of the outer side of each cell in the Cellularia scru- posa, and immediately in front of the tooth-like process there attached, are two pretty long spines and a rounded process, which tapers slightly from its fixed to its free extremity. This rounded process is open at the top, and is hollow in dead specimens : but when alive it is full of a contractile substance. In this contractile substance the end of a hair-like curved filament, about the length of the cell, is immersed. This hair-like filament is moved about by the contractile substance attached to it, generally in jerks after intervals of repose, and in its movements sweeps the anterior and posterior surfaces of 70 Miscellaneous. the cell to which it is fixed. These movements continue for a considerable time after the animal inhabiting the cell has been dead. A hollow rounded process, with a hair-like curved and moveable fila- ment projecting from it, is also fixed upon the corresponding part of each cell of the Cellularia repians. I'hese moveable hair-like fila- ments are analogous to the moveable bird-head process attached to each of the cells of Flustra avicularis. — Proceedings of the St. Andrews' Lit. and Phil. Soc, Nov. 1844. FOOD OF THE AUSTRALIAN NATIVES. Mr. Hodgkinson, in his 'Australia, from Port Macquarie to More- ton Bay, with Description of the Natives, their Manners and Customs,' &c., gives a somewhat elaborate account of Australian field-sports, and of the Aborigines. On the immediate banks of the MacLeay river, he says, there are no fewer than six distinct tribes ; besides several others near the sources of the river among the mountains. All these tribes are able to get an abundance of food with very little trouble, and add the reptile kingdom to the ordinary sources : — "All the larger varieties of snakes are eaten by them, but they will never touch one that has been killed by a white man. Guanas,, and a short thick kind of lizard called the dew-lizard, are also much relished by them. However repugnant the idea of eating reptiles seems to us, it is from a real liking for their flesh that the Australian savages eat them, and not from the great scarcity of better food ; for I have on two or three occasions known them, when employed by me in assisting at the cattle-musters, pulling maize, &c., and well- fed on bread and beef, carefully preserve any snake they chanced to kill, and cook and eat it at the next fire. Induced by curiosity, I have on several occasions tasted the flesh of every one of the reptiles just mentioned, and although nothing but the most extreme hunger could make me conquer my aversion so as to dine on them, I must nevertheless own, that not one of them possessed any disagreeable taste. The flesh of the black snake in particular was rich and juicy, somewhat resembling in flavour the flesh of a sucking-pig, whilst that of the guana was whiter and drier, and more approximated to fowl. Besides, these savages are not the only race of men who eat reptiles, for the common water- snake of England (^Natrix torquatd) is eaten in several parts of the continent of Europe ; and every one knows that the guana of the West Indies (a much more hideous ani- mal, by-the-by, than the guana of Australia) is considered very good eating by the planters in some of the islands." MR. SCHOMBURGk's COLLECTIONS IN GUIANA. It appears from the report of the Chev. Schomburgk, read at a recent meeting of the Geographical Society, that notwithstanding the great difficulty of conveying collections of natural history over such a country as that traversed by him, and the frequent loss of objects collected with great pains, he has deposited in the British Meteorological Observations. 71 Museum 2500 specimens of dried plants, 100 specimens of woods, dried fruits, a flower and young leaf of the Victoria regalis, and se- veral other botanical specimens preserved in spirits, a collection of bird-skins, upwards of 100 specimens of fishes in spirits, a geological collection, and an ethnological collection. The Royal College of Surgeons has been presented with some skulls, a perfect skeleton, and a number of plaster casts. The model-room of the Admiralty has received a collection of woods ; the Royal Garden at Kew several living plants ; and presents of curiosities from Guiana have been made to different scientific societies and institutions. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR NOV. 1844. Chiswick. — Nov. 1. Overcast: boisterous. 2. Constant heavy rain : boisterous at night. 3. Cloudy and fine. 4,5. Cloudy. 6. Overcast. 7. Rain: cloudy. 8. Overcast: heavy rain at night. 9. Hazy clouds : fine : clear. 10. Clear and fine: rain. 11. Densely clouded : fine. 12. Kain: drizzly : boisterous, with rain at night. 13. Heavy rain. 14. Rain. 15. Cloudy. 16. Hazy: clear. 17. Foggy. 18,19. Overcast. 20. Hazy : clear and fine. 21. Foggy throughout. 22. Hazy. 23. Foggy. 24. Hazy : cloudy. 25. Cloudy and fine. 26. Clear and frosty. 27. Sharp frost : foggy : clear and frosty at night. 28. Foggy : cloudy. 29, Easterly haze : foggy. 30. Overcast. — Mean temperature of the month 0°'85 above the average. Boston. — Nov. 1. Cloudy. 2. Stormy: rain p.m. 3. Rain: rain early a.m. : rain P.M. 4. Rain : rain early a.m. : showery afterwards. 5. Cloudy : rain early A.M. : showery afterwards. 6. Rain : rain early a.m. : rain a.m. and p.m. 7. Fine. 8. Cloudy : rain P.M. 9. Cloudy. 10. Fine : rain p.m. 11. Fine: rain early a.m. 12. Cloudy : rain p.m. 13. Cloudy : rain a.m. and p.m. 14. Fine. 15. Cloudy : rain early a.m. 16. P'ine. 17 — 20. Cloudy. 21. Fine. 22. Cloudy : first ice this morning. 23. Cloudy. 24. Cloudy : total eclipse of the moon visible 11 p.m. 25. Cloudy. 26, 27. Fine. 28—30. Cloudy. Sandwick Manse, Orkney. — Nov. 1. Cloudy. 2. Damp. 3. Bright: clear. 4—7. Fine. 8. Showers. 9—11. Rain. 12. Cloudy. 13. Frost: fine: cloudy. 14. Frost: fine: cloudy: frost. 15. Rain. 16. Rain : drizzle. 17, 18. Cloudy. 19. Bright: hazy. 20. Showers. 21. Bright: cloudy. 22. Bright : clear : aurora. 23. Bright : clear. 24. Clear. 25. Cloudy. 26. Bright: rain. 27. Cloudy: damp. 28. Cloudy: clear. 29. Rain: clear. 30. Bright : clear. Applegarlh Manse, Dumfries-shire. — Nov. 1. Fair: wind high. 2. Very slight shower. 3. Very slight shower : clear. 4, 5. Fair, but threatening. 6. Cloudy and damp. 7. Fair and fine. 8. Dull a.m. : rain. 9. Fair, but dull. 10, 11. Cloudy A.M.: rain p.m. 12. Rain. 13. Fair and mild. 14. Heavy rain : flood. 15. P'air and fine. 16. Fair and fine, though cloudy. 17. Damp: slight shower. 18. Rain p.m. 19. Fair and fine. 20. Fair and fine : frost a.m. : fog. 21. Fair and fine : frost. 22. Slight rain. 23. Fair, but dull. 24. Fair ; frost. 25. Fair : slight frost a.m. 26. Fair, but cloudy. 27. Cloudy a.m. : rain p.m. 28. Fair, but dull. 29. Shower. 30. Fine: frost a.m. Mean temperature of the month 43°*6 Mean temperature of Nov. 1843 41 '7 Mean temperature of Nov. for twenty years 39 '9 Mean temperature of spring- water 47 '0 Mean temperature of ditto Nov. 1843 ... 44 -2 •^23 *3JU(S -saujiunQ •uojsoa •3[3IMSU13 •3[0tAipUBS •aiiqs -saujiunQ •uoisoa •ui-d I •qoidisiqo •in-d 18 •Ul-B ?6 Is 3 CO •uiM •XBItt •lU-B f8 •uo^soa 6 : 0^ . (O rl<'!t "^ : o o a> oJ : . . oJ o flj . > & ^r ^ ^ fe fe '^ <" 3J OJ g; 5 s s s s s s a « a; s i diii i CO ^- ^* i i i i i i « i i i 6 i a i i i 6 i •uiK •XBJ\[ Hcg ■^B •UI'B f 8 •uo^soa ^ o 2^ tOC*500C^O-.«'^»-<< TS'^(NG0O^00U:)(M00^O'rtO^O^O^>-00(M0000lnO^I iiiffi rf|iN rt!« pji(s rr;^o tot^o CN .lO C< -T" c» o^ o^ o^ — m. rt o G 74 Mr. m. J). Goodsiv on some Animals with punctured lines running almost parallel to one another. Ambulatory legs of considerable length ; the anterior pair large, the arm extending beyond the lateral edge of the carapace, and having its internal edge very much depressed and thinned, at the anterior angle of which are several strong spines ; the remaining legs are all depressed, with the edges of the last three joints armed with long, thick-set hairs, and especially the superior edges. The internal antennse consist of four segments, the last being multiarticulate, and a strong articulated spine arises from the internal edge of the third articulation near its distal extre- mity. The external pair of antennse arise from the internal angles of the orbit, are multiarticulate and very minute. The ex- ternal foot-jaws are large, but have their internal edges so formed as to leave a lozenge-shaped space between them. The abdo- men in the male of this species is narrow and of a triangular shape ; that of the female large, rounded, and covering almost all the lower surface of the body. It appears to have been found in great numbers both by Mr. Williams and Mr. Melville. 2. Hippolyte ensifei'us. PI. VII. fig. 2. H. with one short tooth projecting forwards from the base of the rostrum; rostrum slightly curved upward with four or five spines at the tip, the third of which from the dorsum is longest. Peduncular scale of external antennse not so long as the rostrum almost by one-third. External foot-jaws not so long as the peduncle of the external antennse ; with the terminal joint flattened, serrated at the apex and on its internal edge. Description. — The whole animal about 1 inch in length, of an ochrey yellow colour except the tips of the eyes, which are black. The internal antennse with the peduncle 3 -jointed ; the scale of the external pair very thin and narrowed at the tip, which is also bifurcated. The external foot-jaws have the external edge of the last joint smooth and rather thickened. The first pair of thoracic legs are short, thick, smooth and didactyle ; those of the second pair are long, filiform, spined, and also didactyle ; the third arti- culation is very slender. The last three pairs of legs are much longer than any of the preceding, filiform and spined. The mid- dle plate of the tail not so long as the second, armed with two pairs of spines at the tip. Found in considerable abundance between the parallels of 25° and 30° north, and 4° west long., by Mr. Williams. Almost every specimen infested with Bopyrus squillarum. 3. Palcsmon natator. PI. VII. fig. 3. P. with the rostrum lanceform, having eleven or twelve large distinct spines on its superior edge, and two small rather indi- found amongst the Gulf-weed. 76 stinct ones on its inferior edge near the tip. Two spines on each side of the carapace near or on the anterior edge. Middle plate of the tail with three obsolete spines on each side and two long spines from the extremity. Description. — The whole animal of a yellow colour ; rather more than an inch in length and very robust. Rostrum about the same length as the peduncular scales of external antennae, lanceolate^ being rounded and narrowed at the base and dilated near the extremity before ending in a point. The peduncular portion of the superior antennae 4-jointed, the basal joint being large and hollowed out superiorly for the reception of the eyes ; each of the segments of the peduncle end externally and ante- riorly in a spine which projects forwards and outwards. The outermost of the three terminal filaments is the thickest. The peduncular scale of the external antennae does not terminate in a pointy but is obliquely truncated ; the terminal filament is longer than those of the superior anteiyase. First pair of legs very slender^ reaching a little beyond the peduncle of external antennae, didactyle. Second pair much stronger, and although the first four joints are delicate, the hand is large and ovate, didactyle ; claws slender and almost straight. The last pair of legs slender. 4. Amphitoe pelagica. PI. VII. fig. 4. A. with peduncle of superior antennae about half the length of the inferior antennae, being almost the same length as the first three joints of the peduncle of the lower antennae. First pair of legs small, second pair with the wrist very much enlarged, and the claw sickle- shaped and moveable, inferior edge having a small tooth with a slight notch on either side of it near the distal ex- tremity ; claw as long as the wrist and tapering very gradually to a point. 5. Bopyrus squillarum. PL VII. figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. B. with posterior edge of last abdominal segment perfect. Description. — Male minute, about 1 line in length or hardly so long, linear. Head small, and about half as long as its greatest breadth. First thoracic joint larger than any of the succeeding. Ambulatory legs very short and chelate. Female broad, flat- tened and pyriform, very much contracted posteriorly and dilated anteriorly. Young almost globular. From beneath carapace of Hippolyte ensiferus. 6. Anatifa sulcata. PI. VII. fig. 13. The peduncle of this Anatifa is so short as not to be seen without separating the animal from its attachment. The shape is triangular, and the peduncular extremitv of the animal is G2 76 On some Animals found amongst the Gulf -weed. slightly concave, with the posterior edges of the latero-peduncu- lar divisions serrated ; the posterior and abdominal angle of this part of the shell is incurvated and pointed, and its external sur- face is deeply sulcated, the sulci all radiating from the posterior abdominal angle to the dorsal edge of the division, where they form small but very distinct serrations. Dorsal division of the shell smooth, extending almost the whole length of the dorsum, and reflected upon the posterior dorsal angles of the latero-pe- duncular division. A small obsolete tooth may be observed upon the dorsal edge near its anterior extremity. The antero-lateral are much smaller than the peduncular divisions of the shell, and are also sulcated, the sulci radiating from the anterior point to- wards the abdominal edge : the ridges formed by these sulci are armed in both divisions with minute teeth, the points of which in the peduncular portion all project towards the dorsum, those in the anterior towards the abdomen. Attached to a portion of Fucus nutans. The species now described differs in some points from the figure given by Quoy and Gaimard in the ' Voyage de TAstro- labe,' which beautiful work I have been able to see through the kindness of Mr. Grut ; I thought it unnecessary however to give another specific name. Several specimens of Scyllcea pelagica were in the bottle, and the spawn (PL VII. fig. 14) of this animal was attached in several places to the Fucus in rather irregular coils ; the central extre- mity adhered to a stem of the Fucus, the succeeding parts sur- rounding it in coils, the external extremity being attached in the same manner as the central one. EXPLANATION OF PLATE VIL Fig. 1. Nautilograpsus miriutus, nat. size. Fig. 2. Hippolyte ensiferiis, mag. three times. Fig. 3. PalcBmon natator, mag. twice. Fig. 4. Amphitoe pelagica, enlarged. Fig. 5. Bopyrus sguillarum, female, magnified. Fig. 6. , young. Fig. 7. , male. Fig. 8. The abdominal surface of the head of male Bopyrus. Fig. 9. One of the ambulatory legs of male Bopyrus. Fig. 10. One of the ambulatory legs of female. Fig. 11. Last abdominal segment of female Bopyrus, showing the entire segment. Fig. 12. Drawing of an ovum, a cluster of which were attached to the Fucus. Fig. 13. Anatifa sulcata, magnified, attached to a portion of the Gulf-weed. Fig. 14. Spawn of Scyllaa pelagica. Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy o/Eolis. 11 X. — On the Anatomy of Eolis, a genus of Mollusks of the order Nudibranchiata. By Albany Hancock and Dennis Em- bleton, M.D._, F.R.C.S.E._, Lecturer on Anatomy and Phy- siology in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne School of Medicine. [Concluded from p. 10.] The oesophagus , PI. 1. figs. 4 c, 6 and 8 h, PI. II. fig. 9, and PI. III. figs. 1, 3 and 4 c, passes from the posterior dorsal aspect of the buccal mass, and is a much-constricted canal. It is short, longitudinally plicated, and usually bent into the form of an S, so that the apparatus of the mouth can be advanced with facility. It is generally colourless, but in E. coronata and two or three other species it is of a deep rosy hue, appearing as a stain of that colour, immediately behind the dorsal tentacles. It consists of lon- gitudinal and circular fibres, the former of which have been no- ticed in the description of the muscles of the buccal mass. The plicse seem to be formed by the lining membrane, which we take to be a mucous one, and by the muscular coat. The stomach, PI. II. fig. 9, and PI. III. figs. 1,2 and 4^d, through- out the entire group is a large pyriform pouch which lies diagonally in the body, the lower end approaching the left side; it is continued in the form of a wide, tapering canal, PI. II. fig. 9, and PI. III. figs. I, 2 and 4^, along the median line immediately below the dorsal skin, and terminates near the posterior extremity of the body in a blind sac. From the pouch and its continuation branches are given ofi'in pairs, not however in perfect symmetrical order, but always more or less alternating. These branches give off" smaller tubes which are continued into the branchial papillae. From the upper surface of the posterior extremity of the stomach, just where it is continued into the great central canal, is given off a short intestine, PI. II. fig. 9, and PI. III. figs. 1, 2 and 4 e, which passes backwards, outwards and to the right side, then running for a short distance along the side, turns outwards and upwards and ends abruptly in a nipple-like anus /, generally concealed among the branchial papillse. In E. papulosa, PI. 11. fig. 9, the anus is situate immediately behind the ninth row of papillse, and the intestine is considerably dilated a little before its termination : this dilatation is not so conspicuous in other species. In E. coronata, PL III. fig. I, the anus is placed amidst the papillse in the second clump and close behind the fourth row, and in E. olivacea, PI. III. fig. 2, the nipple is seen about midway between the third and fourth rows. In E. despecta, Johnst., PL III. fig. 4, it is between the first and second branches. This portion of the digestive apparatus, i. e. the intestine and 78 Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy of Eolis. the anus, appears to have been entirely overlooked by M. de Qua- trefages in his Eolidina paradoxum, in which he says there is a very small anus at the termination of the central channel. In all the species we have examined we have not been able to detect such an orifice, but have found the true anus and intestine as above described in at least fifteen examples of the Eolidince. The stomach, PL III. fig. 7, is composed of three coats, a mu- cous, a muscular, and an external one, which we suppose to be serous. The inner surface of the bulb, of the great central channel, and of the primary and secondary branches, is beset with fine numerous longitudinal rugae or plicse, that appear to be formed by projections of the muscular coat covered over by the mucous membrane. In specimens that have been some time in spirits, the mucous coat presents merely a minutely granular ap- pearance ; but we have every reason to think that in the living state it is lined with a layer of ciliated epithelium. The mus- cular coat consists of minute flattened fibres, passing in nearly all directions, the longitudinal and transverse fibres being most distinct. The serous coat appears to be of more homogeneous texture than the others, and much thinner. In E. papillostty PI. II. fig. 9, the branches forming the ante- rior pair arise from about the middle of the dorsal surface of the gastric pouch, and are the only ones which come off anterior to the intestine ; they soon bifurcate, the anterior portion is subdi- vided into four branches, the posterior is continued on without further division ; the second pair have their origin in the upper posterior surface of the stomach, and bifurcate like the first pair ; the anterior portion remains undivided, the posterior bifurcates : the two anterior pairs of branches however are not always sym- metrical, as will be observed by referring to the diagram ; indeed we have scarcely seen them alike in any two individuals. The remaining four pairs of branches arise from the central canal, and simply bifurcate. These branches at their origin are all pointed more or less backward ; after their bifurcation they in- cline obliquely forward along the side of the body, lying nearly parallel to each other. From the whole of these branches con- stricted ducts lead into the interior of the branchial papillae. In this species there are from twelve to twenty of these ducts given ofi^ from each row or branch. In E. coronata, PI. III. fig. 1, the ramifications of this curious digestive apparatus are somewhat modified. The anterior pair arise from the superior aspect of the lower extremity of the sto- machal bulb, close in front of the origin of the intestine, and each trunk passing forward gives ofi* seven branches, the poste- rior of which is the largest and supplies about seven papillae. There are five or six other pairs, all of which originate in the Messrs. Hancock and Embleton 07i the Anatomy of Eolis. 79 great central trunk, and divide in the same way as the anterior pair, but the branches diminish in number and in size towards the posterior extremity of the body. It may be remarked, that the first and second pairs of branches in this and in most other species are more widely separated than the rest, and in the in- terval the heart is usually placed. Another modification is seen in E. olivacea, PI. III. fig. 2; in this species there are six pairs of branches, all of which are sim- ple except the first or anterior pair ; these arise as usual from the stomach, and are each divided into three branches. In E. de- specta, PL III. fig. 4, the arrangement is still more simplified : after the branches of the first pair come off in the ordinary way from the stomach and pass on undivided, each to a single pa- pilla, the central trunk passes to its termination in a zigzag di- rection, giving ofi" a branch at each angle to a large clavate pa- pilla. There are in all four of these papillse on each side ; they are not in pairs however, but alternate. Other slight variations might be cited, but the above are the chief modifications, and are perhaps sufficient to show to what extent the digestive system varies in the genus Eolis. We have searched in vain for the lateral vessel described by M. de Quatrefages, and have little hesitation in pronouncing its non-existence in the genus. We have seen several species with the ramifications coloured, and in none of them have we observed the slightest indications of such a vessel. In dissecting E. pa- pulosa we made every endeavour to detect it, but without success ; and in a small specimen of that species we have since seen the very terminations of the branches, and are quite satisfied that they are isolated : the branches mostly ended in free blind sacs of va- riable length ; others had their ends prolonged, bent outwards and received into small papillse, which seemed to be in process of de- velopment ; hence we inferred, that the glandular apparatus in the interior of the papillae was formed originally from the free ends of the branches from the stomach. We are also of opinion that when the animal is mature, the ends of all the branches will be found to enter papillae. We have observed the termination of branches in papillae in a species which had their minute ramifi- cations coloured : this species belongs to that portion of the ge- nus of which E. coronata is the type. It is therefore probable that M. de Quatrefages has been deceived by the doubhngof the skin at the sides of the body, caused by the pressure necessarily used during the mode of investigation adopted by that gentle- man : we have seen under such circumstances what might be readily mistaken for a vessel. The prolongations of the branches from the gastric cavity that are continued into the papillae are considerably modified in form 80 Messrs. Hancock and Embleton 07i the Anatomy of Eolis. in the various species, and from the variety and brilHancy of their colouring form the chief attraction of these very elegant animals. These prolongations appear on a superficial examination to be caeca, but when investigated under favourable circumstances and with a lens, they are found to be tubes with more or less compli- cated folHcular walls, PI. IV. fig. 9« : the upper extremity of the tube, where the follicular structure ceases, becomes suddenly deli- cate, transparent and minute, fig. 9 Z>, and is continued on to com- municate with a minute ovate vesicle, fig. 9 c, which lies within the extreme apex of the papilla, and opens externally by a minute circular foramen, fig. 9 d : the inner surface of the follicular or glandular part, which we take to be the liver, is lined with a gra- nular matter. The simplest form of this peculiar organ is met with in E. con- cinna, PI. IV. fig. 1. In this species it is a mere dilated tube with its wall slightly waved, and having the inner surface sprinkled with darkish granules. In E. Farrani, fig. 2, it still maintains a considerable simplicity of structure, but becomes decidedly sac- culated, and with some degree of regularity. The complexity of this organ is however much increased in E. olivacea, fig. 3, in which it is deeply and regularly produced into follicles or sacculi, which are much and variously puckered ; but in E. papillosa, fig. 4, it appears to attain its highest development. The central channel is somewhat tortuous, and gives off on all sides variously sized, irregularly shaped blind sacs, which are crowded with little compound follicles. The whole of the inner surface of this com- plicated biliary organ is lined with a thickish layer of what ap- pears to be a granular substance through an ordinary magnifier, but which on examination with the microscope is found to be composed of large irregular vesicles or globules, PI. V. fig. 7, disposed without any manifest arrangement, and filled with nu- merous granules. These last when submitted to a still higher magnifying power are seen to be transparent, rounded, and of various sizes, and nucleated, fig. 8. The larger bodies or glo- bules have a diameter of yjo o^^ ^^ ^^^ inch. The largest of the granules measure about jqVo^^ ^^ ^^ mch. in diameter. The compound follicular nature of this gland is best observed in the living papilla fresh plucked from the animal, and submitted to a slight action of the compressor. In papillae that have been some time in spirits the gland is somewhat contracted, its divi- sions approximated, and thus a more uniform surface of follicles is presented. In describing this gland or liver M. de Quatrefages has the following passage : " Mais les csecums qui partent des branches de Pintestin pour penetrer dans les cirrhes s^entourent, en en- trant dans leur cavite d^une espece de fourreau irregulier forme Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy o/Eolis. 81 d^une substance granuleuse bien moins transparente que le reste des tissus. II m^a semble reconnaitre en outre Fexistence de tres petits orifices s^ouvrant dans Finterieur du caecum/^ Now in the numerous species we have examined, we have seen nothing to war- rant the idea here laid down. From our statement above it will be seen, first, that we believe these prolongations of the branches of the digestive cavity not to be cseca, and secondly, that they are not simple tubes having a granular substance coating them, but we find that the walls of the tubes are more or less bulged or thrust outwards into the form of simple or compound follicles, and that the walls are lined throughout by the granular matter we have already described; in fact, that each papilla contains a perfect gland of distinctly follicular type. PI. IV. fig. 5. shows a lon- gitudinal, and PL IV. fig. 7. a cross section of a papilla of E. pa- pulosa ; a in each represents the great central channel from which on all sides branch ofi" large canals that end in small imperforate diverticula. The whole internal surface of this compound gland is furnished with minute vibratile cilia, as likewise the small canal that leads to the oval vesicle ; the cilia do not appear to be continued into the vesicle. We have however seen, on examining these parts under pressure, small granules which had accidentally passed into the tube, driven by the ciliary motion into the vesicle. Having described the glandular apparatus, we now pass on to the vesicle at the extremity of the papilla. This vesicle is of an ovoid form ; its long diameter in the largest specimens measures about 2^ gths of an inch, its narrow end lying within the very apex of the papilla ; both ends are perforated ; the narrow end opens ex- ternally through a round aperture in the skin covering the apex of the papilla, the opposite extremity communicates with the gland by means of the slender tube, of variable length, which has already been noticed. The walls of the vesicle, which are seen of an opake white in those species which have transparent skin, is fused with the inte- gument of the papilla round the external orifice ; and below this stout muscular bands, PL IV. fig. 9 e, attach the vesicle to the skin, so that during the contractions of the papilla the vesicle is held secure in its position. In E. papillosa the wall of the vesicle, PL V. fig. 12, consists throughout of a strong thick layer of finely interwoven circular muscular fibres. The contents appear to be arranged in longitudinal masses, as represented in the longitu- dinal section, PL V. fig. 1, which in a cross section, PL IV. fig. 8, have a triangular outline, the apices not quite reaching the axis of the vesicle. There is therefore a free space corresponding to the long axis. If we take out a portion of the contents of the vesicle and place it under the ^th-inch object-glass of the micro- 82 Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy of Eolis. scope, we find it to consist of numerous transparent, long, narrow, slightly bent, elliptical bodies, PI. V. fig. 11, having a double longitudinal faint marking extending from one end nearly to the other ; and globules of various sizes, PI. IV. fig. 6, containing either one nucleus or several small granules in their interior. These are imbedded and adhere to a tenacious, obscurely granular mucus-like matter. The largest elliptical bodies measure in length y^^Q ^ths of an inch, the smallest 2 ouo^^ ^^ ^^ inch. The largest globules have a diameter of ^jo 0^^ ^^ ^^ inch. On placing a papilla recently severed from the livmg E.papillosa in a compressor, and establishing a slight degree of pressure, there were observed to be ejected at intervals from the terminal ori- fice, little transparent ellipsoidal membranous bags, PL V. fig. 9, containing half a dozen or more of the elongated bodies already spoken of. Immediately after expulsion most of these bags burst, and the contained bodies becoming scattered, each shot forth from the end that first appeared a slender hair-like filament, fig. 10 a a, with astonishing velocity to a length far exceeding the diameter of the field of the microscope. Other bags did not become rup- tured till a second or two after their expulsion ; from these the filaments proceeded very slowly and in a perfectly regular serpen- tine line, so that their advance could be followed by moving the stage of the microscope, and was observed to resemble closely the progression of many small Annelida. These filaments becoming stationary retained a serpentine form, fig. 10b b; other filaments were minutely spirally twisted at their junction with the elliptical ^body, fig. 10 cc. The faint double line seen in the interior of the elliptical body we suppose to be the part that contains the filament. The elliptical bodies pressed out from papillse which had been in spirits were never observed to emit filaments ; we presume therefore that this phsenomenon is a vital manifestation. These bodies we find to differ in form in difierent species : thus in E. coronata, PI. V. figs. 2 and 3, they are slightly bent, but shorter and thicker than in E. papillosa, and enlarged at their posterior extremity ; they are provided with a similar filament at one end. The bags, fig. 6, contain a considerable number of these, and also numerous other bodies of much larger size, of elliptical form, flattened and transparent, but having in their interior a peculiar marking which is represented in fig. 5. InE. olivacea the bodies with filaments, fig. 4, are rather stouter, but strongly resemble those of E. coronata. On several occasions we have witnessed the expulsion of these bodies from the living animal, which at the time was suiFering slight pressure, so slight indeed that the animal was able to move Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy o/EolIs. 83 its papillae, and in one instance an E. Drummondi crawled from one side of the compressor to the other. The expulsion was ef- fected by the walls of the vesicle, and recurred at intervals; small masses of the bodies were ejected with considerable force, and to some distance. We do not feel ourselves at present in a position to decide upon the true nature of these bodies, but we may say that they resemble Spermatozoa more than anything else ; we may add, that we have obtained bodies to all appearance Spermatozoa from the genital organs of E. papillosa, which dif- fered only from those obtained from the papillae in being more rounded as to their bodies, and altogether inferior in size. They are shown in PI. V. fig. 13, as seen under deficient magnifying power. We shall now revert to the follicular gland of the papilla. We think there can be no doubt of its being a secreting organ pour- ing its secretion into the digestive cavity, and we agree with M. de Quatrefages in the opinion that the entire series of these glands represents the liver, which in the Mollusca is characteris- tically large, but in the Eolidince has disappeared from the abdo- minal cavity. The central canal of the gland opens inferiorly by a short duct, PI. IV. figs. 2, 3, 4 a, into one of the ramifications of the digestive cavity, and superiorly by the delicate canal before described into the ovate vesicle. We have no doubt that by the lower opening the secretion of the gland finds its way into the gastric ramifications ; but as to the nature of the communication or connexion between the gland and the ovate vesicle, we confess our entire ignorance. -.^>^ To give a general idea of the digestive apparatus, we should say f that the compound follicles of the papillae represent the liver ; the small tubes leading from them are their ducts, by which their secretion is carried into the gastric organ consisting of the pyri- form pouch, the great central canal, and their main branches. In some species however the structure and functions of the se- veral parts seem somewhat modified. In E. despecta the central canal, all the ramifications and the glands of the papillae are co- loured and granulated alike ; it is therefore probable that the whole of these parts perform the same function. The stomach and intestine are the only parts that are transparent in this re- markable species. In E. gracilis y E. rufibranchialis, E. Northum- hrica and others, either the extremity of the great central canal or the ends of the lateral ramifications are slightly coloured like the glands of the papillae. This view of the matter is somewhat corroborated by what is observed to take place during digestion. The food enters the stomachal bulb in large masses, and is there broken up and mixed 81 Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy o/Eolis. ^ with the fluids of the digestive cavity. In this state it is di'iven 1 throughout the ahmentary system by the alternate contractions of the pyriform pouch and the great trunks leading from it. These contractions are only of a nature to produce an oscillatory motion which serves to promote that intimate mixture of the ali- mentary matters with the hepatic and other secretions neces- sary to the process of digestion. We have watched this action with great care in E. coronata, and have observed on several occasions in individuals that were free and moving about at pleasure, and in which the action of the parts was natural, currents passing rapidly backwards and for- wards through the stomach, and larger ramifications obeying the various contractions of the parts, and holding in suspension large, crude, irregular particles varying in size and shape. We had the satisfaction also to see more than one individual take its food, which we have found to be always of an animal nature, and could perceive the lumps as they were lopped ofi'by the jaws pass along the oesophagus and enter the stomach. We have likewise fre- quently seen the track of the true intestine marked out by the dark colour of the fseces it contained, and have witnessed also the expulsion of the same from the anus. M. de Quatrefages supposes that the refined products of di- gestion pass into the branchial caeca as he terms them, and also into the ovoid vesicle, though in the latter he has seen no float- ing corpuscles. Through the walls of the C3eca, and especially through those of the vesicle, he believes that the chyle for the support of the body transudes. Again, he makes the branchial cseca surrounded by a granular mass performing the office of liver, thus cumulating in the same organ function upon function. We have already stated that we agree with M. de Quatrefages in taking the glands of the papillse, as we term them, to represent the liver, and we now subjoin, that we see no reason to believe them to be also the organs by means of which the chyle is con- veyed from the digestive to the circulatory system. We have our- selves seen crude particles of the alimentary matters mixed with regular corpuscles pass into the glands of the papillse, and on one occasion even a large angular fragment was forced through the narrow duct at the base of a gland, entering its cavity and after- wards passing out again. But in all these cases, our specimens, as well as those of M. de Quatrefages, were suffering considerably from the action of the compressor, and consequently the fluids of the stomach and other parts may have been forced into unnatural channels. We do not put much faith in examinations conducted in this way, and indeed the only satisfactory method of investi- gating this subject is to watch the progress of digestion when the Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy of Eolis. 85 animal is moving freely about ; and until this be done, all theo- rizing appears to us idle, and likely to lead to error and confu- [ sion. Salivary glands. — These in Eolis are very small and difficult to detect; they lie concealed between the corneous plates and the muscular mass of the cheek, as previously noticed. On removing either of the corneous plates in E. papulosa^ the gland will be found lying exposed in a depression on the upper third of the external surface of the cheek-mass, corresponding to about the centre of the corneous plate, PI. III. fig. 6 a. The gland is composed of a small cluster of roundish, yellow, irregular folli- cles, fig. 5, and frequently a little way in advance of this there is a smaller one made up of two or three follicles. The two parts are connected by a long slender duct, which passing backwards opens into the mouth at the commencement of the oesophagus. We have likewise detected this gland in E. coronata. This gland differs conspicuously in size, position and character from the same organ in Eolidina, figured and described by M. de Quatrefages. All we can say is, that in our researches we have observed nothing like the representation given by him of the salivary glands of that species. It is certainly not likely that in animals so closely allied these organs should be so widely different. We would suggest therefore the possibility of that naturalist having mistaken some portion of the generative organs for them. We are inclined to do this the more since he has entirely mis- understood the sexual apparatus, and figured and described only a small portion of it, and since we have sometimes observed, when examining these animals in the compressor, portions of that ap- paratus not altogether unlike M. de Quatrefages^ figure of the salivary glands of Eolidina paradoxum. Since wiiting the above, we have had much satisfaction in gathering from the Observations of M. Souleyet on the Gaste- , ropod Mollusca, forming the proposed order Phlehenterata of M. de Quatrefages, translated in the November Number of the 'An- nals,' that our views have been almost altogether verified. With respect however to the anatomy of the gland of the pa- pillse, M. Souleyet appears to adopt the opinion of M. de Qua- trefages, w^ho states that the prolongation of the digestive cavity into the papilla is coated with a granular layer — the liver. We have shown above that this view is inaccurate, and in confirma- tion of this we may as well state, that on the papillae being sub- jected to pressure, the granular structure of the gland invariably becomes ruptured internally; but if the view taken by these gentlemen be correct, we should apprehend that the rupture would take place externally into the vascular canal surrounding the gland. 86 Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy o/Eolis. EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. Plate L All the anatomical figures in this plate are from E. papillosa. Fig. 1. Eolis papillosa, Johnst., a little above natural size. Fig. 2. E. coronata, Forbes, nearly double natural size. Fig. 3. E. olivacea, Alder and Hancock, four times natural size. Fig. 4. Section of the lips with buccal mass attached : a, outer lip ; b, inner lip ; c, oesophagus; d, corneous plates of buccal mass ; e, channel of mouth ; /, circular belt of muscle at the attachment of outer lip ; g g, muscles passing from the circular belt to foot and skin of head ; h, muscular bands passing from circular belt to posterior margin of horny plates ; i, foot. Fig. 5. Vertical section of buccal mass, showing the muscles of the tongue, the external layer being removed : a, muscle which assists in ro- tating tongue forwards, arising from upper margin of horny plate, and passing downwards to inferior surface of 6, muscle which ro- tates the tongue backwards, being inserted by its ends into the posterior end of tongue and into the inferior extremity of cutting blades e ; c, muscle attached to both ends of tongue, which it will approximate ; it will also assist a in rotating the tongue forwards ; d, stronglayerof short transverse muscles which bind together the external layers of muscle, and form a fulcrum for the semicircular rotators ; /, oesophagus ; g, corneous plates ; h, ridge of the tongue ; i, cutting-jaws; k, the hinge or fulcrum of horny plates; /, anterior extremity of muscular cheek-mass. Fig. 6. Nearly vertical section of buccal mass • a, horny plate ; a', cutting- edge ; b, inner lip ; c, hinge or fulcrum ; c', transverse muscles that close the jaws ; d, transverse muscles that open the jaws ; e, inferior transverse muscles that assist in closing the jaws ; /, wedge-shaped mass of tongue, supporting spiny ridge and showing the two ex- ternal layers of muscles ; g, muscular cheek-mass ; h, fold of lining membrane of mouth; ii, outer lip; k k, circular muscular belt at base of outer lip ; I, oesophagus. Fig. 7. Upper aspect of buccal mass : a a, corneous plates ; 6, muscular bands on the external surface ; c, oesophagus ; d, transverse muscles be- fore fulcrum ; e, transverse muscles behind fulcrum ; the dark line between the two sets of muscles indicates fulcrum ; //, muscles arising from upper part of horny plates, and passing down behind mass of tongue marked a in fig. 5. Fig. 8. View of cavity of buccal mass from above, the fulcrum being divided, and the horny plates a a drawn apart ; a' a\ cutting-edges of jaws ; b, inner lip; c, spiny ridge of tongue; d, wedge-shaped muscular mass of ditto ; e, muscular cheek-mass ; /, flat upper border of ditto ; g, anterior attachment of ditto to cutting-jaws ; k, folds of lining membrane of mouth ; i, fulcrum of horny plates ; k, ante- rior and posterior transverse muscles ; /, oesophagus. Fig. 9. Upper aspect of buccal mass with superficial muscles removed : a a, corneous plates ; b, triangular process forming fulcrum ; c, cut- ting-edges of horny plates ; d, ridge dividing surface of fulcrum into anterior and posterior parts ; e, muscle of left side which passes down to be attached below to tongue-mass, fig. 7//;/, thin layer of muscular fibres which pass from edge of horny plate, con- verging to form longitudinal fibres for oesophagus, g. Fig. 10. Lateral aspect of buccal mass obliquely viewed, with part of the muscles removed : a, exposed surface of corneous plates; b, poste- Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy of Eolis. 87 rior transverse muscles to open jaws; c, anterior ditto to close jaws ; d, inferior ditto to close jaws. Fig. 11. Same view as fig. 10 : a, corneous plates; b, muscles of inner lip ; c, inner lip. Plate II. All the anatomical figures in this plate are from E. papillosa unless other- wise stated. Fig. 1. Two views of transversely arched plates from ridge of tongue, mag- nified, to show the spines. Fig. 2. Anterior aspect of buccal mass, with lips and lateral muscles re- moved: a, cutting-edges of jaws ; h, superior anterior transverse muscles ; c, inferior ditto ; d, tongue appearing between cutting- blades. Fig. 3. Lateral view of buccal mass of E. coronata. Fig. 4. Muscular cheek-masses inclosing o, the tongue ; the horny plates have been removed ; h, flat upper free border of masses ; c, ante- rior pointed extremity of muscular masses attached to lower end of cutting-blades ; d, oesophagus. Fig. 5. External lateral view of horny plate, all muscles removed : a, ridge giving origin to muscles of inner lip ; c, portion of same giving origin to muscles of outer lip ; &, cutting-blade. Fig. 6. Same view of horny plate oiE. coronata. Fig. 7. Interior view of horny plate of E. papillosa : a, fulcrum or hinge ; b, cutting-blade ; c, line dividing the origin of the anterior and posterior superior transverse muscles. Fig. 8. Front view of horny plates of E. coronata. Fig. 9. Digestive apparatus of £. papillosa, the glands of the papillae re- moved : a, buccal mass ; b b, corneous plates of same ; c, oesopha- gus ; d, bulb of stomach ; e, true intestine ; /, anus; g, great central canal leading from stomach and ending posteriorly in a blind sac ; hf a primary branch from digestive cavity ; i, secondary branches ; k, ducts from glands of papillae. Fig. 10. Teeth of E. nana. Fig. 11. Spiny ridge of tongue ofE. alba. Fig. 12. Upper aspect of three plates of same. Fig. 13. Portion of spiny ridge of E. olivacea. Fig. 14. Upper aspect of two plates of same. Plate III. Fig. 1. Digestive apparatus of E. coronata; the letters correspond to those offig. 9, PI. II. Fig. 2. Digestive apparatus of E. olivacea ; letters as above. Fig. 3. Upper aspect of two plates of spiny ridge of tongue of E. nana. Fig. 4. Digestive apparatus of ^. despecta; letters as in fig. 9, PI. II. Fig. 5. Salivary gland and duct of E. papillosa, highly magnified. Fig. 6. Lateral view of buccal cavity and cheek-rnass of E. papillosa, one horny plate removed : a, salivary gland ; b, horny plate ; c, part of cheek-mass attached to horny plate ; d, flattened upper border of cheek-mass ; e, anterior extremity of cheek-mass passing to its attachment to inferior points of cutting-blades ; /, free part of ex- ternal surface of cheek-mass. Fig. 7. Stomach of E. papillosa laid open, showing rugae of internal sur- face of bulb, central canal, primary and secondary branches. Plate IV. Fig. 1. Papilla with gland of E. concinna. 88 Messrs. Hancock and Embleton on the Anatomy o/Eolis. Fig. 2. Papilla with gland of E. Farrani, Fig. 3. Ditto ditto of E. olivacea. Fig. 4. Ditto ditto of E. papillosa. Fig. 5. Longitudinal section of papilla of E. papillosa, showing interior of gland, &c. : a, great central channel ; b, diverticula therefrom. Fig. 6. Globules from ovate vesicle, highly magnified. Fig. 7. Transverse section of gland of papilla of E. papillosa : a, great cen- tral vessel ; b, diverticula from it. Fig. 8. Transverse section of ovate vesicle. Fig. 9. Highly magnified representation of a papilla of^. papillosa: a, the gland ; b, fine vessel leading from gland to ovate vesicle c ; d, ori- fice at apex of papilla ; e, muscles attaching vesicle to wall of pa- pilla ; //, external wall of space in which the blood circulates in contact with the external surface of. the gland; g g, muscular bands inclosing cellular spaces between // and the skin of the papilla ; h, skin of papilla; i, vibratile cilia on external surface of ditto; kk k, circular and longitudinal muscular fibres of skin. Plate V. Fig. 1. Longitudinal section of ovate vesicle. Figs. 2 and 3. Spermatozoid bodies from ovate vesicle of E, coronata. Fig. 4. Spermatozoid bodies from ovate vesicle of E. olivacea. Fig. 5. Elliptical bodies inclosed in bags or utriculi with the spermatozoid bodies of E. coronata. Fig. 6. Utriculus or bag from ovate vesicle of E. coronata, containing the two kinds of bodies mentioned under fig, ^5. Fig. 7. Vesicles or globules containing granules from the gland of papilla of E. papillosa. Fig. 8. The granules more highly magnified. Fig. 9. Utriculi from ovate vesicle of E. papillosa, containing the sperma- tozoid bodies. Figs. 10 and 11. Spermatozoid bodies from same : aa aa, b b, cc, different appearances presented by the filaments or tails of the spermatozoid bodies of E. papillosa. Fig. 12. Part of a transverse section of the wall of ovate vesicle of E. papil- losa, showing the interlacing muscular fibres. Fig. 13. Spermatozoa from generative oi'gans of E. papillosa. Fig. 14. Anterior view of Eolis papillosa from spirits: c, cutting-jaws; b, inner lip ; d, folds of lining membrane, &c. of channel of mouth ; e, outer lips ;/, fold of integument external to outer lips ; g, labial tentacles ; h, dorsal tentacles ; i, anterior margin of foot. Fig. 15. Inferior view of head of Eolis olivacea in its natural state. The letters in this fig. as far as they go are as in fig. 14. Fig. 16. General view of viscera, &c. of Eolis papillosa from above, the dorsal skin alone having been removed : a, buccal mass ; b, cere- bral ganglia with the nerves passing off from them ; c, ganglia at the base of dorsal tentacles, supposed to be olfactory ; d, oesophagus ; e, stomachal bulb ; /, great central canal; g g g, primary and se- condary branches from ditto ; h, true intestine ; i, anus ; k, por- tions of male generative organs ; I, ovarium ; m, ventricle of heart, with aorta passing forwards from it ; n, auricle of heart. Mr. R. B. Hinds on Geographic Botany. 89 XI. — Memoirs on Geographic Botany. By Richard Brinsley Hinds, Sm-geon, R.N., F.R. Coll. Surg. [Continued from p. 30.] If it has been ever the reader^s fortune to traverse an extensive ocean, he must have felt at the end of the voyage that all his previous ideas respecting space had undergone a considerable modification. During the voyage he has often gone on deck to view the vessel hastening through the water, and to gaze on the unchanging horizon ; day after day he beholds the vessel hurrying on, but the scene around remains the same. As his observations extend, he compares the velocity of his ship and the unchange- able nature of the scene, till he becomes insensibly impressed with the extent and vastness of the surface over which he has travelled. He has had a practical proof of a circumstance, which it is very true his reason might have partially displayed to him, but it has made a much firmer impression on his mind than any effort of intelligence could have produced, and the importance is proportionately increased. In fact, he concludes his voyage with his ideas of space greatly enlarged, and the world he inhabits seems to him larger than he ever thought it was before. A very similar feeling possesses the traveller as he penetrates an extensive forest. Every morning he commences his journey, patiently pursuing the winding pathways through interminable multitudes of trees and shrubs, till, when evening arrives, he is hardly less fatigued with the monotony of the scene than with the exertions of the day. His feelings are the same as those at sea, — he is surprised at the interminable character of the scene, and his ideas of space are measured by a greater standard. He wonders at the vast multitudes of vegetable beings ; whence they could possibly have drawn nourishment to rear such solid struc- tures ; he speculates on their age, and lastly on their use. In both cases the ideas of space are the same, but they have received an impulse from the novelty of the scene ; perhaps assisted also by the perfect stillness which reigns so completely in deep forests, and during the heat of the day the silence is more painful than on the wide ocean. The chief difference between the two is, that one is a sea of waters, the other a sea of trees. The reader who has confined his travels to his own country, I would reconmaend to open a map of the two Americas. Let him trace them throughout from north to south, and he will scarcely find a spot which does not support a vegetation of some kind or other; the deserts and ungenial spots being few and limited. A great part is covered with forest-trees of unequalled growth, and where a smaller vegetation prevails, the number of individuals is greater than ever. It is not merely the tropic regions which Ann. &^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol xv. H 90 Mr. R. B. Hinds on Geographic Botany. are prolific; the temperate regions liave also their dense and gloomy forests ; in fact it is beyond all human possibility to form any numerical estimate of the amount of the vegetable kingdom ; it would be like counting the sands of the Great Sahara. Let the imagination picture all it can of multitade^ space, and prolific increase, and some conception may be conveyed to the mind. Every botanical region of the globe possesses a flora having features which proclaim relations with other regions ; these vary according to the nature of the relationship and the circum- stances under which the respective floras exist. The value of the points of connexion fluctuates as the comparisons are drawn from groups of plants united by general characters, or from others less common and more intimately connected with their existence. The modes of relation are three in number, corresponding in a general manner with the three assemblages of vegetable forms known as families, genera, and species. By the families are esta- bUshed the most distant and general resemblances, constituting analogy ; by the genera a closer approximation, or affinity ; and by the species the most perfect accordance of characters, or identity. Generally these modes of resemblance coincide with the paral- lel groups ; but there are instances of analogy and afiinity, which must be admitted as such, and yet are not so closely limited. As an instance of this kind, as regards analogy, may be men- tioned the existence of Ficoidece chiefly in South Africa, and of CactecB almost entirely in the two Americas. The analogical re- semblance arises from the great succulence met with in these two families, together with a certain correspondence in their organic structure. A further illustration occurs in the alpine flora of the Canaries and Mount Etna ; in the former Semper- vivum has numerous species, and not one is indigenous to the latter, where Sedum is nearly equally abundant. Whilst then it is admitted that there is some difficulty in fixing the precise limitation of these terms, they may be considered, as a rule, to display the coincidence expressed above. Whenever an analogy exists, it by no means follows that there should be a further connexion by affinity or identity, for the na- ture of the analogical resemblance does not require this. On the other hand, when there is an affinity between two regions, it presupposes also an analogy ; and when the relation is so intimate as to estabhsh an identity, there is necessarily both an analogy and an affinity. The sources of analogy being derived from natural families, and the latter as we have seen usually widely diff'used, they are abundant in all vegetable regions, founded on latitude, which approach each other. In the tropical regions throughout, there is a great similarity in the families, those existing in one or more being often common to the others. In the subtropic and other Mr. R. B. Hinds 07i Geographic Botany, 91 regions it is the same, from the general similarity of controlling circumstances. Sometimes an analogy will be established be- tween two regions not parallel, when external circumstances are peculiar: the temperate (Iroquois) region of North America presents some analogous features to the subtropic portion of Europe ; the tropics also establish an analogy with temperate and subtropic Europe and America, by the latter possessing indige- nous species of Palmce and CinchonacecRy these families being chiefly tropical. Between corresponding regions in the north and south hemispheres the analogy is also great, since under similar circumstances we everywhere find a similar assemblage of plants. When tracing affinity, a closer view of vegetable organization is required, since its existence is drawn from genera. Generally it is found to follow analogy in similar regions ; thus we find it strongly developed in parallel regions in the same hemisphere, and in analogous regions in difi*erent hemispheres. The latter offer some highly interesting comparisons, as also do the resem- blances of affinity between regions which are not parallel. Punica granatum, originally indigenous on the northern shore of Africa, though since spread over the warmer portions of the globe, acknowledges a congener from Guiana, P. nana, the former being an inhabitant of the European subtropic region, the latter of the American north tropic. In this instance the value of the relation is increased, since none are found elsewhere and the means of affinity are few, Punica having but two species. Nowhere is affinity so admirably maintained as between different mountain ranges, the resemblances in their diff*erent alpine floras being so extensive and so similar in widely-spread ranges. The genera existing on one of these is frequently repeated by kindred species on others, whilst the whole contents of a zone will bear a close comparison with those of a similar zone elsewhere. Alpine vegetation, always fascinating, is again linked by interesting affi- nities with various regions : if on elevations within the tropics, the zones passed through in ascent will respectively resemble the subtropic, temperate, and arctic regions. Draba has several species in the mountains of Mexico, connecting the flora with the temperate regions of Europe and Asia where the species are abundant. In the relation of identity we possess the closest resemblance in the productions : as the word implies, it consists in the co- existence of some of exactly the same forms in different regions, some of the species of one being indigenous to another. Between parallel regions the identity is of course greatest, but the different parallel regions vary in the intensity of this character. From ob- servations on a great number of species, the average of duplicates H2 92 Mr. R. B. Hinds on Geographic Botany. in the six great divisions or provinces is 1 in 325, and the amount fluctuates in different countries on both sides of this estimate, ac- cording to physical circumstances. Within parallel tropical regions the amount is smallest, and increases as we advance tov^^ards the north, through the subtropic and temperate regions, till the max- imum is attained in the arctic. This progressive increase in the northern hemisphere is no doubt due to the configuration of the land, the large continental masses here closely approximating, and forming almost a continuous surface about the arctic circle, assisted also by the great similarity of climate. In the southern hemisphere there is precisely an opposite distribution of land and water, the continents gradually growing narrower towards the south, and yielding to the ocean of waters, which at the ant- arctic circle is scarcely broken by land. Of 233 species col- lected in Kotzebue^s Sound one half are found in Europe, whilst a similar proportion crosses Behring^s Straits, and are repeated in Siberia. Though the affinity between similar regions in the two hemispheres, or between distant mountain chains, is strongly characterized, the relations of identity are extremely slight ; in the latter particularly so, where it is rare to meet with species identically the same as those of the plains. It is by these three methods of relation that the flora of one region or country is to be compared with another, and an ana- lysis established, conclusive and satisfactory, whence its import- ance as an isolated flora, or compared with others, is ascertained. Alpine vegetation judged by these characters loses some of its importance, its relation being chiefly that of affinity, the species belonging to genera whose maximum exists near the level of the sea; hence peculiar groups, as genera and families, are very rarely limited to them. The features of the vegetation of the lowlands are repeated in accordance with controlling circum- stances, marked and peculiar characters being seldom met with. To illustrate more fully these different relations, we will sketch an outline of the flora of the Sandwich islands, which, from their solitary situation in a wide ocean, are well adapted for this pur- pose. These islands, eleven in number, including two which are scarcely more than rocks, stretch obHquely across a point inter- sected by 21° N.L. and 157° W.L. They are distant 2900 miles from America, 3500 from Asia, and nearly the same from the most projecting part of New Holland. Numerous islands intervene be- tween the two latter of these continents, but those towards the Sandwich islands are mostly small and unimportant. The climate is extremely equable and not disagreeably warm; in 1838 the mean temperature was 77°, and the range of the thermometer from 85° to 66°, being nineteen degrees. IMuch rain falls in some of the Mr. R. B. Hinds on Geographic Botany» 93 deeper valleys, but varies greatly in quantity in different situations and different islands. On the plain on which the capital is built, twenty-one inches fell in the above year ; but this is considerably less than what falls more towards the interior of the island, and on the elevated parts. The surface is very irregular, has but little level land, and consists chiefly of mountain ranges of moderate height, intersected by numerous deep and fertile valleys ; the superficies of the whole is about 7000 square miles. The soil, resulting from the decomposition of several varieties of lava, is very fruit- ful, but requires much water ; supplied with plenty of the latter, its productiveness is unlimited. Their geographical position bestows on them a tropical flora, whilst the irregularities of surface ensure variety. For the present, however, we are confined to the plains. Cinchonace(B, Guttifercey Sapindacea, arborescent Euphorbiacea, tree-ferns, and a solitary representative of PalmcEy omitting the cocoa-nut, with other families equally tropical, but not quite so abundant, stamp its general features. The relations of the flora to the American and Asiatic tropic are so nicely balanced, that it is difficult to decide of which it most partakes ; the sources of analogy are perhaps most numerous with the Asiatic. With more distant regions it has also relations through some members of CrucifercBy Saxi- frageae and Umhellifera, families abounding in temperate regions, and presenting an analogy the tropics do not often display. Each of these families is but feebly represented: Cm«/er« has two species of genera belonging to the European temperate region, hence an affinity with that portion of the globe : this is further supported by an umbelliferous plant, Hydrocotyle interruptay which is regarded in the islands as originally a native plant, and is also widely diffused elsewhere : the genus supplies another affinity to temperate regions, whilst the species acknowledges an identity with several others. The saxifrageous plant, Broussaisia arguta, supplies an analogy alone; the genus and species are found only in the Sandwich islands. Like other islands they have a multitude of ferns. An analogy, stronger than usually prevails in tropical countries, is established with subtropical re^ gions through shrubby Compositce, Labiafa, and some others. The affinities are numerous, and very equally distributed be- tween New Holland, Asia and America. In common with Asia are the genera Cyrtandra, Santalum, and Elceocarpus ; with Ame- rica, Clusia, Brunellia, and Heliotropium ; and with New Holland, Metrosideros, CyathodeSy Pittosporuniy and Exocarpus. Few of their species are the same, the relations ceasing chiefly with the genus. The repetition of species indigenous elsewhere is also consider- able : taking one hundred and sixty-five of the phsenogamous^ 04 Mr. R. B. Hinds on Geographic Botany. fourteen were found to be American, twelve Asiatic, thirteen common with New Holland, twenty with the other Polynesian islands, and thirteen with Europe. Some of the ferns are Ame- rican, a few Asiatic. Of the whole flora, about a moiety of the species are found beyond the islands. Much of the vegetation is thus identical with other countries, but is distributed among them v/ith surprising impartiality. The grounds on which its peculiarities rest, and on which its individuality as an independent flora depends, may be briefly hinted. The islands are without any plants which are likely to confer on them an exclusive natural family. Cyrtandracem and Sccevolece they possess in comparatively greater intensity than others. Their only considerable genus is Kadua ; it has eight or nine species. There are besides a few other genera limited to the islands, but they have chiefly a solitary species each, rarely as many as two or three. About one half the species as yet known are confined to their own shores, but as a further acquaint- ance is gained with the flora, this number will be most probably increased. Those extensive compact forests of bulky and lofty trees, which it is customary to find in tropical countries, have no existence in the Sandwich islands. Their trees are not usually of large growth, and they crowd up the sheltered and moist val- leys. The plains are comparatively bare or only thinly wooded, the trees preferring the precipitous sides of the mountains. Nor has the vegetation that variety of shades of green to be expected ; the leaves are of a dull lurid colour, generally they are small in size, and more or less entire. The flowers are equally inconspi- cuous for size, and do not possess much richness of colours : the xanthic varieties greatly prevail, often rendered dull by a greenish hue. LeguminoscB are said to be proportionately rare in the Polynesian islands; in this group they are far from abundant. As far as is yet known, no OrchidacecB are indigenous, a circum- stance the more remarkable, since they are not uncommon in the Society islands. We look in vain to these islands for evidence of the migration of their flora. Though their own proper vegetation is below the average, and is mixed largely with species common to other lands, the number still remains sufficiently great to place any ideas of its individuality beyond a doubt. They must be regarded as possessing an original vegetation, which, whilst it has received species from other countries, has sent occasionally some of its members abroad to colonize the coral islands as they gradually emerge from the ocean. In all probability, the solitary species of Kadua found on Romanzofi* island has wandered from its na- tive soil ; and Chamisso collected fifty-two species on the Radack chain, a third of which are found on the Sandwich islands. Mr. R. B. Hinds on Geographic Botany. 95 The part which vegetation performs in the economy of nature is in every way capable of exciting our admiration at the harmony and mutual dependence existing among the several kingdoms. In the connexion of the latter with each other, it is not easy to discover a point where it can be said these cease or begin. We learn that a portion of the earth became dry land, and was thus prepared for the clothing of vegetation with which it was imme- diately invested. The heavenly bodies were rolled into their sta- tions, and that variety of light and temperature required by plants was bestowed on them. The vegetable kingdom left in this con- dition would have flourished in boundless luxuriance, but without any very apparent use, and another host of organized beings was soon added, to keep its vigour in check, and to derive nutriment from it. Among the countless myriads of animals now called into existence, it is impossible to say how far they depress the exube- rance; the multitudes of insects constantly feeding on the foliage, the flocks of birds always on the search for seeds, and the herbaceous animals tearing the branches from the trees and the roots from the soil, must cause vast quantities to disappear. Even with all these, however, a very slight impression can ever be made, and a limit to its excess is derived from the property of all plants to run through a certain com'se and then die. Plants, like all organized beings, have a determinate period to their existence. This varies greatly ; some scarcely survive be- yond a few hours, others a few months, and some extend through many years, even through ages, each in its existence performing an assigned set of functions. Every species is endued with a certain period of vitality which it receives from its organization. Among trees, the ash and the elder do not attain the longevity of the oak. Individuals, besides the specific attributes conferred on them, are liable to casualties which may extend or contract their duration. Among the natural causes are, the varying influence of climate within the range of their growth, situation, whether in the interior or margins of forests, and certain injuries to which they are exposed from animals. The removal of plants from one climate to another is capable of converting annuals into biennials and the reverse, and cultivation will sensibly protract the life of others. The larger vegetation when assembled in masses will be observed to carry with it certain appearances indicative of age, and in this state of things climate seems the chief agent. Two spots on the same latitude, and with coeval forests, may in one have every appearance of great age and longevity, and in the other all the signs of youth and vigour. Dissolution at length overtakes all organized beings, the prin- ciple of life is withdrawn, and they are resolved into their consti- tuents. With the removal of life organization ceases, chemical 96 Mr. R. B. Hinds on Geographic Botany. affinities assume activity, and the inorganic kingdom claims the rest : this is now the magazine whence future plants are to draw their food, and derive vigour to pursue their functions. With regard to the chemical effects it is capable of producing, these are perhaps but slight. Vegetation has a salutary influence over the atmosphere by the removal of carbon ; this agency is confined to the green organs, those parts coloured giving it out, but not in the same proportion. A positive prejudicial action is sometimes exerted over the health of man : the rank luxuriance of the vegetation of warm climates, where there is abundant moisture, creates a malarious atmosphere which fully balances its otherwise good effects. It cannot be concealed that some countries are so extremely fatal to human life, as to make them almost uninhabitable. When the vegetation of an unhealthy spot is removed, and the soil exposed for a time to the sun^s heat, it becomes comparatively healthy, as has been the case at Sierra Leone. Man has without doubt been powerfully affected by the nature of the vegetation. It is so often combined with climate that it is not easy to estimate the power of each separately, and yet there is a wide difference between the herbivorous man of the South who scarcely ever touches animal food, and the carnivorous being of the North, whose fi'ame requires the stimulus of a large pro- portion of meat. The Indian of the Pampas lives on horse-flesh, and sometimes beef; his disposition is as untameable as his food is gross. The Hindoo is usually content with vegetable food, and presents in every respect a strong contrast of character. The pastoral habits of the tribes of Asia Minor, the adjacent countries, and of some portions of North America, are forced on them by the nature of the vegetation. To prevent the chances of starva- tion for themselves and their flocks and herds, they traverse the plains in pursuit of vegetation. But how much does this imply ! every circumstance around them must be adapted to their migra- tory habits — limited personal property, hardihood, patient en- durance, skilfulness in resources, and a recklessness which emi- nently fits them for the vicissitudes of their checkered life. We shall now conclude by referring briefly to some of those external characters of vegetation which contribute towards its physiognomy. The surface of the globe presents a great diversity in its fea- tures, attributable to the extremely irregular physical distribu- tion of its parts, and its unequal exposure to the heavenly bodies, especially the sun. Throughout the kingdoms of nature this variety is distinctly marked, and the general impression conveyed is so universally acknowledged, that any person, totally unac- quainted with the principles of natural history, feels no hesitation Mr. R. B. Hinds on Geographic Botany. 97 in pointing out tlie native country of any quadruped, bird, or insect, with distinctive general characters. With plants it is the same ; only a little closer observation is required, since they do not fix themselves so firmly in the mind as the animal kingdom. Still a well-informed person will form a correct judgement of the part of the globe whence many of the plants in a collection of exotics may have been obtained; he will easily separate the plants of the tropics from those of colder regions, and not un- likely will discriminate between the plants of different continents in the same parallels. The varieties which are thus so generally evident become multiplied in the eyes of a botanist after a little examination, and he can trace certain points of distinction and resemblance, which render them highly interesting and often important to our subject. In the vegetable kingdom, the peculiar organization which gives rise to this diversity of appearance in different regions does not originate in those characters which are taken for the purposes of classification, but is due to others of a more general kind, and which we shall attempt to explain. It depends also on a more extensive view of the flora, influenced by the method of grouping, the general outlines of individuals, and their shades of colour. The impressions conveyed by these constitute what has been termed the physiognomy of vegetation ; expressive of its powers of giving a bias to a scene or landscape. It must be con- fessed, that though the eye catches any peculiarities, and can convey to the mind a correct impression of the same, it is often extremely difficult to express them in language, and in fact they are so deficient of positive characters, that any words we have cannot express them. Who is there that would pretend to de- scribe in language the exact grouping of a mass of clouds, or give a shape to the waves of the ocean, or to the foam they dash from their crests ? The painter however can do this ; he can closely represent the clouds and waves, whilst he also can express on canvas the physiognomy of a landscape. If we turn to the rural scenes of our best artists, what delight do they convey from their correctness, and from portraying to us so exactly what we may every day see in nature ! How faithful are the landscapes of Titian and Claude Lorraine, and how happily have they caught and expressed the outlines and groupings of vegetation ! Not merely have artists succeeded in representing a particular land- scape, but certain species of trees and shrubs with such correctness, that they are evident on the slightest inspection. But it must be acknowledged, that while the artist does seize many of these features with his brush, which the naturalist is unable to describe with his pen, the former is enabled Jto select his subjects from the 98 Mr. R. B. Hinds on Geographic Botany. whole vegetable world, whilst every plant claims equally the atten- tion of the latter. It may be interesting to mention a difficulty of this kind which I experienced ; and I shall give it in the same words I used at the time, when a luxuriant tropic vegetation was before me, and the impressions were fresh on the mind. After some experience among tropical vegetation, the duties of my profession removed me to high northern latitudes, and I thought a return to the tropics a particularly favourable opportunity of seizing the more prominent features, without the mind being induced to picture too freely from the novelty of the subject. A portion of my remarks was as follows : — " After looking on the vegetation of high lati- tudes for some months past, I felt more alive on our return to the tropics to the characteristic features of their vegetation. It is very plain that this has peculiarities easily distinguishable by the eye, but which it has puzzled me to find adequate language to express. The most prominent circumstance is its superior denseness, added to which there is, when looking on distant masses, a roundness and fullness of outline not shared with floras of other regions. Of course I now speak only of its pictorial characters as seen from a distance, and the general features it is capable of giving to a landscape. What are generally called tropical views contain some near representation of particular ob- jects, as palms, tree-ferns, &c., and form no part of what I wish to express. I expected to find a greater richness of colouring, but I do not discover that the tropical forests surpass in the least the rich deep-green fir-forests of North-west America illumined by a mid-day sun. The only ground of surpassing excellence is the occasional variety of tints, and the green generally presents that shade which artists obtain by a greater admixture of yellow.^^ Perhaps it is owing to the variety in the shades of green, in plants of difierent latitudes and places, that artists have suc- ceeded so well in representing them. Every region will offer some difference in this, to some extent confined to itself. The deep-green forests of the North are peculiar to them ; those of the tropics have a yellower or more autumnal tint ; in the sub- tropic regions the shade of colour of the leaves is of an olive-green; maritime vegetation also has its glaucous hue. Physiologists have attempted to account for these different tints : Mustel, Chevreul, and Senebier represent that, though carbon is apparently black, on examination it will really be found to be blue. The latter also maintains that the vegetable tissue is not exactly white, but of a pale yellow ; hence, as in similar cases, it is easy to comprehend how the mixture of the blue and the yellow produces the green. To support this opinion, he cites the green which is obtained by Mr. R. B. Hinds on Geoyraphic Botany. 99 mixing together China ink and gamboge, and that by vaiying the proportions, all the shades of green are produced which are found in the foliaceous organs of plants. DeCandolle adds, that though this explanation is somewhat mechanical, it is very likely to be correct. The Chinese, with that practical application of facts to pur- poses of utility which so pre-eminently distinguishes them as a nation, have availed themselves of some of these features in their landscape gardening. To convey the appearance of distance, trees of the loftiest and largest growth with foliage of the deepest green are selected for the foreground. Others of smaller stature and more subdued shades are placed in the distance ; whilst to vary the surface and increase the apparent extent, groups of suitable trees, selected also with a due regard to the influence of the seasons, are judiciously scattered about. To aid the effects produced by vegetation, representations of old ruins, receding walls, and time-worn rock-work, are all made available. All the species which enter into the flora of a country do not equally assist to give a certain physiognomy ; and they will vary considerably among themselves as to their power of doing so. Trees and shrubs from their size will surpass herbaceous plants, whilst these also will excel each other according to any pecu- liarities of organization they may possess. The prevalence of certain families in particular regions will often be highly charac- teristic : none would feel at a loss when surrounded by Cruciferce and Umbelliferce ; or when traversing a plain covered with Eri- cacecSj a grove of Chamcerops palmetto, or a thicket of Melastoma. When plants become gregarious, especially those of larger growth, they deeply impress features on the scenery around them. An impression of this kind is also liable to occur from an opposite cause. Supposing in a forest where the trees possess a similar aspect and manner of growth, there occur one or two, or more individuals of a totally different character; these latter will obtain a prominence which is not due to them from their num- bers, but from their peculiarities. A circumstance of this kind strongly impressed me in the Brazilian forest, when encountering a few individuals of Ai-aucaria hraziliensis in the midst of trees not distinguished for their physiognomy. To obtain some numerical value for those plants which appeared to give a character, I assembled a number of different species in Devonshire, and after carefully examining them, and making the freest allowances, I came to the conclusion that in 100 species, forty-eight might be considered as contributing to the physio- gnomy of the flora, and fifty- two were too insignificant to assist in this. It occurred to me to repeat the observation within the tropics, where I found the numbers very similar, though the pro- 100 Mr. R. B. Hiads on Geographic Botany. portions were reversed : in 100 species they were respectively fifty-three and forty-seven. The general contour of the stems of trees^ with the mode of division of their ramifications, often present peculiarities. In tem- perate regions there are many trees thus distinguished, as the species of Quercus, Populus and Salioo, to which may be added Pinus and Cupressus, which are so eminently expressive in a land- scape. Omitting the more tropical forms, as palms, huge her- baceous EndogencBj and others which are equally unique, this region contains trees of singular habits of growth. It would be difficult to fix on the most marked. Some might select many of the species of Ficus, and point out the complex appearance of their main stems, the immense horizontal extension of their branches, with the great proportionate lowness of the whole tree; and what seems more curious than all, the immense number of smaller stems in every stage of development, some just pro- truding from the horizontal branches, others pendent midway between the canopy and the soil, displaying on each thick rounded extremity an enormous spongiole ; many too have reached the soil, and having attained strength and size, act as columns to support the whole structure. The tropical forest abounds with these in every variety of growth and apparent distortion. Again, there is the gigantic Bombax ceiha : the trunk of this tree re- sembles a cone greatly elongated, and stretching above the sum- mits of all the other trees, whilst from its base spread huge processes diverging on all sides, and taking a powerful hold of the earth ; where these are lost in the trunk it is of great girth, and continues upwards gradually diminishing in size, and some- times enlarging for a space, till high in the air it sends forth its branches, chiefly in a horizontal direction. The greater part of the year these are destitute of leaves, and support a number of pendent pods, filled with the silky threads surrounding the seeds. Humboldt speaks of a forest of Cactus, not mere herbaceous plants, but tall trees with stems yielding wood suitable for do- mestic purposes. Equally characteristic and far more beautiful is a forest consisting of bamboos. There is one kind of palm which must present a strange appearance to the botanist, accustomed to regard the straight naked stems of this tribe : this is the dourn palm [Cucifera thebaica) of Egypt and Abyssinia, whose trunk is branched in a dichotomous manner. I should perhaps hardly appreciate the novel feature this must present to the traveller, had I not seen in Mexico a tall full-grown palmetto, forked at about the middle of its length, and remember the mo- mentary surprise I felt at the circumstance. Subsequently, in New Ireland, 1 twice noticed this circumstance in a Cycas. Leaves are characteristic from several circumstances :— Mr. R. B. Hinds on Geographic Botany. 101 1. They vary greatly in tlieir size or dimensions. — The largest leaves are found among Endogena, where they are frequently distinguished for their extent of surface. Aquatic plants have often large leaves. Among terrestrial plants, some of the species of MagnoliacecBy Melastomace<2 and Solanece are remarkable. Lappa glabra, Heracleum spondylium, and Panax horridum have large leaves for high latitudes. Within the tropics a great num- ber of the leaves of shrubs and trees are compound, and veiy frequently composed of a multitude of small leaflets, which give a most pleasing appearance ; the numerous species of Mimosa and Acacia usually possess them. In others these organs hardly deserve the name of leaves : in Erica they are much contracted, and in Pinus and Abies more resemble petioles destitute of laminae, being in fact needle-shaped. In Tamariscinece, Casua- rina and Ephedra, the leaves are reduced to scales or mere points. 2. The outline, or method in which they are separated into lobes or divisions. — Very striking is the appearance of that useful tree the Artocarpus incisa, with its large leaves divided into deep and numerous lacinise. Clustered as this tree is in groves around the habitations of the natives, it conveys an aspect to the scenery strictly Polynesian. As further instances may be mentioned the species of Platanus, some Sterculice, and the characteristic Carica papaya. 3. As to consistence. — The leaves of herbaceous plants, espe- cially those of the wet season of warm climates, are frequently very soft and flaccid, and filled with a quantity of aqueous juice. Evergreen trees have their leaves chiefly of a tough and leathery consistence ; many of the trees and shrubs bearing this kind of leaves are natives of subtropical regions, as the evergreen oaks, many Phillyrecs, and Olea europcea. In some the mesophyll is more than usually developed, as in Hoya carnosa ; and in the members of Crassulacea and Ficoidece it is carried to excess in their shapeless and succulent leaves. 4. It would be difficult to describe the numerous shades of green, though, when masses of vegetation are contrasted, they are thrown out and become prominent. During the vigour of vege- tation other shades are occasionally developed. In some species of Fuchsia, Begonia and Amaranthus, the leaves possess a very decided pink. Some have a silvery hue on their under surface, though this appearance may be sometimes dependent on the presence of hairs. It is chiefly in the autumn that leaves take on their dififerent colours, and which are often excessively varied ; but as Vitality is then ceasing, these appearances are rather attendant on disorganization. 5. As to the direction of their surfaces. — It is usual with ex- 102 Mr. R. B. Hinds on Geographic Botany. ogenous plants to have their leaves horizontal, thus forming a right angle with the stem, or with their points inclining towards the horizon. Some depart from this, as the Salioc bahylonica, and the weeping variety of Fraxinus excelsior. In endogenous plants, on the contrary, the leaves generally tend towards a vertical po- sition, which perhaps their weight prevents them from attaining ; so that it is customary to find them forming an angle of 45*^ with the horizon. The mixture of the large herbaceous Endogence with a vegetation chiefly exogenous, conveys a remarkable character to the physiognomy. Besides the peculiar features offered by leaves, there are others which will be occasionally prominent. They may be found in the unusual development, or some idiosjmcrasy, of the various organs, and are perhaps only discoverable in particular instances. Sometimes the inflorescence is the source ; at others the flowers, fruit, or floral appendages. Very different is the appearance of the trees of some species of Cassia laden with their long slender black pods and light pale foliage, from a grove of Hibiscus and Psidium in the Pacific, or of Melastoma in the Brazils. A general impression is conveyed by the prevalence of certain colours in flowers ; in some situations nothing but yellow flowers are seen, in others only white or blue, till the repetition is almost tiring. The varieties of colours, being dependent on the presence of heat and light, alter with the latitude ; hence a relation between the two can be established. For the same reason there will exist a similar relation with the seasons of the year. Colours have been arranged by Schubler and Funk under two series which they have called oxidized and deoxidized ; but DeCandolle pro- posed to call them respectively xanthic and cyanic, from the ge- neral prevalence of the colours in each. This arrangement * ap- pears to have been chosen with considerable happiness, since most flowers range themselves under one or the other, and it aff^ords a basis by which colours can be compared and their re- lative importance ascertained. There is one variety of coloration which they take no notice of further than to give their reasons for not assigning it a place in their series, and this is white. The reasons seem good and philosophical in theory, but in practice it will sometimes be impossible to assign every white flower to some particular colour, as is recommended ; I shall therefore venture to use it as a colour for the present, according to general opinion. White or pale-coloured flowers prevail over all others ; they are * These series are developed in their * Untersuchungen liber die Farben der Bluthen,' 1825. Some details may be met with in DeCandolle's * Phy- siologie Vegetale/ torn. ii. pp. 901-924, and in the Library of Useful Know- ledge, Bofany, pt. 4. pp. 120-124, by Dr. Lindley. Mr. R. B. Hinds on Geographic Botany. 103 abundant in all latitudes particularly high ; among the plants of the spring they are more numerous than those of the autumn. Though common in the tropics they are rarer than in northern latitudes, and are more frequent in alpine situations than in the plains. The xanthic series of colours are most numerous in situ- ations exposed to the heat and brilliancy of the sun^s rays ; hence their comparative abundance within the tropics in the autumn, and in the plains over the mountains. This latter circumstance seems to have been noticed by the inhabitants of Peru, for we are told that in referring to the colours of the flowers, it is com- mon for them to say, Oro en la costa, plata en la sierra (gold on the coast, silver in the mountains) ; in the truth of which they are borne out by nature. Yellow is frequent in some natural families, as Composites, where it very generally prevails. Though flowers of the cyanic series are plentifully mixed with the xanthic, their preponderance is in other latitudes or diff'erent seasons. Some of the intense blues and violets delight in the clear skies of subtropic regions, whence might be inferred a partiality to a clear transparent atmosphere over one, though warmer, yet often teem- ing with aqueous vapour. Myrtacea, essentially a tropical family, has not a single blue flower. Fruits, coloured branches or stems, the internal woody structure, can all be ranged under these two heads ; thus the number of xanthic woods within the tropics is considerable. I could not neglect the opportunities which have occurred to me to obtain some statistical details respecting the colours of flowers, and a portion of my observations are subjoined in the Table. Colours. Central America, L. 10° N. Sandwich Islands, L.21°N. Alashka, L. 57° N. Califor- nia, L. 25° N. New Guinea, L. 3° S. Hong Kong, China, L. 22° N. Green January. June. July. 8 4 1 12 Nov. August. 1 2 1 7 February. 2 2 1 8 3 4 5 11 4 10 1- 2" r Greenish-blue ... Blue 1 2 2 1 7 1 1 4 3 12 10 7 5 5 3 12 1 4 3 11 Violet-blue Violet 1 10 2 1 4 5 14 4 8 I Violet-red Red o "Orange-red Oransre. 3 6 7 7 15 C3 Orange-yellow... Yellow 4 6 3 11 X .Yellow-green ... White 6 50 50 50 50 50 50 Xanthic. 30 White. 8 31 7 13 .... 11 19 6 23 ... . . 15 27 .... 10 104} On the Preservation of Objects of Natural History. Or— Cyanic. Central America 12 Sandwich Islands 12 Alashka 26 California 25 New Guinea 12 Hong Kong 13 In a practical view these colours may be regarded under the three heads of cyanic, xanthic, and white or blanched. The last will be found to bear an unusual proportion in New Guinea, even among its autumn flora, and at a season when the xanthic series is predominant ; and this is also important at Hong Kong, but there the month of the year must be taken into considera- tion. In the high latitude of Alashka, as might be expected, the blanched flowers are numerous, and the cyanic series prevails, though in the midst of summer. In Calilbrnia the superiority of the cyanic series over the xanthic is worthy of remark, consi- dering the time of the year, the briUiancy of the atmosphere, its general dryness, and the exposed character of the vegetation; and still more, as some limited observations made two degrees to the south give an excess to the xanthic series. In Central America January is a month of the dry season and the xanthic colours prevail ; and the same occurs at the Sandwich islands, notwith- standing the general tameness of the flowers of their flora. XII. — On the Preservation of Objects of Natural History for the Microscope. By the Rev. M. J. Berkeley. To Richard Taylor, Esq. My dear Sir, King's Cliffe, Dec. 28, 1844. I HAD an opportunity a few days since of inspecting Mr. Thwaites' collection of Algae at Bristol, and as his mode of preparing the specimens is not perhaps generally known, and as regards utility, is far superior to any other I have seen, I think it may not be disagreeable to some of your readers to have a short notice of it in your Journal. The distinguishing peculiarity of the collection is, that the specimens are ready mounted for the microscope, and preserved in a liquid which retains all their characters perfectly, so that at a moment^s notice any species is ready for inspection in as great perfection as when it was first gathered ; and if any un- usual structure occur, the portion of the plant may be set up and re-examined at pleasure, a point which was impossible in many cases before. The value of this method will at once be appre- ciated by all practical algologists, who know that scarcely any On the Preservation of Objects of Natural History. 105 tribe of plants suffers so much by drying as Algae, especially the freshwater Algse. The complicated endochrome, for instance, of Zygnema and allied genera is entirely destroyed by drying; whereas byMr.Thwaites^ method every peculiarity of structure is admirably preserved, even to the cytoblasts which occur in some species. The method is simple and requires only a little delicacy of ma- nipulation, which indeed may be said of all microscopical prepa- rations. Slips of plate glass of a size convenient for the micro- scope are the best recipient for the specimens. On the centre of these a little square area is insulated with gold size, which must be laid on of greater or less thickness, so as to build up a little wall according to the thickness of the specimen to be mounted. A number of these should be prepared ready for use. A solution is then to be made consisting of 1 part alcohol, 14 parts water, and to be accurately saturated with creasote. This should then be filtered through prepared chalk, and the solution allowed to stand for a month in case any precipitate should form ; it must then be decanted for use and kept in a stoppered bottle, and the small portion wanted from time to time should be passed through a piece of linen to prevent any impurity from spoiling the clearness of the preparation. When then it is requisite to mount a specimen, a drop or two of the fluid is placed in the insulated area, the edge having been first lightly retouched with gold size and the specimen floated in the fluid, care being taken to remove all air-globules ; a slip of talc, or, what is better, microscopic glass, a little exceeding the size of the area, is then dropped upon it and pressed gently upon the size, by which means the specimen is hermetically sealed ; a coat or tw^o of gold size is then put round the edges for greater security, and when the whole is perfectly dry, a coat of sealing-wax varnish. Care of course must be taken that the glass, especially that which covers the specimen, is perfectly clean. The slips are all made precisely of the same size, and are placed vertically in little drawers, on the sides of which grooves are made for their recep- tion. A box of the size of a common writing-desk will hold about 250 specimens. Mr. Thwaites finds this solution answer best for freshwater Algse ; for marine Algae he uses generally Goadby's solution, the formula for which is given in the ^Microscopical Journar for 1842, p. 183. It consists of 4 ounces of bay salt, 2 ounces of alum, 4 grains of corrosive sublimate, 2 quarts of boiling water. Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol. xv. ^ I 106 Prof. Lindley on new Orchidaceous Plants. This does not answer however for freshwater Algse. Some of the specimens of marine Algse, mounted in Goadby's solution, such as Codium tomentosum, Helminthocladia vermicularis, &c., are admi- rable. This method of preparing Algse certainly requires some little expenditure of care and patience, but it will be found so satisfac- tory in its results as amply to compensate any additional pains ; and when once the requisite arrangements have been made, the trouble in the case of individual specimens from time to time will not be found so great as might be expected. It may be remarked that the method is equally applicable to other microscopical objects, and especially to those of vegetable physiology. I am, my dear Sir, faithfully yours, M. J. Berkeley. XIII. — A Century of new Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants. Characterized by Professor Lindley. [Continued from vol. xii. p. 398.] Decade 3. 21. Pleurothallis Hartwegii ; caule medio laxe et longe vaginato, folio oblongo sessili amplexicauli, spatha obtusa carinata coriacea, spicis plurimis erectis rigidis secundifloris folio subsequalibus, se- palis disjunctis falcatis intus pubescentibus, labello cordato ovato obtuse basi auriculato (v. trilobo lobis lateralibus brevibus rotun- datis) juxta sinus bilamellato. Popayan (Hartweg). Very like P. macrophylla. Stem a foot and more high. Leaf a span long. Spikes eighteen to twenty. 22. Pleurothallis Icevigata ; caule angulato medio laxe et longe vaginato, folio oblongo sessili amplexicauli vernice quasi inducto, spatha acuta carinata coriacea laevigata, spicis plurimis erectis ri- gidis secundifloris folio brevioribus, floribus omnino P. Hartwegii sed duplo majoribus. Popayan (Hartweg). Very like P. Hartwegii, but the leaves are more polished, the spikes often shorter, and especially the flowers are twice as large. Perhaps it is a mere variety. 23. Stelis maxima ; folio oblongo obtuso, spica recta basi spathacea triple longiore, bracteis amplexicaulibus cuspidatis internodiis brevioribus, floribus ventricosis disepalis, sepalis multistriatis con- cavis, At the foot of Mount Tunguragua, at the height of 11,000 feet (Hartweg). Prof. Lindley on new Orchidaceous Plants. 107 A beautiful species, with flowers almost half an inch long, and apparently purple. It would be a Pleurothallis if its petals were not truncated and dwarf. 24. Stelis hrevilabris ; caulescens, folio lineari-lanceolato mucro- nato, spicis quadruplo longioribus solitariis erectis secundis strictis, bracteis cuspidatis internodiis brevioribus, sepalis lateralibus acutia suj^remo oblongo brevioribus. Popayan (Hartweg). Related to St. ascendens and lamellata, but easily distinguished by the drooping, ringent, almost 2-lipped flowers. Can it be St, elon- gata, H. B. K. } but the description does not agree. 25. Pleurothallis convoluta ; folio coriaceo convoluto, spicis plu- ribus folio brevioribus erectis, floribus Isevibus, sepalis marginatis lateralibus ultra medium connatis, petalis duplo brevioribus obtusia diaphanis, labello longiore complicato apice spathulato acuto infra medium utrinque dilatato rotundato. Popayan (Hartweg). 26. Pleurothallis galeata ; caule medio longe et laxe vaginato, folio petiolato cordato-oblongo obtuso, spatha subcoriacea obtusa, spicis filiformibus plurimis nutantibus folio brevioribus, sepalis la- teralibus semiconnatis angustis erectis dorsali antico galeato mem- branaceo, petalis linearibus sepalis paulo brevioribus, labello cucul- lato rhombeo angulis rotundatis utrinque bilamellato apice crasso calloso. Popayan (Hartweg). Near PL macrophylla. 27. Pachyphyllum squarrosum ; foliis recurvis squarrosis, labello obsolete trilobo callo a marginibus longe distante. Popayan (Hartweg). Much like P. distichum, except in the leaves and the form and callosity of the labellum. 28. Diahssa, gen. nov. Steli proximum. Calyx tubulosus, bilabiatus, antice ventricosus ; labio altero bifido revoluto. Petala nana. La- bellum indivisum, rectum. Columna nana, recta, biauris. Pol- linia 2. Dialissa pulchella. Spithamaea et ultra, cgespitosa. Caules teretes, monophylli, vaginis tubulosis membranaceis glabris vestiti. Fo- lium petiolatum, lanceolatum, striatum, acutissimum, tridentatum ; racemo striato, basi distanter vaginato triplo brevius. Bracteae 5 pollicares, falcatae, acutissimaj, perfoliatse, canaliculatse, glabrae, distichae, floribus glabris sequales. Sepalum supremum subcorda- tum, erectum. Petala rhombea. Labellum spathulatum, rotun- datum, linea transversa elevata. Popayan (Hartweg). 29. Gastropodium violaceum. Ramosum, distiche foliosum, foliis carnosis linearibus obtusis mucronulatis, vaginis striatis transverse 12 108 Mr. A. White on a new species of Longicorn Beetle, rugosis. Racemi breves, sessiles, terminales, cernui. Flores parvi, membranacei, violacei. Bractese subulatse, membranacese. Sepala conniventia, ovata, libera. Petala lanceolata duplo minora. La- bellum c. columna connatum, ventricosum, ovatum, callo tripar- tite ad basin. Columna brevis pyramidalis, partis liberse margi- nibus latis crassis truncatis. Clinandrium nudum. Anthera plana, membranacea, 4-locularis. PoUinia 4, oblonga, collateralia, om- nino sejuncta, filis totidem rectis. nee replicatis, leevibus, apice con- natis colligata. Ovarium cuniculatum, antice ventricosum. Popayan (Hartweg). This genus is near the true species of Diothonea, and like it in habits. It differs in its naked anther-bed and in the structure of the pollen masses. 30. Restrepia cucullata ; foliis oblongo-linearibus coriaceis acutis pedunculis filiformibus erectis brevioribus, sepalis lateralibus in unum lineari-lanceolatum connatis supremo angustissimo, petalis duplo brevioribus linearibus acuminatis, labello carnoso oblongo laevi tricarinato, columna cucullata. Popayan (Hartweg). XIV. — Description of an apparently new species of Longicorn Beetle from Mexico in the collection of the British Museum* By Adam White, Assistant Zool. Dep. Brit. Mus. [With a Plate.] In M. Delesserf s ' Souvenirs d^un Voyage k PInde/ a very in- teresting account has been given by M. Perrotet, his companion, of the habits of the Dorysthenes montanus of Guerin, with which I shall commence this paper, more especially as the insect about to be described would be arranged close to it by many authors (such as Laporte de Castelnau), although at present we have no means of ascertaining whether the Prionacalus of this memoir, and Psalidognathus of Mr. G. R. Gray, like the East Indian genus alluded to, and unlike the majority of the group to which they belong, live on the ground in elevated places destitute of large trees. The D. montanus begins to appear above the surface of the ground about the end of April, and comes up in immense numbers till the beginning of the rainy season, which lasts from the end of May or during June. They appear in such swarms that the highways and by-paths are covered with them in some places, and it is said that the bears of the country, at the season when they abound, get up to the mountains to feed on them. They have been observed by MM. Delessert and Perrotet coming out of their holes in the ground, especially in the neighbourhood of Coonoor,Kotirgherris and other places amongst the Neelgheries, where they may be seen white, yellow and brown, accordingly as thin. A: Jhui. ,Mc( ./list .fol. 1.5. /'I YM. 1'W Caraiws (Frocrashcu^J Taz^fou , Wkite. ^ CL (XwivthvLs) Trvorm (iHomcLCCblusJ Cauzcus White Mr. A. White on a new species of Longicorn Beetle. 109 they have been for a short or long time out of the pupa state ; they always keep to the ground and walk slowly. Amongst the Prionidce this group, containing Dorysthenes, CyrtognathuSy Cacoscelis, and perhaps Acanthinoderus, Psalidognathus and Prio- nacalus, resembles in habit Dorcadion and allied genera among LamiadcB, as Guerin-Meneville very justly remarks (/. c. Mag. de Zool., and Kev. Zool. Cuv. 1840, p. 39 Cyrtognathus) . I may here add, that the curiously curved jaws and very strong legs with their slender elongated tarsi seem to fit them particularly for getting into the ground, escaping from it and walking on its surface*. In a small collection of insects from Mexico, purchased last year by Mr. Gray for the British Museum from M. Hartweg, there are three specimens of a subgenus of Prionidce, at first sight with very considerable resemblance to the Psalidognathus modestus, Fries, Vetensk. Akad. Handl. 1833, p. 327. t. 9. f. 3, agreeing with that species in many particulars, but to me appear- ing distinct. From the genus Psalidognathus of Mr. George Gray (Griff. A. K., Insects, ii. p. 115. t. 6. f. 14), as characterized both by Mr. Gray and M. Fries, it differs in many particulars, sufficient, if the established subgenera of PrionidcB be valid, to constitute a new subgenus closely allied to Psalidognathus : in my description any comparisons refer to this latter genus. Prionus, subg. Prionacalus, White. c?. Head behind the eyes without a prominent spine; the la- teral margin behind produced into a slight process directed back- wards. ? . Head midway between the eyes and the posterior edge, with a strong broad spine on each side. (^ $ . Cheeks where jaws are inserted, without strong tooth on the outside. (See PI. VIII. fig. 1 b.) Labium very short (in Psa- lidognathus the labium is elongated). Jaws very strong (in female widest), with the upper surface rounded, the ends bent downwards, the edges strongly toothed and notched, the terminal tooth fitting into a groove in the other, and the ends probably lapping over each other. Palpi very prominent (PI. VIII. fig. 1 « c and 2ab). Maxillary with terminal joint largest, securiform and much dilated, penul- timate joint much shorter than the third. Labial palpi with the terminal joint much dilated. Antenna 11- jointed, with first joint * The Euchroa dinndiata of Gvierin- Menevilln, Delesseit, Voyage, p. 57. 1. 14. f. 1, and Mag. de Zool., is the iWr• >7'c>i90-;-999.-(>i : ^ i?? •ajiqs -saujuina ? i o : 6 6 O 6 to 6 •uojsoa 2 o ^? : i \^ o •jiDiMSiqo !? i i? :^? m to !• 1 •5[DtJttpUBS -5 ^ -• i ^* i i i i s* s' i - « « - - s i '>? • i i i s s g i \ c ^' •aiiqs -saujuina i i 3f -• i i » « i i cj ^ - « i «j i s i « «>• « «• i « s i an •uoisog sas^sss . . .as . .a.as^asaaaaaaaase 111 2111 ^'^''I'S"^^ 1S2111111111111 — •ui-d I •jlDtiasiqo i i i i i ^ ^ iiii^ooi « <^ g ^ i s i i ^ «• «• g i i i g 1 o 1 •ra-d f8 H« -^le» H« -i|« hI« Hw Hle» rtl« H« H '^'fif OD CO •ra"B 16 do CO Sic •uijVF -Iff) rt|(S MlffJrt^ rt^ r-C000'^tOmOa^00OC^00'-<'-Or^00OrotO .— c^c^'^C'-^^i-- — 9cx)^^•7tu:)■^co<^coc^cr)c^c^'-7H9o^(»^oooc^9 66^666666666^6^c^6^c^^^•a^6^6666666c^6^6^6^6^6 OS OS 1 :^^2^S§^2 2^g2S>S:7i^:j;^gS2^^?^^2>2i;s?ici[a^^ 1 ^^^kP-^^k^P-^^^^^^^^^^kkkkkP^^^^^^^^ •ra-B f 8 •uojsoa An (-t\ OS cr> CTi OS o CTi 0^ Os CTi CPi o> 0^ Os 0^ os os Os O o O Os O os Os os 0^ os o^ Os 1 2 moo c^ososcooo 00 -rfrfrN o coo^oo m— too t oelo^oSc.os'^OM:^criO — mo S'7'9(^^■;-9C^0^a^0^9 -ococrsfocorrjoicsiojoio ■• CO • ^ o p5 a; Jnn.JjMag.JaX. /lu-c.Yol 15. H/JX iJ.JohnsCojvMDdcL Glj'cerxc. .W.rS'pmf/'VScf THE ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY, No. 97. MARCH 1845. XX, — Miscellanea Zoologica. By George Johnston, M.D., Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. [With a Plate.] British Nereides. Syllis, Savigny. Char. Body linear-elongate, slender : head small, lobed more or less in front : eyes four : antennce three, cranial, filiform, submo- niliform, similar to the tentacular cirri j of which there are two pairs : proboscis divided into two distinct portions, the aperture plain, edentulous : segments numerous : feet undivided, armed with jointed bristles ; the superior cirrus elongate, submoniliform, the inferior short, unjointed : tail with two moniliform styles : branchiae none. 1 . /^, armillaris ; pale yellowish-brown, unspotted ; head deeply lobed in front, the lobes papillary; superior cirri four times longer than the breadth of the body, submoniliform. (Plate IX. figs. 1,2, 2 A.) Nereis armillaris, Midi, Wurm, 150. tab. ^.fig. 1 — 5, copied in Encyclop. Method, pi. 55. fig. 13 — 17. Base, Vers, i. 168. Turt. Gmel. iv. 86. Hah. Among shells and stones in deep water. Berwick Bay. Desc. Animal of a pale yellowish-brown colour, dusked in some places from the earthy contents of the intestine, very slender, linear-elongate, tapered at the tail, somewhat compressed. Head distinct, small, deeply lobed in front ; the lobes porrect, papillary, coalescent behind, but separated by a line from the antenniferous portion, which is rounded and slightly convex : antennce slightly tapered, submoniliform, the medial originating from the vertex and rather longer than the lateral : eyes placed in a semicircle, the posterior pair more approximated than the anterior : proboscis long, the outer portion shorter than the basal, smooth : post- occipital segment not larger than the following, with two tentacular Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol. xv. M 14^ Dr. Johnston on British Nereides. cirri on eacli side, the superior longer than the inferior, submo- niliform : segments very numerous, short, or about as broad as long ; the foot obtuse, undivided, furnished with a single fascicle of colourless bristles, which are jointed and curved near the pointed apex ; the spine conical, straight : superior cirrus at least three times the breadth of the body in length, becoming gra- dually shorter near the tail, slightly tapered, submoniliform : in- ferior cirrus not projecting much beyond the foot, conical, undi- vided : styles of the tail elongate. Length 2 inches ; breadth about a line. This worm is not uncommon. The specimen figured was found among some shells and stones which had been brought up from deep water by the lines of the fishermen. It may be compared, so far as external appearance goes, with the subterranean Geo- philus : its motion is moderately quick and efiected in the usual way. To the Scyllis monilaris of Savigny this species is evidently nearly allied, and indeed I find no characters to distinguish it excepting the deeply-lobed front, and the greater comparative elongation of the superior cirri, which, in the figure of S. monilaris given by Audouin and Edwards (Hist. Nat. du Litt. de la Prance, ii. pi. 4 B. fig. 1 — 5), scarcely exceed the breadth of the body. By the same characters S. armillaris is separated from the S. fulgu- vans. I have no opportunity of comparing ours with figures of any of the other species of the genus indicated by Audouin and Edwards. Miiller^s figures of this species are very good. Any one acquainted with Annelides will at once be led, from their great development and form, to conjecture that the frontal lobes of this worm are analogous to the exterior antennae of the Nereis ; and it may be considered as giving support to the opinion of Blainville, who had come to this conclusion from the exami- nation of species in which their development is much less re- markable, and where there was little coincidence in their figure. Plate IX. fig. 1. Syllis armillaris, natural size. Fig. 2. The same mag- nified. Fig. 2 h. The head more highly magnified. 2. S.prolifera ; yellowish-brown, unspotted ; head semicircular in front, entire ; superior cirri scarcely twice the breadth of the body, very obscurely jointed, not moniliform. (Plate IX. figs. 3, 4.) Nereis prolifera. Mull. Zool. Dan. tab. ^2. fig. 5 — 9, copied in Encyclop.Meth. Vers, pi. 56. fig. 12 — 15. Turt. Gmel. iv. 90. Bosc, Vers, i. 174. Audouin et Edw. in Ann. des So. Nat. xxix. 231. note 3 ; and Hist, du Litt. de la France, ii. p. 209. note 3. Hab. Amongst corallines in deep water. Berwick Bay. Desc. Body rather more than half an inch in length, scolo- pendriform, roundish, of a yellowish-brown colour : head small, Dr. Johnston on British Nereides, 147 distinct, rounded and entire in front, with four eyes placed in a square, the anterior pair more widely set than the posterior : antenncE three, elongate, filiform, clothed with minute cilia, un- jointed : proboscis apparently without teeth or other armature : segments numerous, narrow, incised at their junctions ; the post- occipital with a pair of tentacular cirri on each side, one-half the length of the antennse ; the cirrus of the following segment elon- gate, antenniform : feet uniramous, short, entire, armed with a single fascicle of retractile simple unjointed bristles ; the superior cirrus longer than the breadth of the segments, obscurely marked with a few transverse lines or wrinkles, but not in any degree moniliform ; the inferior cirrus small, and not projecting much beyond the foot : tail tapered, tipped with a pair of styles. This little worm always kept its antennae twisted up in a spiral manner, so that it was not easy to get a distinct view of their number and location : they differ remarkably from those of the preceding species in their greater development ; and it was easy to see, with a magnifier of no high powers, that they were clothed throughout with fine cilia. Plate IX, fig. 3. Syllis prolifera of the natural size. Fig. 4. The same magnified ; 4 h, the head and anterior segments ; 4 *, the middle segments ; 4 t, the posterior extremity and styles. Glycera, Savigny. Char. Body lumbriciform, attenuated at both ends, the rings numerous, narrow : head conical, bulged at the base, prolonged into a sort of annulated horn with four minute equal antenna on the apex: tentacular cirri none: mouth inferior; the proboscis very large, clavate, two-jointed ; the terminal joint smooth, the basal joint elongate, villose with minute papillse : feet uniform, obsoletely biramous, setigerous, with a short superior and infe- rior cirrusy and sometimes branchial papillary processes : tail with a pair of short styles. In all the Nereides which we have hitherto described, the head is to be readily distinguished by its enlarged form and its dissi- milarity from the first segment ; but in the Glycera there is no marked line of separation between these parts. The head has the appearance of a small pointed horn, and is indeed so like the an- terior end of the earth-worm, that we cannot but perceive, in this sameness of character, a certain approximation to a junction be- tween the families to which the Glycera and earth-worm respec- tively belong. Yet though this is unquestionable, still the Gly- cera is not the nearest connecting link, for there are other Anne- tides errantes which partake more of the habits and character of the TerricolcB. 1. G. alba ; body most attenuated anteriorly ; jaws four ; supe- M2 148 Dr. Johnston on British Nereides. rior ramus of the foot pointed on the dorsal aspect, rather longer than the cirrus ; branchise none. (Plate IX. fig. 1 — 9.) Nereis alba, MlllL Zool Dan. Prod, 217. Zool.Dan. tab. 62. Jigs. 6, 7. Aud. et Edw. Litt. ii. 243. Turt. Gmel. iv. 89. Bosc, Vers, i. 172. Hab. In sandy places between tide-marks under stones. Berwick Bay, not uncommon. Desc. Body vermiform, round, or rather somewhat flattened on the ventral surface, tapered anteriorly to a sharp point, less ta- pered at the tail, 2^ inches long, smooth, indistinctly annular, of a yellowish- white colour, stained with the contents of the intes- tine, and marked with a red vessel down the back. Head cor- nuted, the apex surmounted with four minute antennce only visible with a magnifier. Proboscis very large, faintly striate in a lon- gitudinal direction ; the teeth brownish-black, corneous, falcate, divided into three processes at the base, inserted into a sort of tubercle forming a square round the plain oral aperture. Seg- ments very narrow, equal and numerous. Feet papillary, obscurely biramous, obtuse, pointed above at the outer angle; the cirri short, the inferior almost obsolete : bristles colourless, jointed near the apex ; the spines straight, setaceous, pellucid. Anal segment rounded, apodal, terminated with two minute styles, which are frequently cast off in the animaFs struggles. Glycera alba lives under stones, sometimes buried in the gravel or sand, but the worm never penetrates far below the surface. Its motions in the water and in the sand are slow, but when irritated the contortions of the body are violent, and it very often twists itself so as to form a short spiral column, as we have attempted to show in the first of our illustrative figures. Savigny considers his G. unicornis to be identical with the Nereis alba of Miiller. It is more probable, however, that the British species is the same as the Norwegian; the more especially as there is nothing in the description to create any doubts of their identity. The G. unicornis is remarkable for its want of jaws, affording a striking proof that organs of vast importance in the higher classes are here only of secondaiy consequence, and do not even afford a good generical character. Plate IX. fig. 1. Glycera alba, natural size, and in a favourite position. Fig. 2. The same, with the proboscis protruded. Fig. 3. The head mag- nified. Fig. 4. A view of the proboscis fully extruded. Fig. 5. The apex of the proboscis viewed in front to show the jaws. Fig. 6. Three views of a jaw detached and magnified. Fig. 7. A side-view of a foot from near the middle of the body slightly compressed. Fig. 8. A view of two feet from above. Fig. 9. A bristle highly magnified. Fig. 10. The tail magnified. [To be continued.] Ann. &Ma^. JSTat.fftytNoV.idni^. StaMra>9trii.my. £.,renncr AkT-RcOT^ del. J^.D-CScrwerbySc ^k"^fjv,^\\<,\\ ■.v\\'-'.v\;>\'' Ami lMg.^'atMst. Aol. 15. rU'li Iff ^JP^ f f S tuiuristn/jrty DesrrddiiiJn q iicLdTangidatJim. jrHalfsdel. .J.D.C-Soncrf?)' jcf \ Mr. J. Ralfs on the British Desmidiese. 149 XXI. — On the British Desmidiese. By John Ralfs, Esq., M.R.C.S., Penzance*. [With a Plate.] Staurastrum, Meyen. Fronds simple, constricted in the middle ; end view angular, or circular with the margin lobato-radiate, or in a few instances compressed with a process or mucro at each extremity. Fronds minute, simple, more or less constricted in the middle, so as to form two segments, which are often somewhat twisted, generally broader than long, and in most of the species elongated laterally into a process, so that the constriction on each side is a roundish or angular sinus ; in other respects the front view shows the segments quite entire. The end view varies in form ; in most of the species it is tri- angular or quadrangular, and the angles are either rounded or elongated into rays ; in a few it is circular, with five or more pro- cesses forming marginal rays; and in three species it is compressed, and the extremities terminate in either a process or a mucro. Ehrenberg in his great work has distributed the plants which I shall describe here among different genera, according to the number of angles or processes seen in an end view. Thus he refers those with three angles to Desmidium, and those with four to Staurastrum. He formed his genus Pentasterias for the recep- tion of a plant with five rays, and placed one with two processes in his new genus Arthrodesmus. But this arrangement appears unnatural, not only because it separates nearly allied forms, but also because the number of rays are not constant even in the same species, as Meneghini remarks; whilst Professor Bailey says, when describing an American species, " The number of arms is usually three, but 1 have met with specimens in which one cor- puscle had three and the other four arms, others in which both had/owr, and others again in which both had /ve arms;^^ I have myself seen a frond of Staurastrum paradoxumy one segment of which had four and the other only three rays. I have generally found the Pentasterias margaritifera of Ehrenberg having six rays, but not unfrequently five, and occasionally indeed even seven rays to each segment. In the following description of this genus I have taken as my guide Meneghini^s ' Synopsis Desmidiearum,^ the best work on this family which I have seen. Besides the species placed in this genus by Ehrenberg, I have included in it his Pentasterias, and those plants which he has improperly united with Desmidium, and * Read before the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, May 9, 1844. 150 Mr. J. llalfs on the British Desmidiese. also a plant which he refers to Arthrodesrmis. This last plant I was at first inclined to keep distinct, but am unable to do so, as one undoubted species [S. tetracerum) has also compressed fronds ; whilst another compressed form added by Meneghini [S. Incus) in its front view so much resembles Staurastrum mucronatum, that I am not sure it may not be a variety of it. A little care will distinguish Staurastrum from the other ge- nera in this family, although some of its species appear at first sight to approach forms which belong to them. It differs from JDesmidium in never forming a filament ; the species with com- pressed fronds differ from Cosmarium in the front view by having a process or mucro at each side of the segment. Some species have a considerable resemblance to species oi Xanthidium, but in Xan- thidium the spines are always situated on the convex surface of the segments, whilst in this genus the rays are elongations of their angles. I have divided Staurastrum into four sections. In the first, the front view is truncate at the ends, and the an- gles of each segment, prolonged in straight processes, diverge from each other. In the second, the front view shows the processes, if any, of the one segment, either parallel to or converging with those of the other ; the end view is triangular or quadrangular. In the third, the front view also shows the processes, if any, parallel or converging ; but the end view is circular, with five or more marginal rays or lobes. This section also has the central circular portion more distinct from the rays and slightly pro- duced beyond them. In the fourth, the processes, if present, are in the front view converging ; but the end view is compressed, and terminated at each extremity by a process or mucro. * In the front view the elongated processes of one segment diverge from those of the other. 1 . S. tetracerum. Fronds rough ; front view with four slender di- verging processes which are entire at the apex ; end view com- pressed, with a process at each extremity. Staurastrum paradoxum, Ehr. Infus. p. 143. tab. 10. %. 14 ; Pritch. Infus. p. 185. figs. 102, 103. Micrasterias tricera and tetracera, Ktz. Synop. Diatom, in Linnsea 1833, p. 602. figs. 83, 84 and 85. In pools, Dolgelley and Penzance. Fronds very minute; front view nearly square; the angles elongated into straight, slender processes, which diverge from each other ; frequently, however, a segment may be so twisted that one of its processes is situated behind its companion, and is not seen until carefully looked for ; in this case the frond ap- Mr. J. Ralfs on the British Desmidiese. 151 pears to have only three processes in a front view, which seems to have misled Kiitzing, who has made another species of it. The end view is much compressed, and terminated both ways by an elongated process. The frond is rough with minute granules, which form transverse lines on the processes, and give them a jointed appearance. The colouring matter is veiy pale. Ehrenberg and Meneghini unite the ^' Micrasterias tetracera^' of Kiitzing to the " Staurastrum paradoocum," Meyen ; but the latter plant has four processes at each end, whilst the present has only two, which, if I am correct in my view of the following spe- cies, differ also in their entire extremities. Plate X. fig. 1. Staurastrum tetracerum : a, front view ; b, end view ; c, side view. 2. S. paradoxum, Meyen. Fronds rough; front view with elongated diverging processes which are minutely trifid at the apex ; end view quadrangular or sometimes triangular. Meyen, Nov. Act. Leop. Holm. vol. xiv. p. 43. figs. 37, 38; Menegh. Synop. Desmid. p. 227. Micrasterias Staurastrum, Ktz. /. c. p. 599. In pools and slow streams, Dolgelley and Penzance. Fronds very minute, green, generally much constricted in the middle, the ends truncate ; each segment has generally four elon- gated processes diverging from the processes of the other seg- ment. The end view is sometimes trilateral, but generally qua- drilateral, and shows the angles elongated into rays ; I have also seen a specimen in which one segment had four and the other only three rays. In the front view the frond generally rests on one of its sides, when each segment appears to have only two processes, as the other two are covered by them ; sometimes only one process is thus hidden, and occasionally all four may be seen at the same time. The processes are elongated, colourless, and being rough with minute granules arranged in transverse lines acquire a jointed appearance ; each terminates in three minute points. When only two processes are seen at each end in the front view, this species bears much resemblance to the preceding; but its frond is more constricted, larger, of a deeper green, and its processes are thicker and not entire at the apex. In the newly-formed segment the processes are merely conical projections. Plate X. fig. 2. S. paradoxum : .a, front view ; 6, newly-formed seg- ment ; c, end view ; d, end view of new segment ; e, front and end views of three-rayed variety. 3. iS. Ufidum. Frond smooth ; front view with thick diverging pro- cesses which are deeply trifid at the apex ; end view triradiate. Desmidium bijidum, Ehr. Infus. p. 141. tab. 10. fig. 11. In boggy pools : rare. Dolgelley and Penzance. 152 Mr. J. Ralfs on the British BesmidiesEf. Fronds minute, smooth, scarcely constricted in the middle, truncate at the ends ; each segment has three elongated, straight processes, which diverge from those of the other segment ; fre- quently in the front view only four processes are visible, as one of those at each end is concealed behind another. The end view is triradiate, the rays hyaline, stout at their base and gradually tapering. In this view, as the frond is generally twisted, the rays of the lower segment may be faintly seen between those of the nearer one. The processes are really deeply trifid at the extre- mity, though in certain positions they appear bifid, in which case the diverging points are forked like the tail of a swallow. This species, even in the ft*ont view, may always be known from the two preceding ones by its smooth and divided processes. Plate X. fig. 3. S. hifidum: a, front view; h, frond dividing; c, end view ; d, newly-formed segment. ** Front view without diverging processes ; end view triangular or quadrangular. 4. S. orbiculare, Mgh. Fronds smooth: front view suborbicular ; end view bluntly triangular. Mgh. I. c. p. 225. Desmidium orbi- culare, Ehr. Infus. p. 141. tab. 10. fig. 9 ; Pritch. Infus. p. 183. In pools and slow streams. Weston Bogs near Southampton ; Rackham Common, Sussex, and Jack's Wood Spring near Tun- bridge Wells, Mr, Jenner ; Dolgelley and Penzance. Fronds rather large, smooth, deeply constricted in the middle ; the segments, broader than long, are generally in close approxi- mation for their entire breadth, and hence by their union form a suborbicular frond; their sides are rounded and have no processes. The end view is triangular, with sides straight or slightly concave and angles rounded. Staurastrum orbiculare may be recognised by its smooth frond, angles very blunt and destitute of processes, and the orbicular form of its front view. Plate X. fig. 4. S. orbiculare : a, front view ; b, end view ; c, frond di- viding. 5. S. mucronatum. Fronds smooth ; end view three-lobed; lobes in- flated, blunt, mucronate. a. In the front view the segments are transversely elHptic, and the mucro straight. /3. Segments lunate, mucro curved outwards. y. Mucro curved inwards. In shallow pools, not uncommon. Weston Bogs near Southamp- ton ; Ashdown Forest, Sussex, Mr. Jenner ; Dolgelley and Penzance. Fronds smooth, deeply constricted in the middle ; segments broader than long, rounded at the sides, which are furnished with Mr. J. Ralfs on the British Desmidiese. 153 a mucro. In a. and 7. the segments are transversely elliptic, but in /8. they are lunate. The end view shows three mammillate lobes or rays, each of which is terminated by a hair-like mucro. The smooth frond, the peculiar inflated or mammillate form of the lobes in the end view, and the terminal hair-like points, well characterize this species. P.S. — During the past summer I several times observed, scat- tered amongst various Desmidiea, orbicular spinous bodies, the colouring matter of which formed a dense green mass, which tested by iodine assumed a dark blue colour, showing its vege- table nature. On careful examination I found that each of these bodies was usually accompanied by two empty fronds of Stauras- trum mucronatum, and was placed between them, though not in actual contact. Still it appeared so unlike any sporangium I was acquainted with, that I arrived at the conviction that it was the reproductive organ of the Staurastrum, only after repeated obser- vations and tracing the formation from the commencement. I then transmitted specimens to Mr. Jenner. He also at first doubted the connexion between the fronds and the spinous body, but after a minute inspection he confirms my observations in the following words : " I think I can say positively that I have traced them from the first conjugation to the full-formed spinous body, and I now feel satisfied that they are the spores or sporangia of the Staurastrum.'^ The difficulty in detecting the connexion between the empty fronds of the Staurastrum and the sporangium depends upon the tenuity of the connecting membrane ; the fronds also are gene- rally at a considerable distance, and soon become detached. In the conjugated specimens the fronds are always smaller than usual ; I have already noticed a similar fact respecting 75?/- memorus granulatus. In Staurastrum mucronatum the conjugated fronds are at first closely connected by the formation of a bag-like receptacle which is colourless and very thin, and therefore difficult of detection. As this enlarges the fronds become more remote from each other, their segments partially separate at the constriction on the inner side, the endochrome of both passes out, unites and forms an or- bicular body between them. In this state it resembles the spo- rangium formed in some species of Closterium. At first it is in- closed in an orbicular membrane larger than itself, but as it in- creases in size and density, fine hairs make their appearance on the surface and gradually become stout spines, the membrane lastly disappears and the sporangium acquires its perfect state, covered with conspicuous acute spines. In this stage the empty fronds of the Staurastrum seem scarcely connected with the sporangium ; except that they are on 154 Mr. J. Ralfs on the British Desmidiese. opposite sides of it^ have an opening towards it, accompany it in its movements, and always retain the same relative position. The fronds of the Staw^astrum in an end view had sometimes three and sometimes four rays ; in conjugating a four-rayed va- riety would often unite with one having three rays, and occa- sionally a frond might be seen having four rays on one segment and three on the other. These facts are another proof that the number of rays on a segment cannot constitute a generic di- stinction in these plants. It is probable that, under favourable circumstances, conjugation takes place in all the BesmidiecB. It is not uncommon in various species of Closterium ; I have seen it in this genus and in Tetme- moruSy and Meneghini mentions its occurrence in Desmidium^. That the sporangia are not more frequently detected may be partly owing to their minuteness, but I beheve that once formed they descend to the bottom of the pool and become mixed with the mud. It is well known that in the Conjugatce, when all the sporangia are formed, the plant sinks to the bottom ; and I may remark in support of the opinion I have advanced, that in a small pool at Dolgelley after a shower I could not obtain a single spe- cimen of the Staurastrum in a conjugated state, although the day before the sporangia were abundant. In a few days the Stauras- trum was again plentiful, but I no longer met with any conju- gated specimens, although I frequently sought for them. Plate X. fig. 5. S. mucronatum : a, front view ; h, end view. Fig. 6. a, fronds conjugated ; h, endochrome uniting between the fronds in order to form the sporangium ; c, d and e, different stages of the sporangium ; f, per- fect state. 6. S. muricatum, Breb. Fronds muricated ; end view triangular with convex sides. Mgh. /. c. p. 226. Binatella muricata, Breb. Alg. Fal. p. QQ (1835). Desmidium apiculosum, Ehr. Infus. p. 142 ; Pritch. Infus. p. 184. /3. Fronds furnished with numerous short spines. Xanthidium del- toideum, Corda, Observ. Microscopiques sur les Animalcules de Carlsbad, p. 29. pi. 5. figs. 38, 39. In small pools. Cheshunt, Mr. Hassall ; Weston Bogs, Hants ; Rackham Common near Pulborough ; Piltdown Common near Uck- field ; Mayfield and Heathfield, Sussex, Mr, Jenner ; Dolgelley and Penzance. /3. Sussex, Mr. Jenner ; Dolgelley. Fronds deeply constricted in the middle; segments broader than long, transversely elliptic, but frequently both are in close apposition for their entire breadth, and by their union form a * Speaking of the joints he says, " demum Diatomatum more secedant, hasque simul e latere copulare in speciebus nonnullis detexit cl. Br^bisson." — Menegh, I. c. p. 203. Mr. J. Ralfs on the British Desmidiese. 165 suborbicular frond ; the sides are rounded and have no processes. The end view is bluntly triangular, with convex sides and rounded angles. In both views the frond is copiously furnished with scattered apiculi ; when it is young these are merely rough points, but in the mature plant they resemble short hairs or bristles. The former state may be mistaken for Staurastrum tricorne by those not familiar with that plant, but the convex sides in the end view distinguish S. muricatum at all stages of its growth. In this and the two preceding species, as the segments are not much twisted, the angles only of the adjacent segment are seen in the end view ; they also agree in having rounded angles which are not prolonged into processes in either view. At Dolgelley I once gathered the conjugated state of this spe- cies before the sporangium was formed. Plate XI. fig. 1. S. muricatum : a, front view ; &, end view ; c, fronds conjugated ; d, empty frond ; e, front and end view of variety, 7. S. tricorne, Mgh. Fronds rough ; end view triangular with con- cave sides and blunt entire angles. Menegh. /. c. p. 225. Bina' tella tricornis, Breb. Alg. Fal. p. 57 (1835). Desmidium hexaceros, Ehr. Infus. p. 141. tab. 10. fig. 10; Pritch. Infus. p. 184. fig. 99. In shallow pools. Weston Bogs, Hants ; Rusthall Common near Tunbridge Wells ; PHtdown Common near Uckfield ; Rackham Com- mon near Pulborough ; Ashdown Forest and Mayfield, Sussex, Mr. Jenner ; Barmouth, Rev. T. Salwey ; Dolgelley and Penzance. Fronds rough with minute granules, deeply constricted in the middle, the constriction forming a rounded sinus on each side ; segments obtuse at the sides, about twice as broad as long, trans- versely oblong. The segments are twisted, and in the front view one of them appears shorter and thicker at one of its sides in consequence of the blending together of two of the angles. The end view is triangular, with concave sides and very obtuse entire angles. The conic granules, arranged in transverse lines at the angles, are generally very minute, but in some Sussex specimens gathered by Mr. Jenner they are large, and on the margin produce a den- tate appearance. Staurastrum tricorne connects the three preceding with the two following species. It agrees with the former in having rounded entire angles, but in other respects more nearly approaches the latter. It may be known from all states of S. muricatum by the rounded sinuses of its front view. Plate XI. fig. 2. S. tricorne : a, front view ; b, end view ; c, empty seg- ment. 8. S. gracile. Fronds rough ; segments in the front view elongated on each side into a slender process, which is terminated by three 156 Mr. J. Ralfs on the British Desniidiese. minute points ; end view triradiate. Euastrum, No. 13, Bailey in American Bacillaria, pi. 1. fig. 2 — 5. Boggy pools, Dolgelley and Penzance. Fronds rough witli minute granules^ deeply constricted in the middle ; segments two or three times longer than broad, and taper- ing on each side into a slender, straight and colom-less process, which is terminated apparently by three minute points : Mr. Jenner, however, informed me that the processes really terminate in four points, although this can only be ascertained when a process is so situated as to present its extremity to the observer. On the pro- cesses the granules are more conspicuous and arranged in trans- verse lines. The end view is triradiate, and the colouring matter is confined to the centre, and forms three rays which often appear bifid. Staurastrum gracile differs from S. tricorne in its slender pro- cesses, minutely trifid at the apex. The end view somewhat re- sembles that of S. paradoxum, but this species is easily distin- guished by the parallel processes of its front view. Plate XI. fig. 3. -5*. gracile : a, front view; 6, end view ; c, empty seg- ment. 9. S. aculeatum, Mgh. Fronds spinulose ; segments in the front view with a process on each side, terminated by three minute spines ; end view triradiate. Mgh. I. c. p. 226. Desmidium acu- leatum, Ehr. Infus. p. 142. tab. 10. fig. 12 ; Pritch. Infus. p. 184. /8. End view quadrangular, with four distorted rays. In pools and slow streams. Cross- in- Hand, Sussex, Mr. Jenner ; Dolgelley. /3. Woking Common, Surrey, and Piltdown Common, Sussex, Mr. Jenner', Penzance. Fronds spinulose, much constricted in the middle ; segments broader than long, and having at each side a hyaline process which is terminated by three minute spines and frequently dis- torted. The end view is triradiate. The acute, conic spines, scattered over the surface, sufficiently mark the present species. Platii; XI. fig. 4. S. aculeatum : «, front view; h, frond dividing; c, end view ; d, end view of four-rayed variety ; e, empty frond. 10. S. dilatatum, Ehr. Fronds rough ; end view with four short, broad, truncate and entire rays. Ehr. Infus. p. 143. tab. 10. fig. 13 ; Pritch. Infus. p. 185. figs. 100 and 101 ; Menegh. /. c. p. 227. In pools amongst aquatic plants. Rusthall Common near Tun- bridge Wells, and Rackham Common near Pulborough, Sussex, Mr, Jenner; Dolgelley. Fronds very minute, rough, with minute granules, deeply con- stricted in the middle, the sinuses rounded; segments trans- Mr. J. Rails on the British Desmidieae. 157 versely oblong, twice as broad as long, obtuse at the sides and not elongated into processes. In the end view, which is qua- drangular, the sides are concave, and the angles form short, very broad, truncate rays, on which the granules are arranged in transverse lines. All the specimens of S. dilatatum which I have examined have agreed with the above description, but Meneghini describes the end view as showing from three to five rays. The broad, trun- cate and entire rays of this plant will always distinguish both its three-rayed state from all the preceding species and its five-rayed variety from S. margaritaceum, Plate XI. fig. 5. S. dilatatum : a, front view; h, end view ; c, empty frond. *** Front view without diverging processes ; end view circular, with five or more marginal rays or lobes. 11 . iS^. Arachne. Fronds rough ; segments suborbicular with elon- gated, slender, incurved processes ; end view with five slender rays. Boggy pool near Dolgelley : very rare. Fronds minute, deeply constricted in the middle; segments about as long as broad, having on each side an elongated process which is hyaline and incurved, and appears as if transversely striated on account of the minute granules. When the frond is viewed obliquely, so that three or four of the long cui'ved pro- cesses are seen at the same time, its resemblance to an insect is considerable. The end view is circular with five slender rays. This plant is remarkable for its slender processes, which will easily distinguish it from S. margaritaceum. It cannot be a five- rayed variety of S. gracile, for the rays are longer, more slender, remarkably incurved, and also entire at the extremity. Plate XI. fig. 6. S. Arachne : a, front view; b, end view. 12. S. margaritaceum, Mgh. Fronds rough; front view with short, lateral, converging processes which are entire at the apex ; end view with five or more narrow, short, obtuse rays. Mgh. /. c. p. 227. Pentasterias margaritacea, Ehr. Infus. p. 144. tab. 10. fig. 15 (1838) ; Pritch. Infus. p. 185. fig. 104. a. Rays five. j3. Rays six. y. Rays seven. In peat pools near Dolgelley, /. i2. ; Ashdown Forest, Sussex, Mr. Jenner. Fronds rough with minute granules ; in the front view the segments are convex at the ends and slightly attenuated where they are connected, and on each side is a short, linear, obtuse and 158 Mr. J. Ralfs on the British Dcsmidiese. entire process which is generally somewhat incurved. The end view is elevated in the centre, and has from five to seven short, narrow, obtuse marginal rays. In the front view this species differs from all the preceding by its segments being of a subglobose form and attenuated at their junction, and by the short, linear, obtuse, lateral processes which also appear more distinct from the body of the segment ; its end view may be distinguished from that of their many-rayed varie- ties by the elevation of the centre, and the short, narrow, entire rays. Plate XL fig. 7. a^. margaritaceum : a, front view j h, end view. 13. 5^. Jenneri. Segments in the front view with a toothed angle at each side ; end view circular, with five or six broad, short, toothed lobes or processes. Mayfield, Sussex, Mr. Jenner. Fronds large, rough, with conic granules which give a den- tate appearance to the outline ; segments about as broad as long, produced into a toothed angle on each side, where also a trian- gular sinus is formed between the angles. The end view is cir- cular and elevated in the centre, and has five or six broad, short, toothed marginal lobes. The transverse view has a large central opening surrounded by a row of large granules. Plate XI. fig. 8. S. Jenneri: a, front view; b, end view; c, transverse view of empty frond. **** Front view without diverging processes ; end view compressed, and having a process or mucro at each extremity. 14. S. convergens, Mgh. Fronds smooth ; in the front view the seg- ments are elongated at each side into a conic spine which is curved inwards ; end view compressed with a spine at each extremity. Mgh. I. c. p. 228. Arthrodesmus convergens, Ehr. Infus. p. 152. tab. 10. fig, 18; Pritch. Infus. p. 190. figs. 112 and 113. Eu- astrum, Bailey, American Bacil. pi. 1. fig. 11. In pools. Brambletye near East Grimstead, and Rackham Com- mon near Pulborough, Sussex, and Rusthall Common near Tunbridge Wells, Mr. Jenner ; Dolgelley and Penzance. Fronds smooth, deeply constricted in the middle ; segments broader than long ; their spine4ike processes, by curving inwards, converge towards each other on the same side. This plant was placed by Ehrenberg in Arthrodesmus {Scene- desmus) ; but it has no affinity with the true species of that genus. Plate XII. fig. I. ^S*. convergens : a, front view; h, end view. 15. S. Incus, Mgh. Fronds smooth ; in the front view the segments are lunate and have a mucro at each angle ; end view elliptic, with Mr. J. Ralfs on the British Desmidieae. 159 a mucro at each extremity. Mgh. l. c. p. 228. Euastrum, Bailey, Amer. Bacil. pi. 1. fig. 12 .? Shallow pools. Weston Bogs near Southampton ; Rackham Com- mon near Pulborough, Sussex, Mr. Jenner ; Dolgelley and Penzance. Fronds very minute, smooth, deeply constricted in the middle ; segments externally lunate, about twice as broad as long, their angles with a mucro which is generally curved outwards. The end view is elliptic with a mucro at each extremity. The front view of this species bears a considerable resemblance to that of Staurastrum mucronatum, but the end view is very different. Plate XII. fig. 2. S. Incvs : a, front view; b, frond dividing; c, end view. 16. S.} octocorne. Fronds smooth, compressed ; segments broader than long, with four angles, each terminating in a spine ; end view subelliptic, with a spine at each extremity. Arthrodesmus octO" cornis, Ehr. Infus. p. 152. Boggy pools near Dolgelley : rare. Fronds minute, deeply constricted in the middle; segments broader than long, having four angles, each of them terminated by a slender spine, the intervals between them concave. The spines diverge from each other. Endochrome pale. The newly-formed segments at first have only two spines, and in this state somewhat resemble those of Staurastrum Incus j of which indeed this plant may eventually prove a variety. But S, Incus has only two spines on each segment, and its end is not concave but truncate. Meneghini refers the Arthrodesmus octocornis, Ehr., to Micras- terias ; but if the plant above described be identical with Ehren- berg^s, of which I have little doubt, it cannot be placed in a ge- nus distinguished by its deeply lobed and incised fronds, and I therefore presume the Micrasterias octocornis, Mgh., must be a different plant from the Arthrodesmus octocornis of Ehrenberg*. The characters of Staurastrum are not strictly applicable, but I have placed this plant in that genus because it cannot be sepa- rated from >S^. Incus. Further examination has indeed led me to doubt whether the two preceding and allied species do not equally require removal, but as their description is already in the press, I must here content myself by stating the change in my views respecting them. * " Arthrodesmus octocornis. Corpusculis viridibus, leviter compressis qua- drangulis binis singulis quadricornubus," Ehr. " Micrasterias octocornis, ceHuhs inciso-radiatis, radiis quatuor, attenuatis, acutis, divergentibus ; e latere elongato-ellipticis, medio compressis, super- ficie Isevi." — Mgh. I. c. p. 216. 160 Mr. J. Ralfs on the British Desmidieae. In all three species the frond is compressed, and the acute subulate spines seem more like those present in some species of Xanthidium than the processes which terminate the angles in Staurastrum. They may therefore form a section of Xanthidium, or what is perhaps better, a distinct genus, for which Ehrenberg's name Arthrodesmus should be retained. Plate XII. fig. 3. -5". octocorne : «, front view ; b, frond dividing; c, end view. 4 {Front view with straight, diverging processes 2 Front view with the processes, if any, parallel or con- verging 4 r Processes smooth, deeply divided at the apex hijidum. 2. < Processes rough with minute granules, entire or ter- L minated by three minute points 3 End view compressed and having an entire process at each extremity tetracerum. End view with three or four rays, each terminated by three minute points paradoxum. r End view compressed and having a spine or mucro at 4.-< each extremity 5 L End view with five or more angles or rays 6 K r Segments with four spines octocorne. * \ Segments with two spines 5* r Segments transversely elliptic ; spines incurved convergens. 5* -< Segments with truncate ends; spines generally directed L outwards Incus. {End view with three or four angles or rays 7 End view circular, with five or more marginal rays or lobes 13 {End view with four broad, truncate, entire rays dilatatum. End view with three angles or rays, each of which is either rounded or else terminated by minute spines. 8 ^ r Each ray terminated by three minute spines 9 ' I. End view with rounded and entire angles 10 Q J Fronds spinulose aculeatum. ' "1, Fronds rough with minute granules gracile. ,^ r Fronds muricated, or rough with minute granules 11 * t Fronds smooth 12 ,, r End view with convex sides muricatum. '\ End view with concave sides tricorne. 12 r Angles inflated, mucronate mucronatum. '\ Angles neither inflated nor mucronate orbicular e. ,„ rEnd view with broad, toothed lobes Jenneri. * \ End view with entire rays 14 ,. J Processes short, stout tnargaritaceum. * \ Processes long, slender Arachne. ATUv.&MoM.Mcut.Itust. Vol. J 6. Fl.Xm. M.Q. Couch del. A Morp/bolo^T/ oj-" ^bopkyte^s MoU del. J'-.Basirf ,cr. Ji£o/p/bolo^2/ of 6r'ra^s. es Mr. R. Q. Coiic'h on the Morphohgy of Zoophjtes, 161 XXII. — On the Morphology of the different Organs of Zoophytes, By R. Q. Couch, M.R.C.S.L * [With a Plate.] The subject which I have to bring under the notice of the So- ciety today is, if it proves true, one of great beauty and unusual interest, inasmuch as the lowest forms of animal life will in the development be found to be governed by the same laws that govern the growth of flowering plants. The vegetable law to which I refer is the metamorphosis of the leaf into the various organs which constitute the perfect plant. This law is now so well established and so generally allowed that nothing is required to be said of it ; on the present occasion I shall therefoi^ proceed to discuss its application to the animal kingdom. To Professor E. Forbes belongs the merit of first promulgating the theory of the morphology of the reproductive system of the Sertularian Zoophytes and its analogy with the reproductive organs of flow- ering plants. This he did at the late meeting of the British As- sociation held at Yorkf. It is an opinion I have long enter- tained, and in elucidation of which I have for some time been examining almost all the species found on our shores. The views were so new that I hesitated to adopt them, and had I not found that they were held and published by others, I should not now have brought them before this meeting. I do so to show how far the theory of Professor E. Forbes is supported by inductive ob- servations ; and that though we pursued in a great measure dif- ferent paths, we yet arrived at similar conclusions. As Professor Forbes confined his observations to the genera Sertularia and Plumularia, they are the ones which will be referred to here, though the same observations may be extended to several genera of the Ascidian Zoophytes ; Crisia and Cellularia for instance. In making these observations I shall refer to their growth ab ovo, and trace the different parts through their development to the fully formed character. These creatures resemble plants in their ar- borescent appearance, rooted character, and the transient nature of their reproductive organs. The Sertularian genera have an external horny, elastic and irritable sheath, and this incloses a central granular pulp which extends into all the ramifications and from which all the other parts are formed. On the branches are numerous variously shaped and variously arranged cup-like cells ; but their arrangement and shape are always alike in the same, but difi'erent in different species. These are the polype cells, in * Read before the Natural History Society of Penzance, Dec. 3, 1 844, and communicated by the author. t As reported in the Athenaeum. The entire paper, illustrated by a plate, was inserted in our Number for December 1844. Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol. xv. N 162 Mr. R. Q. Couch on the Morphology of Zoophytes. which the polypes or prehensile portions are situated. The polypes are attached inferiorly to the central granular pulp which ramifies through the centre of the trunk and branches, and are indeed formed of it. These are the only portions of the creatures exposed to the influence of the surrounding water, and by these the food is taken, digested, and the nourishment distributed to all the other parts. In many species the polypes are exceedingly numerous, but though they are entirely independent of each other as regards their individual life and nourishment, yet they can- not be considered as distinct animals ; for the whole production seems to be but one compound creature, derived from the same source, the pulp and all tending to carry out the same object. In this respect they resemble trees ; each branch is independent of all the others and may be cut off without injury to the whole, and yet all together they constitute the perfect polypidom. At particular seasons, extending from the middle of summer to autumn, and in fine weather to the early parts of winter, there are other and differently shaped cells developed, which are larger than those previously mentioned as containing the polypes. These are the ovigerous vesicles, which after having performed their function drop off and disappear. In this they differ from most other animals, in which the reproductive organs are, in duration, coextended with the lives of the creatures, and offer a remark- able analogy to similar parts in plants both in their decay and periodical re-appearance. " These organs,^^ Professor Forbes says, " in their nature, have often been discussed but never explained." By their natm-e the Professor cannot mean the function they perform in the oeconomy of the creature^s existence, since that is established by numerous and accurate observations ; but rather I presume the nature of the type from which they have undergone their ideal metamorphosis. In this he is certainly correct, and the present observations are intended to elucidate this, and in some measure to extend it. The reproductive gemmules are very minute globular bodies, surrounded by numerous vibratory cilia which are in constant action. The mode in which they are formed will be briefly described hereafter. As soon as they have escaped from the ovigerous capsule into the surrounding water, they move about with great rapidity in a revolving manner, like the earth on its axis. While examining them in a bottle I could perceive that they occasionally stopped, and then again would rapidly move from spot to spot. In this way they move about from one hour to nearly two days, depending apparently on the temperature and the nature of the surrounding surfaces. They would occasionally rest on the glass for a few minutes, and then, as if the spot was an unfavourable one, again start off and revolve as rapidly as before, frequently changing their form from the cir- cular to the oval ; sometimes acquiring an hour-glass contraction, Mr. R. Q. Couch on the Morphology of Zoophytes. 163 and at others assuming the appearance of having an enlarged head and a narrow and contracted tail. But having once fixed itself, it remains rooted ever after. From the period it first be- comes fixed it speedily undergoes a change in tint, but this how- ever would hardly be perceptible except to a practised eye. When this has taken place small fibres are given out from the base, or all that portion in contact with the glass. These consti- tute the roots by which the creature becomes fixed. From this point it quickly rises into the arborescent form of the adult. This is a remarkable change ; for here we see a creature in its youngest form moving about with almost the irregularity of voluntary mo- tion, yet in a short time becoming rooted and taking on so much of the vegetable form and appearance, as to have required, at the hand of Ellis, repeated observations and accurate demonstrations to persuade us to the contrary. The seed being fixed, the upper portion becomes elongated without any distinction of parts, and the first joint of the creature is formed. Taking the sea- thread, Laomedea geniculata, as an example best calculated to show the analogies between the formation of the polype cells and ovarian vesicles, the central pulp of the seed becomes the central gra- nular pulp of the adult. After the ovule has become superiorly elongated to a distance equal to the usual length of the cell and its footstalk, it enlarges and becomes bulbous. All is now one undefined mass ; but in the course of a few hours the stalk be- comes shrivelled, and the bulbous termination acquires a deeper tint towards the centre and lighter towards the circumference. At first this central shade is slight and indistinct, but it soon be- comes darker and more defined. As this condensation or orga- nization advances, the pulp becomes more transparent at its cir- cumference, and darker towards the centre. At this stage the transparent circumference appears to be drawn into transverse folds, as if from a force acting towards the centre, and leaves be- hind a transparent horny covering which eventually forms the walls of the future cell. In this way the whole of the pulp be- comes separated from the investing sheath. This being eff'ected, the upper edge of the bulbous portion of the pulp acquires a ser- rated edge, which in a short time becomes more and more di- stinct and enlarged, and finally is produced into finger-like pro- longations forming the tentacula of the polype. It is by an ex- tension of development that the horny cell is opened, and not by any mechanical pressure as has been supposed, since the only source of pressure is from the polype, and that is not in contact with it at the time. In this the polypes are formed from the central granular pulp in all the Sertularian species, having but very slight modifications in the difi'erent genera. The prolon- gation of the stem is formed in precisely the same manner, but N2 16 i Mr. R. Q. Couch on the Morphology of Zoophytes. without a bulbous termination. The granular matter or pulp, which is at first diffused, becomes condensed or organized to- wards the centre, leaving the investing sheath in its annular form, and no further development goes on. It is this cessation of growth for the purposes of organization that regulates the length of the internodes both of the trunk and branches. Hence also arise many of the irregularities so frequently observed. If growing in a variable situation, some of the internodes are short, while others are nearly double the usual length, depending on the vigour with which each portion is developed. These varia- tions are more observable in Sert. pumila than in the Sea-thread [Laomedea) . The formation of the ovarian vesicle, in this genus at least, occurs in a very similar manner to what has been described in the polype cell and trunk. The ovarian vesicles are cells formed during the summer and autumn in situations varying with the diiferent species ; and these having performed their function of reproduction are periodically shed, to be replaced by others at some future time. Their first appearance are small protube- rances or elongations of the part on which they rest. At first a darker appearance of the pulp and sheath is observed on the part in which the vesicle is about to be produced. This is prolonged precisely in the manner noticed in the formation of the polype cell and trunk, and the separation of the pulp from the sheath occurs also in the same manner. It increases in length to the usual length of the vesicle, and with the exception that its axis is larger, resembles a branch in everything. But instead of being produced into a polype as in the polype cell, the surface becomes marked with circular lines, which, as development goes on, as- sumes the form of small grains or globules, more or less em- bossed according to the stage of advancement. They rapidly become more and more defined arid separated from each other, but remain attached to the central pulp by an umbilical cord. This also becomes more attenuated and finally gives way, and the gemmule remains free in the horny case. These gemmules have a central granular pulp surrounded by a semitranslucent zone or case, and have their surfaces covered from a very early stage of their formation with numerous vibratory cilia. In this free state they remain in the case a short time, for the upper portion of the vesicle opens and the remarkably active gemmules revolve rapidly from spot to spot, as has been previously described. From this it will be perceived that the function of these periodic vesicles is reproduction, and therefore, when Prof. Forbes says that their nature is unknown, he can mean only the ideal form, from which he supposes them changed during their develop- ment. Mr. R. Q. Couch on the Morphology of Zoophytes. 165 From the foregoing observations it will appear, that in the earliest stages of growth, the stem, the polype cells and the ovarian vesicles of the Sea-threads, Laomedea, are precisely alike, and that at a particular point of their development each assumes its indi- vidual character. The stem advances to one point and is there arrested in its organization ; the polype cell advances to the same point, but instead of being arrested, the pulp becomes developed into a polype and the sheath into a cell. This however seems to be only the case when the termination is bulbous ; for in many instances I have seen that where the pulp was not bulbous, but of the same diameter throughout, and about the size of the stem, that no polype has been developed, but merely a distorted branch. Where specimens grow in unfavourable situations, such distor- tions are not unfrequently to be found ; and most of them I be- lieve are attributable to this cause. This malformation is most frequently to be seen in Sert. polyzonias, rosacea, and a few other kindred species. The ovarian vesicle also advances as the branch and cell, but instead of being of equal diameter throughout, as the former, or bulbous at its extremity, as the latter, it is enlarged or bulbous throughout its extent, and is united to the branch or trunk by a narrow and short peduncle. Instead of the vesicle being arrested in its growth at the same point as the stalk, or organized into a polype as in the cell, it becomes developed into numerous minute globes covered with vibratory cilia as previously mentioned. Here then we see a great similarity between the different organs of these creatures, — a similarity so great as to warrant the supposi- tion of their primary identity and subsequent individualization, even if there were no others. In Sertularia polyzonias I have several times seen a polype cell terminate in a distorted branch ; and on the other side I have seen a branch terminate in a polype cell, showing a convertibility Into each other. In all my examinations I have never seen the ovarian vesicle occupied by a polype. Ellis, however, has figured something like this with the polype protruding, but he says nothing of the kind in his text, and I am unacquainted with any one who has wit- nessed anything of the sort, though observers have become nu- merous since Dr. Johnston^s work has been published. I have however seen a cell, apparently designed for a vesicle, small in its growth and occupied by a polype. This form of vesicle has been selected for my illustration, because, if I understand Prof. Forbes, it is the one about which he had doubts. At some future time, when I have a little more leisure, I should like to offer a few observations on others and diversified forms of these transitory cells. 166 Mr. J. BlackwalPs Ornithological Notes. EXPLANATION OF PLATE XIII. A. Fig. 1. Earliest state of branch. Fig. 2. Earliest state of polype cell. Fig. 3. Earliest state of ovarian ve- sicle. Fig. 4. A second state of fig. 1. Fig. 5. A second state of fig. 2. Fig. 6. A second state of fig. 3. Fig. 7. Perfect state of branch fig. 1. Chapel Street, Penzance, Dec. 3, 1 844. Fig. 8. Perfect form of fig. 2. Fig. 9. Perfect form of fig. 3. Fig. 10. Showing a cell of Sert. poly- zonias converted into an imperfect branch. Fig. li. An abortive branch of -Ser^. polgzonias converted into a polype cell. XXIII. — Ornithological Notes, By John Blackwall, F.L.S. The Osprey, Pandion Haliaetus. On the 3nd of November 1844^ Lord Edward Thynne obligingly sent to me a specimen of the osprey, which had been shot by Mr. Griffith Jones of Glyn, on the same day, near the banks of the Lleder, a small river in Caernarvonshire, which flows past the village of Dolwyddelan. It was a male bird, and measured five feet and an inch from tip to tip of the extended wings ; twenty- two inches from the point of the bill to the extremity of the tail ; and weighed three pounds and a quarter, after the remains of a bull-trout, which, when newly captured, must have weighed about two pounds, had been taken from its craw. Several days previously to the 2nd of November this bird had been seen flying about the river Conway in the vicinity of Bettws y Coed, and it is a remarkable fact, that three years since another individual of the same species was killed within a hundred yards of the spot where this was shot. The Tawny Owl, Symium Aluco. A hole in a decayed tree is usually selected by the tawny owl for the reception of its eggsj but in the neighbourhood of Llanrwst, where this species is numerous and decayed trees are comparatively scarce, it frequently deposits its eggs in an old nest of the carrion crow. In May 1844 one of a brood of young owls bred in a crowds nest accidentally fell to the ground before it was fledged, and was as carefully attended to by the parent birds under this change of circumstances as those were which remained in the nest, being abundantly supplied with mice and small birds. When any per- son approached the spot where the young owl stood, one of the parent birds, probably the female, invariably made its appearance, and with looks and gestures expressive of the utmost solicitude reiterated a loud sharp cry, and snapped its mandibles together by way of menacing the unwelcome intruder. Mr. J. Black wall's Ornithological Notes. 167 Possessing a voice susceptible of considerable modulation, the calls of the tawny owl are, perhaps, more varied than they are generally supposed to be ; the cry termed hooting, by which it is most familiarly known, may be heard to the distance of a mile and a half or even two miles under very favourable circumstances, and is attended by a peculiarity deserving of notice. In the first instance a plain hoot is ejaculated, which is soon followed by a tremulous one, and in the interval between the two a low abrupt note occurs, which immediately precedes the latter ; such is uni- formly the order of succession w^hen nothing unusual happens to interrupt it. Some years ago a pair of barn owls reared their young in the deserted nest of a magpie, built in a spruce fir growing in a wood at Blackwall, the family estate, in Derbyshire. The Pied Flycatcher, Muscicapa luduosa. In my ' Researches in Zoology,^ p. 166, I have succinctly no- ticed the fact that the pied flycatcher breeds in Gwydir woods, near Llanrwst. From more extended observations subsequently made in the same district, I may now add, that this interesting species is to be seen every summer sparingly dispersed throughout the entire extent of the valley of the Conway. For a long series of years a pair of pied flycatchers had incu- bated their eggs and nurtured their young in security in a small aperture close by the portico to the principal entrance of my father's residence, Hendre House, Denbighshire, undisturbed, apparently, by the frequent passing and repassing of its inmates. The lively effect of the well-defined and strongly-contrasted black and white plumage of the male, his short but pleasant song, and the confiding habits of both sexes rendered them objects of great interest to all the members of the family, who did not allow them to be molested on any pretext whatever. Unfortunately, on the 18th of June 1843, a swarm of bees discovered the aperture, which then contained a brood of nestlings nearly fledged, and by hurrying in and out of it and flying about the entrance in large numbers, seemed determined to dispossess the rightful owners. Whenever the parent birds attempted to approach the spot for the purpose of feeding their young, they were instantly attacked and repelled by the excited bees, from which they took refuge among the branches of an oak growing near, and there mani- fested their anxiety by notes and actions expressive of extreme uneasiness. After having been severely stung, the nestlings fluttered to the mouth of the aperture and descended to the ground, where they all perished, their bodies being much swollen. Towards the close of April 1844, the same pair of birds re- 168 ^Ir. J. Black vvalFs OrnitJwlogical Notes. turned to their favourite breeding haunt, and repeatedly visited the aperture so long occupied by their nest ; but being again as- sailed by the bees, which had removed to a parallel aperture on the other side of the portico, it is probable that the incident re- called the destruction of their progeny in the preceding year, for they eventually deserted the place, and selected a hole in a low stone wall by the side of the avenue leading to the house, in w^hich they constructed a nest and brought up their young. This instance, and other cases might be adduced, evidently tends to show that the pied flycatcher resorts annually to the same locality for the purpose of continuing its species, and that, like its congener the spotted flycatcher, it is a very familiar bird during the breeding-season. The Carrion Crow, C&rvus Cor one. It is evident from repeated inspections of the indigestible part* of objects swallowed by the crow as food, which, like the magpie and birds of the order Raptor es, it ejects from the mouth, that vegetable substances form no inconsiderable portion of its ali- ment ; it devours fish also, particularly eels, in pursuit of which it wades into the shallow water of rivers and brooks that flows over beds of stone and gravel, seizing the object of its search with the bill and conveying it to land, where it is eaten at leisure^ Crows thus occupied may frequently be seen by the salmon-fisher w^hen following his exciting diversion on the banks of the Conway in the picturesque valley which derives its name from the stream. The Rev. John Boulger of Llanrwst informs me that in June last he saw a crow on the wing with a fine living eel in its bill ; the contortions of the fish as it endeavoured to escape from its formi- dable enemy and the varied gesticulations of the bird, occasioned by its efforts to retain a prey so muscular, flexible, and slippery, W' ere very grotesque and amusing ; at length the eel extricating^ itself from the grasp of the crow fell to the ground, and as there was not any water in the immediate vicinity, Mr. Boulger availed himself of the opportunity to examine the fish and satisfy his mind that it was not a snake. Though of a much less social disposition than the rook, never- theless the crow is not so solitary in its habits as it is generally represented to be in works on ornithology. When the breeding- season is over, and the young birds are capable of providing for themselves, the crows belonging to this district assemble in large flocks about the close of day, preparatory to repairing to their roosting-haunts in the higher parts of Gwydir woods; they are very clamorous on these occasions, and do not finally retire to rest till it is nearly dark, but frequently after they seem to have settled for the night, rise suddenly in a body, renewing Mr. J. BlackwalPs Ornithological Notes, 169 their vociferous calls and wheeling about in involved curves^ as they are joined by newly-arrived groups, or even without any apparent cause whatever. This habit of congregating in an evening continues till the next breeding season, and 1 have some- times observed betwen 100 and 200 individuals in a flock. The Rook, Corvus frugilegus. Bewick, in treating upon the rook in his ' History of British Birds,' vol. i. p. 71, has remarked that he is inclined to consider the naked condition of the base of the bill and the anterior re- gion of the head in this species as an original peculiarity, appa- rently intending to intimate thereby a belief that at no period of its existence are the parts in question covered with feathers, a construction of the passage which is countenanced by his having omitted to notice the fact that young rooks, before their first moult, do not exhibit this deficiency of plumage. Now as young rooks, when they quit the nest, have the base of the bill and the anterior part of the head amply provided with feathers, the ques- tion naturally arises, How is the nudity of these parts in old birds occasioned ? On referring to my ' Researches in Zoology,' p. 174-175, it will be seen that in the year 1834 I advocated the opinion pre- valent among ornithologists, that the loss of the feathers alluded to above is attributable to the habit which the rook has of thrust- ing its bill into the ground in search of food. An extensive examination and comparison of specimens had led me to observe that the nudity extends further and is more com- plete in some individuals than in others ; that the more promi- nent and exposed parts are first deprived of feathers, and that short filiform processes, bearing a close resemblance to new feathers enveloped in membrane, frequently occur on the less prominent and less exposed parts, particularly on the flaccid skin which occupies the angle at the base of the lower mandible. In addition to these facts, I may remark that an opportunity had presented itself of inspecting a rook whose mandibles were so greatly curved in opposite directions, and, consequently, so much crossed at the extremities, that it could not possibly thrust its bill into the ground, and the base of that organ and the anterior part of the head did not manifest the least deficiency of plumage. With such evidence in its favour, I was induced to adopt the popular hypothesis, which I now abandon in consequence of having recently proved by experiment that it is erroneous. Being supplied by George Davies, Esq. with two young rooks taken from a nest in his rookery at Cyffdu on the 17th of May 1843, I put them into a large wooden chicken -pen, purposing, when they could take their food without assistance, to remove one of them to a garden enclosed with walls, where it might have 170 Mr. J. BlackwalPs Ornithological Notes. an opportunity of employing the means of procuring sustenance common to the species, and to let the other remain in the pen. This plan was frustrated by the unexpected death of one of the young birds soon after it came into my possession ; but the re- sult of the experiment, as will be seen in the sequel, was not at all affected by this untoward circumstance. In the month of August the surviving rook lost only a few feathers from various parts of its body, but did not moult regularly till July and August 1844, when the feathers at the base of the bill and on the ante- rior region of the head were cast off, and have not been renewed to the present hour, though the bird has always been remarkably healthy and has never on any occasion been suffered to leave the pen for a moment. That rooks in a state of liberty usually moult in the autumn of the year in which they are disengaged from the e^^ may be inferred from the fact, that although numerous indi- viduals, whose shrill voices evidently denote that they are young birds of the season, may be seen in the months of June and July with the base of the bill and anterior part of the head abundantly supplied with feathers, yet for several months prior to the breed- ing-season not one can be perceived, at least as far as my own observations extend, which has not those parts denuded. From what has been stated, it is evident that the phsenomenon under consideration has a physiological, not a mechanical cause, though the removal of the plumage may be facilitated by the frequently repeated act of thrusting the bill into the ground, and the circumstances which seemed to support the opposite conclu- sion admit, for the most part, of an easy explanation upon this view of the subject. The difference observable in the extent and completeness of the nudity at the base of the bill and the anterior part of the head of the rook probably depends upon the progress which has been made in moulting, especially among the younger birds ; and the earlier denudation of the more prominent parts may be occasioned by the friction consequent upon the manner in which the bill is employed in procuring food. The short fili- form processes so common on the depressed and less-exposed parts present a difficulty of which no satisfactory solution sug- gests itself; but the state of the plumage on the head of that rook whose mandibles were greatly crossed may be accounted for on the supposition that it was a young bird which had not moulted. Had the experiment recorded by Mr. Waterton in his ' Essays on Natural History,^ p. 136-139, been successful, this question, upon which public opinion has been so long divided, would have been settled some years earlier ; unfortunately, however, both the young rooks selected for the purpose of deciding it met with un- timely deaths, one before it had begun to moult, and the other soon after it had commenced moulting. On Mr. Waterton's re- turn from Bavaria, his gamekeeper, to whose care the latter bird (AUAAi?- r. If. }\urh, M< J. Bastre- . (iL/,, Mr. C. W. Peach on the ''Niggei^" or ''Cotton Spinner.^' 171 had been consigned, informed him that at the period when its existence terminated " the lower mandible had begun to put on a white scurfy appearance, while here and there a few feathers had fallen from the upper one." It is to be regretted that the issue of this experiment was not more satisfactory, as from the nature of the case it was impossible to determine whether the feathers lost from the base of the bill would be renewed or not, though feathers shed from other parts in the act of moulting are known to be reproduced. The rook visits orchards and gardens when cherries and wal- nuts are ripe, for the purpose of feeding on those fruits ; it also devours grain of various kinds, and frequently commits depreda- tions in potato-grounds by abstracting the newly-planted sets ; but I entirely concur with those naturalists who maintain that the injuries it inflicts on the farmer and gardener are vastly more than compensated by the benefits it confers upon them by the destruction of noxious insects. XXIV. — On the ''Nigger" or " Cotton Spinner " of the Cornish Fishermen. By Charles William Peach, of Goran Haven, Cornwall*. [With a Plate.] Through the kindness of Mr. Couch of Polperro, some time ago, I was gratified with a sight of Professor Forbes' s ' History of the British Echinodermata.' In that interesting work, at page 341, he says, " We have as yet no representative of the typical Holo- thuria with twenty tentacula in the British fauna." It is gra- tifying to me to be able to present to your notice that link, which was then wanting, — a Holothuria with twenty tentacula ; and as it is a new and interesting subject, I trust I shall be pardoned in giving you a lengthened history of its appearance, habits, &c. This Holothuria is very common in deep water ofi" the Dead- man in certain localities (rocky ground), and is called by the fisher- men a " Nigger," and at times a " Cotton Spinner" ; it is held by them in great detestation, from its throwing out what they call " cotton," of which more by and by, and from its slimy nature, and also because where the " Niggers " are numerous and get into the crab-pots, it is very rarely that either crabs or lobsters are caught, and therefore they kill all they come near with their knives, because they do not like to touch them. This is not wonderful, for their appearance is anything but prepossessing ; yet they are interesting objects to me, and no doubt will prove so to others, after I have described them. * Read before the Royal Polytechnic Institution of Cornwall, and com- municated by the author. 172 Mr. C. W. Peach on the " Nigger " or " Cotton Spinner'' First, then, their appearance, when closed up, very much re- sembles a small cucumber, the back being dark — almost black at times — and the under part light yellowish green, which, with the thorn-like appendages on the back, make the appearance more complete. On being handled they stain the hand light green : this colour is not easily washed out. The head is furnished with twenty tentacula, which surround the mouth ; the opening is to- lerably large, and can be very much expanded ; and it is amusing to watch the motions of the tentacula acting as feeders ; they place them one by one over the mouth, and when one is about to leave the mouth another may be seen bending to supply its place. The tentacula vary in colour as well as the animals. Some are very dark brown, and indeed all shades from sienna to rose-colour and delicate pink. If the tentacula are viewed from the upper part they are club-shaped on the top, this club being placed on a foot-stalk an inch in length, which is retractile, and is invariably of a lighter colour than the top. When seen from the under side, (PI. XIV. fig. 2,) they appear like the umbels of the elder, and are beautifully branched and tipped, much in the manner of the elder flowers ; indeed they might be mistaken (if large enough) for that flower, only the foot-stalk is so much thicker in proportion. There is a dark spot at the junction of each fork of the umbel, each di- vision is thrice-branched, and a similar dark spot may be ob- served at the lower part of each tentacle. They can completely close in their tentacula, which they do on being disturbed ; and they use them at times as organs of locomotion. Outside the ten- tacula is a border of spines like processes on a skin, which reaches a short way up the tentacula, and serves as a covering when these are withdrawn. These spines very much resemble the thorns of the brier ; the back and sides are covered with similar ones, but not in rows. Near the tip of each spine is a small calcareous piece which is again tipped with dark. The under side is fm-- nished with feelers in very great numbers ; these feelers are in four rows, the two centre ones being nearest together. The feelers being in four rows only is singular, being a departure from the usual numbers in the Echinodermata, namely five. Still I saw only four rows in several. It is a most difficult matter to be able to count the rows, from the slimy and decomposing nature of the animal. I will follow this up and try to set the matter at rest ; at present I am satisfied they have only four rows. They very much resemble those of an Echinus, but are not in equal num- bers in each row, being from one to four, side by side, across the row. These feelers they stretch out to a great length, and attach themselves firmly by them ; so much so, that in trying to detach them the feelers have been frequently left behind. Each feeler has a small, round, calcareous plate at the tip, which, under the of the Cornish FisJierinen. 173 microscope, shows that it is composed of innumerable plates, an object of great beauty ; these plates effervesce with acid, and so do the plates of the mouth and tips of the processes. When the softer parts of the feelers are cut transversely, they are composed of fine tubes, and when magnified have very much the appearance of some of the corals. The animal is covered with a dark slimy mucilaginous skin, which peels ofi" freely ; under- neath this it is light gray, and has a reticulated appearance, re- sembling bird^s-eye maple. They are of various sizes and lengths, often nearly a foot in length and thick in proportion ; they some- times draw themselves almost into a ball, at others are much inflated in the centre. At times they lie motionless, but generally they are in motion. So much for the external appearance. The jaws are composed of five strong calcareous plates, to these the tentacula are attached, and from the under side in the inte- rior of the animal extend five broad muscles, which reach the whole length. These are again held together by a great number of smaller ones placed transversely, until nearly reaching the lower part, when they are diagonal, no doubt for the pm'pose of closing the opening at the opposite end to the mouth. They eat portions of dead fish, shells, &c. (I have reasons for believing Terebella) . I have found in their intestines a Buccinum incrassatum, with the animal in it, portions of Balani, Echini, Nullipora, sand, &c. The faeces are thrown out with a jerk, and are of an oblong-oval shape, strung together like the eggs of a snake, and are of a dark mud-colour. There is one circumstance connected with these things of in- terest, — they are enveloped in a film so tenacious that it is a dif- ficult matter to rub them to pieces in the water j on exposure to air they lose their tenacity and crumble to pieces. The circum- stance I allude to is, that this tenacious covering will explain in some measure the preservation of the coprolites of the ancient Saurians found in the blue lias ; for in all probability they were enveloped in a similar tenacious covering. In Professor Forbes^s work there is a question how the water which is found in the interior enters. If I understand it right this is a doubtful matter ; probably the following may in some measure explain it: — Theyraise the opening at the opposite end to the mouth, open it wide, and I expect create a vacuum ; the water then flows into it freely. After a short time they close this, and by a muscular motion it may be observed as if passing towards the head. This taking in the water is repeated several times with short intervals, and after a little rest the whole of the water, by the same orifice, is thrown out in a continuous stream. It then commences again to take in more. It is extremely irritable, and on being touched or disturbed, throws out a bunch of white tapered threads about an inch in 174 l^rof. Mohl on the Import of the » length and one-eighth in thickness ; these soon become attenuated, either by the agitation of the water or the coming into contact with something, and are drawn into very long threads of great tenacity ; they stick to everything they touch, and from these the animals are called " cotton spinners " by the fishermen. This small bunch is drawn into a large mass of threads, so small that the finest sewing-cotton is not equal to it, and is no doubt one of the means of defence provided for its preservation ; for I have seen a crab so completely entangled in it as not to be able to move, and a fish only able to get away after a long struggle. If much irritated they throw out the whole of their intestines ; this is invariably the case after being kept in confinement two or three days ; and even after they have done so they have lived three days, and their tentacula performed all their offices as if the animal was strong and healthy. They soon decay when dead if left out of the water, and from their peculiar construction it is a difficult matter to preserve or dissect them. To the physiologist they offer a rich treat. I know nothing of this science ; I regret it : my object has been to watch their actions and habits, and I fear I have too long occupied your time. I would here just mention that this Holothuria differs from the P solus Forbesii of Mr. Couch, noticed in the second part of his ' Cornish Fauna,^ in having twenty tentacula instead of eighteen, and the suckers are in rows, which was not the case in his. I therefore claim it as new to the British fauna, which latter circumstance Professor Forbes con- firmed at the late meeting of the British Association at York. The annexed engraving, Plate XIV., represents the " Nigger '* of the natural size ; fig. 3, the head with the mouth downwards, showing the tentacula spread out. XXV. — On the Import of the inferior Palece of the Grasses. By Hugo von Mohl*. [With a Plate.] There are few points in vegetable morphology respecting which so great a difference of views prevails as that relating to the origin of the floral envelopes of the Grasses. To remove this dif- ference of opinion, at least with respect to one of the points in question, it is above all requisite to ascertain with certainty whether the inferior palea takes its origin from the same axis as the superior palea (or, according to Robert Brown's view, the two leaves composing the upper palea), or whether the two result from different axes. In the first case we undoubtedly accede to • From the Botanische Zeitnng for Jan. 17, 1845. Translated and com- municated by W. Francis, Ph. D., F.L.S. infeiior Paka of the Grasses. 175 the representation of the inflorescence of grasses which Robert Brown (General Remarks^ p. 580) has advanced, — not, it is true, as the only one possible, but as the most probable, — viz. that the two leaves which have cohered to form the superior palea and the inferior palea, notwithstanding the oblique direction of its in- sertion, form a trimerous verticil and the outer leaf circle of a perigonium, the inner circle of which is constituted by the scales (lodiculse) ; but if, on the contrary, it can be proved that the infe- rior and superior palese belong to two distinct axes, it is thus shown that the inferior palea must be considered a bract from whose axis the floral axis takes its origin ; a view which has been adopted with various modifications by several authors, and which has been explained in a most lucid manner by Doll (Rhein. Flora, p. 58). The circumstance that a diff'erence of opinion has prevailed on this fundamental point in the morphological consideration of the inflorescence of the Graminece, undoubtedly proves that the exa- mination of the normal flowers of grasses does not afford suf- ficiently certain and convincing proofs to decide with positive certainty the question respecting the derivation of the palese ; it appears, therefore, to be safest in this case, as in so many other morphological questions, to look out for monstrosities from which we may be able to deduce the normal structure ; and if I am not very much deceived, the variety vivipara of Poa alpina, so widely diff'used in the Alps, is fully adapted to solve the doubt existing on the above question. I trust, therefore, that a description of this monstrosity, drawn up with reference to the morphological relations of the spicula of grasses, will not be without interest. In the viviparous spikes of the Poa alpina I have found the two calycine valves (PI. XIII. B, fig. 1 to 4 c c) always perfectly normal, and only the palese deformed; the deviation from the normal structure is generally less in the most inferior flower than in the succeeding one, so that frequently the lowest is still per- fectly normal (fig. 3), or approaches more to the normal structure than the flower situated higher up (fig. 4) . The axis of the spicula exhibits the least variations. It is, as far as it bears abnormal flowers, more or less thickened, full of sap, presents an unlimited growth superiorly, and frequently small rootlets shoot out from its inferior internodes ; in short, it has assumed the characters of an axis of vegetation, and perfectly resembles with its leaves a small culm of grass (PI. XIII. fig. 1) ; while its inferior portion, which bears the calycine valves and forms the petiole of the spicula, is of the same small diameter as in the normal spicula, and, like the fruit-bearing spicula, dries up after the flowering season, which admits of the falling off" and independent vegetation of the upper deformed portion. In the monstrous flowers the inferior palea presents an increase 176 Prof. Mohl oi the Import of the in size, and a more or less perfect metamorphosis into the form of a vegetative leaf. Generally, and especially upwards from the second flower, this metamorphosis into a leaf provided with sheath, ligula and lamina is perfect (fig. 4jo", fig. 5y); while even when the lowermost flower is partially abnormal, its inferior palea (fig. 4 jo', fig. 5y) frequently forms an intermediate stage between the nor- mal form and that of a vegetative leaf. The latter cases are na- turally best suited for allowing us to obtain an insight into the manner in which the metamorphosis of the palea into the vege- tative leaf takes place. It is seen by the comparison of several such intermediate stages that the normal palea does not solely correspond, as we might at first be inclined to admit, to the sheath of the vegetative leaf, and that the metamorphosis of the palea into a leaf does not consist in a budding forth of the lamina from the apex of the palea, but that a separation of the various parts of the palea, which are intimately fused together, takes place, and a dismemberment of them one from the other re- sults. The normal palea possesses five nerves, of which the central one extends to the apex of the palea, while the lateral nerves are lost within the transparent scarious membrane. On its meta- morphosis into a leaf the palea becomes elongated ; its inferior portion surrounds the superiorly-situated portion of the spicula in the form of a vagina, while its upper portion bends more or less outwards and becomes changed into the lamina of the leaf (PI. XIII. B, fig. I, fig. 2 to 5y). In those palese in which this metamorphosis is merely indicated, the palea still retains nearly its proper form and the reddish colour which is difiiised over the normal palea, and it is only its apex which has become thicker, of a greenish colour, uncinate and recurved superiorly (fig. 4 jo', fig. 5jE)') : a separation into vagina, ligula and lamina is not yet indicated. When the metamorphosis has advanced further, the whole palea is lengthened considerably, its upper portion has be- come thicker, green and leaf-like, while the lower portion has re- tained its more delicate texture, transparency, and likewise fre- quently the reddish colouring ; the nerves, which are still present to the number of five, have acquired a more parallel position in consequence of the elongation of the leaf, and become confluent towards the uncinately- curved apex of the latter. The margin is scarious as in the normal palese. The separation into the various parts of the vegetative leaf now begins, and is terminated by the development of the ligula and the transverse separation between the upper green and the lower brighter-coloured parts of the palea. The formation of ligula frequently occurs only at one part of the leaf, in its central line, or on one of the lateral halves, or on a part of one of these, while in the other portion lamina and vagina inferior Paleee of the Grasses. 177 still pass immediately into each other (fig. 6 — 8). The ligula is formed by the elevation of a transparent scale on the upper sur- face of the leaf in a transverse or somewhat oblique direction. Very frequently it is developed only on the central portion of the leaf, and has then usually a crescent shape (fig. 7) ; in other cases this incipient ligula is only met with on one of the sides of the leaf (figs. 6, 8) ; very frequently it docs not extend to the margin of the leaf, and every trace of its auricle is still wanting (figs. 7, 8) ; in other cases the auricle is developed without the central portion of the ligula being present. The development of the auricle takes place in the following manner : the scarious margin of the leaflet, which extends at a less advanced stage of transformation to its apex, retracts itself as it were from above downwards, and instead of gradually becoming acute and dis- appearing in the green-coloured margin of the leaf (fig. 6), now projects in the form of a rounded prominence on the margin of the leaflet, and passes into a scale projecting on the upper sur- face of the leaflet (fig. 6 a) . In this manner the ligula appears, not as a part foreign to the leaf and adnate with it, but as an ex- uberant growth from it like the corona of the petals of a pink. Simultaneously with the perfect development of the ligula occurs the formation of the node between the vagina and lamina, and thereby a distinct separation of the two parts of the leaf. Far more important is the consideration of the base of the metamorphosed palese, as regards the question which principally occupies our attention. While the base of the normal palea al- ways surrounds only a portion of the axis, and consequently leaves it doubtful whether the palea is the product of the primary axis of the gramineous flower, or whether it forms a verticil with the two leaves composing the superior palea, not the least doubt can exist respecting this point in the metamorphosed palea ; for not only does its base surround the stem entirely, but both its mar- gins cohere towards its lower extremity (fig. 5 p') . Now it is perfectly evident in this case, that the axis which is surrounded by the leaflet, and from which this takes its origin, is the pri- mary axis of the spicula, and that the superior palea belongs to the floral axis, situated in the axis of the inferior palea ; conse- quently that the inferior palea must not be considered as a peri- gonial leaf, but as a bract. In proportion as the above-described metamorphosis of the palea into a vegetative leaf advances, the flowering organs de- crease in size. In the axis of the palea of the lowest flower of a spicula, we generally find the whole of the floral parts in a crip- pled state ; the superior palea is generally still very large in com- parison to the other flowering organs, and bifurcate at the apex, but not separated into two distinct leaflets. In the axis of the Ann, S^ Mag. N, Hist. Vol.xv. 1 78 Botanical Notices from Spain. palese transformed into perfect vegetative leaves of the flowera situated higher up, all the flowering organs have generally disap- peared without leaving a trace behind them. XXVI. — Botanical Notices from Spain. ByMoRiTzWiLLKOMM*. No. I. Valencia, middle of May 1844. On the first days of my stay in Valencia, where I arrived on the 5th of May, my operations were confined to making acquaintance with the scientific institutions and the surrounding neighbourhood of the town. I was the more invited to do this, since the continued rainy weather offered an obstacle to longer excursions. Indeed the Valen- cians themselves could scarcely remember it to have rained so abun- dantly and uninterruptedly, and this weather was even a subject of public discussion in the newspapers. The temperature was almost to be called cool ; since at this time of year the mean daily tempe- rature is usually 20° C, and it amounted then barely to 15° — 17° C. One of my first walks was to the Botanical Garden by the Puerta de Cuarte : into this you enter through a rather insignificant building in which the lectures on botany and agriculture are delivered. The garden, laid out in a magnificent style, occupies a very large space, and considering the glorious climate and the uncommon fertility of the soil, might, under the direction of an able man, become one of the most important gardens in Europe, if the government would do something for its maintenance. It has it is true the appearance of a botanical garden, since one sees many rows of labels, but the plants are wanting. What plants there are, are the remnant of those placed there through Cavanilles, and exotic shrubs and trees of a still earlier date. The fault of this lamentable decline of so well-arranged an institution is partly to be laid to the deficiency of interest on the part of the government in all that relates to science, partly and chiefly to the want of a well-informed director. Considering how luxuriantly everything grows up in this happy land in a few years, without any care, much might be accomplished with very little money. Of plant-houses there is no trace ; they are indeed super- fluous, since a great number of tropical plants may be cultivated very well here in the open ground ; at the utmost only a green-house would be necessary in the short winter. The present director of the garden is named Don Jose Pezcuerda, so far as I may judge, a tole- rably ignorant man, whose whole knowledge of literature is confined to little more than the works of Linnaeus, Cavanilles, Clemente, Lagasca, Buflfon and DeCandolle. Of Germany he knew almost nothing ; neither does he possess a herbarium. Nevertheless the garden is in somewhat better condition in his hands than under the direction of his predecessor, the present Cathedratico of agriculture, Don Joaquin Carrascosa, formerly Archdeacon in Alicant. Although • Translated from the Botanische Zeitung, Aug. 9, and Oct. 18, 1844, and communicated by A, Henfrey, F.L.S. Botanical Notices from Spain. 179 Don Antonio Blanco, the occupant of the post before him, a younger but very well-informed man who had prosecuted his studies partly in Paris, had begun to arrange the plants according to DeCandolle, Car- rascosa re-introduced the sexual system, which Pezcuerda has re- tained, and has here displayed his ignorance in the grossest blunders against system, since, for instance, he arranges Leguminosa in the nineteenth, Cruciferm in the sixth class, &c. At last, as Carrascosa had suiFered two show-plants of the garden, a very large old specimen of Sophora japonica and Siuother of Parkinsonia aculeata, to be cut down — he having taken them for mulberry- trees (!), it was too out- rageous, and Carrascosa was removed from the directory of the gar- den. The directory was taken from Prof. Blanco last year on political grounds, which is much to be lamented. Of the present condition of the garden, little can be said. The interior is divided into regular compartments, surrounded by orange-hedges ; these are sufficiently watered by means of stone water-courses, and separated from each other by an elegant trellis-work of Spanish cane. Each plant, or place where once one has been, is furnished with a label of fire-glazed white clay, on which the number stands, but no name. The names of the classes and orders of the sexual system are marked on larger labels in the Spaaish language. There is a special quarter for water- plants, where however I saw only Canna indica and one other appa- rently determined as a fern, but which was only Pteris aquilina cul- tivated. Enormous cypresses, great trees oi Cassia corymbosa, Pista- cia Terebinthus, Acacia Farnesiana, Bignonia Catalpa, Melia Azeda- rack, Schinus molle, shrubs of arborescent Mahacece, of Solanum Bo- nariense, Bignonia radicans and other exotic vegetables, ornamented the borders of the garden, — remnants of former splendour ! Especially worthy of mention are a beautiful date-palm, and, particularly, an old specimen of Chamcerops humilis with a stem 10 feet high, as also a showy Yucca gloriosa with a stem about 6 feet high and nearly 1 foot thick, which were just in full bloom. More directly interesting is the rural or agricultural garden, which is situated behind the botanical garden, and was established six years ago. Its present director is the already often-mentioned Carrascosa, to whom however the credit of having established the garden is not due. Although it has only been laid out six years, there are transplanted into it trees and shrubs already so large, that one would take the garden to be much older, — an evidence of the lux- uriant fertility of the soil. The garden is divided into twelve com- partments. Two of these are designed for officinal plants, and sur- rounded by a hedge of Cactus Opuntia, L. (sp. Nopal). Here are collected the dye-plants, which are arranged according to the differ- ent colours, the plants which yield soda and potash, as also those used in the manufacture of textile fabrics. Under the latter the ce- lebrated Esparto {Macrochloa tenacissima, Kth.) is especially to be mentioned, which, growing on many of the hills situated near the sea, forms a not unimportant article of trade in South Spain, since this tough grass is used partly for the plaitingof coverings for rooms and balconies, and for making various sorts of baskets, especially 0% 180 Botanical Notices from Bpain, panniers for mules, chairs, and the peculiar sandals which are worn all over the kingdom ; and partly worked into ropes which are in great request, and for instance, are manufactured in great quantity in Marseilles. In two other quarters of the garden, 400 varieties of apple- and pear-trees are in cultivation, chiefly brought over from North America; also in another, a collection of 95 varieties of apricots, peaches and the like. In one division, surrounded by 36 varieties of almond-trees, are 308 kinds of Spanish vines, which are arranged according to the classical work of Don Roxas Clemente {Ensayo sohre la vin comun). Other quarters are designed for the fodder- plants, for trees and shrubs, which are to be used partly for planting forests, partly for gardens and parks. The back part of the gar- den is closed in by a very long hedge of Agave americana, L. (sp. Pita), behind which stand the collected varieties of olives and algar- robas (Ceratonia Siliqua, L.). The lirst ground for this garden was laid out in the year 1835; however the money was insufficient to the purchase of the required area, which was first accomplished in the year 1839. There is here a theatre for the lectures on agriculture, also a collection of instruments and models. The chair of agriculture was established by royal command in the year 1834. Since that time nothing more has been done by the government for natural science in the university of Valencia, although this is among the most fre- quented of the Spanish universities, since it numbers at present 1800 so-called students and some 60 professors. The immediate neighbourhood of the city, known and famous as the Huertade Valencia, is very astonishing to every foreigner. The fertile plain watered by the Rio Turia (in the midst of which lies the city about a mile distant from the sea), is, in a circuit of from three to five miles round, converted by the indefatigable activity of the Valen- cians into a garden verdant throughout the whole year. Innumerable water-courses traverse the Huerta, and numerous water-wheels con- duct this element, so precious in Spain, into all the fields and gardens. The culture of wheat forms the chief branch of agriculture ; besides which, a particularly large quantity of hemp, and westward of Va- lencia, toward the lake of Albufera, a great deal of rice is also grown. The fields are surrounded with rows of mulberry-trees, and in the east and north the Huerta presents extended plantations of olives, which are here much larger and more beautiful than the dwarf shrub- like olive-trees of Provence. It has also many fig, citron and orange trees, especially in the neighbourhood of the country-houses, while the roads and streets are ornamented with rows of elms, Populus ca- nescens, nigra and monilifera. The date-palm is rather a rare object, although it attains here a height of as much as 40 to 60 feet. They are seen most abundantly in the gardens and courts of the numerous monasteries in and around Valencia. For instance, I have seen in the court of the monastery of San Miguel de los Reyes twelve, in that of the Cartucha Ara Christi, not far from Murviedro, about thirty high-stemmed palms. The private estates in the Huerta are mostly surrounded with a hedge of Arundo Donax, L., which in damp places in the warm region grows wild everywhere, or of Tamarix gal- Botanical Notices from Spain. 181 lica, L., in the neighbourhood of the sea, as well as of Agave ame- ricana and Cactus Opuntia. The last is also cultivated in many gar- dens for the sake of the cochenille, although it occurs everywhere wild on stony, sunny places in the warm sea-region ; for instance, the whole south and east slopes of the castle of Murviedro are co- vered with impenetrable bushes of a man's height, in which stems of 4 or 5 inches diameter are frequently seen. Of herbaceous vege- ta])les are grown in the Huerta very many strawberries, artichokes, onions, garlic, beans, peas, ViciaFaba, L.,and especially theGarbanzos (^Cicer arietinum, L.), so much loved by the Spaniards. The water- courses are almost universally decked with Iris Pseudacorus, and filled with our species of Lemna and Potamogeton. A pretty red- flowered Silene is not uncommon, and on the walls Hyoscyamus alba grows everywhere in luxuriant abundance, while the hedges are over- run with Fumaria capreolata, L., and Rubiacea. All sandy places, particularly the shore of the Rio Turia, are covered with Plantago Coronopus, L., Calendula officinalis, Erodias and Euphorbias. As soon as the weather permitted, I made an excursion to the lake of Albufera, which is situated about two leagues westward of Valencia, and is connected with the sea by a narrow canal. Almost the whole of its shores are covered with rice-fields, yet the strip of land, about three-quarters of a mile broad, which separates it from the sea and which is little else than a mound of sand, is occupied by a wood of Pinus Halepensis, Mill. This little wood is one of the spots richest in plants in the neighbourhood of Valencia, on which account I have often visited it. The ground is covered with a low underwood which is chiefly composed of Quercus cocci/era, Myrtus communis and Chamcerops humilis ; beneath these frequently occur bushes oi Juniperus Oxycedrus, L., Rhamnus Lycioides, L., Erica ar- borca, L., Rosmarinus officinalis, L., Ruscus aculeatus, L. , Pistacia lentiscus, L., &c. On the shore of the Albufera in loose quicksands are pretty frequently found great bushes of Solanum SodomcEum, L., with stems as thick as a man's arm, and Trixago Apula, Col., jS. versi- color, Lagurus ovatus, L., &c. clothe the more grassy places. In the interior of the wood occur many Helianthema, Coronilla juncea, L., Urospermum picroides, Desf., and frequently Elceoselinuin fcetidum, Boiss., which however was not yet in fruit. In the thick bush grows very rarely Lonicera implewa, Ait., and in the neighbourhood of the coast the beautiful Iris filifolia, Boiss., but also very sparingly. The numerous shallow lagoons which occur between the Albufera and the sea are filled with Charas and Potamogetons ; these also cover the bottom of the Albufera, and Juncus acutus, L., the margin. The grassy sand-hills in front of the pine- wood are covered over and over with Cistus albidus, L., and C. salvifolius, L., while the bare sand- downs near the sea are overgrown with Asphodelus fistulosus, L., Euphorbias, and Passerina hirsuta, L. In the neighbourhood of the sea Ononis Matrix is pretty well scattered, and a silky-haired Lotus. In the Albufera also the Vallisneria spiralis presents itself, which Cavanilles, and, quite lately, Blanco have found here ; I however have 182 Botanical Notices from Spain. not met with it, although 1 have often taken a boat on the lake on purpose to look for it. No. II. Valencia, end of May 1844. Sierra de Chiva. The Sierra de Chiva, so called from the market-town of Chiva, situated four leagues north of Valencia, like all the mountains of the kingdom of Valencia, belongs to the limestone formation, and indeed is chiefly composed of Muschelkalk. It consists of a number of parallel mountain ridges extending from west to east, which are divided by deep cross-valleys (in Spain called Barrancos) ; it is of very considerable breadth, and rises gradually to a height of 6000 feet from the great plain, which is bounded eastward by the Sierra de Murviedro, westward by the Sierra de Cullera and other moun- tains, and is traversed by the Rio Turia. This thinly inhabited, but very romantic mountain district was, it is said, in former times co- vered with dense pine-forests, of which remain only isolated trees of Pinus Halepensis, Mill., and another species of Conifer called by the people Pino Roveno, which however is said to be very rare (I have only seen one low shrub of it). At present the whole of this moun- tainous region is entirely bare, or only covered by a low underwood, which at different heights is composed of different species of plants. The highest peaks want even this, and especially on the north and east aspects, where the moist cliffs are clothed with grasses and her- baceous vegetables. True meadows however are wholly absent here. The whole mountain tract is uncommonly dry ; even in the valleys we find a little brook but rarely ; although there is no want of springs on the declivities, their water wholly evaporates before it can reach the bottom of the valleys. The cause of this is, the very elevated tem- perature produced by the reflexion of the sun's rays from the white limestone rocks which form the walls of the valleys. Hence the ve- getation in the valleys is far more scanty than on the slopes of the higher mountains ; and even where a brook runs through the valley, the banks are overspread with a broad deposit of sand and pebbles, devoid of vegetation, which makes its first appearance at the foot of the slope bordering the valley. From the investigations of the con- dition of vegetation which I was enabled to make during my fort- night's sojourn in this mountain district, I am inclined to admit the five following regions in the Sierra de Chiva, which may perhaps be applicable to the other mountains of the province of Valencia ; I will endeavour to describe their vegetation as briefly as possible. 1. Lower warm region, to a height of about 500 feet, characterized by the culture of Ceratonia Siliqua, L., and the presence of Agave americana, L., and Cactus Opuntia, L. — To this region belong the immediate environs of Chiva, Cheste and Buiiol, as also the plains and outlets of the valleys at the foot of the Sierra. Besides the al- ready-mentioned St. John's bread-tree, olive, fig, and mulberry trees are universally cultivated, also wheat, hemp, maize, and in hilly Botanical Notices from Spain, 188 places, vines. The streamlets coming from the Sierra and many other springs water this soil, in itself fertile (and, as may be conjectured from its general red colour, containing much oxide of iron), calling forth a tolerably rich vegetation, which however contains no rari- ties. The sandy places on the roads and under plantations are overspread with the splendid Convolvulus althceoides, L., which of itself is quite characteristic of this region ; the vine-hills with An- chusa italica, L., Cynoglossum cheirifolium, L., Psoralea bituminosa, L., Gladiolus segetum, Gawl., Mercurialis tomentosa,h., Helianthema, Silenes, Salvics and Cichoracece. I observed here also a flesh-co- loured Orohanche, which however appears more abundant in the higher regions. Among the corn, Arthrolohiiim ebracieatum, DC, occurs plentifully in company with Scorpiurus vermiculata, L., Ht/^ pecoum procumbens, L., Papaver Rhoeas, L., sjid &. Bupleurum. On shady, moist walls, Telephium Imperati, L,, is not uncommon, with other Crassulacece, and Adiantum Capillus -Veneris, L., thrives every- where in the crevices. Under luxuriant hedges of Rubus fruticosus, Rosa canina, Lonicera Caprifolium, Punica Granatum, L., Pistacia Lentisciis, L., Myrtus communis , &c., are found Vinca media, L., Hyoscyamus albus, L., Smilax aspera, L., and other plants, matted together with Rubiacece and Fumaria capreolata, and overgrown with Arundo Donax and Agave americana, which in many places had al- ready shot up a flower- stem from 6 to 8 feet high. I also found pretty abundantly in such shady hedges an Antirrhinum, which ap- pears to be diff^erent from ^. majus and molle, since it has very slender, linear, channeled leaves, and a very long, almost twining stem ; it must therefore be the variety angustifolium of molle, discovered by Boissier in Granada. The banks of the streamlets are densely co- vered with thick bushes of Myrtus communis, Nerium Oleander, Ficus Carica, L., &c. ; while the hillocks are clothed with Chamcerops hu' milis, L., Erica arborea, In., Daphne Gnidium, L., Retama sphcerocarpa, Boiss., various dwarf oaks, Ulex australis, L., and Rosmarinus offici- nalis, L. 2. Upper warm region, from 500 to 2000 feet high, to the limit of Chamcerops humilis. — Of cultivated plants, olives, wheat, and espe- cially the vine, are universally grown. To this region belong the calcareous uplands of the Sierra as well as the lower part of the mountains. The soil is far less fertile, mostly very dry (as there are few or no springs in this region), and clothed with low bushes, chiefly composed of Rosmarinus officinalis and Chamarops humilis, and under these Rhamnus lycioides, L., Juniperus Oxycedrus, L., Retama sphce- rocarpa, Boiss., Pistacia Terebinthus, L., Erica arborea, L., Linum fruticosum, L., Cisti and Helianthema. Of herbaceous plants occur everywhere here, Stipajuncea, Ait., Macrochloa tenacissima, Kunth (not yet in flower), the above-mentioned Orobanche plentifully, Bi- scutella saxatilis, Boiss., y. angusti/olia {B. lavigata, L., var.), a La- vandula, Linum, Leguminosfc and Crucifera. On some places (castle near Chiva, Barranco de Ballestero) I found Digitalis obscura, L., and on very sunny slopes under bushes Dictamnus Fraxinella, Pers., Ruta montana, L., and a Passerina, but all three very sparingly ; while l%4s Botanical Notices from Spain, in the valleys in moist shady spots Cerinihe major, L., many Lathy ri, a Nigella, Bcllis, &c. occur abundantly. 3. Lower mountain region, from about 2000 to 4000 feet high, to the limit of the cultivation of olives and wheat. — Only on the decli- vities of the mountains, in the vicinity of the here tolerably nume- rous springs, are tracts of cultivated land now found, belonging to retired country-houses ; all else is untilled mountain land. To this region belong the upper part of all valleys, the lower peaks of the Sierra, and the wide, waste table-land that stretches between the mountain ridges. The ' Monte bajo,' as the so-often-described dwarf underwood is called in Spain, is here composed of pretty much the same plants as in the preceding region, except that here appear the first fir-bushes and shrubs of Juniperus phoenicea, L. (here called Sabina), while Juniperus Oxycedrus, Pistacia Lentiscus, Retama sphce- rocarpa and Chamaerops humilis are no longer to be met with. In this region occur not unfrequently shrubs of Fraxinus excelsior, L., Arbvtus Unedo, L., many oaks, especially a peculiar form of Quercus Ilex, L. Many Labiatce, the already-mentioned Lavandula with L, Spica, h., a golden-yellow Teucrium, Thymi, Marrubium sericeum, Boiss. ?, numerous Leguminosa, especially at a height of 3000 to 4000 feet, a blue-flowered prickly Astragalus, species of Ononis and Hip- pocrepis, also Convolvulus saxatilis, Vahl., Silenes, Centaurea, and on the higher slopes Orchis mascula, L., and Asphodelus ramosus, L. (which here first began to flower), grow under and among these shrubs. In the neighbourhood of the springs, on damp declivities, occur also meadow-like grassy places, chiefly made up of JEgilops triuncialis, L., and species of Medicago and Lotus, which however off^er no remarkable vegetation. 4. Upper mountain region, from about 4000 to 5500 feet. — To this are to be referred the higher peaks of the Sierra, as la Casoleta, el Cerro la Grana, Pico de Pascual, Monte de los Ajos, &c., which are void of all culture. Isolated firs, and a ' Monte bajo' chiefly com- posed of Ulex australis and Juniperus phcenicea, L., characterize this region, in which however solitary springs are still met with. Of herbaceous plants occur, particularly, a Jasione (perhaps foliosa, Cavan. }), an almost shrubby flesh-coloured Anthyllis, Iberis nana, All. r ; on the declivities Salvia officinalis, L., Orchis mascula, L., and an Ophrys ; and on very rocky places, a Bunium with tubers very deeply implanted in the crevices. About the springs I observed Nasturtium officinale, as it is chiefly in this region that many of our commonest plants appear, ex. gr. Malva sylvestris. Euphorbia Helio- scopia, Lamium amplexicaule, Capsella Bursa-pastoris, Papaver Arge- mone, &c. 5. Alpine region. — This includes in the Sierra de Chiva only the upper part of the highest mountain, called Monte de la Santa Maria. On the very steep and damp eastern slope of this mountain, I found of woody plants chiefly Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi, Adans., not yet in flower, and Taxus baccata, L., abundantly, more rarely a Cotoneaster. A proper * Monte bajo ' is wholly wanting here. A Saxifraga thrives in luxuriant tufts on the damp mould at the foot and in the Bibliographical Notices. 185 crevices of the limestone cliiFs which encompass the summit, as also on the steep slopes, which were, besides, covered with Asphodelus ramosus, L., the before-mentioned Iberis and Anthyllis. Here too occurred, although but very few specimens, in the region of the Saxi- frages, a pretty Tulipa, which appears to be new, since it differs from T. Celsiana, which it resembles in the colour of its flower, by "foliis reflexis, flore nut ante (nee erecto) et perigonii segmentis lanceO' latis {nee oblongo-laneeolatis)," setting aside the difference of ha- bitat, since T. Celsiana only presents itself in the warm region. Lastly, on the highest rocks of Sta Maria flourish Muscari botry^ oides, and especially Armeria alliacea, W., in great abundance. The very small number of Crj^ptogamia, even in the mountain and alpine regions, is striking. The bark even of the older trees is ge- nerally quite bare, or at the most covered with a layer of Parmelia parietina ; the rocks also are for the greater part devoid of all Lichens. In the springs a Char a is found, yet no Algae, and of mosses and ferns, very few occur in the upper mountain and alpine region. Of ferns I have observed, on the rocks of Sta Maria, only Ceterach officinarum, Asplenium Trichornanes and A. fontanum-, of mosses, besides some barren Hypna, only an Encalypta and Frullania hispanica, N. ab Es. ; the latter indeed, like the liverworts of our mountains, in thick tufts. The cryptogamic flora is said to be more considerable in winter. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. Die Kieselschaligen Bacillarien oder Diatomeen. Von Dr. F. T, Kiitzing: Nordhausen, 1844. Tab. 30. p. 152. The beauty and correctness of the plates in the * Phycologia Ge- neralis,' which we have already reviewed in our Journal, has excited the admiration of all who have noticed or consulted the work. Those of the present are equally deserving of praise, and maintain the re- putation of the author as an excellent draughtsman and accurate ob- server. A certain proportion of the figures are professedly copies, but wherever the author has been able to prepare the illustrations himself he has not failed to do so, and the instances to the contrary are not so numerous as to detract from the originality of the work. Dr. Kiitzing, to whose kindness we are indebted for our copy, has profited by all the materials which came within his notice, and if we mistake not also by the criticisms to which his former work was subjected, not indeed as regards the illustrations but in respect of its plan, and especially of his notions of genera and species. In the present instance the species are all defined, the principal syno- nyms noticed, and some details given under each generic head, in all which points the * Phycologia ' was very deficient. It is we under- stand his intention to publish the Desmidiacece in a similar form, and we do not doubt that we shall find the same progressive improve- ment which we so gladly hail in the present instance. He will we know be most grateful to those who have studied this curious and 186 Bibliographical Notices. interesting group for the communication of any new or rare British species. We are also rejoiced to hear that he contemplates pre- paring a * Phycologia Germanica,' a work which cannot fail to prove most instructive. The points of interest which are presented by the minute objects, of which so many species are here illustrated, are surpassed perhaps in scarcely any order of created beings, and the results which have arisen from their study, which is but yet in its infancy, are as im- portant as unexpected. Not only is the question of their nature and affinity a very interesting one, and the variety and beauty of form most striking, but the study of these organized atoms bids fair to afford the geologist quite a new resource in his investigation of the comparative age or identity of strata. They exist in all climates, and in situations where neither other animals nor vegetables (to which- ever class we assign these beings) can exist. Above 120 species were discovered by Dr. Hooker in very high latitudes, and by sound- ings far beyond the limits of ordinary vegetable or animal forms, and many of these when sent to Dr. Ehrenberg after a long voyage were all but alive. Whole strata are formed of their siliceous skeletons, and it seems that sometimes they are propagated to a certain extent in subterranean strata at the present day. Authors have been much divided as to their nature, and while Dr. Ehrenberg doubts not they are animals, and believes that he has dis- covered within them a digestive apparatus and other organs such as exist in acknowledged infusoria, others, amongst the number of whom we must confess ourselves to be, as decidedly incline to consider them Algae, and as constituting a most important link in the series. This question, like others relating to the group generally, is well dis- cussed by Kiitzing, and we think it may be acceptable to our readers to offer them a translation of his remarks. The following arguments are brought forward by Ehrenberg in favour of their being animals : — 1. They have, in part, a peculiar spontaneous motion which is effected by particular organs. 2. Many have a lateral opening,.jround which are seated globular bodies, which, like the caeca of Infusoria, become blue in an infusion of indigo in water, and must therefore be regarded as stomachs. 3. The shells of many DiatometB remind us by their structure and form of that of Gastropods and similar MoUusca. As regards the first it may be remarked, that spontaneous motion also takes place in lower vegetable forms, which likewise is effected by peculiar ciliary organs. Witness the observations of linger on the spores of Vaucheria clavata, and those of Flotow on Hcematococcus pluvialis*. And I may here mention my own in the ' Phycologia Generalis ' on Ulothrix zonata and other Algae, which show that in all these lower forms appearances of motion are exhibited, which can- not be distinguished from those which take place in the Infusoria. * To these may be added various observations of Thuret and Decaisne, not only in the lower Algae, but in the acrosperms of Fuci. Bibliographical Notices. 187 The animal nature then of Diatomece is not proved by such spon- taneous motion. As regards the so-called stomachs, I have before proved, that their coloration by indigo is possibly a mere mechanical effect, and that the assertion therefore that they are really stomachs is unauthorized, and the more especially as these parts are so often wanting. As to the third point, the shell has indeed in many cases a great similarity M^ith that of Mollusca in form, structure and marking, but this is not constantly the case, and we find, in the higher families of plants, cells, which in marking, form and other points present simi- lar appearances. Witness the various forms of pollen, in which the angles, spines, openings, &c. are not wanting. In this respect, then, the approximation of Diatomece to different vegetable forms is as great as to that of animals. On the other hand, the following points speak for their vegetable nature : — 1 . The great similarity of the compound forms to the Algae and their origination by division. There are indeed also compound Infusoria, for example compound monads and polypidoms ; but these are themselves questionable ani- mals, and there is in them this great difference, that the individual animal extends itself freely beyond its cell, while the Naviculse in Encyonema, Schizonema and Micro?nega and similar genera grow in the inner substance, and increase there as the cells of plants, and vegetate only as cells. And the individuals in Fragilaria, Melosira, Himantidium, &c. are as confined and unfit for the exhibition of ani- mal motion. 2. The internal soft organic parts, which I have indicated as go- nimic substance, possess, as w^ell in their chemical comportment as in their mode of development, peculiarities which are identical with those of the contents of the cells in conferva- like Algae. This is especially shown in the genus Melosira and its allied ge- nera, which not only in the form but also in the chemical properties of their contents (through the presence of chlorophyll, which is in- deed present in all Diatomece^ perfectly agree with Confervse. 3. The formation of seed or fruit takes place similarly in different Algae, never in true animals. 4. The Diatomece, and especially the free motile NaviculcE, deve- lope under the rays of the sun oxygen, like other decided plants. The evolution of oxygen is indeed remarked also in green monads and Euglena, yet this proves nothing in favour of the animal nature of Diatomece, but makes the real nature of those beings very doubtful, and the more so as late observations show the origination of lower vegetables from monads and Euglence. The weight of argument is we think certainly on the side of Dr. Kiitzing, whatever may be thought of particular points, and the whole seems to show, as Dr. Kiitzing had already distinctly stated in a separate pamphlet, and as indeed was indicated in the ' Glean- ings of British Algte * many years since, that there are beings in which vegetable and animal life are so intimately combined, that 188 Bibliographical Notices. ^ according as the animal or vegetable element is predominant, they can at one time exhibit an animal, at another a vegetable life, without altering their originally received form. In the genus Micromega the author has made some observations, which, if confirmed, are of very great importance, and more than any other point will tend to establish the true position of these beings in a natural system. He informs us that he has seen the naviculse or frustules in this genus metamorphosed into green globular spores. An Alga was discovered by Dr. Dickie at Aberdeen, which was al- luded to before in this Journal, which seems to confirm these views ; but Mrs. Griffiths, than whom no one is able to form a better judge- ment, or whose opinion is entitled to greater weight, and Mr. Ralfs are inclined to think that the appearance is produced by parasites of the genus Cocconeis and similar productions. The point cannot therefore be received at present as established, though we ourselves are persuaded that Dr. Kiitzing's views will be found correct. Our British coasts abound in species of Schizonema and Micro- mega, and we regret much that Dr. Kiitzing had not the command of better materials as regards the British species. We fear that some communicated by Binder were not authentically named, and this is the more to be regretted, as far the greater part of the species de- scribed in Harvey's * Manual ' are well understood by the author, and especially by Mrs. Griffiths, who has so largely contributed to the illustration of the genus. In this indeed our friend Dr. Kiitzing is not to be blamed, but the writer of the present rem^arks is rather inclined to reproach himself for not having, by some inadvertence, communicated specimens when it was in his power to do so. Our only reason for calling attention to the subject is to induce due cau- tion in the examination of this part of the work. We trust that it will receive the support it deserves, and we have little doubt that it will do so, as it is no less indispensable to the geologist than to the botanist. The Botany of the Voyage o/H.M.S. Sulphur. Edited by R. B. Hinds, Esq. The Botanical descriptions by G. Bentham, Esq. Nos. 2, 3,4. We have already noticed the first number of this valuable work, of which three additional numbers have recently reached us. The ex- pectations which were raised by an examination of that number are fully answered by these. Indeed it seems to us that the plates have improved in the successive numbers. The description of the plants of California is concluded, and the remaining portion is occupied with those of Western Tropical America. Several new genera are described and very many new species. It is quite unnecessary to add that these descriptions possess great ex- cellence ; the name of Bentham is a sufficient security on that point. Such books as that now before us are the strongest proof of the value of the assistance of late afforded by Government for the publi- cation of the results in natural science obtained by officers on board Bibliographical Notices. 189 of Her Majesty's ships ; and the general approbation of the scientific world will we hope cause similar applications of small portions of the public money in future. AlgcB HiberniccB. By Wm. M*^Calla, Associate of the Edinburgh Botanical Society. Vol. I. Dublin, S. B. Oldham, 8 Suffolk Street, 1845. Under this title Mr. M'Calla has just published a very handsome volume in large-sized quarto, price 1/., containing beautifully pre- served specimens of fifty different species of Irish Algae ; and pro- poses in future similar volumes to edit the remainder of our species, as well freshwater as marine. The volume is bound in strong boards covered with purple grained cloth, and the specimens are fixed on peculiarly stout and thick paper, so that they may be turned over with great facility and without danger of injury. Those in the pre- sent volume have been collected chiefly in Roundstone Bay, county Galway, a locality well known to science by Mr. M*=Calla's very numerous zoological and botanical discoveries, and are as follows : — 1. Griffithsia multifida, Ag, 26. Ulva bullosa, Roth. 2. corallina, Ag. 27. Conferva vectangularis, G. 3. Callithamnion plumula, Lyngh. 28. Hutchinsise, Dill, 4, pedicellatum, Ag. 29. _ Kaneana, M^'C. 5. Hookeri, Ag. 30. Fucus balticus, Ag, G. corymbosum, Ag. 31. Mackaii, 2\rn. 7. . tetragonum, Ag. 32. Gigartina Griffithsiae. 8. Arbuscula, Ag. 33. Lyngbya majuscula, Harv. 9. Daviesii, Ag. 34. Schizonema quadripunctatum. 10. polyspermum, Ag. 3f). Chylocladia clavellosa, Hook. 11. byssoides, Arri, 36. Rhodomenia bifida, Grev. 12. Delesseria ruscifolia, Lx. 37. Porphyra vulgaris, Ag. 13. Hypoglossum, Lx. 38. Ralfsia deusta, Grev. 14. Berkeleya fragilis, Grev. 39. Haliseris polypodioides, Ag. 15. Chaetophoi-a tuberculosa. Hook. 40. Helminthocladia virescens. 16. Gloiosiphonia capillavis, Carm. 41. Griffithsiana. 17. Nitophyllum punctatum, Grev. 42. Rivularia nitida, Ag. 18. Striaria attenuata, Grev. 43. Ceramium ? 19. Batrachospevmum atrum, //. 44. Polysiphonia byssoides, Gr. 20. moniliforme, Ag. 45. violacea, Grev. 21. vagum, Ag. 46. Bryopsis hypnoides, Lx. 22. Diisya Arbuscula, Ag. 47. Sporochnus rhizodes, Ag. 23. Mesogloia multifida, Ag. 48. Laurencia obtusa, Lx. 24. Gelidium corneum, Lx. 49. Enteromorpha intestinalis, Lk, 25. Ulva crispa, Lighif. 50. Bangia fuscopurpurea. Several in this list are of great rarity, and others very local. Among the first we may mention Gloiosiphonia capillaris (of which Mr. M^^Calla's specimens are the finest we have ever seen), Striaria attenuata, Batrachospermum atrum, Conferva rectangularis, Haliseris polypodioides, Helminthocladia Griffithsiana and Bryopsis hypnoides (very fine) ; and among the latter, Callithamnion pedicellatum, C. Ar- buscula, Berkeleya fragilis, Dasya Arbuscula, Conferva Hutchinsice^ Fucus balticus and Fucus Mackaii. Besides these rarities there is one entirely new species. Conferva Kaneana, M*=C., a delicately beau- ] 90 Linncean Society. tiful plant resembling in many respects Corif. gracilis, GrifF., but much more slender, and indeed nearly as soft and line as an Ecto- carpus. This is dedicated to Mrs. Kane, lady of Professor Kane, who was present at its discovery, and who some years ago published an Irish Flora. Much praise is due to Mr. M^Calla for the zeal and ability with which he has explored the west coast, and the creditable manner in which he has edited the present work. His future volumes will, we doubt not, contain an equal number of interesting plants. He pro- poses, we understand, shortly to visit our northern shores, so famous for the magnificent growth of FloridecB, and his second volume will be ornamented with the finest of these. We heartily wish him the success which so praiseworthy an undertaking deserves. Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetahilis, editore et pro parte auctore Alph. DeCandoUe. Vol. ix. Paris, 1845. We have just received the new volume of this valuable work, which is far too well known to require any praise from us. The orders Loganacea, GentianecB, Bignoniacece, Cyrtandraceae, Polemoniacece, Con- volvulacece, part of Boraginece, and a few lesser orders are included in this volume. A considerable portion is from the pen of the elder DeCandolle, and is illustrated by notes from his son's hand ; the re- mainder consists of the labours of well-known botanists, each upon that order with which he is best acquainted. The additional observa- tions appended to the specific character of each species seem to be rather fuller than in former volumes. It is stated that vol. x. is in the press. Works just Published. Descriptions of the Grasses of Britain, illustrated by 210 Figures drawn and engraved by the author, Richard Pamell, M.D., F.R.S.E. The work contains a figure and description of every grass found in Britain, with their agricultural uses, &c. Cornish Fauna, being a Compendium of the Natural History of the County. Part 3 : Zoophytes and Calcareous Corallines. By R. Q. Couch, M.R.C.S.L. PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. LINN^AN SOCIETY. June 18,1844. — The Lord Bishop of Norwich, President, in the Chair. Read the conclusion of Mr. GrifiSth's memoir " On the Root- Parasites referred by authors to Rhizanthece, and their Allies." This extensive memoir, or series of memoirs, commences with ** An Attempt to analyse Rhizanthece," as estabhshed by Prof. End- licher and by Prof. Lindley, from which the author deduces the in- ference, •' that in the construction of the group called Rhizanthece » a Linncean Society. 191 remarkable diversity of characters has been sacrificed to an appear- ance resulting from parasitism on roots, and to an assumed absence of any ordinary form of vegetable embryo." In arriving at this conclusion, his line of argument is summed up as having especial reference to the three following points : "In the first place," he says, " I have endeavoured to extend the objections urged by Mr. Robert Brown, founded on the presence of a vascular system, and the absence of any abstract peculiarity in the embryos of these plants. I have also attempted to show that these plants are not similar in their parasitism, and that even in those which 1 have examined, there would appear to be two remarkably different types of development of the embryo. Secondly, I have alluded to the op- position presented, as it seems to me, by Rhizanthea to the system of Nature, a chief point of the plan of which seems to me to consist in an extensive interchange of characters, either positively by structure or negatively by imitation of structure. Thirdly, I have adverted to a want of uniformity in opinion of the founders regarding its rank or value, incompatible, as it appears to me, with any group of the system of Nature. And in conclusion, I beg to add that my impres- sion is that Rhizanthece are an entirely artificial group, not even sanctioned by practical facility, which is the only merit of an arti- ficial association, and that its adoption is a retrograde step in the course of philosophical botany." To the family of Rafflesiacece, Mr. Griffith adds a new genus with the following characters : — Sapria. Char. Gen. — F/ores dioici. Perianihium duplici serie 5-partituni, sesti- vatione imbricativum; faux corona forata clausa ; tubus intus 20-cari- natus. Ma.s : Antlierce 20, uniseriatim infra caput colunnise fungiforme verticillata^, discretse, 2 — 3-Ioculares, apice porosse. Ovarii cavitas nulla. Foem : Antherce castratae. Ovarium 1-loculare; placeiitaB inde- finitse, parietales ; ovula indefiiiita. Colimmce apex fungoideo-dilatatus (c medio conum verrucosum exserens, disco piloso). Friictus . Planta parasitica, habitu Rafflesiae. Flos mapius, carnis colore, odore putrido. Sapria Himalayana. Hab. in Jugi Himalayan! Montibus Mishmee Assamise Superioris ad lat. Bor. 27° 50', long. Orient. 96° 27', altit. pedes 3000—5000. The description of this plant is accompanied by observations on its mode of parasitism, on its vascular structure, on the plicae of the inside of the tube of the perianthium (which the author suggests may perhaps be considered to represent a second series of stamina), on the inner membrane of the cells of the anthers, on the obstacles to independent impregnation, and on the natural relations of the ge- nus, and the characters by which it differs from Rafflesia and Brug- mansia, between which Mr. Griffith places it. Mr. Griffith next proceeds to offer some observations on CytineiE, and on the genera Hydnora and Cytinvs. He believes that the dif- ference in the direction of the nuclei of the ovula in Cytinea and 192 Linncean Society. Rafflesiacece may perhaps be of some use in discriminating them ; but thinks it necessary to observe that in Nepenthes distillatoria of the Calcutta Botanic Garden, the most marked instances of ovuta ana- tropa and antitropa are to be met with in the ovaria at their mature state, to which circumstance he attributes the discrepancies in the accounts of the direction of the radicle of the ripe seed of that genus. His observations on Hydnora were made on specimens of H. africana both in the dry state and in pyroligneous acid sent to him by Mr. Harvey from the Cape of Good Hope. He regards the anthers as indefinite, and describes the stigma as " discoideum, trilobum, e la- mellis plurimis in placentas totidem pendulas undique ovuliferas pro- ductis," a structure which, if correctly determined, appears to him to present another objection to the placentary hypothesis of M. Schleiden. He also notices the apparent opposition of the lobes of the stigma to the lobes of the staminal column. In regard to the composition of the pistillum he hesitates between regarding it as highly compound and analogous to Papaver and Nymphcea, the space between each lamella corresponding with a carpellary leaf, and each lamella itself being compound, or considering it as made up of only three parts, to which latter opinion his own observations and those of Mr. Harvey would lead. Mr. Griffith's observations on Cytinus are derived from specimens of C dioicus, Juss., also sent to him from the Cape of Good Hope by Mr. Harvey. He follows Jussieu and Endlicher in referring the Cape species to the genus Cytinus. He regards the terminal teeth or lobes of the staminal column as productions of the connectivum, and not as rudiments of stigmata ; and believes the anthers to be unilocular. To his remarks on Cytinea Mr. Griffith appends an account of two Asarineous plants, natives of Malacca, Thottea, Rottb., ^mdAsiphonia. To the description of the former of these given by Rottboll from Koenig's MSS. he adds several particulars. Of the latter, discovered by himself, he gives the following generic character : — AsiPHONIA. Perianthium sequale, rotatum, tripartitum, tubo nullo. Stamina 8 — 10, uniseiiata; filamentis nullis. Stigma discoideum, sinuoso-lobatuni. Pericarpium siliquaeforme, 4-loculare, 4-valve, polyspermum. Semina tvigona, rugoso-papillosa. Fvntex subscandetis, facie Piperis fruticoscs cujusdam ; articulis tumidis. Folia venatione melastomaceo-piperoided. Corymbus terminalis ; spicis paucijloris ; floribus siirsiim secundis hibracteolatis. AsiPHONIA PIPERIFORMIS. Hah. in Provincia Malacca, ad margines sylvarum primsevarum, copiose versus Ayer Puimus Rhim. Mr. Griffith points out the near relationship of this genus to Bra- gantia, Lour., from which it is chiefly distinguished by the absence of any tube to the perianthium, its cordate sessile anthers, and dis- coid sinuate stigma. He suggests, however, that it may possibly be Linncean Society, 193 regarded as only a subordinate modification of that genus, and gives an arrangement of the known species in conformity with that view. In connexion with these genera Mr. Griffith gives his views of the nature and composition of the stigma, which are essentially similar to those published by Mr. Brown in the second part of Dr. Horsfield's ' Plantse Javanicse Rariores/ to which work Mr. Griffith refers in a note stating that he did not become acquainted with it till several months after his own observations were written. He defines the stigma to be " the external communication of the conducting tissue, which itself communicates with the placentae, and is in several cases at least (as in Trewia nudifiora) manifestly a continuation from them." Of its theoretical origin he desires to speak with caution, but notices two distinct cases of monstrosities affecting two Leguminous plants, in which the stigmatic surface is evidently a continuation of the pla- cental margins of the carpellum. The ordinary relations may, he thinks, be obscured by several causes ; such as separation of parts usually cohering, cohesion of parts usually distinct, division of the stigmatic part of the style, and division of the style of the simple carpellum. The stigmata of each carpellum may be distinct from each other or from those of the next carpellum ; or adhesion may take place between stigmatic surfaces ordinarily distinct, whereby the stigmata so resulting appear to alternate with the styles. In- stances of the former occur in Euhalus ; of the latter in Orohanche, if the author's observations are correct, in Papaveracece, and perhaps in all cases in which the stigmata, being apparently equal in number to the placentae, are said to be opposite to them. The succeeding portion of Mr. Griffith's memoir relates to Mystro- petalon, Harv., referred by Sir Wm. J. Hooker to the order Rhizan- thecB, group Balanophorece. Mr. Griffith, on the contrary, who de- scribes the Mystropetalon Thomii from specimens obtained from Mr. Harvey, regards it as a plant sui ordinis, having no relation to any other plant admitted into Rhizanthece except Cynomorium, to which it seems to him to present considerable resemblance in the structure of the stamen and of the female flower. It also offers, he thinks, curious agreements with Loranthacea, and he would at present con- sider it (doubtfully) as the homogeneous-embryo form of that order which he takes to include Proteacece, Santalacece, &c., and which nearly agrees with Prof. Lindley's alliance Tubiferce. Sarcophyte also is described from specimens transmitted by Mr. Harvey. Mr. Griffith regards its affinities as very obscure ; he ob- jects to its being placed either in CytinecB, Cy7wmoriace(e, or Bala- nophorea, and suggests that on the whole the general tendency of the plant is towards Urticece. Mr. Griffith next examines the family of Balanophore(S, and gives distinctive characters of Balanophora, Langsdorffia, Phceocordylis, Helosis and Scybalium. The following are the characters which he assigns to Balanophora and Phceocor'dylis : — Balanophora, Forst. iS'ed^Ms diclines, rarissime monoclines. Flores masciili bracteati. Perian- Ann, ^ Mag. N. Hist, Vol, xv. P 194 Linnaan Society. Ihium 3 — 5-sepaluni, cestivatione valvatum. Stamina totidem opposita, monadelpha, bilocularia (in unica specie multilociilaria). Flores fcemi- nei : Ovaria stipitata, receptaculis apice incrassato glandiilosis alHxa, nuda. Stylus setaceus, persistens. Sli(/?na inconspicuuni. Fnictus pistillifovmes, sicci. pH.5iocouDYLis, Griff. Sexus diclines. Flores masculi ignoti. Flores foeminei : Ovaria in axi sessilia, nuda, pilis paraphysiformibus immixta. Stylus filifovmis, ex- sertus, deciduus. Stigma subcapitatum. Fructus compressi (striati) apice subpapillosi, Of Balanophora he describes as new five species with the follow- ing characters : — B. BURMANNicA, squamis laxe imbricatis, bracteis truncatis pariim cana- liculatis, perianthio masculo extus carneo demum sanguineb, colnmna staminum elongata, antherarum locelHs basi discretis. Hab. in Regno Burmannico, ad fl. Sahieen. B. AFFiNis, squamis et bracteis prgecedentis, floribus (masculis) pallidis, columna staminum brevi subrotunda, locellis antherarum basi conflu- entibus. Hab. in Collibus Khasiyanis. Praecedenti minor ; an vere distineta ? B. AtvEOLATA, squamis arete imbricatis, bracteis profunde canaliculatis inter se favi instar dispositis, cohunna staminum subrotunda. B. dioica, R. Br. in Royle, Illustr. p. 330. t.99? Nab. in CoUibus Khasiyanis. B. picTA, squamis distantibus laxis (hiteis), spied foemined obscure san- guinea. JIab. in Montibus Mishmee jngi Himalayani. B. (Polypletia) polyandka, columna staminea brevi latii, antlieris inde- finilis 1-locularibus. Hab. in ColHbus Khasiyanis. With reference to these species Mr. Griffith enters at considerable length into their anatomical and external structure, and in the course of his observations directs attention to the resemblance of the pistilla to the pistilla of Musci, and more especially to those of some evaginu- late Hepaticae, and to the effects produced by the action of the pollen on the styles. " Indeed," he observes, " in the development of the female organ, the continuous surface of the style before fecundation, and its obvious perforation after, Balanophora presents a direct affi- nity to a group of plants, with which otherwise it has not a single analogy." On this ground he objects to the association of Balano- phorece with such highly developed families as Rafflesiacece and Cy- tinece. " As a mere hypothesis," he adds, " I would consider it as the homogeneous-embryo form of Urticincc, forming a direct passage in one, and usually the more perfect, structure to Musci and Hepa- iica." Of Phceocordylis (a name used by him to prevent confusion, as he has not sufficient knowledge of Dr. Wallich's plant to determine whether his genus is the same as that doubtfully proposed in Dr. "Wallich's list under the name of Sarcocordylis) he describes and Linncean Society. 195 figures a single species, Phceocordylis areolatus, collected in the Kha- siya Hills. He compares its structure with that of Balanophora, no- tices several curious peculiarities, and adverts to the structure of the hairs in which the fruits are imbedded as presenting a remarkable analogy with the paraphysiform appendages of Drepanophyllum and certain Neckeroi, and also with the bodies which he suspects to be the male organs of Ferns. Lastly, Mr. Griffith adds the description of a new genus which he dedicates to the memory of Mr. Thomas Smith, referred to by Mr. Brown in terms of high commendation in his remarks on Kingia, This genus is characterized as follows under the anagrammatized name of Thismia. Char. Gen. — Periantliium superum, campanulatum (caducum), 6-parti- tum ; laciniis 3 exterioribus (brevibus) oblongis, 3 alternis interioribus (longissimis) subulatis ; fauce annulo semiclausa. Stamina 6, fauci in- serta, perianthii laciniis opposita, deflexa insuper parietem tubi inter- num ; filamenta brevia, discreta ; antherae (maximse) secus margines connatae, membrana bilamellosa terminatae, biloculares, loculis parvis distantibus adnatis. Ovarium inferum, 1-Ioculare; placentae 3 parie- tales, supra medium ovuligerae ; ovula indefinita, anatropa. Stylus brevis. Stigmata 3 bifida. Fructus carnosus, truncato-turbinatus, apice pericarpii circumscisso dehiscens, 1-locularis. Semina indefinita, pla- centis 3 parietalibus demum liberis affixa. Embryo indivisus, homo- geneus. V\di\\tii pusilla, aphylla, radicum parasitica, aspectu cereaceo. Perianthium luteuin, coccineo pictum. Thismia Brunonis. Hab. ad pedes Bambusarum in bumo ligno semiputrido farcto prope Palar Orse Tenasserim, ad grad. lat. bor. 12° 50', long, orient. 98° 20'.— Flor. et fruct. lect. Mense Octobris, 1834. Some observations follow on the mode of venation of the perian- thium, on the dehiscence of the fruit, and on the position of the plant in the natural system, which the author regards as intermediate be- tween TaccecB and Burmanniacece. He adds that he is disposed to consider it as a Monocotyledonous form of the albuminiform homo- geneous embryo, and as the analogue of Rafflesiacece and Cytineee of Dicotyledons. Associated with Thismia grew a species of Salomonia and a species of Burmannia, both having the ordinary appearance of plants para- sitic on roots. The former is characterized as Salomonia aphylla, parasitica, floribus pentandris. The paper was accompanied and illustrated by an extensive series of coloured drawings. November 5. — E. Forster, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. Joshua Clarke, Esq., presented specimens of Galium Vaillantii, DeC, gathered by himself at Saffron Walden, in the county of Essex. James Backhouse, jun., Esq., and G. S. Gibson, Esq., presented specimens of Spergula stricta, Swartz, from Widdy Bank, Teesdale, 196 Linmsan Society. Yorkshire, and oi Equisetum Drummondii, Hook., from Winch Bridge, Teesdale ; both species gathered for the first time in England. William Borrer, Esq., F.L.S., presented specimens of Leersia ory- zoides, Sw., discovered by himself in Sept. 1844, fringing the ditches in Henfield Level, Sussex. Read, a memoir " On the Medusa prohoscidalis of Forskahl." By Prof. Edward Forbes, F.L.S. &c. The author met with this Medusa on the coast of Asia Minor, and communicates the result of his examination of its form and structure. The umbrella of the specimen described measured tvi^o inches and three quarters in diameter, and was perfectly hemispherical and trans- parent. The margin had a pink border, from which sprung at regular intervals six very long extensile tentacula, at the base of each of which is a minute ocellus. Opposite and above the origin of each of these tentacula, and on the inner surface of the bell, is a phylli- form space, of a different tissue from the rest of the umbrella : these have hitherto been described as stomachs, but are in reality the ova- ries ; through the centre of each runs a narrow canal, and between each in the interspace are seven lanceolate, truncate markings. From the centre of the inferior surface springs a proboscis or peduncle, four inches in length, down which the gastric vessels run ; this pe- duncle is marked by six longitudinal bands of pinkish contractile tissue ; at its extremity it bears a hollow bell-shaped body, bordered by six triangular lips : tlie cavity of this is the true stomach.; the gastric vessels spring from it, and go to open into a circular vessel surrounding the margin of the umbrella. The author's observations, demonstrating the true position of the stomach and reproductive organs in this animal, do away with the anomalous definition formerly given of the genus Geryonia, to which it belongs, and require the substitution of a new generic character, which may be expressed as follows : — Geryonia, Esclischoltz. Umbrella hemisphserica :" ovaria plura phyllifonnia in circuitu disci : cirrhi marginales distantes : ocelli nudi: peduncuhis elongatus, pyra- midatus, ventricuhim parvum in extremitate gerens; ore lobato, fim- briato. Type, Geryonia prohoscidalis. November 19. — R. Brown, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. Read a Note by William Griffith, Esq., F.L.S. &c., to his paper *' On the Ovulum of Santalum, Osyris, Loranthus, and Viscum" printed in the last Part of the Society's Transactions. In this note Mr. Griffith states, that " having had opportunities, after my revised examination of Santalum album, of examining a Malacca species of Osyris (belonging to a section characterized by a quinary number of parts of the flower, a less tendency to separation of the sexes, and habit), I find full grounds for believing that the mode of development of the ovulum of Osyris napalensis is altogether like that of Santalum album, the only difference being the unim- Linncean Society, 197 portant one of the short anterior prolongation of the embryo-sac outside the nucleus. The minuteness of the ovulum, and the rapidity with which the anterior exserted part above the septum becomes filled with albuminous tissue, during which the proper membrane of this part of the sac becomes incorporated with the albuminous tissue, must be my apologies for this additional and very important error. " I may take this opportunity of stating, that this Malacca Osyris, deducting the great minuteness of the ovulum, has given me as good evidence as Santalum in my opinion has, of the non-existence of any cell or body of or in the embryo- sac, from which the embryo is de- rived, independent of the pollen-tube. The vesicle from which the embryo is to be derived does not appear to exist before the applica- tion of the pollen-tubes to the sac, it being in fact, so far as my means of observation enable me to go, the anterior extremity of the pollen- tube itself." Read also a paper " On the Development of the Ovulum in Avi- eew72m," by William Griffith, Esq., F.L.S. &c., containing a more detailed description of the process than the note referred to in the 'Annals,' vol. xii. p. 209. Mr. Griffith states that Avicennia has, like Santalum and Osyris, a free central placenta with pendulous ovula; the same posterior elongation takes place in the embryo-sac ; and the embryo is, at least when matured, external to the nucleus or body of the ovulum. The ovula of Avicennia appear to be nucleary ; their central tissue first becomes denser than the rest, and in this denser tissue, at a period antecedent to fecundation, is found the embryo-sac, having usually an enlarged apex or head and a subcylindrical body. Subsequent to the application of the pollen- tubes to the apex of the sac, and the formation of cellular tissue, the head of the embryo-sac acquires a short prolongation posteriorly in the direction of the axis of the ovu- lum, and its subcylindrical body is also prolonged posteriorly within the inner side of the same organ. While the albuminous tissue in the head of the sac increases in bulk, and the rudiment of the future embryo is developing, the head enlarges and passes out of the apex of the ovulum, and the prolongation of the subcylindrical body con- tinues to increase in length. At a subsequent period there is formed on the anterior surface of the albuminous mass, now become external to the ovulum, a curved furrow or groove, corresponding with the points of the cotyledons of the young embryo ; and the posterior prolongation of the body of the sac passes backwards into the pla- centa, within which it is divided in a digitate irregular manner. In the next stage the points of the cotyledons protrude through the groove, and as the embryo increases in size they become more and more exposed, the part of the albumen situated between the inner cotyledon and the body of the ovulum becoming at the same time enlarged and flattened, and increasing in length equally with the cotyledons themselves. In the mature embryo the radicle alone re- mains imbedded in the albuminous tissue, the cotyledons being quite naked. lil Linncean Society. "It is curious," Mr. Griffith observes, "that this prolongation [of the embryo- sac] has only been observed in association with a particular form of the free central placenta. So far as I know," he adds, " it is the only instance of an embryo -sac prolonged posteriorly, it may be said, from two points of its surface." And further : " In all the really analogous instances in which the albumen is exterior to the ovulum, it is always exterior, that part of the embryo -sac in which it is developed being protruded long before any albuminous tissue has been developed*." In conclusion, Mr. Griffith refers to the observations of Mr. Brown on the ovula of Avicennia in the ' Prodromus Florse Novse HoUandise,* and in Dr. Wallich's ' Plantse Asiaticse Rariores,' and states that the most important difference between this last account and that which he has given is, that he finds the embryo only to be erect. *' The embryo, in its earlier stages of development, undergoes a degree of change of direction, but only sufficient to enable it to pass up out- side the ovulum in the same direction it would have maintained had it been ordinarily developed." The paper was illustrated by a series of coloured drawings. December 3.— E. Forster, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. Read, some " Remarks on Vegetable Physiology." By Mr. James Main, A.L.S. Mr. Main's object in the present paper appears to be the reproduc- tion before the Society of the leading ideas on vegetable growth con- tained in his * Illustrations of Vegetable Physiology,' published in 1833, and to state his objections to some received theories on that important subject. He denies the descent of the sap, and asks, " Who has met with sapless branches in winter, or surcharged roots at the same season ? " He states that " the spring movement of the sap ♦ In a Memoir by M. Planchon, published at Molitpellier, 1844, " Sur les d6veloppements et les caracteres des vrais et des faux arilles, suivi de con- siderations sur les ovules de quelques V^roniques et de V Avicennia," it is shown that in two species of Veronica ( V. kedercsfolia and V. Cymhalaria) (and consequently in plants with the ordinary form of placenta) the nucleary ovula are furnished with embryo-sacs, acquiring during the progress of their growth two tubular prolongations, one from near each extremity, the upper of which passes into the placenta, and there becomes digitately divided. In these plants also the albuminigerous portion of the embryo-sac becomes, during the progress of its development, external to the nucleus. In other species of the same genus {Ver. agrestis and V. arvensis) the ovula are equally reduced to a nucleary form ; but the embryo-sac is much less de- veloped at its extremities, and a tegument derived from the nucleus con- tinues to enclose it up to the complete maturity of the seed. Comparing these observations on Veronica with the description given in 1818 by M. A. de St. Hilaire of the development of the ovulum oi Avicennia, M. Planchon comes to the conclusion, that " II devient impossible de ne pas considerer, avec Brown, comme I'ovule lui-meme le corps oblong pris [par M. A. de St. Hilaire] pour un cordon ombilical, et de ne pas voir dans le tubercule arrondi qui sort de lafente du corps oblong, un sac embryonnaire analogue a celui de la Veronique, et destine, comme ce dernier, a accomplir, hors du nucelle, toutes ses evolutions." — Secr. Zoological Society. 199 begins (and necessarily must begin) at the top of the tree, and its fluxion is generated gradually downwards until the whole is in mo- tion." It is by means of this descending fluidity, and not by any descent of the sap itself, that he explains the callosities or swellings observed above a ligature, on the upper edge of a wound, and in various other circumstances. Instead of attributing the formation of the tissues of the plant to the organizable property of the elaborated sap, he believes that the membranes and every other organic part or constituent of the plant have rudimental existence and identity before development. He regards the cambium as the seat of vegetable life and the origin of all vegetable growth. From this living body (which he calls the indusium or vital membrane) he believes that the axis of wood is annually enlarged in diameter, and the bark is thickened ; from this, and this only, buds and roots are produced ; and wounds are healed by its gradual extension. The paper concludes by a reference to the opinions of Bonnet, DeCandolle, Mirbel, and Du- trochet. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. July 9, 1844. — William Horton Lloyd, Esq., in the Chair. " Descriptions of new species of Tritons, collected chiefly by H. Cuming, Esq. in the Philippine Islands," by Lovell Reeve, Esq. Triton gallinago. Trit. testd abbreviato-clavceformi, varicibus duobus, rotundis, solidis ; spird breviusculd, acuminatd -, anfracti' bus superne cmgulatis, tuberculorum serie unicd ad angulum armatis, tuberculis peculiaritbr plano-vellicatis, acuiis, anfractds ultimi vald^ irregularibus ; anfractibus infra costatis, costis crenulatis, sub tuberculis flexuose nodulosis, costarum interstitiis elevato- striatis ; alba, varicibus aurantio-fusco v'lvide tinctis ; columelld rugoso-plicatd, aperturts fauce albd, labro intusfortiter denticu- late ; canali subelongato, ascendente. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 2. f. 5. Hab. Cagayan, province of Misamis, island of Mindanao, Philip- pines (found in sandy mud at the depth of twenty fathoms) ; Cuming. The ribs of this delicate species are noduled, and more strongly developed on the varices than on the body of the shell ; and the cen- tral dorsal tubercle of the last whorl is unusually prominent, with all the appearance of a double tubercle. The canal is much shorter than that of most of the club-shaped Tritons, and is particularly curved or bent upwards. Triton Ranelloides. Trit. testd Ranellteformi, varicibus decern nodiferis ; spird elevatd ; anfractibus, superficie totd subtilissime reticulata, superne depressis, infra nodis grandibus biseriatim, an- fractu ultimo triseriatim, cinctis, nodis inferioribus minoribus ; luteo-albidd, fuscescente varid, tteniis subtilissiynis fuscescente alboque articulatis, lineis fuscis fortioribus inter nodos, cinctd ; columelld macula purpured albirugosd superne tinctd ; aperturce fauce albd, labro intus leviter denticulato ; canali brevissimo. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 3. f. 10. ^00 Zoological Society, Hah. Matnog, province of Albay, island of Luzon, Philippines (found on the reefs) ; Cuming. Partaking as this shell does in almost equal proportion of the characters of both Triton and Ranella, it has been a matter of some difficulty to decide to which of the two genera it might with the greater propriety be referred. Triton exilis. Trit. testd clavaformi, varice unico parvo ; spird breviusculd ; anfractibus superne angulatis, inferne coarctatis, transversim suhirregiilariter costatis, costis liris parvis longitudi- nalibus decussatis, tuberculatis, tuberculis grandihus, prominentia bus, subcompressis ; albd, aurantio-ftisco sparsim tinctd ; columclld plicatd, plicis superioribus valde majoribus, aperturce faiice albd, labro intus rugoso-denticulato ; canali longissimo, superne pecuH- ariter contorto. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 4. f. 11. Hab. San Nicolas, island of Zebu, Philippines (found in sandy mud at the depth of ten fathoms) ; Cuming. This highly interesting species has been erroneously published by Mr. Sowerby in his ' Genera of Shells,' and by myself in my * Con- chologia Systematica,' vol. ii. plate 243. fig. 3, for the Triton clavator, and demonstrates how necessary is the examination of an entire genus by comparison for the proper discrimination of the species. No question as to the specific difference of these two shells could however be urged, for they vary materially both in form and detail of sculpture. The Triton clavator is comparatively full and ventri- cose, with the upper ribs only moderately tubercled ; the Triton ex- ilis is small, peculiarly contracted round the lower part, with the tubercles very prominently developed entirely across the whorls : in the former species there is a varix on the penultimate whorl as well as upon the last whorl ; in the latter species, as in the Triton cana- liferus, there is no varix upon th'fe penultimate whorl ; lastly, the mouth of the former species is either yellowish or yellowish scarlet, whilst that of the latter exhibits not the slightest indication of colour, and the stains of orange-brown with which it is marked externally are of a character not to be misunderstood. Triton Pfeifferianus. Trit. testd fusiformi, varicibus septem prominentibus, acutangularihus ; spird elatd; anfractibus subirre- gulariter convolutis, convexis, superne plano-depressis, leviter canaliculatis , transversim costulatis, costulis irregular ibus, nunc angustis, nunc latioribus, striis elevatis longitudinalibus noduloso- decussatis, anfractuum parte mediand nodosa, nodis distantibus, longitudinaliter subplicatis ; fuscescente , fusco pallide varid; colu- melld rugulosd, labro intus rugoso-denticulato ; canali subelongato. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 4. f. 14. Reeve, Pro. Zool. Soc, 1844. Hab. ? This species may probably be recognised as one of not uncommon occurrence, though not hitherto described ; its leading features are the rude manner in which one whorl is deposited on the other, the Zoological Society. 201 prominent sharp-angled structure of the varices, and the delicate granulated sculpture of the ribs where they are crossed by the raised striae ; and its general appearance is altogether peculiar. I take the liberty of dedicating this characteristic species to Dr. Pfeiffer of Cassel, Germany, on account of the diligence that gentle- man has exercised in arranging the synonyms of the genera Triton and Ranella in his " Memoir of the genus Tritonium," Revue Zoolo- gique de la Societe Cuvierienne. Triton Sauli^.. Trit. testd elongato-conicd, tubceformi, paululilm contortd, basim versus subangulato-attenuatd, varicibus novem decemve plano-depressis ; spird acuminata ; anfractibus siibangu- latis, nodorum prominentium seriehus duabus infra angulum arma- tis, subtilissime lirntis, liris apicem versus minutissime crenulatis ; albido aut lutescente, ruhido-fusco variegatd et maculatd ; epider- mide tenui ; columella Icevi, obsolete j)licatd, plied albd unicd su- perne munita; labro intus denticulato ; aperturd angulato-ovatd, fauce ccerulescente-albd. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 5. f. 17. Hab, Matnog, island of Luzon, Philippines ; Cuming. I vi^as about to figure a somewhat discoloured specimen of this shell, collected by Mr. Cuming at the above-mentioned locality, when a smaller but very richly painted example presented itself for com- parison from the collection of Miss Saul. It is unquestionably di- stinct from any of the trumpet-shaped species, though curiously in- termediate between the Triton variegatus and australis. I now de- dicate it with great pleasure to a much-esteemed collector, whose cabinet bears interesting testimony of her excellent discrimination of species. Triton sinensis. Trit. testd elongate -clavaformi, varicibus duobus rotundis ; spird subelatd ; anfractibus costis duplicibus subdistan- tibus undique cinctis, stria unicd elevatd interveniente, costis supe- ris leviter nodosis, costis interstitiisque subtilissime crenulatis; albidd, lutescente tinctd, varicibus inter costas lutescentibus ; colu- melld multirugosd ; labro denticulato ; aperturce fauce albd; canali elongate, subcontorto. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 6. f. 18. Hab. China. This shell is not uncommon in collections, though it appears to have been singularly neglected by naturalists. It presents a most remarkable modification of the Triton canaliferus : the entire sculpture of the two species — such as, for example, the double rib, the inter- vening raised line, the two only varices, the profusely wrinkled colu- mella, the long slightly twisted canal, &c. — is the same in both ; but the canaliculated structure of the sutures, which forms so very im- portant a specific character in the Triton canaliferus, is wanting. The Triton sinensis might therefore be recognised as an example of the Triton canaliferus with the spire pushed out as it were ; or one in which the whorls have not been subject to that peculiar depression which forms so deep and characteristic a channel round the suture. liOS Zoological Society. Triton grandimaculatus. Trit. testd ovato-turritd, crassd, in- ferne coarctatd, varicibus tribus ; spird subobtusd ; anfractibus superne angulatis, transversim exiliter striatis et liratis, liris su- peris tuberculato-nodosis ; fuscesccnte-fulvd, varicibus et columella parte superiori maculis grandibus nigerrimo-fuscis ornatis ; coin- melld lavi vel obsolete plicatd ; labro intus dentato, dentibus niger- rimo-fuscis ; aperturce fauce alba ; canali breviusculo, subascen- dente. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 6. f. 20. Hub. Matnog, province of Albay, island of Luzon (found on the reefs) ; Cuming. This shell appears at first sight to be nothing more than a casual variety of the Triton lotorium ; it will be found, however, upon ex- amination to differ materially. The large tuberculated humps of the Triton lotorium are here represented by regular series of small rounded knobs, which impart a kind of cancellated structure to the earlier whorls which is very characteristic ; the lower part of the shell is not distorted, and the varices, especially at the back, are vividly painted with large distinct brown blotches. Triton sarcostoma. Trit. testd subabbreviato-clavaformi, varici- bus duobus, rotundis, soUdiusculis ; spird brevi, apice subdepresso ; anfractibus superne angulatis, transversim, costatis, costis noduloso- crenatis, costarum interstitiis subtiliter ctenato -liratis, costis su- peris tuberculatis, tubercuUs grandibus, prominentibus, subcom- pressis ; spadiceo-fuscescente, costis inter tubercula albimaculatis ; columelld superne et inferne leviter corrugatd, labro intus fortiter rugoso-denticulato ; columelld labtoque cameo eximie tinctis. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 7. f. 21. Hab. Island of Ticao, Philippines (found on the reefs) ; Cuming. This shell has somewhat the aspect of the Triton cynocephalus ; it differs in being much less ventricose> and in having very prominent tubercles round the upper part of the whorls. The mouth is stained with a pale flesh-tint without any indication of dark colour on the Columella. Triton aquatilis. Trit. testd fus^ormi-turritd, varicibus septem octove rotundis, prominentibus ; spird elatd ; anfractibus convexis, transversim costatis, costis duplicibus, subdistantibus, liris undatis tuber culiferis longitudinaliter decussatis ; pallide rufescente-fuscd, fusco maculatd et variegatd ; columelld et aperturce fauce cameo- tinctis, albirugosis, labro intus albidenticulato ) canali brevi, ascen- dente. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 7. f. 24. Hab. Island of Ticao, Philippines (found on the reefs at low water) ; Cuming. The longitudinal waved ridges which adorn tlie surface of this interesting species have, in the fine specimen before me, a beautiful ripple-like appearance which is very characteristic. The columella and interior are covered with enamel of a bright uniform flesh-tint, and the varices are very round and prominent. I have seen several Zoological Society. 203 examples of this species in different stages of growth, all exhibiting the above peculiarities with remarkable specific distinctness. Triton trilineatus. Trit. testa clavato-fusiforml, varicibus tri- bus ; spird breviusculd ; an/ractibus superne angulatis, ad angulum compressO'tuberculatis, transversim plano4iratis, liris subtilissimh crenulatis, interstitiis lineis tribus elevatis sculptis ; albidd, fusco variegatd, varicibus fusco-maculatis ; columella lutescente-albd, costatd ; canali subelongato, leviter ascendente ; labro fortiter den- ticulato-costato ; apertures fauce albd. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 10. f. 31. Hab. Philippine Islands ; Cuming. This is a strongly marked species, with the denticulated sculpture of the lip extending into the aperture after the manner of ribs ; and the body of the shell is crossed by flattened ridges, between each of which are three very characteristic raised lines. Triton .egrotus. Trit. testd subpyriformi, varicibus validis duo- bus ; spird acuta ; an/ractibus superne angulatis, transversim cos- tatis, liris minutis tribus vel quatuor inter castas decurrentibus^ costis superis tuberculatis , tuberculis inferne evanidis ; albidd, fuscescente maculatd ; columelld plicatd ; canali subelongato, sub- ascendente ; apertures fauce albd; labro intus denticulate. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 12. f.42. Hab. China. Care must be taken not to confound this shell With the Triton tri- lineatus, in which the dorsal tubercles are more strongly developed, and which has no varix on the back of the penultimate whorl. Triton encausticus. Trit. testd pyriformi, varice unico depres- siusculo ; spird rotundato-depressd ; anfractibus transversim cos- tatis, tuberculorum seriebus plurimis longituditialibus armatis, inferioribus minoribus ; albidd, fusco varie tinctd ; columelld Icevi, crassissime encausticd, aurantio-lutescente ; canali elongate, ascen- dente ; labro aurantio-lutescente, intus denticulate. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 12. f. 43. Hab. Island of Ticao, Philippines (found on the reefs) ; Cuming. The enamelled character of the mouth of this shell is somewhat like that of the Triton tuberosus ; the form is that of the Triton re- tusus. Triton ridens. Trit. testd elongato-ovatd, subfusiformi, solidius- culd, distortd, varicibus quinque serve subindistinctis ; spird acu- minatd ; anfractibus liris angustis elevatis prominentibus distantibus eleganter clathratis, liris transversis duplicatis ; ccerulescente-albd, epidermide sericd indutd ; columelld fortiter rugosd, aurantio tinctd ; canali breviusculo, vix ascendente ; aperturd parvd, coarc- tatd; labro intus fortiter dentato, albo, aurantio marginato. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 12. f. 46. Hab. Philippine Islands ; Cuming. Although this species exhibits little more than a modification of the characters of the Triton cancellinus, the difference is of good specific 204 Zoological Society, importance. The cancellated sculpture is wider and more prominent, whilst the ridges are more sharply noduled in crossing over each other. The wrinkles and denticulations which surround the aper- ture are much more strongly developed, and the orange- stained co- louring of the enamelled disc is peculiarly characteristic. Triton Thersites. Trit. testd suhfusiformi, varicihus quatuor ; spird exsertd; anfractibits transversim granoso-liratis, angulatis, ad angulum tuherculatis, tuherculis validis, valde pr-ominentihus , anfractuum totd superjicie subtilissime granulosa ; columelld alba, subexcavatd, leviter rugosd, callositate superne armatd ; canali longiusculo, subascendente ; labro intus leviter denticulato. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 13. f. 48. Hah. ? Several shells have been named after the rude enemy of Achilles as significant of their deformity. The Triton under consideration, though it has quite a hump-backed appearance from the prominence of the dorsal tubercles, is however beautifully granulated, the granu- lated ridges being especially neatly sculptured in passing over the tubercles and varices. Triton moritinctus. Trit. testd ovato-oblongd, ventricosd, varice unico elevato ; spird depressd ; anfractibus superne piano- angulatis, transversim crenulato-costatis , ad angulum fortiter tuberculatis, tuberculis acutis, inferne evanidis, transversim subtiliter sulcatis ; rubidd, varicibus albimaculatis ; epidermide subsetosd ; columelld rufo-aurantid, macula grandi, nigricante-purpured, albirugosd, tinctd ; canali subelongato, subcontorto ; aperturac fauce rufo- aurantid ; labro intus fortiter dentato. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 13. f. 49. Hab. Philippine Islands ; Cuming. This shell, which is not uncommon in collections, approximates very closely to the Triton cynocephalus ; it is however specifically di- stinct. The whorls of the Triton moritinctus are very strongly tu- bercled, the tubercles being disposed in waved longitudinal rows, whilst in the Triton cynocephalus the tubercles have more the appear- ance of regular nodules. Triton exaratus. Trit. testd subtrigonofusiformi, varicibus duohus ; spird elevato-turritd ; anfractibus superne pianissimo - angulatis, ad angulum subnodosis, transversim liratis, liris com- pressis, duplicatis, crenulatis, interstitiis excavato-sulcatis ; albidd, fuscescente cceruleoque varie tinctd ; columelld alba, subrugosd ; canali longiusculo; aperturd rotundd; labro intus dentato. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 13. f. 50. a and b. Var. /3. Testd nigricante-fuscd, albibalteatd. Hab. North coast of New Holland. This is a very characteristic species, with the transverse ridges standing out in bold relief, and the upper part of the whorls pecu- liarly flat and indented at the sutures. Triton ficoides. Trit. testd trigono-ficiformi, varicibus quinque; Zoological Society. 205 spird brevi, obtusd ; anfractibus dorsim tumidiusculis, transversim liratis, liris nodosis, super varices duplicatis ; columelld nodosa et rugosd, inferrie luteo-sanguineo tinctd ; canali brevi ; labro intus fortiter dent at o. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 13. f. 51. Hab. Africa. M. Kiener should have been sure of this shell being the Ranella caudata of Say, before he ventured to question the generic appropri- ation of that species. It is quite another thing, and I much doubt if a shell of such bright 'and vivid colour were ever found within the latitude of New York. The Ranella caudata belongs to a small group of RanellcB, of which the R. Muriciformis is the type. TiiiTON ACUMiNATUs. Trit. testd suhfusiformi, varice nullo ; spird acutissime acuminata ; anfractibus numerosis, transversim elevato- striatis, longitudinaliter costatis, costis subobliquis, crebriusculis ; columelld subtilissime rugosd; canali breviusculo, ascendente ; aperturd patwd, rotunda; labro intus denticulato. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 14. f. 54. Hab. China. The Triton acuminatus is another very aberrant form, though be- longing to that interesting section of the genus of which the Triton niveus is the type. Triton gracilis. Trit. testd gracili-fusiformi, varicibus tribus ; spird subelatd ; anfractibus tuberculato-nodosis, liris parvis subti- liter decussatis ; lutescente-albd, v el fused, albibalteatd, epidermide tenui subsetosd indutd; columelld fortiter rugosd, albd ; canali subelongato, ascendente ; aperturccfauce albd; labro intus peculi- ariter rug oso -denticulato. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 15. f. 58. Hab. Philippine Islands ; Cuming. A delicate little species, in which the outer lip is peculiarly fully wrinkled within. Triton elongatus. Trit. testd elongato-fusiformi, varice unico subindistincto ; spird acuminata ; anfractibus superne leviter angu- latis, transversim liratis et striatis, liris striisque granuloso- crenatis, aquidistanter nodulosis ; cinered, liris livido-purpureis ; columelld excavatd, rugosd, callositate superne armatd; canali elongate, subcontorto ; labro intus dentato, dentibus binis. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 15. f. 59. Hab. Philippine Islands ; Cuming. This shell approximates very closely to the Triton vespaceus ; so closely indeed, that I may be thought rather venturous to describe it as a new species. The differences however are as follows : the canal is much more elongated, the whorls are not tubercled, and the beaded ridges are of a peculiar livid-purple colour. Triton gemmatus. Trit. testd elongato-oblongd, varicibus quatuor vel quinque ; spird subobtusd ; anfractibus liris, pulcherrime gem- matis, cingulatis, interstitiis striis elevatis longitudinalibus et trans- versis eximie clathratis ; aurantio-lutescente ; columelld rugosd, 206 Zoological Society. callositate superne armatd ; canali breviusculo ; lahro intus dentato, dentibus hinis. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi, 15. f. 60. Hab. Island of Ticao, Philippines (found under stones at low water) ; Cuming. Var. /3. Testd albd, varicibus duobus ad sex ; liris subnodosis. Hab. Island of Annaa (Chain island), South Pacific Ocean, and island of Burias, Philippines (found under stones in both localities at low water) ; Cuming. The sculpture of this shell is very similar to that of the Triton rubecula ; the beaded ridges are however wider apart, and on the varices have three smaller ridges between them. Triton obscurus. Trit. testd elongato-turritd, varicibus unde- cim ; spird acuminatd ; anfractibus transversim granulosis, longi- tudinaliter subobsolete sulcatis, sulcis creberrimis ; fuscescente, fusco pallide balteatd, maculis fuscis quadratis perpaucis seriatim pictd, varicibus fusco maculatis ; columelld Icevi, crassissime en- causticd; canali brevissimo, labro intus denticulato. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 16. f. 63. Hab. East. Indies ; Lieut. Babb. This shell may have been probably confounded with the Triton maculosus ; it differs however in not being transversely grooved, in having a different arrangement of the varices, and in other minor particulars. Triton crispus, Trit. testd ovatd, subfusiformi, varicibus duobus vel tribus ; spird breviusculd ; anfractibus liris crispis prominen- tibus, subdistantibus, decussatis, liris ad decussationem nodulosis, inter stitiis striis crispis elevatis subtilissime cancellatis ; cinereo- ccerulescente, varicibus lirisque albidis ; columelld excavatd, rugosd, callositate superne armatd ; canali breviusculo ; labro intus fortiter denticulato. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 17. f. 68. Hab. } Quite distinct from any hitherto described species. Triton eburneus. Trit. testd ovatn-oblongd, varicibus tribus vel quatuor remotiusculis ; spird brevi ; anfractibus liris parvis ob- tusis creberrime decussatis ; intus extusque albd ; columelld exca- vatd, inferne subrugosd; canali brevissiino ; labro intus denticulato. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 17. f. 69. Hab. Island of Ticao, Philippines (found under stones at low water) ; Cuming. This shell has somewhat the form of the Triton Quoyi, an inter- esting little New Holland species, which M. Kiener thought to be the recent analogue of Lamarck's fossil Triton viperinum. Triton verrucosus. Trit. testd subpyramidali-oblongd, varicibus quatuor vel quinque ; spird mediocri ; anfractibus superne impressis, transversim striatis et liratis, liris longitudinalibus prominentioi'i- bus decussatis, ad decussationem nodosis ; aurantio-fuscescente, Zoological Society. 207 anfractuum parte inf er tori fuse o inter nodos articulatd; columelld excavatd, vix rugosd ; canali brevissimo. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 17. f. 71. Hab, ? Care must be taken not to confound this shell with the lesser New Holland species, Triton Quoyi. Triton tortuosus. Trit. testd oblongo-turritd, subangustd, vari- cibus octo oblique invicem subsequentibus ; spird tortuosd ; anfrac- tibus granulis parvis subtiliter reticulatis ; lutescente, maculis fuscis grandibus, longitudinaliter undatis, eleganter pictd ; colu- melld excavatd, subgranulosd ; canali brevissimo, recurvo. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 17. f. 74. Hab. Island of Burias, Philippines (found under stones at low water) ; Cuming. This interesting species approximates very closely to the Triton distortus; it differs in being of a more delicate and slender form, in the granules being less prominent, and in the peculiar waved style of the painting. Triton sculptilis, Trit. testd oblongo-turritd, varice nullo ; spird exsertd ; anfractibus longitudinaliter costellatis, costellis angusiis, interstitiis striis elevatis cancellatis, anfracids ultimi parte infe- riori conopeo carinaeformi prominent e peculiariter ornatd ; albidd, sutur is fuscis ; columelld Icevi ; canali brevissimo. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 18. f. 76. Hab. Island of Capul, Philippines (found under stones at low water) ; Cuming. In addition to the above account of this beautiful species, it may be noticed that the transverse striae are brown upon the ribs and white in the interstices ; the sutures are brown in consequence of the whorls being encircled with a brown line just at the point where one whorl lodges in its spiral growth upon the other, over the basal canopy, as if to mark out the exact plan of convolution. Triton eximius. Trit. testd oblongo-turritd, varice nullo; spird acuminata ; anfractibus costellis minutis eximie cancellatis , longi- tudinalibus majoribus, valde remotioribus ; albd,fuscescente obscure fasciatd ; canali brevissimo. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 18. f. 77. Hab. Lord Hood's Island, Pacific Ocean (on the reefs), and island of Capul, Philippines (under stones at low water) ; Cuming. A neatly cancellated, almost colourless, shell. Triton egregius. Trit. testd elongato-ovatd, varice nullo; spird acutd; anfractibus longitudinaliter costatis, striis elevatis trans- versis cancellatis ; alba, costis medio albis, supra et infra fuscis ; canali brevi, recurvo. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 18. f. 78. Hab. Island of Masbate, Phihppines (found under stones at low water) ; Cuming. The style or arrangement of the sculpture not much unlike the preceding species ; the shell is however larger, more globose, and 208 Zoological Society, has a very pretty appearance, arising from the dark brown upper and lower portions of the ribs being crossed by white striae. Triton siphonatus. Trit. testd fusiformi-turritd, vaincibus novem, subindistinctis ; spird acuminatd ; anfractibus c?'eberrime reticu- latis, ultimo antice quasi siphonato ; rosea- aut cceruleo-albidd, aurftntio-fusco sparsim maculatd ; lamind columellari tenui, Icevi ; aperturd elongato-ovatd ; labro subtilissime denticulato. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 18. f. 81. Hab. ? Chiefly distinguished by its anterior extension. Triton decapitatus. Trit. testd elongato-turritd, varice nullo ; spird decollatd ; anfractibus longitudinaliter concentrice costellatis, costellis angustis, numerosis, confertis, transversim striatis ; lutes- cente, fusco subindistincte maculatd; costellis aurantio-fuscis, lined lutescente antice interruptis, anfractu ultimo lineis lutescen- tibus duabus ; canali brevissimo. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 18. f. 85. Hab. Island of Burias, Philippines (found under stones at low water) ; Cuming. Care must be taken not to confound this species with the Triton truncatus, in which the ribs are larger and wider apart, and the colour not interrupted. Triton digitale. Trit. testd oblongd., vnrice nullo ; spird acumi- natd; anfractibus seriatim granulosis , granulis numerosis, confertis, obtusis ; albidd, fuscescente sparsim punct at d ; canali brevissimo. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 19. f. 86. Hab. Island of Capul, Philippines (found under stones at low water) ; Cuming, The sculpture of the shell is much like the granular surface of a thimble. Triton concinnus. Trit. testd oblongd, tenuiculd, varice nullo ; spird subacuminatd ; anfractibus longitudinaliter concentrice cos- tellatis, transversim creberrime striatis ; lutescente, aurantio- fuscescente peculiariter pictd, apice roseo -purpurea ; canali bre- vissimo. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 19. f. 87. Hab. Philippine Islands ; Cuming. The bright orange-brown painting is peculiarly festooned, as it were, round the upper part of the whorl next the suture. Triton angulatus. Trit. testd oblongd, turritd, varice nullo; spird acuminatd; anfractibus superne angulatis, longitudinaliter costellatis, transversim sti-iatis, striis prominentibus , confertis ; luted, aut lutescente-albd, rubido-fusco alboque sparsim punctata ; canali brevissimo. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 19. f. 88. Hab. Island of Ticao, Philippines (found under stones at low water) ; Cuming. Chiefly distinguished by the angular structure of the whorls next the suture. Zoological Society. 209 Triton lativaricosus. Trit. testd ohlongd, soUdd, subcompressd, varicibus tribits vel quatuor latis ; spird subobtusd ; anfractibus longitudinaliter concentrice costeVatis, costellis solidis, subdistan- tibus, traiisversim creherrime striatis ; canali brevissimo. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 19. f. 90. The varices of this shell are unusually broad, and the ribs are wider apart on the back of the whorls than on the side. Triton tessellatus. Trit. testd elongatd, varice nulla ; spird acuminatd, acutd ; anfractibus striis longitudinalibus et transversis suhtilissime reticulatis ; albidd, maculis grandibus rubido-fuscis subirregulariter tessellatd ; canali brevi, subrecurvo. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 19. f. 91. Hab. Island of Burias, Philippines (found under stones at low- water) ; Cuming. This shell may be easily recognised by its rude tessellated spots. Triton bacillum. Trit. testd elongato-clavceformi, solidd, varici- bus duobus ; spird elongatd, subretusd ; anfractibus obtuso-granu- losis ; ccerulescente-albd ; canali brevissimo, recurvo ; aperturd breviusculd. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 19. f. 94. Hab. ? This is the only species of Triton I have noticed with a single varix on each side. Triton carduus. Trit. testa globosd, ventricosd, varice nullo ; spird brevi, acutissimd ; anfractibus longitudinaliter costatis, trans- versim striatis, striis valde elevatis, costas super submuricato- nodosis ; albidd, fuscescente varid; columella excavatd ; canali brevi. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 19. f. 95. Hab. ? A rather thin shell, of very sharply cancellated sculpture. Triton pagodus. Trit. testd pyramidali-ovatd ; spird acuminato- turritd, varice nullo ; anfractibus subventricosis, superne angulatis, transversim creberrime elevato-lineatis, longitudinaliter costatis, costis compressiusculis, subdistantibus ; albidd, rubido-castaneo multifasciatd ; canali brevi, valde recurvo ; aperturd rotundd ; labro intus elevato-striato. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. '20. f. 97. Hab. Bay of Montija, West Columbia ; Cuming. This species partakes more of the character of Nassa than the pre- ceding ; it might be referred indeed to that genus with almost as much propriety as to Triton. Triton pictus. Trit. testd oblongo-ovatd ; spird subacuminatd, varice nullo ; longitudinaliter creberrime costatd, transversim ele- vate -striata ; rubido-fusco alboque tessellatd; canali brevi; aper- turd parvd,fauce albd. Conch. Icon., Triton, pi. 20. f. 97. Hab. Gallapagos Islands (found under stones at low water) ; Cu- ming. An interesting species tessellated with white and very rich dark brown, in which the latter colour greatly preponderates. Triton decipiens. Trit. testd elongato-ovatd, subfusiformi, dis- Ann.^ Mag. N. Hist. VoLnv. Q 210 Royal Institution. tortd, varicihus quinque sexve indistinctis ; anfractihus Uris an- gustis elevatis clathratis ; albido-lutescente, epidermide sericd indutd ; columelld profunde excavatd, rugosd, subobsolete nmhili- catd, callositatibus plurimis superne armatd, rufo-aurantid; labro piano -concavo, rufo-aurantio radiato, intus fortiter rugoso-dentato. Conch. Icon., Triton, \A. 20. f. 102. Hab. Island of Mindanao, Philippines ; Cuming. I have long hesitated to consider this shell any other than a variety of the Triton cancellinus : the differences, though slight, seem how- ever to remain constant. It is uniformly of smaller size, the trans- verse ridges are not duplicate, and the colour and wrinkled denticu- lations of the columella and outer lip are of a peculiar and distinct character. ROYAL INSTITUTION. Feb. 14, 1845,— W. R. Hamilton, Esq., V.P. and Treasurer, in the Chair. Professor E, Forbes delivered a lecture " On some important Ana- logies between the Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms." The Professor commenced by briefly adverting to the distrust with "which, as he was well aware, speculations on the analogies of ani- mated beings were regarded, especially among British naturalists-. He stated his own firm persuasion, however, that the transcendental philosophy of natural history was one of the most important deve- lopments of that science. He proceeded to represent the relations on which he was about to discourse as consisting, — 1. Of the relation of analogy, depending on the manifestation of common laws relating to animals or vegetables composing a species, or else to the groups under which species are assembled ; and 2. Of the relation of polarity, depending, not on the resemblance, but on the opposition or divergence of beings composing the animal and vegetable kingdoms. This relation of polarity was thus illustrated. The animal is superior in structure and function to the vegetable ; yet, from whatever point of the vegetable kingdom we may begin, we cannot proceed by a series of continually advan- cing organisms to the highest point of the animal. Thus, instead of finding, as we might expect a priori, the most perfectly developed vegetable bearing the closest resemblance to the lowest animal form, we find, on the contrary, that it is at the lowest points of both sy- stems (the Sponges, &c. in the one, and the marine Fuciin the other) that the closest resemblance exists. Reverting to the relation of analogy y the Professor noticed that every composite organism, as, for instance, a plant in flower, was not a single being, but a combination of individuals ; that each leaf, in its ordinary form, was an individual, serving one purpose (that of maintaining the existence of the plant), but that, for the purpose of reproduction, it was transformed into flower, petal, stamen, pistil, &c. This metamorphosis was first de- clared by Linnseus in the * Philosophia Botanica,' then maintained by Wolf, and still later by the poet Goethe ; and as this principle of morphology had been generally accepted by botanists, the Professor now applied it to zoology. Among the lowest zoophytes there are Uoyal Institution, 211 found, as the relation of polarity prepares us to expect, animals so nearly resembling sea- weeds, as often to be confounded with them. These are found to be a multitude of individuals, arranged in a defi- nite form on a common axis. To these branch-like beings, constitu- ting the entirety of the zoophyte, vesicles are suspended, containing eggs, in cup- shaped bodies of various and beautiful forms. Professor Forbes discovered, from a series of elaborate researches in the genus Plumularia, that there was the same analogy between this polype- vesicle and the creature which produces it, that there is between the green leaf and the flower and fruit of the plant. This proposition the Professor illustrated by instancing six orders of zoophytic form, in which this metamorphosis was distinctly traceable. Having thus developed his views on morphological analogy, that of combination, Prof. Forbes entered upon what he admitted to be a more doubtful part of his system — the analogies between parallel groups. Having noticed that organized beings are grouped in types, the members of each type being formed on the same model, he de- clared his opinion that the members of every type which differ from the typical form, differ by adopting the characteristic of the nearest type. Thus, assuming the MoUusca and Annelida to be parallel types, the Pectenibranchous gasteropod, which is typical of the former, comes into the same group with the shell-less, worm-like nudibranch, which possesses so many of the external characteristics of the latter. [The Professor here laid great stress on the difference between analogy, which chiefly regards form, — and affinity, which respects structure and function.^ Again, in the case of species, whenever any individual of any spe- cies of one group becomes monstrous as to number, this monstrosity is shown by assuming the dominant number of the corresponding group. Thus, the Arachnoderms and Echinoderms are in this rela- tion of parallelism (the former having their organs arranged in mul- tiples of four, the latter in multiples of five). Now, according to Prof. Forbes, whenever a monstrous example of either tribe occurs, the number assumed is that of the parallel tribe (four in the case of Echinoderms, and^'ve in that of Arachnoderms). Again, throughout the parallel groups of nature there is a mutual representation of each other's characteristics. Thus, the animal is characterized by concentration of essential parts, and by being or- ganized with a view to the development of the individual : the vege- table is characterized by elongation of essential parts, and by being organized with a view to extensive reproduction of the species. In proportion as the animal approaches the vegetable, it does so by as- suming the vegetable characteristics. Thus, while there is a ten- dency to concentration (animal characteristic) in Vertebrata, there is a tendency to extension (vegetable characteristic) in Articulata. Again, there is an universal tendency to the formation of an endo- skeleton in Vertebrata, and of an ea:o~skeleton in Articulata ; so, in the higher plants, there is a tendency to an endo- skeleton and concentra- tion in the exogens, to an exo-skeleton and extension in the endogens. These principles were illustrated by these, among other examples : — The Gasteropodous moUusca contain the Patella and Chiton ; the one Q2 ^1^ Geological Society. characterized by concentration, the other going off to the articulate(j type by extension. In fishes, the osseous have the strong endo-skeleton of Mammalia, while the cartilaginous have the feeble endo-skeleton, compensated by a tough integument, the analogue of the exo-skeleton of the Articulata. And, as an example from the vegetable kingdom, the Professor finally noticed the parallel groups of Leguminosie and RosacecB, orders so truly parallel, that though easily distinguished by habit and non-essential characters, the true line of distinction between them was not made out until investigated by the profoundest of bo- tanists, Mr. Robert Brown, where in the one the exo-skeleton in the fruit is developed at the expense of the endo-skeleton ; in the other, there is the concentration of fruit and the development of the endo- skeleton ; the representation of the two spheres being here manifested in the reproductive system, characteristic of the vegetable kingdom, even as in the animal instances it is chiefly exhibited in organisms devoted to the nervous system, characteristic of the animal kingdom, and progressive manifestation of intelligence. In conclusion, the Professor gave the following abstract expressions of the leading ideas which he had endeavoured to illustrate in this communication : — 1st. The unity of the transformations and combinations of indi- vidual animated beings, with a view to physiological ends serving the species. 2nd. The harmonious duality pervading the arrangements of the animal and vegetable kingdoms. — AthencEum, No. 904. GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Jan. 22, 1845. — The following communications were read: — *' Geological Features of the country round the Mines of the Tau- rus." By W. W. Smyth, Esq. The mines described in this paper appear to be worked in great masses rather than beds or veins. They consist of two, one con- taining ores of copper, and the other argentiferous ores of lead worked for silver. The former at Arghaneh Maden is worked in igneous and altered rocks in the neighbourhood of Diarbekr, the average annual supply being about 3500 tons of ore, producing about 380 tons of copper, but it is thought that the return of metal from the ore might easily be doubled. There are several mines of silver and lead worked at Kiebban Maden, the proportion of silver being about an ounce or an ounce and a half per hundred pounds. About 900 lbs. weight of silver are produced annually, and a small quantity of lead. The geological date of the formations in the Taurus seems to be, in most cases, that of the cretaceous period, but there are also some meta- morphic rocks of more ancient origin. " On the newer Coal Formations of the Eastern part of Nova Scotia." By J. W. Dawson, Esq. The paper was an appendix to a communication made last year before the Geological Society, and completed the account prepared by the author of the Carboniferous Formation. The paper also con- tained a notice of some footmarks observed in the sandstone, which were considered by the author to be those of a bird. In an a])pendix MiscellaneoiLS, 213 a notice was given of the junction of the Carboniferous and Silurian rocks at a locality called M'Cara's Brook. Feb. 5. — A paper was read " On Raised Beaches and the Shells found in them, occurring on the coast of Essex near Walton." By J. Brown, Esq., of Stan way. The object of this paper was to direct attention to the fact, that low raised beaches exist on this part of the eastern coast, and that they contain fossils, not only marine but freshwater, and confined to a small number of species, though individuals are very numerous. It was also the wish of Mr. Brown to bring these raised beaches into comparison with the beds called " Till " in the Clyde valley. A paper was next read " On the Geology of the vicinity of the Wollondilly River, in Argyle County, in the colony of Sydney, New South Wales." By the Rev. W. B. Clarke. The district described by the author is chiefly occupied by igneous rocks, upon which sedimentary rocks of the carboniferous period repose unconformably. The igneous rocks consist of granite and syenite, of porphyries, basalt and trachyte. They pass into and occasionally intersect one another, and are traversed by numerous dykes of igneous rocks of various kinds. The sedimentary rocks are not less violently disturbed, and have become greatly altered in every place where they have been brought into contact with the granite. A communication was also made by Dr. Fitton, " On the Beds of the Lower Greensand of the Isle of Wight." Dr. Fitton, after describing the general structure of the back of the Isle of Wight, alluded to the numerous fissures or chines found in these localities. He also described the different beds of the lower greensand, and mentioned the fossils most charactei'istic of each of them. He concluded by alluding to some of the fossils from the Neocomian beds of the Continent, and mentioned the fact that these foreign strata are strictly contemporaneous with the lower greensand of England. MISCELLANEOUS. FALCO ISLANDICUS. A SPECIMEN of the Iceland falcon (Falco Islandicus) was shot near the North Tyne last week. It was a young male bird of the last year. This species was for a long time considered identical Math the Gyr falcon of Greenland, until the difference was pointed out by Mr. J. Hancock, during the week that the meetings of the British Association for the Advancement of Science were held in Newcastle*. It is a very rare species in England, few instances of its capture being on record. In Iceland it appears to be not very uncommon during the summer months, where it breeds, but its equatorial migrations do not generally bring it so far south. The flight of these birds is powerful in the extreme. Montagu reckons that of the peregrine falcon (which is a closely-allied species to the present, but smaller) to be 150 miles an hour. At this speed, the distance from Iceland to this country would be easily performed. The present bird, which * Mr. Hancock's paper will be found at p. 241, vol.ii. of the ' Annals.' 214 Miscellaneous. is now in the possession of Mr. Charles Adamson of this town, was in good condition, weighing 2^ pounds. — Morning Chronicle of Feb. 6. ON THE ORIGIN OF THE CORMS OF COLCHICUM. At the sitting of the Society of the Friends of Natural History of Berlin on the 19th of November, M. Link exhibited a corm of Col- chicum arenarium, on which a flower-bud and the traces of two stems past flowering occurred, one of which was situated in the middle with the root-fibres. This proves that the base of the flower whence the root-fibres take their origin, and which during the flowering period is very small, subsequently increases in size and forms the true corm, traces of the stem of which, raised by the upward growth, are long visible. The growth of the corm, in which many have expected to find some regularity, is veiy irregular. Colchicum arenarium, which developes more flowers at one time than C. autumnal e, exhibits this most distinctly. — Bot. Zeitung, Jan. 10, 1845. INFUSORIAL DEPOSITS IN AMERICA. ** Charleston is built upon a bed of animalcules several hundred feet in thickness, every cubic inch of which is filled with myriads of perfectly preserved microscopic shells. These shells however do not, like those beneath Richmond and Petersburg, &c., belong to the sili- ceous infusoria, but are all derived from those minute calcareous- shelled creatures, called by Ehrenberg Polythalamia, and by D'Or- bigny the Foraminifera. You are aware that Ehrenberg proved chalk to be chiefly made up of such shells, and you will doubtless be pleased to learn that the tertiary beds beneath j'^our city are filled with more numerous and more perfect specimens of these beautiful forms than I have ever seen in chalk or marl from any other locality. *' The following are some of the results I have obtained : — *• 1. The marls from the depth of 110 feet to 193 feet are certainly tertiary deposits, for I found them to contain Polythalamia of the family Plicatilia of Ehrenberg (Agathestegens of D'Orblgny), which family, as far as is yet known, occurs in no formation older than the tertiary. " 2. The beds from the depth of 193 feet to 309 feet contain so many species in common with the beds above them, that although I have not yet detected the Plicatilia, I still believe they must also be- long to the tertiary formation. " 3. The forms found in these beds agree much better with those detected by me in the eocene marls from Panumkey River, Virginia, than they do with miocene Polythalamia from Petersburg, Va., and I am consequently inclined to believe that they belong to the eocene epoch. " 4. All the marls to the depth of 236 feet present the Polythalamia in vast abundance, and in a state of surprising preservation. The most delicate markings of the shells are perfectly preserved, and some of the forms are so large that they may be easily seen with a common pocket-lens. *• 5. The lithological characters of the marls from 236 feet to 309 Meteorological Observations. 215 {jet differ from those above ; and although the Polythalamia are still abundant, and many of the species appear to be the same as in the strata above, yet they are less easy to observe on account of the greater compactness of the marls, and the adherence of crystalline calcareous particles to the shells. "6. The marls which you sent from the Cooper River, 35 to 38 miles above Charleston, also abound in Polythalamia, and so many of the species are identical v^^ith those found beneath Charleston, that they most probably belong to the same formation. This place on the Cooper River may be the outcrop of the very slightly inclined beds which exist under Charleston. [In this conclusion Prof. Bailey is correct. — J. L. S.] •'7. The Polythalamia, to whose labours South Carolina owes so large a portion of her territory, are still at work in countless thou- sands upon her coasts, filling up harbours, forming shoals, and depo- siting their shells to record the present state of the sea-shore, as their predecessors, now entombed beneath Charleston, have done with re- gard to ancient oceans. The mud from Charleston harbour is filled not only with beautiful Polythalamian shells, but is also very rich in siliceous infusoria." — Extract of a letter from Prof. Bailey to J. L. Smith, in Sillimans American Journal, Jan. 1845. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR JAN. 1845. Chiswick. — January 1. Foggy. 2. Cloudy : frosty. 3. Frosty : cloudy. 4. Overcast. 5. Rain. 6. Very fine. 7. Thick haze: very fine. 8, 9. Foggy. 10. Thick haze: boisterous at night. 11. Boisterous, with rain. 12. Hazy: rain : fine. 13. Overcast: clear. 14, Rain : drizzly : heavy rain. 15. iJain: fine. 16,17. Overcast. 18. Densely clouded: heavy rain. 19. Clear : haii- shovv'er at noon : constant heavy rain at night. 20. Boisterous. 21. Clear and frosty. 22. Sharp, frost : hazy : fine : overcast. 23. Overcast : rain. 24. Fine : rain : frosty. 25. Clear and frosty : overcast: boisterous. 26. Boisterous : clear. 27. Rain : boisterous : cloudy. 28. Slight snow : fine, with sun : rain. 29. Over- cast. 30. Hazy: frosty. 31. Frosty: cloudy: frosty. — Mean temperature of the month 2°*36 above the average. Boston. — Jan. 1. Foggy. 2. Snow. 3,4. Fine. 5. Cloudy : rain early a.m. 6 — 10. Cloudy. 1 1. Windy : rain early a.m. : rain p.m. 12. Foggy. 13. Foggy : rain A.M. 14. Cloudy. 15. Cloudy: rain early a.m. 16. Cloudy. 17. Fine, 18. Cloudy : rain p M. 19. Cloudy. 20. Stormy: rain early a.m. 21. Fine. 22. Rain. 23. Cloudy. 24, 25. Fine. 26. Stormy, 27. Snow : rain a.m. 28. Fine : rain A.M. 29. Cloudy. 30,31. Fine. Siindwlck Manse, Orkney. — Jan. 1. Bright: cloudy. 2. Clear: frost: cloudy. 3. Clear : frost : showers. 4. Showers : rain. 5. Showers : cloudy. 6. Showers : clear. 7. Bright : clear ; aurora. 8. Clear : frost : clear. 9. Clear : cloudy. 10. Cloudy. 11,12. Bright: clear. 13. Cloudy: drops. 14. Cloudy. 15. Bright : clear. 16. Clear: cloudy. 17. Showers. 18. Bright: cloudy. 19. Brigiit : frost: clear: frost. 20. Bright: frost: clear: aurora. 21. Cloudy: frost : drops. 22. Bright : showers : halo. 23. Showers. 24. Showers : clear. 25. Rain. 26. Showers : hail-showers. 27. Cloudy. 28. Snow-showers : clear : aurora. 29. Snow-showers : drift. 30. Clear. 31. Showers. Applegart/i Manse, Dumfries-shire. — Jan. 1. Frost : dull. 2. Slight frost. 3. Thaw: frost a.m. 4. Frost a.m.: rain p.m. 5. Rain a.m. 6. Dry and mild. 7 Rain early a.m. 8. Fair, but dull. 9. Fair: slight frost. 10. Fair, but dull : rain p.m. II. Heavy rain a.m. : flood. 12. Fair and mild. 13. Rain: frost. 14. Fair. 15. Dull and cloudy. 16. Frost. 17. Slight frost: thaw p.m. 18. Rain. 19. Snow: rain p.m. 20. Frost: clear. 21. Frost: thaw p.m. 22. Thaw : fog. 23. Rain. 24. Rain early a.m. 25. Frost early a.m. : rain. 26. Rain : flood. 27. Snow : slight frost. 28, 29. Frost, severe : snow lying. 30. Frost, severe : snow. 31. Very hard frost. •ajiqs ■saujiunQ •3l3IMSiq3 •jfompuBS •ajiqs -saiajiunQ Si^|a;a;a3«;«g3^g ^ k fe ^ ^ ^ ^ c i i ^O^OOOC^ ?6 SIS 3 " Q •"5W r-ili?> -llff) f-(|« rtlffl ,-llN rHte> ,-il« F<;51 ■XBM •ui-B ?8 •uo^sog •uii\[ •XBW o>S •uoisoa ln•rlr5QOoo.oO'^a3iocr>ccoor^GOi>.'oo O o^o^O^O^O C o^O^O^O^l^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^C^a^o^c^C7^oo c^o^c^o^ )^<^O^u:)Olri^oa^QOrfO<^^OTtO^VOCOOOO^•co■^Gor^ou^■^c^lOOOt^<^^o CO -«* o o 6 6 CO CO o c ^ o O CO c» -< 6 6 CO CO (^ CO 01 CO >^ to lo ir^>jo o^ c> o> (N Ol (N lO^O^fN' VO <0 CO o vo CO lO vo c^ 0^ 0> C> 0> (N CO 01 O l-'.OO o — o> o -1 cr, o^ o> o^ ;m (M CN CO 00 o vo r^^ ipoC (N 6^c^ 6 CN oo 00 — 1 vo tpvp C (^ o^ o> CO 0« CO coco -^H — . a\ o 6 6 6>6 CO o c^ o CO-- CI — -. CO vo — 0^ O CO CO 10 t^co 9* r r C^ CTn OA CN (N OJ COOJ -^ c^— o c^ Ol S^. Canicula or of Pristiurus melanostomus, and from the fact that the Scy Ilium Catulus is the common species of Corfu. The resemblance in form between 262 Mr. J. Alder on Euplocamus, Triopa and Idalia. Mr. Thompson's drawings and these specimens is certainly very- great, though the anterior end in mine is rather more closed than in his, by the bending over of the edges through which the ten- di-ils of the two sides have become entangled together. None of the markings are so strong as in the figures, the transverse mark- ings on the broad flat sides being scarcely perceptible in any of the specimens, and the striae on the flattened edges not extending in general very far from the posterior end, where they are in some specimens tolerably strong and extend over the inner edge of the rim as shown in the figure. The dimensions in length, at least of my specimens, were all less than those of Mr. Thompson, viz. Extreme length 4 inches. Width H „ Thickness rather more than \ „ The colour when fresh was a pale horn as usual, but becomes brown by keeping. As regards the period of protrusion, from May when I procured my first specimens until the end of November and beginning of December the fish became scarce, when they again appeared in the market, and on the 27th of December I procured some fresh eggs, one pair of which was said to have been taken from a large female then lying opened before me. Others I saw subsequently, and in one I observed the ovaries to contain eggs still in a soft state and without their covering ; this was a large specimen, mea- suring 28 inches. There can therefore be no doubt that the eggs of these fishes are protruded at least at two periods of the year. XXXVII. — Note on Euplocamus, Triopa and Idalia. By Joshua Alder, Esq. ' ' I In the second volume of the ' Enumeratio MoUuscorum Sicilise,' Dr. Philippi under the head of Idalia (to which he now refers his genus Euplocamus) makes some strictures upon a notice that ap- peared in this Journal (vol. vi. p. 217) from Professor E. Forbes, stating that the lateral appendages of Euplocamus of Philippi {Triopa of Johnston) had no vibratile cilia, and consequently were not branchial. The same notice also stated that the lateral ap- pendages of Tritonia and Eolis were ciliated, but the branchial appendages of Polycera were not so. To these observations Dr. Philippi makes several objections. In the first place, after asking on what species of Euplocamus the observations were made, he says that a mere inspection of the figure of his E. croceus, without any microscopic disquisition, will show that the lateral appendages serve the office of respira- tion, and from this species, he adds, the transition is evident to Mr. J. Alder on Euplocamus, Triopa and Idalia. 263 E. laciniosus. Upon this I would remark, that the function here attributed to the lateral appendages of E. croceus is probably correct, yet not so self-evident but that it would be desirable to bring them to the test of the microscope, — ^^^^^ of investigation which this distinguished naturalist appearF^o hold in slight esteem. With regard to the latter part of the observation, which implies that if the appendages of E. croceus are branchial those of E. [Idalia) laciniosus are so also, I cannot assent to it. Indeed Dr. Philippi would appear to have some doubts upon the point, for, referring to his descriptions, I find that these processes are called " branchice " in E. croceus and E. ramosus ; in /. cinigera ^'branchioit'' (with a query); and in /. laciniosa they are simply called " cirrhi" the term branchiae being properly reserved for those processes surrounding the vent. The animal examined by Professor Forbes was not one of the Sicilian species, but the only British species referred to the genus by Dr. Philippi (and which is also the type of Dr. Johnston's genus Triopa), viz. Doris clavigera of Miiller. Dr. Philippi next asks, whether it is a fact that all the organs serving for respiration are furnished with vibratile cilia, and says he can scarcely believe that the branchiae of Eolis are ciliated, because they appear not to differ in anything from the lateral ap- pendages of Euplocamns. It is unfortunate that the learned au- thor has not been in the habit of using a microscope in the exa- mination of these animals, as, had he done so, he could imme- diately have satisfied himself of the fact, and thus have avoided the disadvantage of offering an opinion in opposition to the tes- timony from observation not only of Professor Forbes, but of se- veral other naturalists who have lately written on the subject. To the question, whether the branchial organs are always ciliated, the concurring observations of anatomists will, I think, justify a reply in the affirmative ; at least I am not aware of any case to the contrary. The absence of vibratile cilia therefore may be taken as a fair presumption that an organ is not adapted for respiration. Their presence however does not always imply that function, as several other delicate tissues in the animal oeconomy, especially when currents are required, are well known to be ciliated. The next question asked by Dr. Philippi is, whether the genus Triopa is really the same as his Euplocamus ; and he infers from an observation of mine that '^ Triopa Nothus of Johnston is probably a Folyceray' that Triopa and Polycera are the same, and as Po- lycera is different from Euplocamus, we must have very lax no- tions of what constitutes a genus. ^^ Cum iis, qui tales differentias ad distinctionem generum non valere putant, litem habere nolo ; sed iis adsentire non possum.'' V 264 Dr. A. Grisebach on Phytozoa in Phanerogamous Plants. These conclusions are founded upon imperfect and erroneous data that might have been avoided by consulting the papers on Scottish Nudibranchiata in the first volume of this Journal. Dr. Jolnston there institutes the genus Triopa for the Doris clavi- gera of Miillerj but while taking this species for his type he ac- knowledges that he has characterized the genus rather loosely on purpose to include in it another animal not very perfectly under- stood, which I have since suggested may be the young of a Po- lycera. Now from this circumstance it does not necessarily fol- low that Triopa clavigera is also a Polycera. In calling the latter species an Euplocamus, Professor Forbes followed the opinion of Dr. Philippi himself, who in describing the genus (Enum. Moll. Sicilise, vol. i. p. 104) says, " Altera hujus generis species est Doris clavigera, 0. Fr. Miiller, Zool. Danica/^ thus referring to his ge- nus a species without lateral branchiae ; and he has since united this genus with Idalia, Leuck., in which lateral branchise are also wanting. If, as Dr. Philippi states, and I am inclined to believe, the ty- pical Euplocami have lateral branchise, it is an interesting cir- cumstance, as it will be the only genus in which the two kinds of branchise are known to exist in the same animal. On this view of the subject, I should propose that the genus Euplocamus be retained for E. croceus and E. ramosus, and that Doris clavigera, Miill., be considered the type of the genus Triopa, to which may perhaps be added Doris fimbriata and D. lacera of the same author. Idalia cerrhigera and /. laciniosa are very properly placed in the genus of Leuckart. XXXVIII. — On the Occurrence of Phytozoa in/ Phanerogamous Plants. By Dr. A. Grisebach*. The observation recently published by Nageli, that the tailed globules which occur in the antheridia of mosses are likewise found in organs possessing a similar structure on the germ-leaf of ferns, excited my interest, the more so as in this case it is requi- site to abstract these globules entirely from any connexion with the production of spores or with any process analogous to impregna- tion in animals. I examined these organs first on a germinating Adiantum concinnum, Kth., and had occasion to confirm Nageli's discovery in every essential point. I will here mention the re- markable phsenomenon, that in Adiantum these organs, which, to prevent any comparison with the anthers, I have called Corynidia, • From the Botanische Zeitung, Sept. 20, 1844. Translated by W Francis, F.L.S. Dr. A. Grisebach on Phytozoa in Phanei-ogamous Plants. 265 are not situated on the surface of the germinating leaf, but sunk into its margin. Its position therefore as regards other ferns is exactly in the same relation as the development of the spores on the frond, which in general are situated on the surface, but in Adiantum are on the margin. Now although in this case the corynidia by no means project freely from the cellular tissue of the germ-leaf, there will be seen, just as in all other cases, an outer layer of cells, differing in the present instance by the absence of chlorophylle globules from the other adjacent cells, and leaving the inner sac in which the minute free cells occur, every one of which encloses a phytozoon. The structure therefore is perfectly similar to the antheridia of mosses, and I have found it precisely as de- scribed by Nageli : the same with respect to the form of the phy- tozoa, but not the motions, which I am not able to distinguish from inorganic molecular motions. The occurrence of phytozoa in decidedly vegetative parts of plants increased my hope of detecting them in Phanerogamia. I had frequently observed, in the investigation of leaf-buds, masses of black particles in the drop of water on the glass stage, which exhibited on being magnified 200 times a very lively molecular motion. Their origin was unknown to me, but on recently ob- serving them again in the buds of Rhamnus infectoria and pumila, I immediately observed most distinctly with a magnifying power of 41 that they were phytozoa accurately agreeing with those in ferns. Like them they consist of long-tailed globules which are individually inclosed in a very minute spherical cell, or swim freely about in the water, oscillate in a lively manner, and sometimes move the tail. Since there was no doubt of the identity of this phsenomenon, it now only remained to see whence these globules were derived. The place where the corynidia are situated was soon found, and it now became evident that exactly the same apparatus occurs here as in the ferns and mosses. In the Rham- neae the stipules are formed very early, and we consequently find, even in the youngest parts of the leaf-bud, each leaf inclosed be- tween two membranous stipules projecting beyond it and arising from a common basilary membrane : this, it may be observed en passant, is an argument in favour of Robert Brown^s view that the Rhamnea should be placed near the Malvacece, which exhibit the same development of stipules, while the CelastrinecBy as I find at least in Euonymus, form their teguments from leaves and only obtain stipules very late. At the basis of the two stipules in Rhamnus, on the upper surface, is situated a group of clavate bodies, which agree perfectly in their structure with the corynidia of ferns and mosses, and like these, the phytozotic cells discharge their contents by endosmosis. This phsenomenon is quite common in leaf-buds with dormant vegetation. Where no stipules exist, Ann. ^ Mag. N, Hist. Fo/.xv. U 266 Mr. B. H. Hodgson on the Rats, Mice, and Shrews they may sometimes be situated on the leaves themselves. Guet- tard^s clavate glands appear to belong here. The object of the corynidia with their phytozoa seems to be rendered only more mysterious by their frequent occurrence in Phanerogamia. XXXIX. — On the Rats, Mice, and Shrews of the Central Region of Nepal. ByB. H. Hodgson, Esq., late British Resident at Nepal. The Bats and Mice of the mountains of Nepal are as numerous and troublesome both in house and field as they are in Europe. Their forms are, in general, typical of the genus as now restricted, and the most common species are closely related to those most frequently met with in Europe ; nor are there in the mountains any of the Jumping Rats (Gerbilhts) or other types more espe- cially characteristic of the plains of India, though we have the singular Bamboo Rats of China, Indo-China and the islands, being one instance of many in which our fauna inclines rather to China than India. With these few words of introduction I pro- ceed to a summary description of the several species, which are eighteen in number, viz. eleven rats and seven mice, to which we will add the shrews, four in number. Rats. 1. Mus nemorivagus, mihi. — ^A very large species, closely affined to the bandicoot, if not identical with it. It is much rarer in the mountains than in the plains, and is a house-, not wood-rat, as I had supposed. General structure typical, but distinguished by a prseputial gland furnished with two pores, one placed on either side, the penis close to its point, and whence is emitted a quantity of thick yellow pus-like secretion of very offensive odour. I have not noticed this organ in the other rats. General colour very dark, brown-black above, hoary blue below ; the limbs dark ; the fingers only pale. Long piles very abundant and lengthened, but not rigid. Tail shorter than the body and head, nude and annularly scaled as usual. Snout to rump 12 inches ; tail 9^ ; head 2|; ears 1^ ; palma with nail 1; planta 1^; weight 17 to 20 oz. 2. Mus brunneus, mihi ? Common House-Rat of Nepal. — As nearly allied to decumanus as the last to the bandicoot. Above rusty brown ; below rusty, more or less albescent. Extremities pale ; fleshy white nearly. Tail barely longer than the head and body. Long piles sufficiently numerous, but not rigid. Snout to vent 9^ inches ; tail 9^ ; head 2| ; ear 1 ; palma J ; planta 1| ; weight 12 to 15 oz. of the Central Region of Nepal. 267 3. Mus brunnemculuSj mihi_, Lesser Brown Rat of Nepal.— ^ Closely resembling the last but considerably smaller, as proved by numberless specimens ; above rusty brown, below rusty. Ex- tremities pale. Snout to vent 8^ inches ; tail 9 ; head 2^ ; ears 1 ; palma — ?; planta — ? ; weight 9 to 10 oz. 4. Mus rattoideSj mihi, Black Rat of Nepal. — As similar to the black rat of Europe as the foregoing is to our brown rat, and bearing in Nepal the same relation the one to the other as in Europe. Above dusky or blackish brown, below dusky hoary. Limbs dark ; fingers pale ; tail decidedly longer than the body and head ; long piles sufficiently numerous. Snout to vent 7^ inches ; tail 8| ; head 1 J ; ears ^ ; palma |f ; planta 1| ; weight 5 to 7 oz. 5. Mus niviventer, mihi, a House-Rat. — Proportions and cha- racters of the last, but tail rather shorter and long piles of the pelage rarer. Size less. Above blackish brown, shaded with ru- fous ; below entirely pure white, tail and all. Snout to vent 5^^ inches ; tail 6 ; weight 4 to 5 oz. Of rare occurrence. 6. Mus nitidus, mihi. — Distinguished for its smooth coat or pelage, wherein the long hairy piles are almost wholly wanting. Is a house- rat like the foregoing, but much rarer, and frequents the mountains rather than the valleys. Structure nearest to rat- toides, and colour very similar to that, or dusky brown above and dusky hoary below. Long piles y^^ths of an inch long ; basally hoary, apically black. Short piles cinereous below, with pale rufous tips. Snout to vent 6^ inches ; tail 7^ ; head 1||- ; ears f ; palma (with nail as before) |^ ; weight 3^ oz. 7. Mus ? Pyctoris, mihi. — Tenants the woods only. Charac- terized by its bluff face with short thick muzzle, and by its short tail, one-third short of the length of the animal. Pelage of two sorts, with the long piles sufficiently abundant. Colours of rat- toides or dusky brown, with a very vague rufous tinge. Below fulvescent ; long hairs all black ; rest with hoary bases and black points. Inner vest mostly dusky. Snout to vent 7 inches ; tail 4i^ ; head IJ; ears yj; palma f ; planta \\. 8. Mus"^ Myothrix mihi. — Tenants the woods solely. Re- markable for its soft mouse-like pelage, and for its tail covered with hairs, so as to conceal the annulated skin nearly. Dwells in burrows under roots of trees, but not gregariously. Fur soft, short, and of one kind only. Colours clear ; above dull fawn, below fulvescent. The piles above are dusky at their roots, black in their centres, and red at their tips. The tail is still shorter than in Pyctoris, being not two-thirds of the length of the ani^ mal. Snout to rump 6 inches; tail 3|; head 1^; ears \^; palma /^; planta lyV 9. Mus ? hydrophilus, mihi, Small Water-Rat of Nepal. — Dwells in holes on the margins of ponds and rivers. Characterized U2 268 Mr. B. li. Hodgson on the Rats, Mice^ and Shrews by its small ears, which are hardly above one-third the length of the head ; also by its short tail, and by a pelage that is short and fine, though not so mouse-like as in the last. Above dusky brown, below and the limbs nearly white. Long piles inconspicuous. Head larger and muzzle thicker than in the common land-rats. Snout to vent 3^ inches ; tail 2f ; head 1| ; ears -^-^ ; palma i ; planta J. 10. Mus? macropuSj mihi. — A water-rat like the last, but twice as large. Distinguished by the largeness of its feet, and also by the fine pelage and the proportions of the last, as well as by a similar blufi" face, though less so than in Pyctoris. Above smoky black, below smoky gray. Legs dark ; toes pale. Snout to rump 7\ inches ; tail 6 ; head 2~^ ; ears \^q ; palma plus 1 ; planta lyf ; weight 6 oz. 11. Mus Horeites, mihi. — Dwells in houses and out-houses. Is a small land species with fine pelage, and no peculiarity of physiognomy or proportion. Tail longer than the animal. Co- lour above sordid brown, below sordid white. Snout to rump 4 inches; tail 4| ; head 1^ ; ears -^^ ; palma ^ ; planta 1^. Mice, 12. Mus cervicolor, mihi. Common Field Mouse. — Structure typical. Distinguished by its short tail. Above dull fawn, be- low sordid white. Lining of ears and extremities pale. Snout to rump S~ inches ; tail 2^ -, head 1 ; ears y^; weight f oz. Females less and having ten teats. 13. Mus strophiatus, mihi. — Another field-mouse closely al- lied to the last, but seemingly distinct. Bright fawn above, pure white below ; a cross or gorget on the breast. Snout to vent 3|^ inches ; tail 2/-g ; head less 1 ; ears -f^ ; weight ^ oz. 14. Mus [Vandeleuria) dumeticola, mihi. Wood Mouse. — Te- nants woods and coppices. Remarkable for the extreme length of its tail. Above fawn-colour, below white. Snout to rump 2J inches ; tail 4 ; head |^ ; ear f ; weight ^ oz. 15. Mus dubius, mihi. — A house-mouse, but also found in out-houses and gardens rarely. Allied to the last by its long tail. Above dusky brown, touched with fawn ; below sordid fawn. Snout to rump 2| inches ; tail 2f ; head | ; ears |. 16. Mus homoourus, mihi. Common House Mouse. — Distin- guished by a tail equal to the animal, being usually quite equal, but sometimes rather less. Coloured like decumanus but purer, or rufescent brown above and rufescent white below. Hands and feet fleshy white. Snout to rump 3^ inches ; tail 3^ ; head ly^^r ; ears y^^; palma — ?; planta — ?; weight | oz. It has eight teats only in the females ? The other mice have ten and the rats twelve. of the Central Region of Nepal. 269 17. Mm urhanus, mihi, City Mouse.— Species usually found in the city of Katmandoo. Allied to dubius in its proportions and colours, and possibly dubius may be the immature. Above embrowned ruddy luteous ; below luteous, more or less rufescent. Feet paler. Snout to rump 2f inches ; tail 3f ; head \^^ ; ears -^Q ; palma j ; planta -I ; weight ^ oz. 18. Mus povensis, mihi, the Powah Mouse. — Procured near the Powah or Caravansery of Jaher Sing ; may be a house or cop- pice species ; allied to dumeticola in proportions and in colours. Distinguished by a tail much longer than the animal. Above bright fawn, below pure white. Extremities nude and pale. Snout to rump 2 inches; tail3; head-Jf ; earsf ; palma — ?; planta — ?; weight \ oz. Shrews, Shrews are rarer in the hills than in the plains, though in the great valley of Nepal proper the species common to both [muri- nus) is perhaps as abundant within the mountains as without them. There are four species with us ; whether the other three are found in the plains I do not know. 19. Sorex mMrinus, the Common House Shrew of the plains and also of the hills, up at least to 6000 feet. — It seldom or never quits houses, is nocturnal, omnivorous, dwells and breeds in holes and crannies and gutters : breeds frequently, and produces four or five young at a birth, which are nude and blind. Its six teats are inguinal and pubic. It has large anal as well as costal glands and pores, whence issues the strong smell of musk for which the animal is notorious. Its muzzle, ears and extremities are nude. Its tail is covered only with scattered and divergent hairs. The tail is but half the length of the animal, and is rounded and ta- pers from a thick base. Colour uniform slaty blue, with the nude parts. fleshy white. Snout to rump 6 inches; tail 3^; weight 2 oz. ; head 1{ ; palma with nails -f^ ; planta 1. 20. Sorex pygmaus, mihi. Tiny Shrew. — Rarely found in houses. Dwells in coppices and fields. Structure typical, save that no odorous glands were detected, nor had the animal any musky smell. Colour sooty brown, paler below. Naked parts of a dusky fleshy hue. Snout to vent less 2 inches ; tail 1/^ ; head ||- ; palma | ; planta f . 21. Sorex ? nemorivagus, mihi. — Found only in woods and cop- pices. Differs from both the above by a stouter make, by ears smaller and less entirely nude, and by a longer and tetragonal tail. Colour sooty black with a vague reddish smear ; the nude parts fleshy gray. Snout to rump 3| inches; tail 2; head \\; palma ^ ; planta \^ ; weight less 1 oz. 270 Mr. F. McCoy's Contributions to the Fauna of Ireland. 22. Sorea; ? soccatus, mihi. — Size and proportions of the last nearly, but distinguished by its feet being clad in fur down to the nails, and by its depressed head and tumid bulging cheeks (mystaceal region). Ears large and exposed as in the first two species [murinus and pt/gmceus) , and like them having a rounded tapering tail, but somewhat longer in proportion than theirs. Colour a uniform sordid or brownish slaty blue, extending to the clad extremities. Size nearly of the last. Snout to rump 3^ inches ; tail 2^; head Ijq', palma ^ ; planta|| ; weight f oz. This animal was caught in a wood plentifully watered, but not near the water. I never saw nor heard of it as a tenant of houses, any more than the last-named. It had no musky smell when brought to me dead. I did not examine its glands. P.S. — The above paper completes the notices of Nepalese Mammals published in India, and, like the papers written there, has been composed without the aid of library or museum. XL. — Contributions to the Fauna of Ireland. By Frederick M^CoY, Esq., M.G.S.D. [With a Plate.] Notices of some of the following animals were read to the Na- tural-History Society of Dublin at the June meeting for 1844. The Invertebrata are a portion of a large series collected by Mr. M^Calla on the west coast of Ireland, and placed in my hands for examination and description by my valued friend Dr. Scouler, whose kindness I have before had to acknowledge for the liberal manner in which he has always allowed me to examine and de- scribe any specimens of interest either in the museum of the Royal Dublin Society or in his own private collection. Mammalia. Vespertilio Natter eri (Kuhl). — The singularly small number of bats found in Ireland only amounting at present to three, of which one ( V. Daubentonii) has occurred but in a single instance, renders any addition to their number of peculiar interest to the Irish naturalist, or to those who take an interest in comparing the fauna of Ireland with that of England. The present species, the reddish gray bat of British authors, has not I believe been hitherto recorded in Ireland ; a specimen however was brought to me last summer by G. Mangan, Esq., and is now in the museum of the Natural- History Society of Dublin ; he killed it near that city, and was of opinion that it was the common species in his neigh- bourhood : whether the pipistrelle (the most common Irish bat) might have been confounded with it on the wing, or whether it Mr. F. McCoy's Contributions to the Fauna of Ireland, 27 \ is really a common species, I cannot say; I can only state the oc- currence of the species, and so add it to the list of Irish animals, AVES. Tringarufescens, Buff-breasted Sandpiper. — A specimen of this rare bird, shot by J. Hill, Esq. near the Pigeon House, Dublin, is preserved in the Museum of the Natural-History Society of Dublin. The specimen is in the same plumage as those described by Mr. Yarrell ; the markings on the under side of the wings are very beautiful. The specimen noticed is the only Irish one I am aware of. Sterna leucoptera (Temm.). — A specimen of this beautiful tern was shot by J. Hill, Esq. on the Shannon in 1841, in company with the black tern [S. nigra), with which it was confounded ; the specimen was sent along with one of the latter species to the Na- tural-History Society of Dublin, in whose museum they are now preserved ; but from their general resemblance to each other, the present species has remained there undistinguished till the present time. As I believe this to be the first record of the occurrence of this bird in Britain, I subjoin a short description of the spe- cimen and a sketch half the natural size, to assist in drawing the attention of British naturalists to it, as it will probably be found not unfrequent. Measurement — Total length, to extremity of tail, about 8 inches; bill from base 10^ Hues, from rictus 1 inch 5 lines; greatest depth of both mandibles 2^ hnes ; middle toe, in- cluding the claw, 11 lines in length ; tarsus 8 Hnes; naked por- tion of the tibia 4 lines. Colours — Legs and feet in the preserved specimen pale yellow, probably red in the living bird, claws darker ; bill dark blackish brown ; head, neck, breast, abdomen. 272 Mr. F. McCoy's Contributions to the Fauna of Ireland, under wing-coverts and back deep glossy black ; small wing-co- verts, tail, and upper and under tail-coverts pure white ; first three quill-feathers black, with a broad longitudinal band of white on their inner webs ; remainder of the wings ash-gray, becoming darker towards the body. The form, proportions and size of this species are very nearly those of the black tern (>Si. nigra) ; like that species too the webs of the toes are very deeply indented, being reduced to a mere rudi- ment between the middle and inner toes. The two species are however easily distinguished, — the under wing-coverts of the S. nigra are white, of the S. leucoptera black ; the tail of the former is dark gray, of the latter pure white ; in the S. nigra the throat is white, breast and abdomen dark gray, and the baek lead-colour, while in the S. leucoptera all those parts are black. I speak of both species in their perfect plumage. ECHINODERMATA. Priapulus ? PI. XVI. fig. 1. — A species of Priapulus is very common in the sand at low water mark in Connemara, and occasionally found on the east coast : as it does not agree with the figures of Miiller or Prof. E. Forbes of the P. caudatv^, nor agree exactly with their descriptions, I have made a drawing of a mo- derate-sized specimen for comparison. In a great number of spe- cimens I have examined, the characters seemed to present no variation ; in all of them the trunk is transversely striated, the general proportions thicker and more robust than in P. caudatus ; the body uniformly cylindrical, not dilated at the extremities ; the posterior extremity, instead of being dilated and open, is narrowed and closed; there. is no longitudinal striation in any of the speci- mens at either end of the body ; the posterior extremity is irre- gularly tuberculated ; the caudal appendage is much thicker and more bushy than in the P. caudatus. As I have not seen living specimens I have left the species an open question ; if it should prove distinct from the species described by Miiller and Prof. Forbes, it might perhaps be called P. hihernicus. Specimens are in the museum of the Natural-History Society of Dublin, and a large series of them, of every age and size, in the museum of the Royal Dublin Society. Syrinx granulosus (M^^Coy), PI. XVI. fig. 2. — Sp. Ch. Body nearly smooth, very minutely and uniformly granulated, and ob- soletely striated transversely ; basal half of the proboscis and the posterior extremity of the body roughened by deep concentric rugse and small crowded tubercles ; proboscis from the anal pore to the mouth one-fourth the length of the body, posterior extre- mity mucronate. This fine species is intermediate in character between the S.pa- AnrLk'Mfig.Fat.Mst VaLB.POEZ / Frmpu/us . 2,-X'^, Syrifiic . r.MU'vy dd . 7 J). I ^ SowiThr .«•' Mr. F. M<^Coy's Contributions to the Fauna of Ireland. 273. pillosus and ;S^. Harveii, the body being entirely without the di- stinct distant papillae of the former species ; while on the other hand, instead of being smooth as in the S. Harveii, it is minutely but regularly granulated, the granules being close together and uniformly distributed over the body, except at the posterior ex- tremity and basal half of the trunk, where the surface is rendered rugged by larger tubercles and deep transverse irregular rugae. Colour usually a uniform dull brown. Length about 7 inches ; diameter of body about 9 lines. Very common at Koundstone bay in certain localities. Syringe Forbesii (M^Coy), PL XVI. fig. S.—Sp, Ch. Posterior half of the body suddenly attenuated ; extremity dilated, club- shaped ; trunk slender, dilated tpwards the extremity, granulated its entire length to the base of the tentacula, remainder of the body perfectly smooth. The form and proportions of this species are nearly those of the S. nudus, from which it is distinguished by its smaller size, perfectly smooth body, and in having the proboscis granulated to the base of the tentacula. The extremity of the trunk is conical, narrow, surrounded by a circle of short digitate tentacula, behind which the trunk is rather inflated for a short distance and marked with minute granules disposed in circular lines ; the remainder of the proboscis, foi-ming about one-fourth of the entire length of the animal, is of a considerably smaller diameter and covered with a minute crowded granulation ; with the exception of the trunk, the entire animal is perfectly smooth : where the granular portion ceases the body is abruptly dilated to nearly four times the diameter of the trunk, and continues cylindrical for about the same length, when it again diminishes to about one-third its dia- meter, and so continues to the posterior extremity, which is di- lated into a pear-shaped knob. The anal pore is situated on the dilated smooth portion of the body, a little below its junction with the trunk. Not uncommon at Roundstone bay, Connemara, from whence there are specimens in the museum of the Royal Dublin So- ciety. Syrinx tenuicinctus (M^Coy), PI. :5^/fig. 4^.—Sp. Ch. Cylin- drical, diameter of body from the base of the trunk to the poste- rior extremity perfectly uniform ; posterior extremity obtuse, slightly mucronate at the tip ; trunk about one-seventh of the entire length ; tip obtuse, surrounded by a few rows of minute puncta ; entire surface of the animal sharply striated concentri- cally : with a lens the trunk and a small portion of the posterior extremity are seen to be also marked with numerous faint, short, rather distant, longitudinal striae. It is only after much hesitation that I have ventured to cha- 274 Bibliographical Notices. racterize this pretty species. I had long been struck by its pe- culiar uniform, cylindrical body, short proboscis, blunt posterior end, and tough, finely striated, glossy integument, the species being very common on the west coast of Ireland. I was uncer- tain whether the species might prove to be the young of the S, granulosus which I have just described ; I have however recently been able to examine so large a number of the latter species at all ages, that my doubts are entirely cleared up. The adult length of the S. tenuicinctus seems to be about three and a half inches : young specimens oHheS. granulosus of the same size maybe readily distinguished by their granulated body (which is proportionably more distinct in the young than in the old individuals), and their posterior extremity being more gradually pointed and remarkably roughened both by transverse wrinkles )and granules. From the S. Harveii it is distinguished by its tough striated integument, blunt posterior end, the faint and peculiar character of the reti- culation at the two ends of the body, and in the entire of the trunk being marked in the same manner as its base. The colour is usually a clear, uniform hair-brown ; length about 3 inches ; diameter of body 3 lines ; diameter of trunk 1 line. The figure given by Pennant of the Siphunculus nudus seems to belong rather to this species; the Phascolosoma carneum figured by Ruppell from the Red Sea is also similar, but is distinguished by its pink colour, perfectly smooth body and longer proboscis. Specimens are in the collection of the Royal Dublin Society from the west coast. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. Illustrations of Indian Ornithology . By T. C. Jerdon. No. 1. 8vo. Madras, 1843. London, Richardson. This work is intended, when complete, to contain fifty coloured plates of new or unfigured birds from the south of India. The pre- sent number comprises twelve of these plates, lithographed and co- loured by native Indian artists, and in a style which does them great credit. With a few exceptions the designs are well- drawn, and the colouring is executed with a far higher degree of finish than European artists can generally affbrd to give to their publications. We under- stand however that Mr. Jerdon, anxious to make his work as perfect as possible, has made arrangements for the lithographs in the suc- ceeding numbers to be executed in England, though we think that with the resources which the native talent of India can supply, this step was hardly necessary. The letter-press is drawn up by Mr. Jerdon with much care and attention, comprising ample descriptions of the species figured, with Bibliographical Notices. 275 many interesting observations on their habits, and critical remarks on the labours of other authors in the same field of research. The latter department is one in which naturalists, writing like Mr. Jerdon at a great distance from home, always experience much difficulty, from the want of access to scientific libraries and museums. Never- theless Mr. Jerdon has turned to good account such works on Indian zoology as lay within his reach, and his identifications of species are in general correct. We will proceed to notice briefly the contents of the number before us. Plate 1, Nisaetus grandis, Hodgson, a species which is now consi- dered to be synonymous with the Aquila Bonelli of Europe. 2. Leu- cocerca alhofrontata, which, like the other species of Mr. Swainson's genus Leucocerca, it seems impossible to separate by well-marked generic characters from Rhipidura. 3. Zanclostomus viridirostris, Jerdon, a species which seems to be in fact a Phoenicophaus, though the compressed beak and diminution of the bare space round the orbits indicate an approach to the nearly-allied genus Zanclostomus. 4. Accipiter besra, Jerdon ; this appears to be the young state of the A. virgatus, Temm. 5. Picus Hodgsoni, a new and handsome spe- cies, distinguished from the P. javensis, Horsf., by its white rump, and referable to the genus Hemilophus. 6. Prinia cursitans, Frankl., a small bird closely allied to the Drymoeca cisticola of Europe, and generically identical with it. 7. Muscipeta paradisi; the specimen here figured is interesting as showing a state of plumage interme- diate between the chestnut- coloured bird called M. indica and the pure white plumage of the adult M. paradisi, and thus proving their specific identity. 8. Turdus Wardi, Jerdon, a rare and beautiful thrush, typical in form, but anomalous in coloration. 9. Scolopax nemoricola, Hodgson, a large species of snipe, presenting in many respects an approach to the woodcock. 10. Pterocles quadricinctus, the true quadricinctus of Temminck and indicus of Gmelin ; but its earliest specific name is fasciatus, given by Scopoli. 1 1 . Phoenicornis flammeus ; this is certainly the true Muscicapa fiammea of Temminck, and consequently inhabits Java and Sumatra as well as Ceylon and 5. India ; but it is not the Oranor of Levaillant, Ois. Af. 155, as Mr. Jerdon supposes, that bird being the P. peregrinus. 1 2. Falco shaheen, Jerdon, a handsome species long ago noticed by Brisson as a sup- posed variety of F. peregrinus, and first defined specifically by Sun- devall under the name of F. peregrinator. Such works as this of Mr. Jerdon are deserving of every en- couragement, for they supply us at small cost with accurate deline- ations and original descriptions of new species, and thus furnish sci- ence with materials intrinsically as valuable as can be found in the most expensive publications. Salictum Britannicum exsiccatum, Fasc. II. By the Rev. J. E. Leefe. We have recently received this fasciculus of Mr. Leefe's very valu- able collection of dried specimens of British Willows, and have much pleasure in stating that it is fully as deserving of approbation as that 276 Bibliographical Notices. which preceded it. The different forms contained in this fasciculus are the following : — 50. S. decipiens. 72. S. tenuior. 51. "I 73. S. laurina. 52. ^S. fragilis. 74. S. Davalliana? 53. J 75. S, pvopinqua ^^' I S. Russelliana. ^^* | S. Weigelliana, E. B. ^gjs. Weigelliana, For6. S. alba. 80 81. \- S. Crowiana. 83 >>o. caprea. ^^^ J 85. S. tetrapla. S. caprea (androgyna). 86. S. fusca, repens. S. caprea (sphacelata). 87. S. f. prostrata. S. hirta. 88. S. f. ascendens. S. rupestris. 89. S. f. argentea. 90. S. arenaria. Many of these plants are identified with those of Koch by the in- spection of authentic specimens, but we are sorry not to see more observations upon the rank as species or varieties which the several plants are entitled to claim. The valuable synoptical table given with the former fasciculus is not continued in that before us ; for this however there is one consolation, namely, that the author states his intention of preparing a third fasciculus in which it will be con- tained. We take the present opportunity of publishing some valuable notes upon Mr. Leefe's Fasc. I. with which we have been favoured by M. W. Bonder, the distinguished botanist of Hamburg. Salictum Britannicum, Fasc. I. 1. Salix pentandra, L. ! 2. S. pentandra, L. ! '3. S. amygdaUna = S. amygdalina /3, Koch ! 4 — 8. S. amygdalina, Koch ! 9. S. undulata, Ehrh. ! 10 — 13. S. purpurea, L., et var. 14. S. Lambertiana = S. purpurea, var. 15, 16. S. rubra, Sm. — 15 varietas, 17 — 24. Omnes S. viminalis, L.\ Amenta mascula S. Smithiana ab iis S. viminalis valde diversa sunt. 25, 26. S. Smithiana = S. Smithiana, Koch, et S. lanceolata, Fries ! 27, 28. S. Smithiana .^ = S. Smithiana, Koch, et S. lanceolata, Fries. 29. S. Smithiana ? Ramulos juniores a S. Smithiana distinguere nequeo. 30. S. rugosa, Sm., est S. Smithiana, Koch, /3. glabrata, Sonder, quae in ripa Albis prope Hamburg non rara. Royal Society. 277 31 — 33. S. rugosa est S. Smithiana, Koch. 34. S. rugosa ? var. stij)ularis = S. holosericea, Willd. Mihi gratis- sima est ; plantam foemineam antea nondum vidi. 35. S. ferruginea, And., folia — S. holosericea, Willd., valde similis, sed incompleta. 36. S. ferruginea var. = Quoad folia et amenta valde affinis S. Smithianae, Koch, sed tamen distincta videtur. Ab icone in Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2665, praeter squamas rotundatas non di- stinguenda. 37. S. acuminata = An revera S. acuminata, Sm. } quae ad sectio- nem S. viminalis pertinet.'' Amenta desunt. An forsan varietas S. cinereae ? 38 — 42. Omnes formse et varietates S. cinerese, L. 43. Salix — an S. aquatica? Longe diversa, est sine dubio forma S. laurinae, Sm., confer amenta. Eandem plantam ex hort. bot. Berolinensi, et ex Silesia possideo. 44. S. oleifolia, Sm. } =Pro var. S. cinereae, L., habeo, sed amenta non vidi. 45. S. aurita, L. = Forma sylvatica apud nos frequens. 46. 47. S. aurita, L. ! 48, 49. S. reticulata et S. herbacea. W. SOxVDER. Hamburg, March 19, 1844. Mr. Van Voorst has just published a very useful " Catalogue of British Vertebi ated Animals, the names derived from Bell's British Quadrupeds and Reptiles and Yarrell's British Birds and Fishes : so printed as to be available for Labels." The label consists of the English and Latin names and a reference to the volume and page of the excellent works above-mentioned. Preparing for Publication. A History of Infusoria, Living and Fossil: arranged according to " Die Infusionsthierchen " of C. G. Ehrenberg. By Andrew Pritchard, M.R.I. Microscopic Illustrations of Living Objects, with Researches concerning the Methods of Cotistructing Microscopes, and Instructions for using them. To which is added, a Supplement on the Verification of Mi- croscopic Phenomena, and an Exact Method of Testing Microscopes. By C. R. Goring, M.D. By Andrew Pritchard, M.R.I. Third Edition. PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. ROYAL. SOCIETY. March 21, 1844. — " A description of certain Belemnites, pre- served, with a great proportion of their soft parts, in the Oxford clay at Christian Malford, Wilts." By Richard Owen, Esq., F.R.S., &c., 278 Royal Society. Hunterian Professor of Anatomy and Physiology in the Royal Col- lege of Surgeons. The author describes, in the present paper, specimens of Belemnite, discovered in the Oxford-clay at Christian Malford, Wilts, and which are remarkable for the preservation of many of the soft parts of the animal. After alluding to the various opinions promulgated by different authors respecting the nature and affinities of this ex- tinct animal, he adverts more especially to the discovery of the ink- bag of the Belemnite, which was published in the Zoological Trans- actions, vol. ii., and in the Cyclopaedia of Anatomy and Physiology (Art. Cephalopoda). This discovery led him, on the strength of deductions from the physiological relations of this organ, to re- move the Belemnite from the Polythalamacea of De Blainville, and place it in the higher order of the naked Cephalopods. The structure of the shell is next discussed, and the spathose dart, or guard, is proved to be the result of original organization, both by its microscopic structure and by the fact that the chambers of the phragmocone have not been infiltrated by mineral substance in any of the specimens described: the ndiXne phragmocone hemg applied to the chambered and siphonated conical division of the compound shell of the Belemnite ; and the term alveolus being restricted, in the present paper, to the socket or cavity at the base of the guard, in which the phragmocone is lodged. A detailed description is given of the sheath of the phragmocone and of the structure of the cham- bers. The state of preservation of the present specimens has enabled the author to describe the form and extent of the mantle — its con- tinuation over the exterior of the shell, and the arrangement of its muscular fibres. The animal is provided with two lateral fins of a semi-oval figure, which are attached to the middle of the mantle, in advance of the spathose dart. The muscular fibres of the fins, the infundibulum and its muscles are next described ; and also the head, the eyes, which are large and sessile, and the cephalic arms, which are eight in number ; together with traces of two slender superadded tentacula. The ordinary arms are furnished with a double alternate row of sharp horny hooks, as in some existing species of Onychoteuthis, but the arms are relatively longer. Their muscular structure is traced in the fossil specimens, and compared with that in the recent Decapoda. The ultimate, or primitive fibres of the muscles of the Belemnite agree in size with those in the Onychoteuthis ; but the character of the transverse striae, which is feebly developed in the primitive muscular fibre of the Ce- phalopods, is not preserved in the fossil. Of the interior organs of the Belemnite, besides the ink-bag and duct, which had been be- fore discovered by Drs. Buckland and Agassiz, the remains of the horny lining of the gizzard are preserved in the present fossils. Thus the deduction that the higher, or dibranchiate type of Ce- phalopodal organization is necessarily associated with the presence of the atramental apparatus, is established by the demonstration, in these fossil Belemnites, of a fleshy mantle, inclosing the shell, and provided with a pair of muscular fins, of large and sessile eyes, and of few, but large and complex cephalic arms. Royal Society. 279 The author concludes by pointing out the more immediate affini- ties of the Belemnites, and showing that it combines characteristics which are now divided amongst distinct genera : as, for example, first, a complex internal shell, divisible into the same principal parts as that of the Sepia^ but one of which has, secondly, the same essen- tial chambered structure as the shell of the Spirula ; thirdly, unci- nated cephalic arms, as in the Onychoteuthis ; and lastly, an ad- vanced position of rounded fins, as in the Spirula and JRossia. The paper is illustrated by drawings of the specimens described, with microscopic views of the shell and muscular tissue, and a re- storation of the Belemnite according to the data afforded by the pre- sent fossils. June 20 "On the Structure of the Ultimate Fibril of the Muscle of Animal Life." By Erasmus Wilson, Esq., Lecturer on Anatomy and Physiology in the Middlesex Hospital ; in a Letter addressed to Peter Mark Roget, M.D., Sec. R.S. Communicated by Dr. Roget. By resorting to peculiar methods of manipulation, and employing a microscope of more than ordinary power, the author, with the assistance of Mr. Lealand, has succeeded in discovering the real structure of the ultimate muscular fibril, in a specimen taken from the arm of a strong healthy man immediately after its amputation. He finds each fibril to be composed of minute cells, disposed in a linear series, flattened at their surfaces of apposition, and so com- pressed in the longitudinal direction as to leave no marginal in- dentation on the surface ; thus constituting a uniform cylinder, divided into minute subdivisions by transverse septa, which are formed by the adherent surfaces of contiguous cells. The diameter of the fibril, in the state of relaxation, is the 20,000th part of an inch. The cells are filled with a transparent substance, to which the author gives the name of Myoline, and which differs in its re- fractive density in different cells. In four consecutive cells the myoline is of greater density thaa in the four succeeding cells, and this alternation is repeated throughout the whole course of the fibril. In consequence of all the fibrils composing the ultimate fasciculus having the same structure, and the cells, which are in lateral juxta- position, containing myoline of the same density, they act similarly on light, and the whole presents, to the eye of the microscopic ob- server, a succession of striae or bands, dark and luminous alternately, and transverse to the direction of the fasciculus; an appearance which has been noticed by preceding observers, but of which the cause had not hitherto been ascertained. A dark stria may occa- sionally appear as a luminous one, and vice versa, when viewed by light transmitted at different degrees of obliquity. The structure here described, the author remarks, reduces the muscular fibre to the simple type of organization exhibited in the combination of a series of cells, associating it with other tissues of cell formation, and will probably, he thinks, open new sources of explanation of the immediate agency of muscular action, a power hitherto'involved in the deepest mystery. " On the Reproduction of lost parts in Myriapoda and Insecta." 280 Royal Society, By George Newport, Esq., F.R.C.S., President of the Entomo- logical Society of London, and Corresponding Member of the Phi- lomathic Society of Paris. Communicated by P. M. Roget, M.D., Sec. R.S. It has long been known that the limbs of Crustacea and Arach- nida, accidentally lost or designedly removed, are, in course of time, replaced by the growth of new limbs ; and the same power of re- production has been stated to have been observed in the Phasmae, insects which undergo neither metamorphosis nor any change of habits. But whether such a power exists in those insects, such as the Lepidoptera, which undergo a complete metamorphosis, changing not only their form, but also their food and mode of life, in passing from the larva to the adult state, has been considered as very doubt- ful. The instances in which the reproduction of lost parts appeared to have occurred in some of the Myriapoda, were attributed to im- perfect or arrested development. With a view to determine these unsettled points, the author commenced, in the summer of 184'1 and 1842, a series of direct experiments on this subject in the Myri- apoda; and in the present summer he has extended them to the Lepidoptera. The results of his labours are given in the present memoir. In some specimens of lulus, from which he had removed the an- tennae and some of the legs, the lost organs were found to be com- pletely reproduced after the next change of integument ; differing from the original organs only in their smaller size, and the incom- plete development of some of their minuter parts. The same results followed from similar experiments made on the Lithobris during the earlier periods of its growth. One individual of this genus, which had already acquired the tenth pair of legs, was by accident deprived of the eighth, ninth and tenth pair ; at the next change of skin it not only developed two additional pair of legs, but also reproduced the three pair which had been lost. Some time after this it again lost one of the legs of the twelfth pair ; a loss which was repaired at the next change by the growth of a new leg, while those pre- viously reproduced acquired an increase of size. The first observation which led the author to believe that true in- sects might possess the power of reproducing lost parts, was that of a specimen of Phasma in the collection at the British Museum, in which the right anterior leg had evidently been reproduced. He then instituted a series of experiments on the larva of the Vanessa urticcBy or common nettle butterfly, which belongs to the order Lepidoptera, and undergoes complete metamorphosis. He removed some of the true legs of the larva, sometimes in their tibial portion, and sometimes at their base : in the first case, parts similar to those removed were invariably reproduced in different states of develop- ment, and in the latter, entire new limbs were formed ; in some in- stances, at the second change of the larva, when it passed into the pupa state ; but in two or three instances no reproduction took place. At first view, this difference in the results might appear to favour the opinion that this reproduction of limbs depends on the Roijal Society. 281 existence of parts especially adapted to perform tliis function, and which, in those experiments that had failed to exhibit the phaeno- raenon, had been themselves removed. But the author found that in every instance of the mutilations thus practised, the perfect in- sect possessed a coxa, or basilar part of the limb ; and this was the case even in those in which a new organ was not reproduced. From this fact, taken in conjunction with the formation of new entire limbs in the lulidae after the removal of every portion of the previous ones, the author infers that the power of reproduction resides in the whole of the organized tissues. The author found that each newly produced limb is, in every case, composed of all its essential parts, namely coxa, femur, tibia, tarsus and claw ; but its development is scarcely ever entirely nor- mal, being either deficient in some of the tarsal joints, or irregular in the development of its armature. The following are the general conclusions which the author de- duces from his investigations. Slight wounds in the larvae of insects always heal, except when the viscera have protruded, or excessive hemorrhage has occurred : severe wounds, such as those attending the excision of a limb, also frequently heal. It is when the wound is in the line of action of the principal muscles of the body that pro- trusion of the viscera takes place. For the healing of wounds, the first requisite is the arrest of the hemorrhage ; and this is effected, as in the higher animals, by the coagulation of the blood, and the formation of a clot ; and then a complete union of the separated parts takes place beneath the eschar formed by the clot. After this union, the reparation of the injury is commenced by a development, from the injured surface, of parts corresponding to those that had been removed. For the production of a new limb, one change of skin, at least, is necessary. The healing of the wound after the removal of a part, and the subsequent reproduction, although they do not prevent, yet certainly retard the natural changes. Lastly, the author has established the fact, that reproduction of lost parts takes place in metabolic as well as in the ametabolic articulata. Feb. 6th and 13th, 1845. — "On the Structure and Development of the Blood. — First Series. The development of the Blood-Cor- puscle in Insects and other Invertebrata, and its comparison with that of Man and the Vertebrata." By George Newport, Esq., F.R.C.S., President of the Entomological Society, &c. Communicated by P. M. Roget, M.D., Sec. R.S. The author commences his paper by remarking, that he was led to the present inquiry by some curious facts relating to the blood of insects, which attracted his notice while engaged on the last paper he presented to the Royal Society, on the reproduction of lost parts in insects and Myriapoda. Some of these facts he is desirous of making known at once to the Society, preparatory to his offering them more extended researches on the blood of the Invertebrata, and its comparison with that of the higher animals. The chief purpose of the author in the present paper, is to show the analogy which exists between the different corpuscles in the Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol.xv. X 282 Royal Society, blood of insects and of the Vertebrata, to trace the changes which the former undergo as compared with those of the latter, and to show that in development and function they are analogous to secre- ting cells. In pursuance of this object, he premises a brief notice of what little was already known respecting the corpuscle in the Articulata, and of the different descriptions given of it by Cams, Spence, Wag- ner, Bowerbank, Edwards, Baly and some later observers, all of whom have described it differently, one only, Mr. Bowerbank, ha- ving correctly indicated its form. He then proceeds to state, that while engaged on other observa- tions in June last, he found that the oat-shaped corpuscles which are so abundant in the caterpillar state of the insect, almost entirely dis- appear before the insect has arrived at the perfect, or butterfly state, in which, a few days after the insect is fully developed, scarcely a single oat-shaped corpuscle is to be found ; but that in the place of these, there are numerous very minute rounded bodies, spherules, and also many flattened, obtusely oval or barrel-shaped, double con- cave discs. Both these forms of corpuscle have molecular move- ments, which are most energetic in the spherules. He next makes some general observations on the composition of the blood of the Invertebrata, and questions the accuracy of Profes- sor Wagner's view in regarding the blood of these animals as analo- gous only to the chyle of the Vertebrata, at the same time stating his belief that it is not only analogous to true blood, but that it un- dergoes a continued succession of changes through the agency of the corpuscles. These minute bodies first derive nourishment, and the means of growth and increase from the fluid portion of the blood, and afterwards, when they have become fully developed, undergo dissolution, and help to supply the waste of the fluid that has been expended on the nourishment of the different structures, leaving other little bodies, which also undergo development, to assist in the further elaboration of this fluid. He states also, that the develop- ment of these latter bodies appears to have a certain relation to the type of each particular class of animals ; and remarks that in the Vertebrata the size of the corpuscle is perhaps in a ratio inverse to that of the activity and extent of the function of respiration. The author states that he has been led to these views, which ap- pear to him to apply to animals generally, by an examination of the corpuscles, and by watching the changes which take place in the blood in lepidopterous insects, and he points out their accordance with those of Wagner, Henle, and Wharton Jones, with regard to the function of the corpuscles ; but proposes to give the details on which his own view respecting the size of the corpuscle is founded on a future occasion. He then enters more particularly on the consideration of the forms of corpuscle in the blood in the Articulata, which he marks as four ; although, he observes, these are in reality only so many stages of development of one ultimate structure. These forms dire,— firsts the molecules, which he regards as comparable to the molecules observed l^oyal Socieiu, 283 in the chyle of Vertebrata by Mr. Gulliver; secondly, the nucleated or oat-shaped corpuscle, which he believes with Wagiicr are analo- gous to the white or chyle corpuscles of Vertebrata ; thirdly, the spherules, or minute rounded bodies developed from the oat-shaped corpuscle, and which he believes are analogous to the free nucleoli of Valentin, and probably to the very minute white, opake granules constantly observed in the blood of Vertebrata ; and lastly, the discsy which are further developments of the spherules, and analogous to the true red blood-discs of the higher animals, and which, as he states in a subsequent part of his paper, in his examination of the blood of the human foetus, he believes that he has also traced from the white, opake granules or spherules. The author then proceeds to describe these forms of the corpuscle in insects more minutely, and enters into considerable detail with reference to the oat-shaped corpuscle, tracing it from its earliest distinct form, before any nucleus is perceptible in it ; and shows that the nucleoli which constitute this body are gradually increased in number, until the corpuscle has attained its full size, when it first changes its form and becomes shorter, then rounded, and afterwards entirely breaks up and liberates the nucleoli that have been deve- loped within it. This change of form he shows always takes place very rapidly in all the oat-shaped corpuscles, large and small, when out of the body, and to this circumstance he attributes the diversity in the descriptions that have been given by various observers of the form of the corpuscle. He shows also, that, with reference to the function of this body, the corpuscles are usually found in greatest number during the act of breaking up, immediately before the larva is preparing to change its skin, at which time the blood is extremely coagulable ; and that there are fewest corpuscles, or that there is the greatest number of small corpuscles of this kind, soon after the cater- pillar has again begun to feed. When the insect has assumed the pupa state, nearly the whole of these corpuscles are broken up. Tiie greatest abundance of them are found in the act of changing on the third or fourth day of the pupa, after which the number of these corpuscles is gradually lessened, until, when the insect has entered the perfect state, very few remain. When the change to the perfect insect occurs, there is another opportunity of watching the function of this corpuscle. When the wings are being expanded and still soft, a few oat-shaped corpuscles circulate through them ; but as the wings become consolidated, these corpuscles appear to be arrested, and break down in the circulatory passages, supplying directly the material for the consolidation of these structures, as appears to be shown in the entire arrest of circulation in these parts, and by the granular remains of the corpuscles which may be seen by transmitted light in a wing completely denuded of its scales on the upper and under surfaces. The spherules and discs of the perfect lepidop- terous insect are then noticed, and some peculiar clavate or fiddle- shaped bodies, which appear to be the transition forms between spherules and discs, are pointed out as occurring in the blood of one of the night moths, Xyhphasia polyodon, and also in the butterfly X3 284 Linnaan Society. soon after it has left the pupa state. These facts are regarded as proofs, by direct observation, of the function of the corpuscle, and of its analogy, both in function and development, to the secreting cells of glands. In the second division of his paper, the author draws some com- parisons between the blood-corpuscles of insects and the Vertebrata, and gives the details of a series of observations on the blood of a human foetus that was born alive at the end of the sixth month. The blood of the parent, and of the placenta, was examined, and also of different parts of the body of the foetus a few hours after death. The general results observed were, that the blood of the parent contained a very large quantity of white chyle corpuscles, and was extremely coagulable : the blood of the placenta contained, beside an abundance of chyle corpuscles, red blood-discs of ex- tremely variable sizes, the largest being one-third or one-fourth larger than those of the mother, and the smallest scarcely more than one-fourth as large as the largest. There were also an immense abundance of molecules and nucleoli, from which latter the red blood- discs appeared to be developed. The blood of the vein and lungs presented a similar irregular condition as to size of the corpuscles, while that of the left auricle of the heart, aorta and arteries of the cord was more uniform in its character. From these observations the author concludes, that the blood of the Vertebrata is analogous in its mode of development to that of the insects and other Inverte- brata, and that the red blood-discs are the ultimate developments of the opake white granules or nucleoli of the blood. LINN^AN SOCIETY. December 17, 1844. — R. Brown, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. Dr. Lankester, F.L.S., exhibited a specimen of an Agaric in which gills were developed on a portion of the surface of the pileus, directly over the stipes, resulting apparently from an extension of the growth of the stipes, and a rupture of the external membrane of the pileus, throwing up the internal or gill-producing membrane. Read, '* Additional Remarks on the Spongilla fluviatilis." By John Hogg, Esq., M.A., F.R.S., F.L.S. &c. In this paper Mr. Hogg commences by claiming a priority to M. Laurent in the discovery of the locomotive germ-like bodies of Spon- gilla, and in comparing them with the spontaneously moving spo- rules of Ectosperma clavata of Unger. In proof of this priority he refers to his memoir, published in 1840, in the eighteenth volume of the Society's Transactions, in the first part of which, read before the Society on the 18th of December 1838, those bodies are described as having been observed by him in August 1838, and are compared with the locomotive sporules of the Ectosperma. An abstract of this part of Mr. Hogg's memoir appeared in the ' Proceedings* of the So- ciety at the beginning of 1839, and was reprinted in the number of the * Annals of Natural History' for March 1839. Of these several publications Mr. Hogg states that no notice is taken by M. Laurent Linnaan Society. 285 in his recent work entitled ' Recherches sur THydre et TEponge d'Eau douce,' Paris 1844, in which the discovery of the locomotive germs of the freshwater sponge is apparently claimed by the author as his own. Mr. Hogg then proceeds to remark on the discrepancies of authors with regard to the existence of cilia on these bodies, and on the spores of the Ectosperma. He accounts for his having overlooked them in the Spongilla, on the supposition that the germs which he observed under a very high power of the compound microscope had reached the period when, as M. Laurent states, *' ils perdent leurs cils pour toujours," and notices that it appears, from M. Thuret's recent observations, that the same circumstance occurs in the spores of the Ectosperma. This resorption or disappearance of the cilia after a certain period will readily account for the denial of their ex- istence by practised microscopical observers. The existence of cilia subservient to locomotion is far from deter- mining, in Mr. Hogg's opinion, the question of the animal nature of the bodies to which they belong, although the zoocarpic theory, which he regards as most improbable, appears to be still gaining ground. He believes the motive power of the cilia of the sporules of Spongilla and the AlgcE, as also of the Sea- Sponges, to be depen- dent on some peculiar organization not connected (as in the loco- motive gemmules of a zoophyte) with any muscular apparatus ; un- less indeed, as he has before suggested, mere endosmosis and exos- mosis should be found sufficient to produce it. For these and other reasons which are detailed in his paper, Mr. Hogg still believes both the River and Sea-Sponges to be vegetable productions, and thinks that " until they shall be discovered to pos- sess a stomach or a gastric sac, no zoologist can possibly consider them to belong to the Animal Kingdom." January 21, 1845. — R. Brown, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. A Note was read, addressed to the Secretary, by John Curtis, Esq., F.L.S. &c., containing the description of a cocoon of the Emperor Moth (Saturnia Pavonia-minor), which on being longitudinally divided was found to have internally, in place of the chrysalis, a series of cells so analogous to those represented by Mr. Curtis in the nine- teenth volume of the Society's * Transactions,' plate xxxi. fig. 5, as to leave no doubt on his mind that the woolly masses there exhibited are the cocoons of some large South American Bomhyx, and that the substance of the caterpillar has been converted into cells by the larva of the Tenthredinidous insect. But although the theory of the nest there figured having been constructed by an insect of that family is thus set aside as erroneous, it is only to make evident a still greater anomaly in its economy, viz. that its larvae are parasitic. In the present instance Mr. Curtis was unable, after the most rigid scrutiny, to find any vestige of a perfect insect. A dried and broken maggot was all that could be perceived, and its fragments on being put to- gether bore more resemblance to the larvae of the Ichneumonidce than to those of the Tenthredinidis. 286 Zoological Society. Mr. Curtis states that the cells most analogous to these are those formed by the Microgaster alvearia, which are as regular as those of a honey-comb, and adds that it appears from a notice in the * Trans- actions of the Entomological Society/ vol. iii. p. 35, that the pupse of the Eggar-moths are also infested by parasitic Ichneumonidee. A sketch of the cocoon of the Emperor Moth and of the cells formed by its parasitic inhabitants accompanied the note. Read also, " Some Notes on the Natural History of Norfolk Island," extracted from the papers of Capt. Alexander Maconochie, R.N., late Lieutenant-Governor of the island. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. August 13, 1844. — Professor Ovi^en, V.P., in the Chair. The following notes from Sir Robert Heron, on the Jerboas in his collection, were read : — ••June 14th, 1844. — The Jerboas were received into this mena- gerie in June 1843. They are in a box full of cotton : the box is in a room five and a half feet by four and a half, floored with wood, and warmed by a flue which has always been heated at night ; the room opens into a pen secured with wire, nine and a half feet by eight and a half. They have been offered many kinds of food, but eat only wheat and lettuce ; they have never been seen to drink, but from the water diminishing and their parting with a considerable quantity of urine, w^e have no doubt of the fact. On the 14th of May last they produced two young ones ; on the 1 2th inst. these young ones are still blind and unable to walk, also nearly naked, but they are grown and appear to be healthy : it is intended to make a pit in their abode about two feet square, filled with earth, where they may burrow. •• June 29. — It was not till their fifth week that the young Jer- boas appeared to have the use either of their eyes or limbs ; they had still little fur, but were a good deal grown. Now, being forty-six days old, they are about three-quarters grown, are well-clothed and active ; they have been seen to eat corn, and are apparently quite established. A second box has been put into their chamber, and last night all four had removed into it. They have never been seen to drink, but it is thought they do so, as the water is sometimes di- minished. " July 20. — The young Jerboas are now exactly like the old ones." " Description of the Felis Melanura/' by R. Ball, Esq., Secretary to the Royal Zoological Society of Ireland. •* Felis melanura,^. s. ? — Size larger than the Margay, but propor- tionately slighter ; on the fore-toes are longitudinal black stripes, on the hind-toes spots. Three irregular narrow stripes of white on the sides, connected by anastomosing branches, divide the coloured part into island-like irregular spaces, which are black on the edges, shading into fulvous in the centre ; these island-like spaces are spotted with black. The tail nearly touches the ground, is pointed and black, save at the under part near the anus, where it is marked with Zoological Society. 287 B. Tittle white, and shows as it were an imperfect attempt at annula- tion. The back is black, with a bright fulvous fleur-de-lis sort of marking on the neck ; a narrow band of fulvous crosses below the scapulae, from which run at right angles down the back to the rump two indistinct stripes of the same colour, about half an inch apart ; the inside of the ears is fulvous, the outside black, with a white spot on each ; the belly white, beautifully but irregularly spotted with black ; a very distinct black band crosses the chest ; a white spot on the lower eyelid and another longer on the upper ; the cheeks are ful- vous, striped with black ; the forehead is fulvous, ornamented with black, two stripes of which run up the forehead from the eyes, parallel to each other ; they are connected together above : immediately over the eyes are four longitudinal spots ; above these may be traced three more irregular, and over these three, two, the three sets of spots being as it were ranged in ranks. The fulvous colour is chiefly con- fined to the fore-part of the animal. It was presented to the Royal Zoological Society of Ireland in the beginning of 1843 by Paymaster J. M'Creagh, of the 32nd Regiment. The foregoing description was taken in January 1844, and the animal was presented to the London Zoological Societ)'^ in May 1 844 : when first obtained its colouring was very indistinct and confused; since the description was written some trifling change has taken place, particularly in the extension of the white on the tail, which makes the name not quite so applicable as it was." Mr. Prichard read his paper " On the Crania of the Laplanders and Finlanders, with observations on the difi^erences they presented from other European races." " Little has hitherto been done to elucidate the physical characters of the Ugrian or Ugorian races, under which term late writers have comprised the Finns and Lappes, the Magyars or Hungarians, and several nations of Siberia*. " This is owing to the fact that but few specimens of the skulls of these nations exist in any of the collections in Europe, and few and by no means perfect descriptions of them have been published, Blumenbach has given in his ' Decades Craniorum' a representation of the skull of a Lappe, and he describes it as approaching altogether to the Mongolian variety. Dr. Hueck gives an account of the ap- pearance and general physical characters of the Esthonian Finns, and sums up his observations by jiointing out some very considerable diff^erences which he finds between them and the Mongolian form ; in fact he says that he can discover nothing common to the Mongo- lian and Esthonian skulls, except a certain squareness of figure, which is not constant. " From these statements we should be led to suppose that there is a great difference between the skulls of the Finns and Lappes, and we should be inclined to adopt the opinion maintained by Lehrberg, that they are two separate and distinct races, his argument being * Der Uirrische Volkstamm von F. H. Miiller. 288 Zoological Society, founded upon the moral as well as the physical diversities between them*. " On the other hand, the history of the people, and especially the great similarity of their languages, go far to prove a near relationship between the Finnish and Lappish nations ; nor is a greater or less degree of civilization to be looked upon as a proof of diversity of origin, although it may be the cause of all the moral, and possibly of the physical differences also, which exist between the Finns and Lappes. ** From this uncertainty it becomes much more important to ascer- tain, by the examination of their skulls, what the physical character- istics of each nation are, and whether they exhibit any points of resemblance which may confirm the supposition that there is affinity between them, or whether, on the contrary, a sufficient degree of dissimilarity can be made out, from an accurate examination, to en- title us to set them down as separate races, and to class them with different grand divisions of the human species ; whether, in short, these differences, if any such are found, are more than can be ac- counted for by the diversity of climate and modes of life which are well known long to have existed between them. " The examination of these skulls for the purpose of furnishing an accurate description of their appearance is interesting in another point of view. In Scandinavia and in Denmark there are numerous tumuli which contain osteological remains of former inhabitants, and it is a disputed point whether they are the remains of a Finnish ab- original stock or of Cimbrian or some unknown race, since they differ from the old German remains. Now if we could establish a correct notion of the Finnish description of skull, we should have no diffi- culty in deciding whether the remains before mentioned belonged to this stock. ** Having four specimens of these skulls, two of Finns and two of Laplanders, which my father has received through the kindness of Dr. Ilmoni and Mr. Daniel Wheeler, of Bristol, I have an opportunity of examining their peculiarities and of comparing them with each other and with the skulls of other Europeans, Chinese, American Indian, and the Esquimaux, the latter of which is a most remarkable specimen of the pyramidal and broad-faced skull. " Upon taking a general view of these skulls, there are no remark- able features which strike us so forcibly as those which we see in the conformation of the Esquimaux. In fact, the only point worthy of notice here, before we commence the particular description, is a de- gree of general breadth in the face superior to that which is seen in the European generally, which gives to the whole an appearance of squareness when the lower jaw is attached, and causes the actual shortness of the face, which is remarkable in these skulls, to become still more apparent. The general resemblance between the Finnish * Lehrberg, iiber die Wolmsitte der Jemen, ein Beitrag zur Geschichte Neu-Finnlands, in Untersuchungen zur Erlaiiterung der alten Geschichte Russlands. Zoological Society. skulls and those of the Lappes is as strong as between four average European crania, even belonging to the same nation, and altogether their contour decidedly approaches what Blumenbach calls the Mon- golian form of skull, the head appearing, as it has been noticed by an ocular observer, * of the shape of a pent-house.' " It will be found, however, that it is more especially in a close and minute examination that differences are seen to exist between the Lappes and Finns, on the one hand, and the European skulls on the other. ** Viewed from above and behind, there is a slight difference obser- vable between the Finn and the Lappe : the posterior part of the Lappe is larger than the anterior, while the form of the Finn is more regu- lar and rounded ; that is, the line between the parietal protuberances exceeds the transverse diameter of the forehead more in the Lappe than in the Finn. I find, however, that there is equal difference in this respect between two European skulls even of the same nation. Again, from the same point of view the skulls of the Lappes present a central eminence or ridge, upon looking at the outline of the fore- head (being the line of junction of the two halves of the frontal bone), which is much less marked, in fact scarcely discernible in the Finn, and altogether absent in the European, being on the contrary very strikingly prominent in the Esquimaux. Examined anteriorly, how- ever, a general view of these skulls gives us exactly opposite results ; for the sagittal suture, which is now the median line, and the con- tinuation backwards of the frontal suture of early life, upon looking at the outline or horizon of the skull, is seen to project decidedly more in the Finn than in the Lappe ; in both more than in other Europeans. Hence we may fairly lay down, that the skulls of the Finns and Lappes have (as far only as the vault of the cranium, ex- clusive of any effect produced by the width of the face, allows us to conclude,) more tendency to the pyramidal form than the European, but less than the Esquimaux. " Examining these skulls anteriorly, taking into consideration the face, the triangular form is very evident, partly in consequence of the fact above mentioned respecting the vault of the cranium, and partly in consequence of the great width between the external sur- faces of the malar bones, which in actual measurement in the two Lappes and the two Finns exceeds the length of the same diameter in other Europeans by at least half an inch, and in one case by nearly an inch, being equal to the same diameter in the Esquimaux ; in the latter, however, which exhibits the pyramidal shape in a remarkable degree, the form is owing as much to the shape of the forehead as to the lateral projection of the anterior roots of the zygomatic pro- cesses. This width across the face is, as has been correctly observed by Dr. Hueck, not owing to the increased breadth or altered shape in the malar bone, so much as to the altered width and direction of the malar process of the superior maxillary bone. " The outline of the external surface of this bone, viewed from a point exactly in front of the skull; that is to say, the line which runs from the furthest molar tooth that is visible from this point to 290 Zoological Society, the suture connecting the malar and superior maxillary bones, is, in the generality of European crania, either vertical, or sometimes even inclined inwards and upwards in the first part of its course, after- wards turning outwards to form the commencement of the zygoma. In the Esquimaux this line runs obliquely upwards and outwards, at an angle of 45° from its commencement ; and in the skulls of the Finns and Lappes it is intermediate to the two directions, being however still inclined outwards. This obliquity is also decidedly more marked in the Finns than in the Lappes. " Upon this the anterior view, more of the lateral aspect of the lower jaw is seen than is ordinarily observed, in consequence partly of the greater distance between the condyles, which will be again noticed in the examination of the base of the skull, and partly from the fact that the angles project more in a lateral direction, the entire bone being apparently more developed than in other Europeans. •• With respect to some more minute points regarding these skulls, the superciliary ridges are well-marked, the ossa nasi, and the ascend- ing 23rocesses of the superior maxillary bones present a flatter and broader anterior surface than the European, and the cavities and fora- mina are well-marked. [In all these four skulls the supraorbital opening for the frontal nerve and artery is a complete foramen upon the left side, and merely a notch upon the right.] *• In consequence of the greater width of the superior maxillary bone, the shape of the circumference of the orbit is not so round as in the generality of European skulls, where the external inferior angle is the lowest, but it is square, with the angles rounded ; and for the same reason the space for the antrum is increased, while the depth of the infraorbital or canine fossa is very materially decreased : in one of the Finnish skulls this surface, from the inferior edge of the orbit to the alveolar processes, is almost plane. There is nothing remarkable in the nasal aperture. The shape of the orbit differs materially from that of the Esquimaux, where it is almost round, and from that in the skull of an Indian of the Sioux tribe, where it- much resembles the European. " The distance from the inferior edge of the nasal aperture, that is, from the anterior nasal spine to the margin of the alveolar process, is in every specimen of these skulls of the Finns and Lappes decidedly less than in any other European with which I have compared them. The teeth are much ground. *' A lateral view of these crania shows that the forehead is some- what more receding than in the generality of Europeans, although the difference is not great, probably not more than is frequently seen be- tween two specimens of the same tribe. "The general shape of the head resembles that of the European anteriorly, but the posterior part does not project so much. There is a marked difference between the posterior projection of the Finns and Lappes and that of the Esquimaux, the latter being much more prominent. " The line which represents the outline of the ossa nasi, &c., i. e. the profile of the face of the skull, presents much less marked irregular!- Zoological Society. 291 ties than the European in general. Thu? although, as I have before observed, the superciliary ridges are well-marked, the frontal bone does not overhang the ossa nasi, as in the latter, where a decided angle is formed. In the Esquimaux the line from the forehead to the nose is nearly straight, and in the skulls of an Indian of the Sioux tribe and a Chitamache Indian the curve is very regular and open. The junction of the nose and forehead in the Lappes and Finns is therefore more angular than either of the three last-mentioned crania, but much less so than the European. " Upon this the side view another remarkable fact is observed. The occipital bone being not so much developed downwards as in other Europeans (we observed just now that it had less posterior projection also), and the posterior edge of the lower jaw, from the condyle to the angle, being longer than in the latter, upon placing the skull upon a table or any plane horizontal surface, the inferior maxilla merely touches it by its angle, not resting upon the base of the jaw, as we observe in the English, Irish, ancient Irish (cast), Sioux, Italian and Mulatto skulls. The only ones which have this character in common with the Lappes and Finns are the Negro and the skull of a Hindu. "The angle of the lower jaw is certainly more obtuse, seen upon comparing skulls in which the molar teeth remain perfect. In the form and direction of the coronoid process there seems to be no great difference. *' The temporal fossae are well-marked, and in one of the Finnish skulls the anterior inferior angles of the parietal bones are connected to the great wings of the sphenoid by means of an os wormianum upon either side. This is not unfrequently the case in other crania. " The general shortness of the face which has been observed to exist in these skulls, is more plainly seen by viewing them from the side, when we find that the inferior edge of the malar bone is very little higher than the edge of the alveolar process. This is owing not so much to the want of development downwards of these processes, although I have already noticed the shortness of the space between the nose and the mouth, but to the great breadth (from above down- wards) of the malar bone, measured from its free inferior border to its junction with the external orbital process of the frontal bone ; and it is a remarkable fact, that this measurement, in all the speci- mens of the skulls of Finns and Lappes, considerably exceeds that of any of the other specimens of European nations, and is equal to that of the Esquimaux and American skulls. The breadth of this surface of the malar bone in one Finn much exceeds that of any which I have had an opportunity of measuring. " Thus the shortness of the face is more apparent upon the lateral view of the cranium, in consequence of the additional width of the malar bone. *' The general shape of the basis cranii presents nothing very stri- king, with the exception of the zygomatic arches. The foramen magnum is of a more oval form than usual, and there appears to be scarcely as great a development of the occipital bone. This agrees 293 Zoological Society. with what we observed when considering the lateral aspect of these skulls, and with what has previously been noticed by Dr. Hueck re- specting- the space for the cerebellum, which, upon an examination of the interior of the cranium, is said to be small, in consequence of the shght concavity of the inferior occipital fossa. The condyles of the occipital bone are remarkably large, being, in three out of four of these skulls, an inch in the long axis, and in one of them (the Finn) longer. They are not unusually broad. This is not the case in any other European cranium which I have examined, but is seen in the Hindu, Chitamache Indian, and to a certain extent in the Esquimaux. ITiere must doubtless have been a much greater freedom of motion backwards and forwards in these joints than is usually the case. " The zygomatic arches, which are best seen at the base, are much more curved than in the other Europeans, slightly less so than in the Esquimaux ; and the anterior projection of the alveolar processes beyond the anterior termination of the zygoma is also intermediate between the European and the Esquimaux. " The glenoid cavities are flatter, more widely separated, and not so well-defined as in the European generally, and a difference corre- sponding to this is seen in the lower jaw, where the condyles, besides being more widely separated from one another, are also more rounded in form, allowing of a greater degree of lateral motion. In corre- spondence with this fact we also find that the pterygoid processes of the sphenoid bone, especially the external plates, are widened and enlarged, extending farther outwards, affording a greater space for the attachment of the pterygoid muscles, whose duty it is to perform the lateral or grinding motion in mastication. I mentioned above the corresponding fact of the teeth being much worn down. " The ridges for the attachment of the muscles on the palate bone are well-marked, and viewed from below it is seen that the alveolar processes do not project so much from the horizontal part of the palate ; that is, that the entire hard palate presents a general curve throughout, instead of being at first plane with a sudden bend, or almost an angle, which is seen at the point where the alveolar pro- cesses are given off in the generality of European skulls. "These skulls of the Finns and Lappes are very solid and heavy. *' Although this description of the Finnish skulls corresponds in very many respects with that given by Dr. Hueck, yet the examination leads us to an exactly opposite conclusion, viz. that there are very many points in common between the Finn and the races characterized by the pyramidal-shaped skull, and the conclusion with regard to the Lappe corresponds to that which was published by Professor Blu- menbach. We are hence able to lay down, that there is no important difference between the skulls of the Finns and Lappes, but that, on the contrary, there is a very great resemblance between them ; that altogether they are more nearly allied to the Hyperborean form than to the European ; and that if any difference does exist between them, it is that the Finns approach more nearly to this conformation of skull than the Lappes." Miscellaneous. 298 MISCELLANEOUS. On the Metamorphoses of the Strepsiptera. By Dr. Siebold of Erlangen. The species on which Dr. Siebold has made his observations are Stylops Melitt€e, and Xenos Rossii and Sphecidarum. The diminutive, parasitic Strepsiptera, the giant of which scarcely exceeds one-fourth of an inch in length, are of especial interest to this Society. Discovered and first described by our venerable friend Mr. Kirby, we have adopted the Stylops as our emblem ; any elu- cidation of its heretofore obscure natural history must therefore be of particular interest to us. This has been supplied by Dr. Siebold, who now shows that the Strepsiptera undergo a singular metamor- phosis ; that the males and females differ from each other, the me- tamorphosis of the males being complete, they alone being furnished with wings: the females, on the contrary, have neither legs, wings, nor eyes, and greatly resemble larvae. These females are viviparous, and never quit the bodies of the Hymenoptera in which they live as para- sites. The young Strepsiptera, at the moment that they burst the eggs in which they are developed, within the body of the parent, have six legs, and are furnished with organs of manducation. These are the diminutive objects described in Mr. Westwood's paper, in a former volume of our Transactions, as the parasites of Stylops ; and as such they were regarded at first by Klug and also by Dr. Siebold. These little hexapodous larvae infest the surface of the abdomen of bees, within which their parent-mothers live and die. In this way the young Stylops is carried into the nests of the Hymenoptera, and escaping on the bodies of the larvae, penetrate their soft skins, and become parasites on them as their parents have been in the bodies of the female bees. These larvae shed their skins, become apodal, and move very slowly. They have then a distinct mouth and jaws, and a simple caecal intestine, but no anal aperture. The body is formed of nine segments, of which the first is the largest, and may be considered as a cephalothorax. In this state the males are easily distinguished from the females. The cephalothorax of the male larva is conical and arched, and the last segment of the body is straight and pointed. In the females the cephalothorax is trun- cated or rounded in front, and flattened, or scale-like, in the rest of its extent, and the terminal segment of the body is large and rounded. — From the Anniversary Address delivered at the Entomolo- gical Society, Feb. 10, 1845, by the President, G. Newport, F.R.C.S. Description of a new species of Nymphon, By H. D. Goodsir, Esq. Nymphon giganteum. — With the palpi twice as long as the rostrum, and the last two joints of equal length ; with the pincers of the man- dibles very long, slender and linear ; and with the oviferous legs longer than the first four joints of the ambulatory legs. Description. — The whole animal of a straw-colour, except the 294 Miscellaneous. proximal extremities of the joints of the legs, which are pink-co- loured. Two joints of the mandibles somewhat long and rather powerful : the pincers are weak, slender, and almost linear. The palpi are larger than the mandibles, five-jointed, slender, and the first or proximal joint is about one-sixth the length of the second ; the second rather longer than the third and clavate ; the fourth and fifth equal, which last is ovate and slender. The rostrum is hardly so long as the first joint of the mandibles, and is almost linear, ha- ving a very slight dilatation about the middle. It is concealed alto- gether on each side by the mandibles and palpi, and very slightly superiorly by the mandibles alone. The first segment of the body is much larger than any of the following, and is very much dilated an- teriorly, for the attachment of the organs just described ; posteriorly it is also dilated, and gives attachment on either side to the oviferous legs, and dorsally to the occeliferous tubercle, which is erect and truncated. The oviferous legs are very strong, and have the two middle joints robust and short ; the distal joints are hispid. The ambulatory legs are long and slender ; the two tarsal joints of equal lergth, claw strong. Span of the legs 6 inches. The above-described Nymphon is very similar in its characters to Nymphon Johnstoni. The forms, however, of the mandibles, palpi and oviferous legs are very different and sufficiently strong to justify the formation of a new species. Taken in the sea at Embleton. — From the Proceedings of the Ber- wickshire Naturalist's Club, vol. ii. No. xii. DESTRUCTION OF THE ORANGE-TREES IN THE AZORES. So complete have been the ravages of the Coccus of the orange- trees, that one of the Azores, the island of Fayal, lost its entire pro- duce from this cause alone. The usual exportation of fruit from Fayal has been 12,000 chests annually, but in 1843 not a single chest was exported. This injury has already extended to St. Michael's, and is still continuing ; and the inhabitants of the whole of that group of volcanic islands, depending almost entirely on the produce of their orange- groves, and despairing of retrieving their prospects, are fast turning their attention to the cultivation of other objects of com- merce. This amount of injury to a whole population by a diminutive and apparently contemptible insect has been the result of but three years. The effects of this insect on a single article of luxury may fairly be adduced to show that entomological inquiries are deserving of full attention. The orange trade between this country and the Azores gives employment to upwards of 200 sail of vessels ; and, as I am credibly informed, the orange trade alone returns to the re- venue of this country an import duty of more than £50,000 per year. M'CuUoch, in his * Dictionary of Commerce ' (1844), has shown that the amount of duty paid by the orange and lemon trade, on an average of three years, ending with and including the year 1842, was £70,833 per year. The number of boxes of fruit, imported for home consumption, on which this duty was levied, amounted to 334,070, Meteorological Observations. 295 and the estimated number of the fruit at 21 7,172, 363 ! The support of the numerous families, the fortunes of the merchants engaged in this commerce, and even the revenue of this country, and the v^^ealth, ay, and even the very existence of a whole population, are thus directly affected by the operations of a diminutive insect. — From the Anniversary Address delivered at the Entomological Society, Feb. 10, 1845, by the President, G. Newport, F.R.C.S. METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR FEB. 1845. Chiswick. — February 1. Sharp frost: snow-showers at night. 2. Clear and frosty : cloudy : clear and frosty. 3. Hazy and drizzly. 4. Overcast : cloudy : frosty. 5. Overcast : fine : clear. 6. Clear throughout : sharp frost at night. 7. Frosty : overcast : clear and frosty. 8. Overcast : frosty. 9. Clear and frosty : fine: slight frost. 10. Overcast: snowing. 11. Frosty: most intense frost at night, the lowest being 35° below the freezing-point. 12, Intense frost, only 4° above zero at 8 a.m. : dry air and frosty : bright sun : severe frost at night. 13, Overcast : snowing : sleet and rain. 14. Thawing : clear and fine : overcast. 15. Clear and frosty. 16. Fine: densely overcast : frosty. 17. Foggy: fine: clear and frosty. 18. Foggy: hazy clouds. 19. Overcast: clear : frosty. 20, 21. Clear and frosty throughout. 22. Snow-showers : foggy. 23. Snow : rain. 24. Cloudy and cold. 25. Frosty : fine : rain. 26. Clear : fine : densely over- cast. 27, 28. Overcast. — Mean temperature of the month 8° below the average. Boston. — Feb. 1. Cloudy: snow a.m. and p.m. 2. Fine. 3. Cloudy: rain A.M. and P.M. 4. Cloudy. 5. Fine : stormy night. 6. Windy. 7. Fine. 8. Cloudy. 9. Fine. 10. Snow. 11, 12. Fine. 13. Cloudy: rain and snow A.M. 14, 15. Fine. 16. Cloudy : rain early a.m. 17,18. Fine. 19. Cloudy. 20. Fine. 21. Foggy. 22. Cloudy. 23. Snow : rain p.m. 24. Cloudy. 25. Fine : rain p.m. 26. Fine. 27. Cloudy. 28. Fine. The above you will find a very cold month ; I think you will find nothing like it since February 1838. Sandwick Manse, Orktiey. — Feb. 1. Frost : cloudy. 2. Rain. 3. Bright : cloudy. 4. Cloudy : sleet-showers. 5. Snow-showers. 6. Snow-showers : snow-drift. 7. Snow-showers. 8. Snow- showers : clear. 9, 10. Thaw : cloudy : drops. 11. Clear : showers. 12. Cloudy : showers. 13. Showers. 14. Snow: cloudy. 15. Showers: cloudy. 16. Fog: cloudy. 17. Bright: clear : fine. 18,19. Fine: cloudy. 20. Showers. 21. Showers: clear : fine. 22. Showers: snow-showers. 23. Showers. 24. Cloudy : clear : aurora. 25. Clear : cloudy. 26. Cloudy : clear : frost. 27. Bright : cloudy. 28. Cloudy : clear. Applegarth Manse, Dumfries-shire. — Feb. 1. Frost. 2. Severe frost : rain p.m. 3. Fine thaw. 4. Frost: thaw p.m. 5. Thaw a.m. : frost p.m. 6. Frost: clear and fine. 7,8. Hard frost. 9. Snow. 10. Slight thaw. 11. Snow-showers. 12. Frost A, M. : rain p.m. 13. Heavy rain. 14. Fro>t: shower: snow and hail. 15. Frost: thaw p.m. 16, 17. Fine. 18. Fine spring day. 19. Frost: fine. 20. Slight frost : fine. 21. Fine : no frost. 22. Slight frost : snow. 23. Slight frost: fine. 24. Frost: rain p.m. 25. Fresh : fine. 26. Frost a.m. : fine. 27. Frost. 28. Frost : fine. Mean temperature of the month 34°'5 Mean temperature of Feb. 1844 32 '9 Mean temperature of Feb. for twenty years 36 '0 ■sai^iuna S^ : o • CO : 6 •uojsog •^[aiAisiqo •JJOlAipUBS 'itau^iJO •ajiqs -sauj'uina i I ^ fi s « i « V ^ s s « •jT fe oJ a3 ^ C ^ iS ^•| ■ c ^* i i ^* ^- 1 s* I « « c3 fe ^* ^* c ^ i «, « « « g ^ S 2 fi c c •uo^sog 1ssss«ssg "1 "1 S S'sl 2 u u u u u u •rad t •3[OIM8iq3 ""^ ^' G St* a B "J* « « al ^ ^' ^* ^ 2 « « qJ « .-- "^t^Tf^rs r^couovncocou^-^ioo vno ooo t}<(n o^y^ o C0C0'^'^TtC0CO'^C0C0C0C0'•o-^c^cooooto•^ COCOCOCOCOCOC»0«..-. Ttio^ OMT^oo l>-lnlOC^ 0«0»C0-'C00.'^lr^rtCOa>OJOtO CO"^'^"^-^'^COCOCOCOCOCOCO-^'?f-^^-<*COCO-^CO-<^'^-lr^'-^00tO-^-.ooovotoooocoloooI>.I>-QoaM:^t^u:>-^t^o^ooo^ o o 1000 ^O "^O uo ^O 00 00 00OO■<*O^OcoO00l>.lOO^OtoO^OOlOlr^tOC0OOlr oocooo^r^o^o^a^^p■^09^>pr--Qpr^qpo^a^cplJOcocoqp_ C<0«CO-o o o c^coo^- iotr^u:)00*OLOOooi^»pt;^7'cp'^o«por^r--(»'p.^oc^(»c^>po 0^6^0^0^0^0^C^O^O^O^O^O o^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^O^ §^^OICIci^OI(NC^ci 0> to CO l>.VO 10<0 OMO -^ O>00 O <0 '^ O c^ o^^ O ■^rM ^>•o^ ON ON— ONTt 10 CM roO OnO — — vo o r^ 00 vo 00 toco O — I>OnO\ c 6 ononon COCOCN CM Ol JO sXbq c« co-^to^ l>.00 OnO -3 (s CO -4 to .oo' o^ d — ■ 06 _X. — F-F-.-!^ — — (MCNCSCMCNC^CSCSC* o i ^ ^<1^ \N']^ X m. 10 ^^::-~^ . \\ . La/juu ■(/ UM., '^.Pc/iii r/lrM VM&J^^^^W^I THE ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY, No. 99. MAY 1845. XLI. — Descinption of a new genus of Calcareous Sponge. By J. S. BOWERBANK, F.R.S., L.S. &c. [With a Plate.] DUNSTERVILLIA. Gen. Char. — Sponge calcareous, outer surface arranged in poly- gonal plates or compartments. Body composed of simple, straight, angulated canals radiating from the central axis of the sponge. D. elegans. — Sponge sessile, sacculate, compressed; ventral ori- fice single, terminal, surrounded by a single or double fringe of erect, simple, asbestiform spicula. External oscula indi- stinct. Spicula of the body simple- double-pointed and tri- radiate. This interesting little sponge was attached to the stem of a new species of Coj^allina, which I received among a valuable col- lection of Sponges, Zoophytes and Fuci from my kind and libe- ral friend Mr. George Dunsterville, surgeon of Port Elizabeth, Al- goa Bay, after whom I have named it in acknowledgement of the repeated contributions which he has made to our knowledge of the marine natural history of that part of the world. It was found on the beach at Cape Receif, about ten miles from the town. This singular sponge would naturally fall under Dr. Fleming's Grantia, if we were to confine ourselves to the brief description which he has given of that genus ; and even under the enlarged generic character given by Dr. Johnston in his ^ History of the British Sponges,' there is but a very slight distinction between them. But however well the material may accord with that of Grantia, the structural peculiarities are so strikingly distinct from any species of that genus with which I am acquainted, that I have ventured to make it the type of a new family ; and I have been the more inclined to do so, as, although I know of no recent analogue, yet there is one in the fossil state which is found in Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol. xv. Y 298 Mr. J. S. Bowerbank on a new genus of Calcareous Sponge, one of our oldest geological strata, to which I believe I shall hereafter prove it to be very closely allied. I possess but two specimens of the recent species ; one of them is attached by a broad base to the stem of a CoralUna, the other was found detached, but appears to have been based in a similar manner ; so far therefore as I can judge from this limited num- ber, the sponge is a sessile species. Plate XVII. figs. 1 and 2. represent them of the natural size. Both of them present the same compressed character, the elon- gated one to a greater extent of the two ; and this compression, it is evident from the mode of disposition and the proportions of the radiating canals, is natural, and not the effect of collapse from drying. The ventral orifice in the larger specimen is nearly closed, and in the smaller one entirely so, by a thick fringe of long, attenuated, asbestiform spicula, which converge towards a point opposite the centre of the orifice ; surrounding the base of this terminal fringe there is a second thin fringe of similar spicula based upon a ring slightly raised from the surface of the sponge. The latter radiate at nearly right angles from the surface of the animal ; but as these appendages have evidently sufi*ered much from mutilation, it may be that the second one is but the outer portion of one mass of spicula surrounding the great excurrent orifice. The external sm*face of the sponge is composed of polygonal plates or compartments, usually four-, five- or six-sided, as repre- sented by Plate XVII. fig. 3. with a power of forty-five linear, and also by fig. 4. with a linear power of ninety-four. In many parts of the surface they present the appearance of a quincuncial arrangement. Upon examining a section of one of these plates or compart- ments made at right angles to the natural surfaces, the outer portion was found to be composed of a layer of minute, simple- double-pointed spicula, with their axes at right angles to the outer surface of the plate ; and immediately beneath these there is a mass of large triradiate spicula, many of which have one ray much exceeding in length either of the other two ; and this occurs more especially when they are in the neighbourhood of the under surface of the layer of simple spicula, and in these cases the long ray is usually imbedded amid the simple spicula of the outer layer. Plate XVII. fig. 7. represents a portion of a section of one of the plates, viewed by transmitted light, with a power of 150 linear. Beneath each of these plates or compartments there is a single large angulated canal, usually four-sided, which passes in a straight line towards the central axis of the sponge. The parietes of these canals are composed of interlacing triradiate spicula, two of the Mr. J. S. Bowerbank on a new genus of Calcareous Sponge. 299 rays of each spiculum being disposed at right angles to the long axis of the canal, while the third projects into it in a diagonal direction towards the outer surface of the sponge. This arrange- ment presents one of the most delicate and beautiful interlace- ments of spicula that I have ever observed. Plate XVII, fig, 6. represents a view of four of the cells by the aid of a Lieberkuhn and a power of 100 linear. The large angulated canals terminate on the inner surface of the sponge with open mouths, which are nearly circular and some- what less in diameter than the cells, the diminution of the aper- tures being produced by a greater accumulation and a closer dis- position of the triradiate spicula. Plate XVII. fig. 5. represents a view of a portion of the inner surface of the longer of the two specimens by the aid of a Lieberkuhn and a power of 100 linear, and figs. 8, 9, and 10. represent simple and triradiate spicula of the outer surface of the sponge by transmitted light and a power of 150 linear. I could not detect the passages by which the incurrent streams of water pass. In most of the plates or compartments near the base of the outer surface of the smaller sponge there was a cen- tral depression, but I could find no perforations. The greater number of the plates in the larger specimen were convex to a considerable extent. When a piece of the sponge was placed in dilute hydrochloric acid it efi*er\'esced and the spicula dissolved rapidly, leaving a small mass of animal matter, from which numerous portions of minute vessels projected. Professor Phillips in his ' Figures and Descriptions of the Pa- laeozoic Fossils of Cornwall, Devon and West Somerset,^ describes and figures from Sir H. de la Beche^s paper in the * Transactions of the Geological Society,^ vol. iii. pi. 20, a fossil, Sphceronites tessellatus, the outer surface of which has a tessellated structure very similar in appearance to Dunstervillia elegans. The Professor and other authors have evidently felt much doubt as to the na- ture of this apparently anomalous fossil, and under this feeling he concludes his observations by saying, '^ Meantime I wish to include it in the group to which it bears the most obvious ex- ternal resemblance, and therefore propose to name it for provi- sional reference Sphmronites tessellatus.'^ The great similarity which exists between this fossil and Dun- stervillia struck me forcibly immediately I saw the latter. The external appearance of the plates or compartments in the fossil is precisely that of the recent sponge, and like it, they vary in ha- ving from four to six angles. In one specimen, which exhibits a very complete view of the interior of the fossil, and for the loan of which I am indebted to my friend Dr. Battersby of Torquay, 300 Mr. J. S. Bowerbank on a new genus of Calcareous Sponge. the analogy is still further completed, and the distinction between it and any known crinoidal or echinodermal form is strongly portrayed. If it were a member of either of these two families, it would exhibit on their internal surfaces the same form and number of angles as they do at the external ones ; but this is not the case with the fossil, the inner surface of which presents no appearance whatever of tessellated structure ; but in place of it there is a series of raised lines or ridges running longitudinally, and corresponding in their width and direction with the lines of angular compartments on the exterior. The spaces formed by these parallel lines are again divided, most frequently at right angles, by a number of short raised lines, so that the interior sur- face is covered with numerous, oblong, square, or occasionally triangular sunken areas, presenting exactly the appearance that we should have, supposing that the series of fragile cells, equi- valent to those in the recent Dunstervillia, to be broken away down to their bases, on the inner surface of the outer coat of the sponge. The microscopical examination of both the outer and inner sur- faces of the fossil also strongly favours the idea of its spongeous origin. While the surrounding matrix is solid and crystalline, the fossil is exceedingly porous. From the regularity of its struc- ture and the character of its interspaces, it presents strong traces of the original organic arrangement of its parts, and like its re- cent type, the outer surface of the plates is very much more close and even in textiu-e than they are immediately beneath ; and these appearances are not peculiar to the specimen belonging to my friend Dr. Batter sby, but they exist also in an equal degree in a second specimen presented to me by that gentleman. EXPLANATION OF PLATE XVII. DUNSTERVILLIA ELEGANS. Figs. 1 & 2. The sponges of their natural size. Fig. 3. The specimen represented by fig. 1. viewed by direct light with a power of 45 linear. Fig. 4. A few of the quadrangular and pentangular plates of the same spe- cimen as seen with a power of 94 linear. Fig. 5. A view of the terminations of some of the large angulated canala at the inner surface of the sponge with a power of 100 linear. Fig. 6. A portion of a section of the sponge at right angles to the natural •surfaces, exhibiting the form and disposition of the angulated ca- nals, seen with a Liebevkuhn and a power of 100 linear. Fig. 7. A portion of a section of one of the plates seen by transmitted light with a power of 150 linear. Figs. 8& 9. Triradiate spicula magnified 150 linear. Fig. 10. One of the simple-double-pointed spicula magnified 150 linear. Jm-kKcufHatMst. Yol.ld.IlJiTI . y ^^^^ >■ Axc^;C?^'>^>v'^ Vl ** '^i^'J." "/"-' *i ►*ii, - ,5a>»_ **&*<<*"««»« -^.f-i ^^••^1^^*'^*'' Mr. J. S. Bowerbank on the Cocoon of a Leech, 301 XLJI. — On the Structure of the Cocoon of a Leech. By J, S. Bowerbank, F.R.S., L.S. &c. [With a Plate.] At the first view, I believed that the very curious body which is the subject of the present communication was one of the singular aberrant forms of that exceedingly variable tribe the Spongiada, and until I received a note from Professor Henslow, kindly in- timating the probability that I had fallen into an error in thus designating it, I entertained not the slightest doubt of its being one of the numerous odd forms that abound among the sponge tribe, and especially so from the remarkably abundant and de- ceptive sponge-like tissue with which the body of the cocoon is enveloped. The distinct coriaceous body with its mammillated terminations, so unlike the great mass of the Spongiadce, would naturally have made it the type of a new genus, and as such I had described it. I am therefore the more anxious that this error should be repaired as completely as possible, and to prevent the chance of its recur- rence, I have thought it advisable to describe the structure and peculiarities of this curious little body, although other cocoons somewhat similar have already been to a certain extent made known to the scientific world through the works of Dr. James Rawlins Johnson on the Medical Leech, and of Dr. Noble. The first of Dr. Johnson^s memoirs was published in the year 1816, and the second in 1825, and that of Dr. Noble in the year 1822. In the latter treatise of Dr. Johnson we have engravings of the co- coon of the medicinal leech from drawings by Mr. Clift, and also from a cocoon sent to the author by Dr. Noble ; and in a subse- quent portion of the work we have the cocoons of Hirudo vulgaris figured and described ; but in neither of these can we recognise the distinct and singular sponge-like fibrous envelopment of the species 1 am about to describe, and the cocoon of the latter spe- cies especially appears from the figures to be completely destitute of any such appendage. It is therefore probable that the subject of the present memoir is the cocoon of Hirudo sanguisuga^ the common horse leech, an animal which difi'ers very considerably both in structure and habit from the before-named species ; or it is a species, the cocoon of which has not hitherto been described. Dr. Noble designates the cocoon which was the subject of his observations as being of the size and figure of that of the silk- worm, and as having the same appearance and density as a pieqe of fine sponge, but although the description in the latter respect agrees with the one I have to describe, the figure of it in Dr. John- son^s work is evidently that of a difi*erent species. 302 Mr. J. S. Bowerbank on the Structure The one whicli I am about to describe was found in a large muddy ditch, which is on the left hand of the foot-path from Tenby to Finally, South Wales. It is of an oval form, and rarely exceeds half an inch in length from one extremity of the fibre to the other, and the central case is about four lines long. The fibres are of a greenish amber colour, the case partaking of the same hue, but much deepened by its greater degree of density. PI. XVIII. fig. 2. represents a specimen of rather more than the average size. When carefully denuded of the surrounding fibre, the case is found to be divided into numerous nearly equal-sized polygonal areas, which are most frequently five- or six-sided. These are produced by a raised network of fibrous structure, partly imbedded in the surface. From the angles of these reti- culations the surrounding open fibrous structure springs, which preserves the same form of reticulation as that of the parent sur- face. Fl. XVIII. fig. I. represents the same specimen as figure 2, but magnified ten diameters. The case has frequently a deep sinus which extends entirely across it, causing it to assume very much the same form as a short, swollen grain of wheat, as represented by figure 4 ; and under these circumstances the mammse are found opposed to each other in the direction of, what is then, the short axis of the case, and are situated just without the outer edge of the sinus. When there is no depression of this body, the mammae are found op- posed to each other at the ends of the cocoon, as represented by Fl. XVIII. fig. 3. The sinus is produced by a partial state of collapse of the body of the cocoon, caused apparently by the gradual diminution of its gelatinous contents. The cocoon in almost every specimen that I have opened was found to contain a dense opaline gelatinous matter. When re- moved it readily separates in water into flaky masses, which, when viewed by transmitted light with a power of 500 linear, appeared to be composed of exceedingly minute granules. Upon carefully examining the gelatinous contents of several specimens which I opened, I found in two of them small vesi- cular bodies, which have every appearance of being the eggs or embryos of the animal. In the gelatinous matter of one speci- men I found ten of these bodies, and in another six of them, ap- parently in difiierent stages of development. They are usually pyriform, and have frequently a deposit of minute, dark, granu- lated matter towards the smaller end. In both cases in which these bodies occurred, they were found in greater quantities at one end of the cocoon than at the other. Fl. XVIII. fig. 7. represents one of the best-developed of these embryos by transmitted light and a power of 300 linear. The network which covers the outer sur- of the Cocoon of a Leech. 303 face of the body of the cocoon and bounds the deeply sunken areas of its interstices rises from its surface in the form of a sharp edge, and as the free fibres are given off at the angles where the imbedded fibres meet, they naturally at this point assume the form of a three-winged fibre, and this form they maintain throughout the whole of their length, as represented by PI. XVIII. fig. 8. with a linear power of 94. Every one is familiar with the horny cases surrounding the ova of certain fishes, and of the finely-spun horny threads with which they are fixed to the stems of Gorgonias and other bodies ; but in these cases the fibre is simple and cylindrical, as might naturally be expected, while in the fibrous tissue of this singular cocoon it is three-winged, and anastomoses as regularly and as beautifully as the fibres of the horny sponges of commerce. How the animal produces this beautiful and complex structure, is a question which it will be exceedingly interesting hereafter to solve. The coriaceous substance of the body is of about the thickness of a stout sheet of writing-paper, the centres of the areas being much thinner than the other parts. When a section of one of its thickest portions at right angles to its outer surface was examined by transmitted light with a power of 94 linear, it appeared to be composed of four or five layers of nearly equal thickness, as re- presented by PI. XVIII. fig. 10. When the exterior surface was examined under similar circumstances with a power of 1000 linear, numerous cytoblastic vesicles were observed irregularly dispersed over its surface, but without the appearance of nuclei ; but, on the contrary, when the inner surface was thus examined, it was seen to be nearly uniformly covered with well-defined nucleated cytoblasts, the nuclei in many cases being angular, as represented with a power of 1000 linear by PI. XVIII. fig. 9. From the la- minated structure exhibited in figure 10, it is probable that the production of tessellated cellular tissue is not continuous, but that it occurs at intervals, and is produced by a series of efforts, in a similar manner to that in which the successive layers of cartila- ginous substance are produced by Helix aspersa when about to ex- tend the lip of its shell in the spring of the year. But there is an essential difference in the circumstances of the two cases. In the shell the cytoblasts are developed and their peculiar office performed while in contact with the living body whence they ema- nate, while in the cocoon this cannot well be the case, as the ani- mal immediately separates itself from it. Their presence and de- velopment therefore appear to indicate that vitality to a certain degree remains in the horny substance of the cocoon, and which vitality may probably continue in action until the proper office of the cocoon has been attained. Dr. Johnson, in treating of Hirudo vulgaris, describes the singular mode of the production of the co- 304 Mr. J. S. Bowerbank on the Cocoon of a Leech. coon of that species in this manner. When the animal is about to produce one of these bodies, it is observed to be greatly con- tracted both above and below the uterus, a distension then takes place between these constrictions, and a surrounding membranous structure is thrown off which becomes of a milky white colour ; into this the animal forces with some effort the whole contents of the uterus. This done, it elongates the anterior portion of the body, and withdraws its head as from a collar. After the animal has firmly fixed it to some substance, it fashions it with its mouth until it presents an oval form. This description enables us in some measure to account for the mammseform appendages of the horny case of the species under consideration, and which differs somewhat in the structure of these parts from all the cocoons described by Dr. Johnson, in which, instead of the protuberant mammse, we find simply cir- cular orifices ; but it does not in any shape enlighten us upon the mode of the construction of the extraordinary and complex spon- geous tissue which surrounds our species of cocoon. The mammseform ends of the cocoon are of an oval form, and project in about an equal degree beyond the inner and outer sur- faces previously to their becoming perforated, and the length of the oval is somewhat increased by a considerable thickening of the substance of the body immediately surrounding them. The communication between the inner and outer surfaces appears to be effected in a very singular manner. In one case where I made a section of one of these organs at right angles to the natural surfaces of the body, it appeared perfectly solid ; in another a small cavity only existed near the inner surface of the case ; but in a third specimen the appearance presented was of an exceed- ingly singular description. The outer end of this organ had a small irregular perforation which led into an ovoid cavity imme- diately beneath, and the long axis of which was in a diagonal direction as regards the axis of the body of the cocoon, and the inner surface of this cavity appeared to be furnished with three or four ribs, as represented by PI. XVIII. fig. 5» with a power of 94 linear, and PI. XVIII. fig. 6. with a power of 160 linear. Upon opening the cocoon I found that the opposite end of the mamma had disappeared, and in lieu of solid substance there was a large dome-shaped cavity, the top of which was separated from the inner end of the ovoid cavity in the external end by a very thin layer of horny structure ; and indeed at one spot there were appearances as if a minute communication existed between them, but from the oblique position of the ovoid cavity I could not de- termine this with certainty. The other extremity of the cocoon did not exhibit precisely the same appearances ; in this case the entrance to the ovoid cavity was much larger on the outer surface, Dr. Bell Salter on three new species of Rubus. 305 while on the inner one the entrance to the large cavity was closed by an apparently stout membrane. In other specimens which I examined, sometimes neither of the mammse were perforated ; at others one would be slightly open, w^hile the opposite one was entirely closed. Whether the curious conformation of these parts is the result of accident occurring at the moment of the withdrawal of the leech from the young and tender cocoon, or whether it arises from a vital action inherent in this body and essential to the opening of this organ and the con- sequent liberation of the young contained within it, it is difficult to conjecture ; but I am inclined to believe in the latter idea, and more especially so, as in by far the greater number that I have examined no perforation existed, although, from Dr. Johnson^s account of other species, this is evidently the point at which the young effect their liberation. XLIII. — Description of three new species of Rubus. By T. Bell Salter, M.D., F.L.S. 1. Rubus tenuis. Caule procumbente, tereti, subglauco aculeis sequalibus, foliis ternatis, rarius quinatis, supra subglabris, subtus pubescentibus ; foliolis obovato-acuminatis, duplo serratis ; latera- libus extrorsum lobatis ; panicula decomposita, rarius cymosa ; calycibus pubescentibus, lanceolatis acuminatis, fructui adpressis ; fructu parvo, nigro, drupeolis paucis, magnis composito. Var. (j.ferox, aculeis crebris, uncinatis. Syn. Rubus affinis ^. W. et N. Ruhi Germ. p. 3. tab. 3 b. Rubi csesii et R. corylifolii pars and. var. Hab. in variis locis in Britannia australi. Var. ft. hab. ad *' Apes Down " in Insula Vecte. The habit of this bramble comes so near to that of Rubus cae- siuSf that there can be little doubt it may be often overlooked as being the ordinary dewberry ; it is however readily distinguished from that species by the absence of glands generally, and by the absence of both glands and hairs from the growing shoot, and also by the berry being black instead of blue as in the true R. ccesius ; the calyx embraces it precisely as in that species, but the sepals are rather more broadly lanceolate. The flavour of the fruit differs considerably, that of R. tenuis, though acid like that of R. ccesius, not having the peculiarly grateful lemon flavour of that species. Rubus affinis (W. et N.) is described in the ' Rubi Germanici ' as having the calyx reflexed, yet one of the varieties is figured with the calyx embracing the fruit. As this is the principal character which distinguishes the present species from R. affinis, I can entertain no doubt that the variety [S.) there figured is in fact the one now described as a distinct species. It holds a near affinity both with R. ccesius and R, affinis, but having 306 Dr. Bell Salter on three new species of Rubus. closely observed it for many years, I am satisfied of its distinct- ness, and have no doubt that the characters now given will be found sufficient for it to be readily known. I have already found it in Dorsetshire, Wiltshire and Hampshire, including the Isle of Wight. Var. /3. is a somewhat stouter plant, and very much more prickly. It appears to be far less common, being hitherto only observed in the Isle of Wight, at Apes Down near the Farm. 2. Rubus Borreri. Caule procumbente, tereti, aculeato, pilis paten- tibus hirto ; aculeis crebris, longis, tenuibus uncinatis ; foliolis quinatis, obovato-cuneatis, supra subglabris, subtus hirtis conco- loribus ; panicula corymbosa, ramis inferioribus longis, decompo- sitis, superioribus brevioribus, llore terminali subsessili ; aculeis paniculse paucis, pedunculis pubescenti-hirtis ; bracteis lanceolatis, hirtis, inferioribus ternatis aut dentatis, superioribus simplicibus ; calycibus ovato-lanceolatis, longe acuminatis, pubescenti-hirtis, fructum laxe amplectentibus ; fructu nigro, hemisphserico, parvis nitidis drupeolis composito. Hab. in Insula Vecte. This species is one most readily distinguished from any other. It is a creeping plant of considerable length. Its nearest affinities are with the R. villicaulis and R. syhaticus of Weihe and Nees, two forms very rightly considered as mere varieties of the same species by Mr. Babington * : the nature of the hairiness of the stem and the form of the thorns, together with a principal cha- racter of the leaves, which are hairy, yet deep green beneath, as- sociate it very nearly with those forms ; the stem however is both more thorny and more hairy, and the leaves more slender. The characters by which it is distinguished from all to which it is al- lied are to be found in the parts of inflorescence and fructification. The arrangement of the corymbose panicle as described above gives the plant a very remarkable appearance, and at first sight separates it widely from R. villicaulis and its varieties, the pani- cles of which are slender and tapering. The fruit and calyx pre- sent still better discriminating characters. The hemispherical form of the fruit and the clasping calyx distinguish it entirely from all the other species allied to it. The fruit is of a remarkably bright jetty appearance when ripe, but prior to that it has a peculiar opake flesh tint ; this last cha- racter was pointed out to me by my friend Mr. Borrer, who was with me on the third occasion of my observing this plant. In acknowledgement of his successful labours in this genus, and of his assistance in discriminating the present species, I have adopted for it his name. * Manual of British Botany, j). 95. Dr. Bell Salter on three new species of Rubus. 307 Except in a few spots in the Isle of Wiglit^ I have never yet noticed this species. 3. Rubus Bahingtonii. Caule arcuato, tereti, sulcato, hispido ex aculeis, ct aciculis crebris in setas ineuntibiis, sparsim glanduloso ; foliis ternatis, rarius quinatis ; foliolis supra glabris, subtus parce pubescentibus, rhomboido-cordatis, cuspidatis, duplo et insequaliter mucronato- etcrenato-serratis ; stipulis linearibus, pubescentibus ; panicula foliosa, raultum ramosa, versus terrain ut surculo induta, supra tomentosa, aculeata, setosa ; foliis paniculse ternatis vel sim- plicibus, ina^qualiter mucronato-crenatis ; bracteis foliaceis, late lanceolatis, pilosis glandulosis ; calycibus lanceolatis cuspidatis, pilosis. Hah. ad Selborne prope Week-hill. This is one of the most remarkable of the genus which I have yet met with. It is a bramble of extraordinary size, and I regret not having measured a growing shoot_, that I might give its di- mensions ; the panicle is more than 2 feet in length. It is a matter of difficulty to settle with which of our previous species it would most naturally be grouped. Its prickly inflorescence, accompa- nied with glands, would associate it with the Koehleri group, while the very tomentose clothing of this part would more nearly associate it with R. leucostachys, from which however the presence of glands at once separates it. The hispid shoot however is that which best marks its true affinity, which must, I conclude, be with the Rudis group, from all of which however it is distin- guished by the leaves, though slightly pubescent, being green beneath, and ternate instead of quinate. The peculiar margin of ^:he leaves, which are mucronato-crenate, or as Mr. Babington* more minutely specifies it, " serrato-apiculate towards the base, and higher up crenato-dentato-apiculate,^^ at once distinguishes it, not only from the jagged-leaved species of the Rudis group, but from all other of our fruticose Ruhi, while the existence of ternate leaves on a bramble of such dimensions adds to the peculiarity of its appearance. The shoot, though described above as sulcate, is not angular, the margins of the grooves being rounded. Not- withstanding the size of the panicle, the fruit itself is remarkably small. I have named this species after my friend Mr. Charles C. Ba- bington, the learned author of the ' Manual of British Botany,^ in acknowledgement not only of his assistance in discriminating its characters, but of his successful labours, as well in this as in so many other difficult genera, and indeed in the whole British flora. * In a letter to the author of these remarks. 308 Mr. W. Thompson's Contributions to the Fauna of Ireland, XLI V. — Additions to the Fauna of Ireland^ including descriptions of some apparently new species of Invertebrata. By William Thompson, Pres. Nat. Hist, and Phil. Society of Belfast. [With a Plate.] Species thus marked t hefore the names were indicated mostly by a ge- neric name only, in my Report on the Invertebrate Fauna of Ireland, pub- lished in the Reports of the British Association for the Advancement of Science for 1843 : those unmarked are subsequent additions. Birds. Vulturfulvus, Linn., Gyps vulgaris, Savigny. Late in the autumn of 1843 Mr. Yarrell favoured me with the in- formation that he had received a letter from Admiral Bowles, written from the south of Ireland, in which this gentleman mentioned having lately seen a living vulture at Castle Martyr, the seat of the Earl of Shannon, and which was said to have been captured in the county of Cork. The attention of Mr. R. Ball being called to the circum- stance, he made inquiry of Lord Shannon, who replied, that the bird was purchased by his steward for 2^. Qd. from a peasant, who stated that he caught it on the sea- shore in that neighbourhood : its plu- mage was in good order. His lordship politely offered the bird to Mr. Ball for the collection in the Garden of the Zoological Society, Dublin, but before arrangements were completed for its transmission it died. The specimen was, by the directions of Lord Shannon, care- fully preserved and stuffed and placed at the disposal of Mr. Ball, who has added it to the collection in Trinity College, Dublin. It is in adult plumage. Although we cannot tell whether this bird may not have escaped from some vessel, still it need not excite surprise if the Vultur fulvus should wander to this island, inhabiting as it does (according to Temminck) the mountains of the north of Europe, the Alps .-^ and Pyrenees. Another species of European vulture, the Cathartes per- cnopterus, was once shot in Somersetshire*. Plat-billed Sandpiper, Tringa platyrhyncha, Temm. ; Gould, Birds of Europe, "part 17^^; Yarrell, Brit. Birds, vol. ii. p. 638. Of this Tringa only one specimen is recorded as met with in * Pycnonotus chrysorrhceus, Swainson. — At the meeting of the British Association held at Cork in 1843, 1 exhibited at the Natural History Section an example of this African species sent for inspection from the collection of native birds, or those killed in Ireland, belonging to Dr. Burkitt of Water- ford. The following particulars respecting the bird, though mentioned at the meeting, have not been published. Dr. Burkitt " purchased it from a country-lad who brought it into Waterford in January 1 838 with a number of blackbirds [^Ttirdus merula] and snipes, and who thought it was a hen blackbird : he shot it at Mount Beresford, three and a half miles from Water- ford." There can therefore be no doubt of the specimen having been killed in this country. with descriptions of some new species of Invertebrata. 309 Great Britain. It was noticed by Mr. Hoy in the first volume of Charlesworth's 'Magazine of Natural History' as having been "shot on the 25th of May 1836, on the muddy flats of Breydon Broad, Nor- folk, in company with some dunlins and ring plover." In a locality of a similar nature — the oozy banks of Belfast bay — a Tringa platy- rhyncha was killed on the 4th of October 1844, at the same shot from a swivel-gun with eleven golden plover and seven or eight dunlins. It is a male bird, and larger than the English specimen, but of about equal size with that described by Temminck. It is as fol- lows * : — in. lin. Length (stuffed specimen) 7 of wing from carpus to end of quills 4 .Si • ■ of tarsus 11 of middle toe and nail 10 of hind toe and nail 3 of bill from forehead to point 1 ^% Breadth of bill at base (now dried up) 2^- Height of bill from base of upper to that of lower mandible... 4 Tibia bare of feathers for about 4 Temminck's descriptions (vol. ii. p. 616. 2nd edit.) of the plumage of the young bird before its first moult and of the nuptial garb show singularly little difference in a species belonging to this family, and Mr. Yarrell having both the old bird in its breeding plumage and the young bird of the year before him, remarks that ** the young bird so closely resembles the parent in its plumage at this season that it is unnecessary to describe it." My specimen agrees with the descrip- tions of these authors, excepting in what the ornithologist will be prepared to expect of a bird killed in the month of October — that the rufous tints throughout the plumage (margining the feathers, &c.) have all but disappeared, and are replaced by white. The winter plumage I have not seen described, but fortunately the pre- sence of a few winter feathers on the back and wings of the present specimen sufficiently indicate that a change from black to gray, ana- logous to the seasonal change which takes place in the dunlin, like- wise occurs in this species. The hue of these feathers however resembles more the pretty gray colour of the phalarope than the pale brownish gray of the dunlin — or purre, as it has been termed in winter garb. The broad bill and the peculiar marking of the head are the most obvious distinctive characters of this species. The dimensions of the bill have already been given : the plumage of the head may be thus described — from base of upper mandible to top of head a narrow blackish brown band, which broadens towards the hinder part of the head ; on either side of this from the bill to the upper part of the eye, and continued over it is a white streak, bounded by a dark * The taxidermist noted the specimen before being skinned to be in length 6| inches, breadth 13 inches ; weight 1 oz. A\ drachms. 310 Mr. W. Thompson's Contributions to the Fauna of Ireland^ brown band, which reaches from the side of the bill to the eye ; throat white. This is a very interesting species to the ornithologist from the cir- cumstance of its presenting the characters of different genera. Its general aspect — body plumage, delicate tarsi and feet — is that of a Tringa, but in the form of the head, breadth between the eyes and broad base of bill we are reminded of the genus Scolopax, or true snipes, as we likewise are in the brown and white banding of the head, in which latter respect it likewise resembles the whimbrel (Numenius phceopus). The very small rudimentary membrane be- tween the base of the middle and outer toe, mentioned by Temminck as the chief character on which it has been raised to the rank of a genus by MM. Koch and Naumann, is a most trivial distinction, it being in the least degree only more developed than in the Tringa va- riabilis and T, subarquata. Except in the head and bill, the whole bird is in form and plumage an ordinary-looking Tringa. In the continental countries south of our latitude in which this species has been met with, it is considered very rare, nor was it known to be otherwise in the north of Europe until Mr. Dann lately visited Norway and Lapland for the purpose of studying the birds which frequent those countries in the breeding season. In some places he found this Tringa to be by no means uncommon, and to Mr. Yarrell's beautiful work on 'British Birds' (vol. ii. p. 638) he contributed a full and admirable account of its habits, which were before unknown — the figure of the bird in this work is most charac- teristic. Temminck mentions specimens having been sent from Borneo, Sumatra and Timor. American Wigeoii, Mareca ^mmcflwa, Wilson (sp.), Amer. Ornit. vol. iii. p. 109. pi. 69. Jardine^s edit. ; Yarrell, Brit. Birds, vol. iii. p. 196. Towards the end of February 1844, Henry Bell, an intelligent man of middle age, who since he could carry a gun has been a wildfowl- (and more especially a wigeon-) shooter in Belfast bay, and for the last eight or nine winters has given up his whole time to the pursuit, earning by it his livelihood, visited Strangford lough " pro- fessionally " with his punt and swivel-gun. Hearing on a dark night the call of wigeon*, he fired towards the place whence the sound proceeded, and picked up a single bird, which differed in plumage from any he had ever seen. Its form at once marked this bird to his eye as a wigeon of some kind, but in a state of plumage un- like that of the common species of either sex at any age : of this he was a good judge from many hundreds having passed through his hands, and from his being very observant of the species of birds and the changes of plumage through which they pass. He de- scribed it as a wigeon in the plumage of a teal. The large markings * According to Wilson's description of the call of the American wigeon, it is very like that of the European species. with descriptions of some new species of Invertebrata. 311 on the lower part of the sides of the neck and on the breast were, instead of being roundish as in the teal, somewhat of a semicircular form, and varied in size from ** one half to nearly the whole size of a man's finger-nail." Like the old male wigeon it was whitish, but of a purer colour, on the top of the head, and like it had the white marking on the wing, both characters denoting an old male bird of its species. On the figures of the American wigeon in the works of Wilson (Jardine's edit.) and Yarrell being shown to the shooter, he felt confident that his bird was of the same species, the former repre- senting its plumage the better of the two, and the latter its form, as the neck was thicker than that of the common wigeon. Although he thus noted the bird particularly, and with another shooter who accompanied him to Strangford, held a kind of inquest on its species, it was unfortunately sold with his other wildfowl, as from having seen singular varieties of birds in the hands of bird-pre- servers, he thought this might be a remarkable state of plumage of the common wigeon : — of a second species he had not at that time heard. He is certain of having killed other birds of the same species in Belfast bay, but never any so far advanced towards adult male plumage. Placing entire reliance on the discrimination and ac- curacy of Bell, I have not hesitated to add this bird to our fauna, although other naturalists may not be inclined on such testimony to admit its claim to be so recorded. To the same shooter we are indebted for the specimen of Tringa platyrhyncha just noticed ; he at once perceived that it was distinct from the dunlins killed at the same time, and preserved it accord- ingly. Fishes. Kay^s Sea Bream, Brama Raii, Cuv. and Val. To Dr. R. J. Burkitt of Waterford we are indebted for the posi- tive addition of this species to our fauna, this gentleman having lately contributed a native specimen to Mr. R. Ball for the Museum of Trinity College, Dublin. The fish (of which a large and correct drawing has been sent me) was taken at Tramore in the month of October 1843. It is the first certain instance known to me of its occurrence on our coast. Mr. Yarrell* gives it from M'Skimmin's 'List of the Fishes of Carrickfergus,' but as remarked in my Report on the Vertebrata of Ireland, " the propriety of the application of the name to this species is doubtful." All that is said of it by M'Skimmin is, "Sparus Raii; hen-fish, a choice fish; rare." The term hen- fish is applied by our fishermen to one or two other spe- cies of somewhat rare occurrence. MOLLUSCA. Doris obvelata, Johnst., Annals of Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 52. pi. 3. fig. 4— 7 (notof Muller). In July last Mr. Hyndman procured a specimen of this Doris on * Brit. Fishes, vol. i. p. 134. 2nd edit. 312 Mr. W. Thompson's Contributions to the Fauna of Ireland, Fuel at Skerries, Dublin coast. On its being submitted to the in- spection of Mr. Alder, by whom the original specimen described by Dr. Johnston was discovered in Berwick bay, he remarked, that the species " appears to be pretty generally diffused, but nowhere com- mon." He had obtained it last summer in Rothesay bay. fDoris Ulidiana, Thompson. On the 17th of February 1840, I procured three specimens of this Doris among oysters brought to Belfast market from the neighbour- ing coast of Down or Antrim, and after noting their general appear- ance, colour, &c., set them apart as species unknown at least to the British fauna. Mr. Alder having some time ago expressed a wish to see my collection of Nudibranchiate Mollusca, it was placed in his hands, and on this species coming under examination it was consi- dered by him and Mr. Hancock to be new, and a description of it drawn up for their own use was kindly communicated to me. This is as follows ; — within parentheses are my notes on the colour of the living Doris. Doris Ulidiana. — ** Length, from spirits, ^ inch, breadth ^ inch ; ovate-oblong, rather straight at the sides, depressed [of a uniform pale yellow, the intestines appearing through the skin of a dark co- lour] . Cloak not extending much beyond the foot, rough with spi- cula, and covered with large, unequal, obtuse tubercles, the spicula collected in bundles in the tubercles and radiating at their base. Tentacula [long and whitish] , lamellated, without sheaths ; the edges of the apertures plain. Branchise consisting of eleven [beau- tifully white] pinnated plumes, set in a semicircle round the anus. Foot rather broad. Veil above the mouth semicircular." On being put in diluted spirits of wine, the tentacula were en- tirely withdrawn, and the branchial processes lost their beauty by discoloration, which changed them to the same hue as that of the body. On comparing these specimens at the time they were procured withthe most nearly allied species in my possession, the Doris mu- ricata, Miiller (Zool. Dan.), they were noted down as being cer- tainly distinct from it : — in being of a more elongate shape, in ha- ving the tubercles differently formed, and, in proportion to the dimen- sions of the body, their being not more than half the size of those of D. muricata. Messrs. Alder and Hancock made the following com- parative observations : " Comparing your D. muricata [a species they had not seen before] with our D. aspera and your D. Ulidiana, we come to the conclusion, so far as we can judge from specimens in spirits, that these three are distinct, though nearly allied species. D. Ulidiana differs from D. muricata in its much larger size, and longer and more depressed fom». The tubercles appear to be more depressed, and the branchial plumes larg^. From D, aspera it dif- fers also in size and shape ; in having larger tubercles, the cloak narrower, and the foot broader." m I ^ IDCSonyj^hy. zn- Mw J^nfyA^'h 3Bnn.scay with descriptions of some new species of Invertebrata. 313 Pohjcera punctilucens, D'Orbigny, Guerin^ Mag. Zool. 1837, p. 7. pi. 106. Professor Allman obtained this Polycera in a pool at Courtmasherry harbour, county Cork, in the month of August last. The species was originally described from specimens taken on the coast of France ; it has not yet been procured on that of Great Britain. The speci- men was submitted to the judgement of Messrs. Alder and Hancock, and will be fully noticed in their forthcoming work on the British Nudibranchiate Mollusca. Eolis violacea, Alder and Hancock, Ann. Nat. Hist. vol. xiii. p. 166 (March 1844). Mr. Hyndman, when dredging on the 26th of August last oft' Castle Chichester, Belfast bay, in 6 to 10 fathoms water, captured a speci- men of this very beautiful Eolis. It was brought to me alive, and immediately afterwards despatched by post in a phial of sea- water to Newcastle for Mr. Alder's examination in a living state, but on reaching its destination was unfortunately dead. Mr. Alder re- marked that it was a very fine example of his E. violacca, which was described from a Cullercoats specimen smaller and less perfect than this had been, Aplysia nexa, Thompson. Plate XIX. fig. 8. Animal elongate, deep carmine-red, mantle bordered with black. Length 1 inch ; much elongated ; foot very narrow ; two black eyes anterior to, but a little distant from the base of the dorsal ten- tacula. Colour deep carmine-red, occasionally with a few minute white spots; mantle and anterior tentacula bordered with black, dorsal tentacula tipped with black. Shell ? The specimen of this Aplysia was dredged on the 26th of August 1844, off Castle Chichester, Belfast bay, by Mr. Hyndman — depth 6 to 10 fathoms. The characters which this beautiful little Aplysia has in common with A. depilans need not be given. Whether we consider it di- stinct from, or a mere variety of that species, it differs from it in being of a more elongate form, in colour, and in having the mantle, &c. bordered with black. From a single example only I should not venture to describe it as a distinct species, but on sending my spe- cimen (its characters being first noted down) alive in sea- water to Newcastle-upon-Tyne for Mr. Alder's examination, he replied, that an Aplysia similar in form and colour had been taken by him at Torbay in Devonshire about two years before, but not having had much opportunity of studying the genus, he felt uncertain whether it should be considered a variety of an -(4. depilans or a distinct spe- cies. Neither do I feel certain on this point until an equally small A. depilans be had for comparison, but it seems to me better to describe and figure the form in question and leave the matter of species for Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol. xv. Z 314 Mr. W. Thompson's Contributions to the Fauna of Ireland^ r future decision than to be altogether silent on the subject. A co- loured drawing of Mr. Alder's specimen being kindly transmitted to me, it was found to represent mine exactly, except in the very trivial difference of having a few minute white spots on the sides instead of being of a uniform colour. Specimens of A. depilans, which I have often taken (but never of so small a size), differ in being occasionally spotted as well as plain. But I have never met with this species of the same form as A. nexa, of its fine deep-red colour, nor having any black border to the mantle, &c. ; nor has Dr. J. L. Drummond ever done so, though great numbers came under his examination when dredging at Donaghadee, on the coast of Down, in the summer of 1843. Hab. Torbay, England ; Belfast bay, Ireland. J Acteon viridis, Mont, (sp.)^ Quatrefages, Ann. Sci. Nat., March 1844. Aplysia viridis , Mont., Linn. Trans, vol. vii. With a letter, dated from Glandore House (county Cork), Aug. 23, 1844, Professor AUman sent me a small phial containing speci- mens of this Acteon, remarking that he had just taken it there in con- siderable numbers. He subsequently, at the meeting of the British Association at York, gave an admirable account of the anatomy of the species, illustrated by drawings of remarkable beauty, executed by his sister. Miss Allman. In consequence of the Acteon being thus brought forward, this brief note might be cancelled ; but as the spe- cies had previously a place in my " Additions," it is retained with this explanation. About the same time the Rev. Mr. Landsborough informed me that he had taken this species on the coast of Arran, Frith of Clyde. f Bulla producta, Brown, lUus. Conch, p. 57. pi. 19. figs. 15, 16; 2nd edit.— pL 38. f. 15, 16 ; 1st edit. Among shell-sand collected at Bundoran, on the western coast, by Mrs. W. J. Hancock in 1840, and sent to Mr. Hyndman, was a spe- cimen of this Bulla. Capt. Brown notices it merely as " found at Dunbar by General Bingham." Utriculus, genus. Brown, Illus. Conch, pp. 58, 59, pi. 19 ; 2nd edit.— pi. 38; 1st edit. Having lately left with Mr. Alder a number of Bullcc (obtained with the last species at Bundoran) which he wished to examine critically, he reported on them as follows : — " On examining the fine suite of Bulla hyalina, I think I make out three of Brown's species of Utriculus : 17. candidus being the full-grown shell ; U. pellucidus the half-grown ; and U. minutus the youngest state of B. hyalina. At least these answer very well to his figures and descriptions." The last two are noticed by Capt. Brown as from Dunbar only, where they were found by General Bingham, as was U, candidus also ; but this is mentioned as having been subsequently procured at Holy Island, off the coast of Northumberland, by the author himself. with descriptions of some new species of Invertebrata. 315 Volvaria subcylindrica, Brown, Illus. Conch, p. 3. pi. 19. figs. 19, 20; 2nd edit.— pi. 38. f. 19,20; 1st edit. Among the Bundoran shells was one on which Mr. Alder made the following remarks : " Capt. Brown's Volv. subcylindrica agrees with it in outline, but he describes the species as smooth, while this shell has both longitudinal ridges of growth and transverse strise. The latter however are very faint, and in a worn shell neither of them might be visible. I am inclined therefore to consider them the same, but leave it to your own judgement to decide the question." To the better judgement of Mr. Alder I prefer to leave it ; his know- ledge too of the British marine Mollusca is very complete, whilst mine is very superficial, and must remain so, my eyes being now unable without injury to bear even the lowest magnifying powers .- But that my friends kindly " lend me their eyes," I could not include the minute species. All that Capt. Brown says of the locality of this shell is — •' discovered at Dunbar by General Bingham." Rissoa costulata, Risso, Alder in Ann. Nat. Hist. vol. xiii. p. 324. pi. 8. figs. 8, 9, May and June (figures) 1844. When looking over the collection of Mr. Alder in October last, he pointed out a specimen of this shell which had been given him by Dr. Farran of Dublin, who procured it at Roundstone on the Gal- way coast. The specimens described in the * Annals ' were from Torbay, De- vonshire. ^' Rissoa Warreni, Thompson. Plate XIX. fig. 4. On my submitting this species and the following (which I could not find described) to Mr. Alder's opinion, he believed them to be new, and before returning the specimens, wrote descriptions and made drawings of them for his own guidance. Having offered to copy these for my use if desired, I gladly availed myself of the proffered kindness, feeling well-satisfied that the descriptions would be better than any drawn up by myself, and that the figures would be most faithful. Rissoa Warreni. — " Shell slender, tapering, thin, transparent yel- lowish white, with six much rounded and deeply divided whorls ter- minating in a rather fine point, the nucleus sunk in the apex. Aper- ture oblong-oval : outer lip thin, without rib : inner lip not reflected, but having a deep umbilicus behind it. The shell is slightly wrinkled by the lines of growth, and is delicately striated spirally ; the striae can only be seen with a good magnifier, and are most distinctly ob- servable at the base. There are also some faint indications of small obsolete ribs on the middle whorls. Length two-tenths of an inch ; breadth one-twelfth." Two specimens were found at Portmarnock (Dublin coast) by T. W. Warren, Esq. •fOdostomia crassa, Thompson. Plate XIX. fig. 5. Of this shell a single specimen was sent me from Roundstone, Z2 316 Mr. W. Thompson's Contributions to the Fauna of Ireland, Galway coast, in Oct. 1840, by Wm. M'Calla. Mr. Alder describes it:— " Shell thick, conical, opake, of a dull dirtyish white, with five flat whorls, the last occupying about two-thirds of the shell. The apex is slightly oblique ; the upper whorls smooth, the last rugose, bulging and rather flattened in the middle, having strong coarse strise crossed by indistinct lines of growth. Aperture ovate, white and polished internally : outer lip thick, acute at the edge : inner lip reflected on the pillar with a deep impression behind it, but no um- bilicus. Tooth strong. Length l^ tenth of an inch ; breadth nearly ^A tenth." <^ fBuccinum Zetlandicum, Forbes, Loudon's Mag. of Nat. Hist. vol. viii. p. 593. fig. 62. A Buccinum taken on a long line in deep water near Bunowen, county Galway, is considered by Professor Forbes to be his B. Zet- landicum, though diff^ering in its being a thin shell, &c. — he does not now feel certain of this being more than a variety of B. undatum. The specimen is in the collection of Dr. Farran, who states that others were procured by similar means. *^ ■\Pleurotoma Farrani, Thompson. Plate XIX. fig. 3. Shell fusiform, turreted, with nine volutions (well-marked), and ten prominent ribs (on body whorl) ; closely- set deep strise extending spirally over the whole shell. Length 7 lines ; breadth just above aperture 2 lines ; longitudinal ribs very prominent, '* not continuous ft-om whorl to whorl," and slightly angulated at summit ; aperture occupying nearly 3 lines in length, elongate ear-shaped, strong rib of body whorl appearing just outside it ; canal wide and long, turning a little obliquely to the left ; outer and pillar lip smooth. Colour pale yellowish brown, with numerous darker brown nar- row bands equal in breadth to the lighter coloured space between them, winding spirally round the shell, and giving it when magnified a very handsome appearance ; a single brown band of a much darker hue at the top of each volution. This species comes near P. SmitJiii, Forbes, 'Annals of Nat. Hist.' vol. v. p. 107. pi. 2. fig. 14. Of this shell, handsome both in form and colour, two specimens were obtained by Dr. Farran on the Irish coast, he thinks at Port- marnock. ■fPleurotoma Ulidiana, Thompson. Plate XIX. fig. 2. Shell fusiform, turreted, with eight volutions, eleven ribs (on body whorl) with coarse deep spiral strise. Length 7 lines ; breadth just above aperture 2^ lines ; volutions very slightly ventricose, rather flattened at top, but less so than in P. turricola ; ribs strong and coarse, " not continuous from whorl to whorl ;" coarse cut strise across ribs and furrows ; aperture crescentic; outer lip thin and in form of a bow ; pillar-lip somewhat hollowed ; canal very short. Colour uniform dirty brown. with descriptions of some new species of Invertebrata. 317 This species — coarse in form and sculpture, and plain in colour — closely approximates Pleur. hrachystomum, Philippi, Enum. Moll. Sicilise, vol. ii. p. 169. pi. 26. f. 10, from which I could not regard it as distinct but for a single character possessed by that species in raised spiral strise. These are apparent in the profile of the shell as figured by Philippi ; they are much more numerous too than the deep striae of Pleur. Ulidiana. Three specimens of this shell were dredged from a depth of about 8 to 10 fathoms by Mr. Hyndman and myself in Oct. 1834 in Strang- ford lough, county Down. •f Triton elegans, Thompson. Plate XIX. fig. 1. T Shell turreted, somewhat ventricose, about eight volutions, nu- merous prominent ribs crossed by fine raised spiral strise. Length 7 lines ; breadth just above the aperture 3;^ lines ; ribs on each volution at regular distances from each other, except on the body whorl, where within three lines of the outer lip they cease, and substituted for them is one large varix equidistant between the lip and last rib ; number of ribs on body whorl twelve, but this number may rather be individual than specific ; ribs not continuous from whorl to whorl ; aperture oval ; canal oblique, widening gra- -- dually to base ; outer lip with slightly grooved strise within ; pillar- lip smooth, except at top, where two ridges appear. Colour greenish white with two double spiral lines of yellow, one series above the top of aperture, the other rather below it. This species is more handsomely formed, sculptured and coloured than Triton erinaceus ; its canal is much shorter. I have seen only a single specimen, which was found alive at Portmamock, on the Dublin coast, by Dr. Farran. •\Cardium Loveni, Thompson. Plate XIX. %. 7. Shell of a somewhat rounded outline with about thirty ribs, set with small scales ; height and length equal ; colour pure white. Length 3f lines ; breadth 3|- ; very thin and delicate ; ribs rounded, about thirty in number and becoming beautifully fine towards the beak, covered with minute closely- set transverse scales throughout, but which are more numerous on the ribs at each side ; furrows about the middle of the valve smooth and shining, narrower than at the sides, where towards the base they are crossed by transverse scales, and towards the apex punctate — near the beaks they appear in the form of a mere linear depression. Colour pure white, with somewhat of a pearly lustre inside and outside. Compared with the British species of Cardium, this comes nearest C. edule, but is more handsome in form, sculpture and colour. It is more rounded (less truncate at the anterior end), has the beaks ter- minating in a finer point, ribs more numerous and with the scales on them more closely set, but less elevated, the furrows narrower. Cardium scabrum, Philippi, Enum. Moll. Sicilise, vol. ii. p. 38. pi. 14. fig. 16, comes so near my shell, that future investigation may 318 Mr. W. Thompson's Contributions to the Fauna of Ireland, possibly show that they should be brought together : C. scabrum differs from it in having only twenty-six ribs, in the furrows being equal and punctate, and in its exhibiting two obscure violet rays, and having the beaks yellow ; but as my specimens were not seen in a living state, stress need not be laid on the difference of colour. This species was obtained in three localities* nearly about the same time. In October 1841 numbers of it, but mostly broken, were found by Dr. Farran in the stomachs of sole (Solea vulgaris^ pur- chased in Dublin market, and taken off our eastern coast ; in June 1842 Mr. Hyndman dredged a very few specimens from a depth of 50 fathoms, off the South Rock, coast of Down ; and specimens which I have seen in Mr. Cuming's unequalled collection were sent him by Dr. Loven in 1 842 as a species unknown to him, and which had been obtained on the west coast of Sweden. It is named in honour of this distinguished naturalist. ■fAmphidesma intermedia, Thompson. Plate XIX. fig. 6. Shell oval-oblong, nearly equilateral, white with prismatic colours. Length 2 J lines ; breadth 4 ; thickness 1^ ; beaks almost central ; shell nearly equilateral, rounded at each end, more particularly at the posterior ; thin, semi-transparent, glossy, white with prismatic hues. This species is intermediate in form or outline between Amph.priS' maticum and A. Boysii, and also in general characters, but on the whole may perhaps be said to approximate the latter the more nearly ; its form however at once marks it as distinct from A. Boysii, than which it has the beaks more central, is broader and more equilateral, has the apex rather more marked and pointed, and is beautifully iridescent inside and outside — the teeth do not present any marked differential characters. * Should C. scabrum prove identical, in four localities — from Sweden to Sicily — this has been discovered subsequent to the publication of Philippi's first vol. in 1836, and is for the first time described in his second vol. which appeared in 1844. fModioIa vestita, Philippi, Enum. Moll. Sicilise, vol. ii. p. 51. tab. 15. fig. 12 (1844). This Modiola is included in my Report on the Invertebrata of Ireland, but without any specific name being applied to it. A reference to the above work as soon as it appeared showed that the Irish shell is the M. vestita, known to Philippi only as found on the shore at Malta. In a letter from Mr. Alder written on the 1st of April 1844, it was men- tioned that among shells lately sent from the Mediterranean to Mr. King, Curator of the Newcastle Museum, were two specimens similar to the Irish shell : they *' were imbedded in sponge, and one inch and one inch and a quarter respectively in length, and a little thicker from being older shells, but in all other respects the same." In May last I saw Modiolcs of this spe- cies from the Mediterranean in Mr. Cuming's unrivalled collection. The only Irish specimen of this shell yet known was procured some years ago at Youghal by Miss M. Ball. It is described and figured in the second edition of Brown's * Illustrations,' p. 132. pi. 37. fig. 36, under the name of Modiola Ballii. with descriptions of some new species of Invertehrata. 319 Two examples of this species were dredged from a depth of ahout 6 fathoms in Strangford lough near Portaferry in August 1837 by- Mr. Hyndman and myself ; and two more were in like manner pro- cured by us in July 1840 when with Mr. Edward Forbes and Mr. R. Ball dredging in Killery bay on the western coast — depth from 3 to V2 fathoms. Crustacea*. Polybius Henslowiiy Leach, Malac. pi. 9. Desmarest, Consid. Crust, p. 100. pi. 7. fig. 1. (copied from Leach) . Edwards, Hist . Crust, vol. i. p. 439. A crab of this species was obtained at Crook Haven, county Cork, in August last by Professor AUman, who kindly sent it to me. It was remarked at the same time by its captor that the species appears to be *' eminently natatory," and that " the one taken was swimming with great ease near the surface of the water among shoals of Aca- lephce." It would appear, from the general work of Milne Edwards on the Crustacea, that this is the only species of its genus known. It was described by Leach from specimens taken on the coast of Devonshire, and is given by M. Edwards as one of the species of La Manche, these being the only localities noticed for it in the two works. Nymphon Johnstoni, Goodsir, Edin. Phil. Journ. January 1843, p. 136. pi. 3. fig. 4. The first specimen of this Nymphon which I have seen was taken by Dr. J. L. Drummond at Macedon point, Belfast bay, upwards of twenty years ago. From 1834 to the present time I have occasionally procured it on the north-east coast. From the " German Ocean " Mr. Goodsir's specimens were derived. Nymphon spinosum, Goodsir, Edin. P. J. January 1842, p. 136. pi. 3. fig. 3. Examples of this species have been taken in Belfast bay, &c. No locality is mentioned by Mr. Goodsir, but his specimens are probably from the Firth of Forth. Pasithoe vesiculosa^ Goodsir, Edin. P. J. Oct. 1842, p. 365. pi. 6. fig. 17. My specimen of this rare form was dredged at Dalkey island, bay of Dublin, in August 1840 : R. Ball, E. Forbes, W.T. : Mr. Goodsir's was procured in the Firth of Forth. * IrencBus splendidus, Goodsir, Edin. Phil. Journ. Oct. 1843, p. 339. pi. 6. fig.l— 9. Although this species is unknown to me as Irish, it seems desirable, from its being as yet recorded only as inhabiting a part of the eastern coast of Scotland, to mention, that it frequents the western coast of that country likewise, several specimens having been captured by Mr. Hyndman in a towing-net at the Kyles of Bute in the month of June last. Their green colour eepecially attracted attention. 320 Mr. W. Thompson's Contributions to the Fauna of Ireland, My Pasithoe, together with the two species of Nymphon and the IrencEus, have been seen by Mr. Goodsir. Udonella caligormnj Johnston, Loudon's Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. viii. p. 496. f. 45. Numerous parasites of this species were attached to a Caligus on a gray gurnard {Trigla Gurnardus), captured on the coast of Down on the 22nd of June last by Mr. Hyndman. Annelida. ■\Borlasia alba, Thompson. Dec. 18, 1843. — Two worms, apparently of the genus Borlasia (Johnston, Mag. Zool. and Bot. vol. i. p. 536) and of the same spe- cies, were found on the beach a short way northward of Carrickfergus by Mr. Hyndman and myself. They were lurking under stones be- tween tide-marks. The species may be described as new, under the name of Borlasia alba : — of a whitish colour throughout, excepting behind the eyes on each side, where a reddish spot appears ; eyes fourteen ; the first four on each side near the margin of the body dis- posed in a line, and at equal distances from each other ; considerably behind them are three at each side disposed in a triangular manner, the base towards the head of the worm : entire length 2 inches when stretched out so that its breadth is 1 line [\ or j2^h. of an inch. jv .\ The annexed outline shows the position of the ^|l?l^ eyes. 1. Reddish spots. Planaria cornuta, Miill. Zool. Dan. vol. i. p. 37. tab. 32. f. 5 — 7 ; Johnst. Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. v. p. 344, with woodcuts. Aug. 26, 1844. — Mr. Hyndman dredging today off Castle Chi- chester, just within the entrance of Belfast bay, and at a depth of from 6 to 10 fathoms, took three specimens on Laminarice. Although the figures of this Planaria in the works cited differ a good deal, I agree with Dr. Johnston in believing them to represent the same species. The Irish specimens as observed at various times were more round in outline than Dr. Johnston's figures, and consequently quite different from those of Miiller in that respect. The network of red- dish " vein-like ramifications " on a cream-coloured ground renders this Planaria viewed as a whole very beautiful : the multitude of dot- like black eyes on a rich white ground too looked very elegant from the contrast of the white to the general reddish hue of the animal. Its progress, as Dr. Johnston remarks, ** for a worm " is not slow : the tentacula were always reflected backwards so as not to be visible in a profile view. The species has been already so fully described that further obser\^ations are unnecessary. One which I left gliding about in sea-water apparently in perfect health, was when I looked at it again after eighteen hours not only dead, but almost wholly decom- with descriptions of some new species of Invertehrata. 321 Planaria rosea, Miill. Zool. Dan. vol. ii. p. 31. tab. 64. figs. 1, 2. At the same time with Planaria cornuta two specimens of P. rosea were taken. T'his species has not yet a place in the British fauna, but it was obtained on the coast of Anglesea last autumn by- Mr. M'Andrew and Professor Edward Forbes when dredging there. Miiller's specimens were from the coast of Norway. ECHINODERMATA. Holothuria [Cucumarid] inhcerens, Mull. Zool. Dan. vol. i. p. 35. tab.31. f.l— 7. An example of this species, about three inches in length, or as represented in the ' Zoologia Danica,' was found by Mrs. W. J. Han- cock, cast on the beach at Balbriggan (county Dublin) after a storm in March 1843. This has not been noticed as a British species. fChirodota digitata, Mont. (sp.). Holothuria digitata, Mont. Linn. Trans, vol. xi. p. 22. pi. 4. f. 6 ; Forbes^s Brit. Echino- dermata^ p. 239. On the 18th of December 1843, an individual of this species, which had hitherto been obtained only by Montagu in Devonshire, was found lying on the sand between tide-marks near Carrickfergus Castle during a search for natural-history objects by Mr. Hyndman and myself. ACALEPHA. t Velella subemarginata, Thompson. Membranous base oblong, slightly cut round the edge, in length 2 inches 10 lines, breadth 1 inch 7^ lines ; crest almost crescentic in form or obscurely pointed at highest part, thick in substance, with a minute vein-like ramification appearing throughout : body proper or skeleton, of a narrow oblong form, rounded at ends, in length 2 inches 4 lines, breadth 10 lines. Colour when recent according to Professor AUman : " Disc, mar- gin and tentacula fine sky-blue ; sail light blue, nearly transparent, margined with delicate violet. Skeleton colourless and transparent." This species differs from the ordinary Velella of the Irish coast in its greatly superior size, in the margin of the membranous base being slightly emarginate, in the crest being of a much stronger consist- ence and of a more rounded outline. The specimen here described was given to me by Professor All- man, who saw great abundance of them on the shore of Courtma- sherry harbour (county Cork) after a south-westerly gale late in the autumn of 1838 or 1839, but preserved only one. This description of ^Velella from spirits must necessarily be unsatis- factory, but it seems to me better that a species should, under such circumstances, be noticed than passed over altogether — named it perhaps should not be, but this has already been done in my Report on the Invertehrata of Ireland : the specific name there is given er- roneously marginata. 322 Mr. Ch. C. Babington on the correct Nomenclature of the ZOOPHYTA. Cellepora Skenei, Ellis and Solander (sp.) ; Johnst. Brit. Zoop. p.275. pl.32. f.6— 8. Among " corallines " taken in the trawl-nets in very deep water off the eastern coast of Ireland, and preserved in Miss Ball's collec- tion, is a specimen of C. Skenei which was pointed out to me by that lady in May last. Dr. Johnston, in his ' British Zoophytes,' p. 276, remarks — " Notwithstanding the apparent dissimilarity in habit of the three preceding Celleporce [C. Skenei^ C. ramulosa and C. pumi- cosd], I cannot but suspect that they are merely different states of the same species, for in these productions the * fronti nulla fides ' receives many an apposite illustration." This specimen tends to bear out the correctness of the view that the three forms are not speci- fically different : the form C. Skenei is rare ; C. ramulosa not common ; C.pumicosa abundant : this last may perhaps be considered the base of both the others. With this one specimen of C. Skenei, a good deal of C. ramulosa was taken of small size adherent to Sertularia ar- gent ea. Retepora cellulosaf Linn, (sp.) ; Johnston, Brit. Zoop. p. 297, vignette no. 46. p. 283. Professor AUman informs me that he has in his possession a spe- cimen of this Retepora attached to a Pinna obtained by the long-line fishermen in spring last at Cape Clear. Iluanthos Scoticus, Forbes, Ann. Nat. Hist. vol. v. p. 183. pi. 3 ? A number of specimens of an Iluanthos (and there is little doubt belonging to this species, though from their not having been seen in a living state a note of interrogation is added) were found by Mrs. W. J, Hancock on the beach at Balbriggan, after a storm in March 1843. The only other specimens recorded were taken in four fathoms water at Loch Ryan, south-west of Scotland. XLV. — On the correct Nomenclature of the Lastrsea spinosa and L. multiflora of Newman, By Charles C. Babington, M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S. &c.* Lastrcea spinosa. — In Newman^s ' History of British Ferns' tbis name is adopted for the plant usually known in England as Aspidium spinulosum (Sw.), on account of Roth having been the first botanist who, in Mr. Newinan^s opinion, properly distin- guished this plant from the fern known in this country by the name of A. dilatatum, and called by Roth Polysticum multiflorum. That Roth deserves the credit of very carefully distinguishing the plants will be allowed by all who read his observations upon them, • Read before the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, 10th April, 1845. Lastrsea spinosa and L. multiflora 4)f Newman. 323 but I am not inclined to admit that he was the first who under- stood them. All the older writers who have noticed this plant refer to Weiss, Crypt., who describes it most satisfactorily as Polypodium filix- fcemina, 7. spinosa, but states expressly that this and three other varieties are " unius solummodo speciei notabiliores varietates/' His term spinosa therefore, being only employed to designate a variety, has no claim of priority over one used specifically, for it certainly is not imperative, although an excellent practice, to adopt that name for a plant as a species the term by which it was known as a variety. Weiss refers to Miiller^s ' Flora Fri- drichsdalia' for a description and figure of his plant : that de- scription is very short but satisfactory, and the figure (which only represents one pair of pinnae) cannot be doubted. If now we refer to the earliest writers who have used the term spinulosum as applicable to a species, we find Midler employing it* in the ' Flora Danica^ in the year 1777, and Retz in his ^ Flora Scandinavise^ in 1795. The figure in the ' Fl. Dan.^ is far from being satisfactory, as indeed is the case with many of the plates in that work, but it, and Miiller's own figure in his ^ Fl. Fridrich.,' which is certainly our plant, are quoted as belonging to Asp. spi- nulosum by all the best authorities. There cannot, I think, be any doubt that Miiller, when applying the name of Polyp, spinu- losum to the plate in ' Fl. Dan.,^ supposed that the artist intended to represent the unnamed plant noticed by him in his ' Fl. Fri- drich.^ as Polypodium no. 841. This settles the point as to the priority of the names, for spinosum was not applied to a species until used by Roth in the year 1800. Even if Miiller had been unacquainted with the plant named Polysticum multiflorum by Roth, we should have had quite suffi- cient proof that his Polyp, spinulosum is identical with the Polyst. spinosum of Roth, and also that he well understood the species ; but if we turn to the ^ Fl. Fridrich.^ we find upon the same plate the representation of another pair of pinnae belonging to his un- named plant Polyp, no. 845, and this is a very good figure of RotVs Polyst. multiflorum, being indeed referred by him to that species. Miiller^s short description also is satisfactory. It seems then that although Roth may have been the first who " properly" (that is I presume according to modern ideas) distinguished the species, yet that thirty-three years previously Miiller had sepa- rated them specifically, and described and figured them accord- ing to the modes usually adopted at that date. Miiller having * The assertion that " spinulosum " here is a misprint for Weiss's term " spinosum " is surely unfounded. M tiller's name was doubtless suggested by that of Weiss, and substituted, we may well suppose, as agreeing better with the character of the plant. 324 Mr. Ch. C. Babington on the correct Nomenclature of the afterwards given a name to one of them (but still anterior to the publication of Rothes work) ought not to have his name super- sededj because the artist employed on the ^ Fl. Dan/ was not of a high order of merit, or because he was careless enough to ad- mit the bad figure engraved on tab. 707. to be a representation of his previously unnamed species, and took that opportunity of conferring a name upon it. That Miiller did not confound his own plant {Polyp, no. 841, Fl. Fridrich.) with the P. cristatum (Linn.) will be seen by attending to an observation upon p. 195 of his 'Fl. Fridrich.'' which is as follows : "Tria Polypodia, no. 841, 844, 845, nullo modo cum Linnseanis descriptionibus aut aliorum satis juste conciliare potui, hinc peritis descriptiones ac figurse foliolorum traduntur.^^ Of these plants no. 841. is Polyp, spinu- losum (MiiU.) ; no. 844. is Athyrium ovatum (Roth.), A. dentatum (Hoffm.), which seems to form part of the A. molle of Newman ; no. 845. is Polyst. multiflorum (Roth). Thus it appears that Miiller had endeavoured to refer his plants to a Linnsean species, but without success, and that succeeding botanists have con- firmed their separation from the plants of Linnaeus. Having done my best to show that spinulosum is the earliest specific name belonging to Polyst. spinosum of Roth (who indeed quotes both the ' Fl. Fridrich.' and ' Fl. Dan.' in his 'Tent. Fl. Germ.,' but, apparently by accident, does not notice the specific name given in the latter, although he had previously quoted it in his ' Catalecta,' pt. 1.), it is not necessary to waste space upon an examination of later descriptions of plants so named, some of which describe the indusium as having a fringe of stalked glands, and therefore probably refer to the Polyst. multiflorum (Roth), and others expressly notice its absence. I find no reference to these glands in the original authorities for Polyp, spinulosum, and do not think that there is any P. spinulosum which possesses them, and at the same time is specifically distinct from P. mul- tiflorum (Roth). I possess three continental specimens named Asp. spinulosum, in neither of which are there stalked glands to be found. Two of them are from Prussian Saxony, and the third is from Bitche in Lorraine. There does not seem to be the slight- est reason to doubt these specimens being Polyst. spinosum (Roth) and Polyp, spinulosum (Miill.), and they tend to confirm the opi- nion that the true Asp. spinulosum of Germany is the same as our plant [Lastrcea spinosa, Newm.), and that it has not the stalked glands on the edge of the indusium. The synonyms seem to be as follows : — Polypodium, no. 841, MUll. Fl. Fridrich. 193. tab. 2. fig. 2. (1767). Polyp, fihx-fcemina, y. spinosa, Weiss, PL Crypt. Fl. Gott. 316. (1770). Polyp, spinulosum, MUll. Fl. Dan. 707. (text and probably figure,) Lastrsea spinosa and L. multiflora of Newman. 325 (1 777). Rett, FL Scand. ed. 2. 250. (1795). Wither. Bot. Arr. ed. 3. iii. 778. (1796). Wahl. FL Upsal. 345. (1820). Polyp, multiflorum, /3. spinosum, i2o^A, Catalecta Bot . i. 135. (1797). Polysticum spinosum, Roth, Tent. Fl. Germ. iii. 91. (1800). Catal. Bot. ii. 149. (1800). Aspidium dilatatum, /3. spinulosum, Wahl. Fl. Lapp. 282. (1812). Asp. spinulosum, a. Wahl. Fl. Suec. ii. 675. (1826). Nephrodium spinulosum, Kunth, Fl. Berol. ii. 418. (1838). Lastreea spinosa, Newm. in Nat. Aim. for 1844 ; Hist, of Brit. Ferns , 209. (1844). Lastraa multiflora. — As to the supposed priority of Rothes name {Polysticum multiflorum), it may be remarked that Roth having continued to employ his own specific name, given in the ' Catalecta/ is no proof that he " claims for it priority/^ as he seems in other cases to prefer his own names to those previously used by Hoffmann without assigning any reason. In the present case he takes no further notice of Hofimann^s name [Polyp, dila- tatum) than by quoting it as a synonym of his own Polyst. mul- tiflorum. Rothes ' Catalecta Botanica/ part 1, appeared in the year 1797, whilst vol. ii. of Hoffmann^s ^ Deutschlands Flora' (which I have not seen) was published in ^^ 1795.^^ It appears therefore that the claim of priority is in favour of dilatatum, which Roth (Tent. Fl. Germ.) gives as an undoubted synonym of his multiflorum, and also quotes Miiller^s figure in the ^ Fl. Fridrich./ to which I have already referred. There does not seem to be sufficient reason for any doubt being thrown upon the identity of Hoffmann^s Polyp, dilatatum with Rothes Polyst. multiflorum ; and if they are identical, RotVs admirable description is surely not a sufficient reason for adopting a name which has not been used by any botanist (as far as my observation extends) except its author and Mr. Newman, and rejecting one of prior date, and at least as good, which has been correctly employed by many authors. In the first part of his ^ Catalecta ' Roth did not distinguish this plant from the preceding, but included them both under the name of Polypodium multiflorum. In the second part he sepa- rated them, employing the name of multiflorum for the var. a., and spinosum for the var. /3. of the former part. The ' Catalecta,' part 2, was printed after vol. iii. of the ' Tentamen Fl. Germ.,' which is quoted in it, and we must refer to the ' Tentamen ' for the separation of the synonyms of the respective species, which are mixed together in the ' Catalecta,' part 1, but carefully re- ferred to the species to which they belong in the ' Tentamen.' It is unnecessary to go further into an examination of the synonymy of this species, as the whole question turns upon the above points. 326 Mr. B. H. Hodgson on sios new species of Nepalese Birds. In conclusion, it may be as well to add, for formes sake, that I now adopt the old names of spinulosum and dilatatum for these species, from conviction that they have the claim of priority. St. John's Coll., Cambridge, March 1845. XLVI. — Characters of six new species of Nepalese Birds. By Brian H. Hodgson, Esq., late British Resident at Nepal. Parus jouchistos. — Back and wing-coverts gray, slightly tinged with olive ; cheeks, breast, abdomen and tail-coverts rufous ; top of the head shining black ; a line from the base of culmen extend- ing over the crown of the head to the nape rufous white ; throat gray; quills and tail blackish brown, margined with gray, and the two outer tail-feathers with white. \ Length 4| inches ; bill from gape 4 lines ; wings 2\ inches ; tarsi 9 lines. Parus seriophrys. — Yellowish olive ; coverts of wings, quills and tail-feathers blackish brown, the former with pale tips, the two latter margined with greenish yellow ; under surface yellowish white ; a spot of bright yellow over each eye. Length 4 inches ; bill from gape 4 lines ; wings 2~ inches ; tarsi 8 lines. Parus dichrous. — Cinereous ; forehead, cheeks, and throat brownish white ; breast and abdomen pale rufous; quills and tail- feathers brown, margined with cinereous. Length 4^ inches ; bill from gape 5 lines ; wings 2| inches ; tarsi 9 lines. Oreocincla rostrata. — Upper surface uniform ochraceous brown; beneath ochraceous white, the fore part of neck spotted with black, the feathers of the breast and abdomen margined with black ; a line from the nostrils through each eye white ; under tail-coverts white with dusky edges on the outer sides. Length 11 inches; bill from gape 1^ inch ; wings 5^ inches; tarsi l^^inch. lanthocincla [Trochalopteron) suhunicolor. — Olivaceous, tinged with rufous on the lower part of the back, some of the feathers of the upper part of the back margined with black ; quills black, basal part of outer webs bright yellow, the other part gray ; tail with middle feathers olivaceous brown, the outer feathers black, tipped with white. Length 8^ inches ; bill from gape 9 lines. Leiothrix (Proparus) chrysotis. — Cinereous, tinged with olive on the uropygium ; forehead blackish cinereous ; throat silvery gray ; breast and abdomen yellow ; wing-coverts and quills black, the latter margined internally with white, and exteriorly with On some Rarities found on the West Coast of Scotland. 327 orange-yellow; tail blackish brown^ margined exteriorly with yellow. Length 4 inches ; bill from gape 5 lines ; wings 2 inches ; tarsi 9 lines. XL VII. — Notice of some Rarities found on the West Coast of Scotland. By the Rev. David Landsborough. In this lazy world a person is often much indebted to the eyes and hands of others in helping him to observe and collect. How helpful might colliers and fishermen be, the former being so often in the bowels of the earth, and the latter by their lines and nets coming so often in contact with the depths of the sea ! But they canna' be fashed. From one obliging fisherman in Milport, island of Cumbrae, who has not learned to say " I canna be fashed/^ I have got many curiosities. He has sent me at least half a dozen examples of Halichondria infundibuliformis, the funnel- sponge. One of them is figured in Dr. Johnston^s inter- esting ^ History of British Sponges.^ The last, got a few months ago, is the variety which ranked for a time as a distinct species under the name of H. ventilabra, and is now in the well-stored and liberally-yielding cabinet of Mr. Bean of Scarborough. From the same quarter I got this last summer a piece of iron- stone, which brought up with it some curiosities from the deep sea. It was studded with Crania personata, so firmly cemented to the stone that only the upper valve could be detached. There was on the same stone a specimen of Serpula vitrea of rather rare occurrence. And winding over the surface of the stone, there was something like a flat sea-worm of a flesh-red colour, having at intervals the appearance of round puckered mouths. I thought I had seen its like before, but as I had mislaid the specimen with which I wished to compare it, I sent it to Mr. W. Thompson, Bel- fast, a kind resolver of doubts, who informed me that it was, as I had suspected, Zoanthus Couchii. From the same obliging fisherman I got, this summer, Psolus phantapus, which was new to me ; but respecting which I could have no doubt, from its corresponding so well with the figure and description given by Professor Forbes in his ' History of British Starfishes,' &c. On the shore at Ardrossan I found this summer, among some sea-weeds, what was new to me, and I believe is rare, Aplysia punctata. Even Aplysia depilans is rare here. Acteon viridisy Mont. (sp.). In a little rocky pool of sea-water, about halfway betwixt Bro- dick and Corrie, on the Arran shore, I discovered in July 1844 328 Rev. D. Landsborough on some Rarities found an Alga which seemed new to me. I greedily laid hold of it, and found it no easy matter to detach it from the rock to which it firmly adhered. It turned out to be Codium tomentosum — not rare I believe either in England or Ireland, but so rare with us, that the only Scottish specimen I had ever seen, was one given me by my intelligent friend Dr. Curdie (now in the wilds of Austra- lia), which he had got in the island of Gigha, ofi" Cantyre*. On taking it out of the water I observed a greenish gelatinous ani- mal on it j but being taken up with my rare plant, I cast the animal into the pool again. I afterwards saw on the Codium two more of the same species, but considerably smaller ; and observing that they were beautifully mottled with azure spots, I deposited them in my vasculum among the branches of Codium. When, on reaching home, I put them into a tumbler of sea-water, I soon saw that I had got a rare and beautiful moUusk, Aplysia, now Adeon viridis, discovered by Col. Montagu on the Devonshire coast, and described by him in the ' Transactions ^ of the Linnsean Society. Allow me to refer to his description as quoted by my excellent friend Professor Fleming of Aberdeen in his ' British Animals,^ a book which ought to be in the hands of every British naturalist. As I kept it for nearly a week in the tumbler, where it seemed to browse with great satisfaction on the delicate woolly beard of the Codium, I had every opportunity of observing it, and I found that it was even more beautiful than from Montagues excellent description I could have supposed. Its general colour is green, betwixt grass-green and bottle-green ; but in certain lights it has a considerable shade of rich puce colour of the finest velvet. It is beautifully dotted with azure and with gold. The azure spots are small and numerous on all parts of the body and of the fins, and are precisely of the same brilliant azure as the lines on Pa- tella pellucida. The golden spots were confined to the upper parts of the body ; they were few in number, but considerably larger and less regular in form than the azure dots. Two of them for instance were oblong, and extended from the ear-like tentacula down to the eyes, which were placed on what we would call the cuff of the neck, as if to keep watch against the enemies from behind, while it was busy feeding on the rich pasture afi^orded by the Codium. The membrane which acts as fins is of the same colour and substance as the body. When the fins are raised and meet above, they give it the appearance of being gibbous on the back. More generally however they are a little apart from each other, and in * I have since learned from Mr. Thompson of Belfast, that he found se- veral plants of it growing in the greatest perfection in a small rock-pool near Ballantrae (Ayrshire) in the month of August 1839. on the West Coast of Scotland, 329 swimming tliey extend horizontally from the body, and show, at the base of the neck, betwixt the upper part of the fins, a whitish protuberance bearing some resemblance to the shield on the back of Aplysia depilans. At the base of each fin, and pretty close to the back, there could be seen, when the light was favourable, all along the in- side, a line like the midrib of a leaf ; and from this double mid- rib there proceeded at intervals, veins in a slanting direction to the upper margin of each fin ; so that when the two fins were ex- panded, it was like a green-veined leaf. To this appearance it may at times owe its safety by deceiving the eye of prowlers. The description of the mouths given by IMontagu suited my specimens, except that in them the margin only of the upper lip was black. The lower lip and part of the throat were quite white, and were the only parts that had none of the azure or golden dots. I may mention in conclusion, that when the animal was held betwixt the eye and the hght, the body and the fins seemed full of darkish granules. On mentioning to Mrs. Griffiths (a name dear to naturalists) that I had fallen in with this green beauty, she informed me that it was frequently found in Devonshire on the Codium tomentosum, which seems to be its favourite pasture-ground ; and on which, from similarity of colour, it may often escape detection. ^ Syrinx papillosus, Thomp. In the month of March last, when my daughter Margaret was picking up some Algse on the strand near to Stevenston Burn- foot, she observed on the shore a number of gelatinous creatures, blown up like little bags. Fortunately she brought one of them home with her ; and unfortunately she brought but one ; for it turned out to be the rare Syrinx papillosus. I kept it alive for some time and made some observations on it, which I sent, along with its poor remains, to Mr. Thompson. He is a person whom it is a pleasure and a privilege to consult in doubts and difficulties. I shall add the substance of what 1 wrote to Mr. Thompson respecting Syrinx papillosus. When found it was in the form of a soda-water bottle, about an inch and a half in length, and about ^ths of an inch in dia- meter. On being put into sea- water, it assumed very much the appearance of the figure given by Forbes, being nearly 3 inches in length. The concentric striae were rather faint ; but the lon- gitudinal ones looked like ribs, about fifteen in number, and were fully twice as distant from each other as the concentric ones which they crossed. It soon became flaccid, and contracted to less than half an inch in diameter ; but it firmly adhered to the Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol.xv. 2 A 330 On some Rarities found on the West Coast of Scotland. glass by tlie short papillee with which its body was covered. Its colour was dirty white clouded with reddish brown. Next day it was blown up again^ had become more lively, and twisted itself into various forms. It gave us no reason to think that it had a proboscis. It only once displayed its tentacula, about twelve in number, which were spread back and lay quite Hat around the mouth in the form of a little star. While we waited for a more complete manifestation, it died in our hands, so that the figure was taken by my daughter Margaret in very unfavourable cir- cumstances*. The tentacula were broader at the base than they are represented in the figure. When it put out only the tips of them, they appeared round, obtuse, and marked with reddish brown bands, somewhat like the single magnified tentaculum in the figure. When it died it shrunk into very small dimensions. The concentric corrugations, though still fainter than the ribs, were more evident than when it was alive. The reticulations as- sumed a beaded aspect, so as to give the body of the creature, in certain lights, a considerable resemblance to a small head of Indian corn. But let me not forget to mention among the memorabilia, a Champagne bottle fished up last summer from the deep sea be- twixt Bute and Cumbrae ! A bottle of Highland whisky could not have been more prized by my friend James M^Fee the fisherman, nor a bottle of old Falernian more valued by myself. It seemed quite a knowing, far-travelled, aristocratic bottle. Instead of a cork, it " Had fix'd a scallop on its mouth before." Its sides were incrusted with Serpula triquetra, and its deep concavity below was inwrought with Serpula tuhularia. But what did it contain ? Ay, there ^s the rub. It w^ould take a wise man to answer that question. I never attempted it. It was full, how- ever, of some white, soft, dense substance. Having by dint of assiduity extracted a little of it, I sent it by post to Dr. Sten- house, a first-rate chemist in Glasgow, begging him to let me know what treasure of the deep this marine vial contained. Ha- ving done it all the honours of his laboratory, and having se- cundum artem analysed the precious contents, he returned for answer that ^' it was fat of some kind — probably tallow '' \\\ " Parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus." Asterina gibhosa. In August 1844 I had the pleasure of finding Asterina gib- bosa, or the gibbous starlet, in pools of sea-water on the rocky shore of Arran, near to Lamlash. It has been found in several * In consequence of this, the drawing has not been engraved. Mr. J. Walton on the genus Apion. 331 places in England ; and Mr. Thompson, Belfast,, has found it all around the coast of Ireland ; but the only habitat in Scotland mentioned by Prof. Edward Forbes is the gneiss shore of Ross- shire. I may mention, that about five years ago, I found near the same locality at Clackland Point, a little starfish which was quite new to me, and for which afterwards I repeatedly looked in vain. I found two of them alive, adhering to Halidrys siliquosa, but they were lost by being deposited in a vasculum which had been so injured that it could not be kept closely shut. This starlet was not more than |ths of an inch in length, and little more than fths in breadth ; and as it had only four rays, and as the angles were not produced, it had quite the appearance of a miniature oblong shield. It was ash-coloured above. It is possible that it might be an abnormal variety of Asterina gibbosa, but this must remain in dubia till it is found by some person with a securer vas- culum. XLVIII. — Notes on the Synonymy of the Genus Apion, with De- scriptions of Six new Species, ^c. By John Walton, Esq., F.L.S. [Continued from vol, xiii. p. 457.] 37. Apion striatum, Marsh., Kirb., Steph. Manual. — Pisi, Germ., Steph. — atratulum, Germ., Steph., Schonh. This species may be distinguished from the following by having the head rugose -punctate between the eyes, and the vertex with a smooth shining transverse band adjoining the thorax ; this is a con- stant character : the thorax has a distinct dorsal channel. The majority have the elytra obcuneiform and very convex ; these may be regarded as of the normal form ; but many individuals have a tendency to become much shorter, and these varieties have the elytra globose-ovate and subglobose ; others are narrowed poste- riorly and less convex, having the forms oblong-ovate and oblong- oval ; hence the difiiculty of identifying species from descriptions. Kirby and Stephens describe this species with the elytra globose ; Germar and Schonherr as obcuneiform: when the extreme forms are contrasted by placing them in juxtaposition, it is difiicult to believe that they belong to the same species ; yet in a long series they are closely linked together by a regular transition from one form to another, and by the natural character of the sculpture. Small specimens are sometimes found less than half the magni- tude of others, with intermediate sizes. The characters which commonly distinguish the sexes are not very obvious in this and 2A2 332 Mr. J. Walton on the genus Apion. the following species, and without some practical experience are rather difficult to determine. I received four insects from Germar with the name Ap. atra- tulum; these are beyond all doubt the same species as Ap. stria- tum of Marsham and Kirby. Very common almost everywhere on the furze ( Ulex europcms) from February to November. 38. A. immune, Kirb., Steph., Schonh. — Betulce (Chevr. in Litt.), Schonh. This species differs from the preceding in having the head di- stinctly striated between the eyes, the vertex very coarsely punc- tured adjacent to the thorax, the corresponding space in Ap. stri- atum being smooth and shining ; the thorax vdth a large puncture near the base, before the scutellum, sometimes obsolete or want- ing. The thorax has been described as somewhat globose and punctulated, whereas it is narrow and subcylindrical, laterally a little dilated at the middle, very coarsely and thickly punctured ; the elytra, at the sides, posteriorly much enlarged and rounded, with the apex obtusely rounded, above very convex, and remark- ably gibbous behind the middle. It is a smaller species than the foregoing, and also variable in form and size. M. Chevrolat forwarded to me two insects under the name of Ap. BetulcB of Schonherr, which are very evidently small varieties of this species. In my former notes on the species of this genus, I have erro- neously referred the present insect to the preceding, as its male ; the possession of an extensive series recently collected in the south of England has enabled me to correct this error, and to point out the specific distinctions of both species. This insect appears to be confined to the south of England and is rather local ; I found it plentifully on the broom {Spartium Sco- parium) in Charlton sand-pits and in other localities in June and September. 39. A. Sorbi, Herbst, Kirb., Gyll., Germ., Steph., Schonh. Cure, viridescens, Marsh. A. carhonarium, Germ. {S)> Steph. 111. The male of this species is of smaller size than the female, the eyes are more prominent, the rostrum shorter and stouter, and the elytra black. Gyllenhal first identified the male of this insect, which he com- municated to Kirby; afterwards both authors described the female, and characterized the male; since which (1817) Germar described and figured an insect under the name of Ap. carhonarium, which he subsequently recorded as the male of Ap. Sorbi"^. Stephens in his ' IHustrations ' described an insect under the name of Ap. * Germ. Mag. iii. App. p. 39. Mr. J. Walton on the genus Apion. 333 carhonarium of Germar, which he has sunk in his ' Manual ' as a variety oi Ap, Sorbi, but with a note of interrogation; and the error has not been corrected, as the name still stands in Curtis^s ' Guide^ and in Stephens's ^ Nomenclature/ Gyllenhal has erroneously referred the male to Cure, aterrimus of Linnaeus : see notes on Ap. marchicum. This fine species appears to be rare in the south of England. Mr. S. Stevens captured a few specimens of both sexes at Bury- hill near Arundel ; Mr. Wollaston found the female abundantly amongst moss and dead leaves near Cambridge, and what is re- markable, without a single male occurring ; I have also met with the female very plentifully under the same circumstances in woods and hedges near Knaresborough in Yorkshire in June, and both sexes in company in the same neighbourhood on the black thorn {Prunus spinosa) in September. According to my experience, the males oi Ap. subulatum are very rarely found with the female, and when they occur together, the number of females is much greater in proportion than the males. It is difficult to assign a cause for these anomalies. 40. A. Ervij Kirb., Gyll., Germ., Steph., Schonh. — {^) Lathyri, Kirb., Steph. Mr. Kirby confounded the sexes of this insect, and recorded Ap. Lathyri as a distinct species ; Gyllenhal afterwards defined the sexual characters, and cited Ap. Lathyri of Kirby as the male of Ap. Ervi ; British writers have subsequently, upon the author- ity of the latter author, upheld the name ; I have however pub- lished* evidence of their identity which I need not repeat here. This is a common species, widely distributed, and occurs al- most everywhere on the Lathyru^ pratensis from June to October. 41. A. punctigerum, Germ., Gyll., Steph., Schonh. — sulcifrons, Kirb., Staph., not Herbst. — punctiger, Payk., Gyll. vol. iii. I have seen a foreign specimen of Ap. sulcifrons of Herbst in the possession of Mr. Waterhouse, which is undoubtedly distinct from the present species, and has not yet been discovered in Britain. I found this insect abundantly in the north, and also near Dover on Vicia sepium, in company with Bj^uchus seminar ius, in June last. 42. A. Spencii, Kirb., Germ., Steph., Schonh. — (var. /3, y.^foveolatum, Kirb., Steph. — intrusum, Gyll., Steph. — columbinum, Steph., not Germ. The description of Ap. foveolatum by Kirby is taken from a * Ent. Mag. v. p. 13. 334 Mr. J. Walton on the genus Apion. Swedish insect sent to him by Gyllenhal, which is now in the pos- session of the Entomological Society : no doubt can exist as to the identity of this insect ; it is pinned with a long fine pin and labelled with Mr. Kirby^s number 27 ', subsequently Gyllenhal described the same species ; and it is very remarkable, that the de- scriptions of the sculpture by these celebrated entomologists are very discrepant. The head between the eyes is described by Kirby as having an impressed fovea, by Gyllenhal as flat, not impressed; the thorax is defined by the former as deeply punctured, by the latter as ohsoletely punctate. I have minutely examined the Swedish insect above-named ; it has the head, between the eyes (when viewed in front), evidently impressed, and the thorax distinctly punctured. It has a very great resemblance in all its essential characters to Ap. Spencii, and as the latter species is extremely variable, I have hitherto regarded it as a male variety, but it appears to have the rostrum a little shorter and rather less bent ; the antennae with their articulations also appear to be rather shorter and a little stouter ; these differences have caused me to hesitate in giving a decided opinion. The British insect variety fi, cited by Kirby under the name of Ap. foveolatum with a note of interrogation, " an idem t" is beyond all doubt a male of Ap. Spencii ; and va- riety 7. is decidedly a female variety of the same species. Gyl- lenhal has referred the first {^.) to his Ap. intrusum, and I have no doubt from his description it is synonymous with Ap. Spencii. Germar has cited both the above varieties of Kirby {fi, 7.) under his Ap. columbinum, but with a note of interrogation. I possess a foreign example of the latter species from Gemiar ; it has the habit of a female of Ap. Spencii with a narrow head, but appears to be distinct from that species ; it differs in having the head longer and constricted behind the eyes, with a much deeper con- cavity between them, the concavity profoundly sulcate ; the thorax somewhat cylindrical, deeply rugose-punctate ; the elytra longer, less convex, and of an oblong-oval form : I have never seen a British specimen like it. The typical examples of Ap. Spencii (27 ^ S)} now in the Kir- bian collection, have the head with a distinct cavity or fovea be- tween the eyes ; it is very extraordinary that Mr. Kirby in his description should have omitted to notice this important cha- racter. The male has the rostrum rather shorter than that of the female, fihform, and covered with hairs to the apex ; in the latter sex the rostrum is rather attenuated before the antennse, and glabrous. Varieties of the female occur with very narrow heads ; and the cavity between the eyes in both sexes is more or less deep ; the fovese on each side of the dorsal channel towards the base are sometimes obsolete or entirely wanting. When a long series of this species is closely examined, the characters will be found to be extremely variable. Mr. J. Walton on the genus Apion. 335 I have found this insect very abundant near Low Harrowgate, Scarborough, and at other places in Yorkshire, invariably on Vicia Cracca in the month of August ; and also at Lyndhurst. Taken by Mr. S. Stevens near Edgeware, and at Hampstead in July. 43. A. virens, Herbst, Kirb., Germ., Gyll., Steph., Schonh. — marchicum, Kirb. ((^), Germ., Steph. — aneocej)halu7n, Gyll. vol. iii. Mr. Kirby suspected that Ap. marchicum was but a sexual va- riety oi Ap. virens; the male has the rostrum distinctly shorter and stouter, with the antennse inserted at the middle ; I have no doubt whatever that the former is the male of the latter. It is rather a common species, and found in the north and south of England on hedge-banks and amongst grass in the spring and autumn. 44. A. Astragali, Payk., Kirb., Gyll., Germ., Steph., Schonh. I am indebted to R. N. Greville, Esq., for specimens of this beautiful insect ; they were taken by him near Northampton in June ; it inhabits Astragalus glycyphyllus, and is found in June and July. I have frequently examined that plant in the north and south of England, but I never met with the insect ; it appears to be extremely local and periodical in its appearance : Mr. Kirby sought for it year after year. Astragalus glycyphyllus being abun- dant near his residence, but never found it more than once. 45. A. Loti, Kirb., Germ., Steph. — angustatum, Kirb., Gyll., Schonh. — modestum. Germ. — (var.) glabratum (Spence MSS.), Germ., Steph. — (var.) civicum, Mus. Steph. Ap. angustatum was described by Kirby from a Swedish in- sect which is certainly a narrow female variety of Ap. Loti ; ex- amples of the latter, which I sent to Schonherr, were named by that author ^jo. angustatum; and specimens previously forwarded to Schonherr by Mr. Waterhouse were returned with the same name. I likewise sent specimens to Germar ; his note relative to them is as follows : '^ Ap. Loti of Kirby (c^) and Ap. angusta- tum ( ? ) are no doubt the same species ; until the present time I possessed only one injured specimen, presented to me by Mr. Spence ; my Ap. modestum is identical with Ap. angustatum.^^ It is upon Mr. Kirby^s authority that I have citGd Ap. glabratum as a synonym, from the following note in his manuscript book : '' gla- bratum of Spence, var. Apion Loti, K.^^ This I communicated to Germar in a note under Ap. Loti, but he made no observation upon it. I have found this species rather abundant in Yorkshire, at 336 Mr. J. Walton on the genus Apion. Birch Wood, Mickleham, and other places, always upon the Lotus corniculatuSj in July. 46. A. afer, Schonh. (1833). — validirostre, Schonh. -^ puncticolle {WdX^vh. MSS.), Steph. Manual (1839). I possess eight foreign examples of this species, sent to me by Schonherr, Germar and Chevrolat all under the first name ; I have closely examined and compared these with a long series of eighty- three specimens of Ap. puncticolle, and no doubt exists in my mind that they are identically the same ; M. Chevrolat and Mr. Waterhouse agree with me in this opinion. It is an insect that is subject to sexual and individual variation, and the va- rieties in a long series gradually pass one into another, so that no separation can be made. According to Germar, Ap. validirostre of Schonherr is the male of this species. I met with a great number of this insect the beginning of July amongst grass on hedge-sides near Turner's Wood, H amp- stead. 47. A. scutellare, Kirb., Germ., Schonh., Steph. — Kirbii (Leach MSS.), Germ., Steph. I sent specimens of this insect under the name of Ap. Kirbii to Schonherr, who referred them to Ap. scutellare of his work. Kirby originally characterized it with the latter name, and I re- gret that in strict accordance with the law of priority it cannot be changed. The late Dr. Leach placed in the national cabinet (at what period I have no means of determining) three insects under the name oiAp. Kirbii, which undoubtedly belong to Ap. scutellare. Germar has described* an insect with the name Ap. Kirbiij and added this note : " According to the description of Ap. scutellare, Mon. 78, we should distinguish this insect as being it, if Dr. Leach had not sent the same as a new species under the above name ; but should this have been done through mistake, this description will at least serve as an addition to that ofKirby.^' I have found this insect very plentiful on the furze {Ulex eicropaus) near Lyndhurst, and in Windsor Forest in June, and also at Shirley Common in October. On the furze. Ascot Heath, in great abundance in July and August, Mr. S. Stevens. 48. A. obscurum, Marsh., Kirb., Steph. Two examples of this species were found amongst a parcel of insects given to Mr. Marsham by A. B. Lambert, Esq., one of * Germ. Mag. iii. App. p. 50, 1818. Mr. J. Walton on the genus Apion. 337 which is now in the collection of Mr. Kirby, and the other in that of Mr. Stephens ; these are the only specimens known. 49. A.flavipes, Fab. (1781), Herbst, Kirb., GylL, Germ., Steph., Schonh. Common on the white or Dutch clover {Trifolium re'pens)^ Mr. Kirby. 50. A. nigritarse, Kirb., Germ., Steph., Schonh. — Waterhousei, Schonh. The typical example of the last-named insect being in the ca- binet of Mr. Waterhouse, I have had ample opportunity of exami- ning it ; it is doubtless a female variety of the present species, having the tibise obscure testaceous. Found rather abundantly on various plants j which renders its habitat uncertain. h\, A. assimile, Kirb., Germ., Gyll., Steph., Schonh. — (var. b.) flavipes, Gyll. vol. iii. Taken occasionally in profusion from April to October in red clover fields, pastures, meadows, and on hedge-banks, frequently in company with the two following species {Ap. Fagi and Ap. Trifolii). 52. A. Fagi, Linn., Kirb. Cure. Fagi, Mus. Linn. A. apricans, Herbst, Germ., Gyll., Steph., Schonh. — Fagi, Mus. Kirb. — fiavifemoratum, Kirb., not Herbst. The law of priority requires that the name given by the illus- trious naturalist should be restored to this species. Mr. Kirby has demonstrated* that the original specimens now preserved in the Linnsean museum are "beyond all question'^ the true Cure. Fagi of Linnseus. I have recently rigorously re- examined and compared these specimens with all the yellow- legged Apions that are liable to be confounded with them, and I can now affirm, without the least hesitation or doubt, that they are two immature males of Ap. aprieans of Herbst : the form of the rostrum being nearly straight; the pale yellow basal joints of the antennse, their shallow subremote punctures on the disc of the thorax, the pallid or pale yellow trochanters and femora, distinguish them from all the other allied species. Ap. Fagi of Kirby is described by him from the above-named Linnsean examples. There is an insect in the Kirbian collection of Apions with the name " Fagi " ; it is fastened upon a piece of paper with gum, and compressed to imitate the Linnsean speci- * Linn. Trans, ix. p. 41. 338 Mr. J. Walton on the genus Apion. mens ; this I have many times examined, and always with the same result, which is, that it is an immatm'e male of Ap. apricans of Herbst, synonymous with Ap. flavifemoratum of Kirby : the latter author therefore appears to have described the same spe- cies twice ; but I think the circumstance of Linnseus having given the habitat in " Fagifoliis " has had a tendency to bias Mr. Kir- by^s judgement, in considering it distinct from his Ap. flavifemo- ratum : this (with many other species of the genus that I have examined) has ample wings, and the imago is not always found on the same plant that the larva feeds upon, but sometimes on trees — see notes on Ap. Craccce ; it is therefore very probable that Ap. Fagi of Linnseus was found on a beech-tree. This and the preceding species, from their extreme resemblance to each other, are rather difficult to determine, but a knowledge of their sexual dissimilarities in the form of the rostrum will greatly assist in distinguishing them. Ap. assimile may be known from Ap. Fagi by having the ros- trum in both sexes distinctly more curved, and in the male at- tenuated in front ; whereas the latter species has the rostrum of both sexes filiform, nearly straight, and evidently longest in the female. Ap. assimile has the basal joints of the antennse dull piceous ; the thorax closely punctulated, with the punctures con- fluent. Ap. Fagi has the basal joints of the antennse testaceous ; the thorax above more convex, with shallow subremote punctures on the disc ; and it is a larger insect than Ap. assimile. I have foreign specimens of Ap. flavifemoratum of Herbst from Germar, found in Saxony, which is a very distinct species and not hitherto discovered in this country. I have also foreign examples of Ap. apricans of Herbst from Schonherr. I have frequently taken, in the spring and autumn, this and the preceding species together in profusion in red clover fields [Tri- folium pratense) near Mickleham, at Birch Wood, and other localities, also in meadows and pastures where that plant grows. 53. A. Trifolii, Linn. Cure. TrifoUi, Mus. Linn. (Syst. Nat. iii. App. p. 224). A. cBstivmn, Germ., Gyll., Steph., Schonh. — (c^) ruficrus, Germ., Schonh. — (y^x. ji.) flavifemoratum, Kirb. — (var.) Leachii, Steph. I have the pleasure of reviving and re-establishing, by means of the Linnsean cabinet, the appropriate name of Linnseus to this species. There is an insect preserved in the Linnsean collection (which it is very remarkable has been overlooked by Marsham and Kirby) that is well secured with gum upon a piece of paper, on which is inscribed '^ TrifoUi '^ by Linnseus's own hand ; the name Mr. J. Walton on the genus Apion. 339 being written on the same paper which bears the insect, effectually protects it against every casualty : this evidence is so strong and conclusive, that not a shadow of a doubt can now exist as to its identity. Moreover it agrees with his description in all its na- tural characters ; but the body is covered beneath with whitish mould, which has been noted by the terms " abdomen niveum,^^ when in fact the species has a black, naked body : this error, it is but fair to observe, may well be excused, since, accord- ing to Kirby, Linnseus rarely used a lens. Cure. Trifolii, de- scribed by Marsham (after Linnseus) as having a white abdomen, has long been immolated by Kirby. Schonherr has cited Ap. Trifolii of Linnseus as a mere synonym to Ap. Vicia, because the latter species has a white abdomen ; but Schonherr has injudi- ciously applied the name to a species with very different cha- racters, namely Ap. Trifolii of Lintz. We are informed by Lin- nseus that his insect inhabits Trifolium montanum ; in England it is found abundantly upon Trifolium pratense. I have many times inspected the type of Cure. Trifolii of Linnseus, and have not the slightest doubt of its being a female of Ap. testivum. I sent ex- amples ( c? ? ) of this species to Schonherr, who referred them to Ap.cBstivum of his work. I likewise sent many specimens toGermar, who has recorded his opinion of them as follows : " Ap. cestivum : Kirby^s Ap. assimile is identical* ; the first joint of the antennse is more or less red, and sometimes also the second ;" ^^ but Ap. assimile of Gyllenhal is unknown to me." I cannot concur with Dr. Germar that the British Ap. (jestivum is identical with Kirby's Ap. assimile, because I think they are furnished with characters sufficiently evident to entitle them to rank as distinct species ; certainly the British Ap. (Bstivum occurs with the basal joints of the antennse more or less piceous, but they are generally black, except the first joint, which is red at its base. I must here ob- serve, that specimens of Ap. assimile of Kirby, which I sent to Schonherr, were identified by him as Ap. assimile of Gyllenhal. I also forwarded to Germar examples of the same species. I received an insect from Schonherr (sjrmbolized S ) with the name Ap. ruficrus, referred by him to his work (v. p. 407. 100, Germania). I wrote to Germar for specimens of Ap. (jestivum] he sent me an example of " Ap. ruficrus. Germ." Schonherr now appears to regard Ap. ruficrus as distinct from Ap. cBstivum, al- though he has previously cited the former name as a synonym to the latter t ; Germar has recorded that '^ Ap. ruficrus may perhaps be only a variety of Ap. cestivumX.'' 1 have very carefully examined the German examples of Ap. ruficrus, and have no doubt they are both males of Ap. Trifolii, * Ent. Zeit., Stettin, no. 1. p. 4, 1842. t Syn. Ins. i. p. 281. no. 70. % Germ. Mag. iii. App. p. 39. 340 Mr. J. Walton on the genus Apion. Linn., agreeing with my specimens of the latter in every import- ant character ; they differ however in having some parts of the legs more intensely coloured ; their anterior coxse and trochanters are totally black, and the fom* posterior femora more or less pi- ceous and inclining to black. The insect received from Schonherr differs from Germar^s in having the intermediate femora testa- ceous : the German specimens appear to have the colour of the legs inclining to black, the British incline more to rufous. On examining a great number of this species, it will be found to have a peculiar tendency to vary extremely in the colour of the legs, and it is impossible to enumerate the shades of difference which arise ; I shall therefore merely give a general description of the range of varieties. The anterior pair of legs have their coxse and trochanters testaceous, with the apex of each, and some- times the base and apex, more or less dusky testaceous, or piceous or black ; the trochanters are not unfrequently wholly piceous or black ; now and then the coxse are black at the base and apex, obscure testaceous in front and piceous black behind, clearly in- dicating a propensity to become entirely black ; the anterior tibise are frequently piceous, sometimes rufo-testaceous, sometimes black ; occasionally the base and the lower half are black, and between the knees and the middle testaceous ; the four posterior coxse, their trochanters, the joints, the tibise, and all the tarsi, piceous black or black ; all the femora beneath rufous or testa- ceous, now and then inclining to piceous above. Ap. Trifolii may be distinguished from Ap. assimile and Ap. Fagi by having the anterior trochanters pitchy and the four pos- terior black, whereas the two latter species have all the tro- chanters constantly rufous* ; Ap. Trifolii has the rostrum por- rect and very little bent, a good character which will also distin- guish it from Ap. assimile, the latter having the rostrum distinctly curved : these characters, independent of other less striking dif- ferences, are sufficient to discriminate this species from its con- geners. I met with this insect in considerable numbers with the two preceding in a field of red clover (Trifolium pratense) near Heme Bay in Kent, at the beginning of last June. * Mr. Kirby has very judiciously introduced into liis descriptions the co- lour of the coxse and trochanters, and has been followed by Mr. Stephens. It is surprising that Gyllenhal, Germar and Schonherr should have disre- garded the colour of these organs as a subsidiary specific character ; never- theless it is a valuable auxiliary, not only in determining species, but also the sexes : for example, the male of Jp. rujirostre has all the coxae and trochanters yellow, the female has all the coxte black and the trochanters rufous (first noticed by Mr. Spence) ; the male of Ap, dijforme has all the trochanters rufous, the female has them deep black ; the male of Jp.favipes has the anterior coxae rufous, in the female they are always black. Mr. J. Walton on the genus Apion. 341 54. A. Schoenherri (Waterh. MSS.), Schonh. Black, glabrous and shining. Head short and broad ; the frons posteriorly convex and minutely punctured, between the eyes striated, the strise more or less distinct ; rostrum short and stout, attenuated in front and much thickened behind, a little bent, punctulated. Antennae medial, about the length of the rostrum ; the articulations short and robust, entirely black, except the first joint, which is red at its base, and sometimes piceous at its apex. Thorax narrow, oblong, subcylindrical, rather broader than the headjVeryminutehj punctured, the punctures frequently very faintly impressed and indistinct, with a minute fovea before the base, intersected by a faint short line, sometimes scarcely perceptible. Elytra ovate, above very convex, arched, deeply punctate-striate, the strise minutely punctured, the interstices rather broad, flat, and coriaceous. Legs black, with the anterior coxae and tro- chanters testaceous, the base and apex of each or only the apex more or less piceous ; occasionally the trochanters are entirely pi- ceous ; the anterior tibise testaceous or fuscous, sometimes testa- ceous in front and piceous behind ; the four posterior coxse black, their trochanters piceous ; all the femora testaceous, now and then rufous. (^ . (Length 1^ line.) The female diff*ers in having the head in some examples di- stinctly narrower ; the rostrum longer, slender and filiform ; the antennae inserted behind the middle of the rostrum ; the legs more strongly coloured, having the anterior coxse, trochanters and tibise piceous. This insect in the order of affinity ranks next to Ap. Trifolii \ the female is very much like the same sex of that species, but di- stinguished chiefly by having the thorax very minutely punctured. One male specimen of this new and very distinct species was first found by Mr. Waterhouse, and he has had the pleasure of naming it in honour of one of the most distinguished and cele- brated entomologists in Europe ; it was described in the work of M. Schbnherr by Professor C. H. Boheman from the specimen above-named, and afterwards returned to Mr. Waterhouse ; it appears to be unknown on the continent. I found the female near Scarborough in August 1837, since which a few specimens of both sexes were taken in the same month amongst short grass near Arundel by Mr. S. Stevens and myself. It appears to be not only very rare, but extremely local. 55. A. varipeSy Germ., Gyll., Steph., Schonh. — jlavifem.oratum,Y2ir. y. Kirb. — Jlavipes, var. c. Gyll. vol. iii. This species is nearly related to the four preceding, but it may be readily known from them by its having the rostrum longer 342 Mr. H. E. Strickland on Cyanocitta superciliosa. and much more curved, especially in the female ; the legs longer and distinctly stouter ; with the lower half of all the tibiae black, the upper part rufous. This insect is rather local and not frequently found ; I met with it once rather plentifully in a red clover field near Birch Wood, the beginning of June. 56. A. Icevicolle, Kirb., Germ., Steph., Schonh. Mr. S. Stevens has found this species common in three localities near Arundel annually, in the month of August ; also near Ryde, Isle of Wight. I met with many specimens on a sand-bank on Windmill Hill, Gravesend, in July : it appears to prefer sandy situations. [To be continued.] XLIX. — Further Notice respecting Cyanocitta superciliosa, a sup- posednew species of Blue Jay. By H. E. Strickland, M.A. In the last Number of the ' Annals,' p. 260, I proposed to sepa- rate the Blue Jays of America from Cyanocorax, under the ge- neric name of Cyanocitta, and I also pointed out a species of the latter group which had been hitherto confounded with the C. ul- tramarina of Mexico. When my paper went to press it happened that I had not then received the March Number of Mr. G. R. Gray's excellent work the ' Genera of Birds,' which contains a monographic summary of the subfamily Garrulince. He there follows preceding authors in retaining the Blue Jays and the Blue Crows under one genus, Cyanocorax, of which he enumerates in the whole twenty-one species. There can however be no doubt that these two groups are deserving of generic separation, as they not only differ in many points of structure and of colour, but also in their geographical distribution, Cyanocorax proper inhabiting the warm latitudes of South America, while Cyanocitta ranges from Mexico to the colder parts of the North American con- tinent. The latter genus may be thus defined : — Beak moderate, breadth at the base exceeding the height ; up- per mandible depressed at the base, slightly compressed towards the point ; culmen straight for |^ths of its length, then gradually curving down ; commissure almost straight till near the apex, then curving downwards ; emargination nearly obsolete, gonys curved upwards, height of each mandible nearly equal. Nostrils covered by recumbent bristly feathers. Frontal feathers not forming a rigid erect crest as in many species of Cyanocorax. Total length from 10 to 12 inches. Plumage more or less blue, especially on the wings and tail, which are frequently barred transversely with black. Structure of the feet, wings and tail as in Cyanocorax. Capt. Portlock on the genus Cardinia, 343 With respect to the species of Cyanocitta which I supposed to be new, and which I denominated C. superciliosa, the synonyms quoted in Mr. Gray^s work under C. ultramarina have induced me to consult the ^ Zoology of Capt. Beechey^s Voyage/ and I there find the species in question figured and described by Mr. Vigors under the name of Garrulus calif ornicus. The distinctions between it and C. ultramarina of Mexico [Garrulus sordidus, Swains.) are there correctly pointed out, although all subsequent authors have continued to unite these two species. My proposed specific name of superciliosa must therefore give way to Mr. Vi- gors^s prior appellation of californica, and the extreme difficulty of obtaining ready access to every zoological work must be my apology for having added one more to the ten or twelve thousand superfiuous specific synonyms which already exist in ornithology alone. I may add that the " Pica Sieberi " of Wagler is certainly a synonym of C. ultramarina, not a distinct species as Mr. Gray makes it. L. — Note on Mr. H.E. Strickland's Paper on the genus Cardinia [Agassiz). By Capt. Portlock, R.E. Corfu, March 11, 1845. The paper of Mr. Strickland* contains this passage : " Some au- thors have been disposed to extend the geological range of this genus, by including in it those species from the coal-measures which Sowerby and most other palaeontologists have regarded as true Unionida. Whether Agassiz originally proposed this exten- sion of the genus I am not aware, having never yet been able to meet with his translation of the ' Mineral Conchology,' in which the group is first defined; but in his last work on the subject, the ' Etudes critiques sur les Mollusques fossiles,' he seems to regard Cardinia as exclusively confined to the lias and lower oolite." Having before me the German translation by Agassiz of the ' Mineral Conchology,' I am enabled to remove this doubt of Mr. Strickland, and to render his history of the new genus Car^ dinia complete. To the generic description of the genus Unio (plate 33, Min. Conch.) Sowerby appended this remark : " Several species of this genus are abundaift in the iron-stone bed of Derbyshire, called the mussel- band," &c. ; and at this passage occurs Agassiz' fii'st note upon the subject, the words of which are : "These bivalves from the stone-coal formation which have been classed by Sowerby in the genus Unio are very difi'erent from it, as I have satisfied my- * Annals, vol. xiv. p. 100. 344 Capt. Portlock on the genus Cardinia. self by a careful comparison of the casts of several living species of the genus Unio with the fossil species of the stone-coal. The internal casts of the true Uniones have, like Trigonia, a strong anterior notch^ and along the upper margin the impression of the hinge-teeth is distinctly visible. In the fossil casts from the stone- coal there are, on the contrary, two oblique furrows, the one an- terior, the other posterior, which can only have originated from widely separated hinge-teeth. I think that they would be better placed in my genus Cardinia^ which I have established from a liassic species of the same type.^' Again, under Unio acutus, pi. 33. fig. 5, 6, 7, Sowerby states that he had satisfied himself of the identity of the fossil with the living genus Unio, by comparing a cast of the latter with several fossil casts ; and the note of Agassiz upon this statement is as follows : — " What Sowerby here states of the generic identity of the so- called Uniones from the stone-coal formation with the species now living in fresh water, merely proves that he recognised in the casts both the principal characteristics of all elongated bivalves provided with oblong hinge-teeth. But he has not thereby taken into ac- count the great difference which the impression itself of these teeth on the casts shows." In referring to Unio crassissimus, U. Listeri and U. hybridus, the first of which is stated by Sowerby to possess peculiarities in the great thickness of its shell and the tile-like structure of its surface, which might perhaps be elevated into generic characters, Agassiz remarks, " These three species belong to my genus Cardinia ; see the preceding note, and my ' Etudes critiques sur les MoUusques fossiles.^ " Unio crassiusculus, pi. 185, and U concinnus, pi. 223, are also referred to Cardinia; but U. Solandri, pi. 517, and the several Uniones figured in pis. 594 and 595, are stated by Agassiz to belong principally to his new genus Pleuromya, for which he, as before, refers the reader to ' Etudes critiques sur les MoUusques fossiles.' From these extracts then it is quite evident that Agassiz did extend his genus Cardinia to the species of the coal as well as to those of the lias, but whether he was correct in so doing can scarcely be determined from the notes in question, as the actual definition of the genus Cardinia is not given in them. This de- ficiency Mr. Strickland can doubtless supply, and by placing the characters of the several genera here alluded to in comparison with each other, determine whether the shells of the coal forma- tion can be classed in the genus Cardinia, or should form the type of another new genus. Capt. Portlock on the Ova of the Large Spotted Dog-fish. 345 LI. — Further Notice respecting the Ova of the Large Spotted Dog- fish (Scyllium Catulus). By Capt. Portlock, ll.E. Corfu, March 11,1815. In my preceding note (p. 261) I have stated the general coinci- dence of the drawing given by Mr. W. Thompson with the speci- mens I had obtained and observed of what I also considered the ova of the large spotted dog-fish, but at that time I had been unable to procure the fish still having the ova in their last state of de- velopment prior to protrusion undisturbed within it. On the 17th of February I was more fortunate, as I obtained on that day from one of the fishermen a very fine specimen, exhibiting the ova in all states of development, the ovaries being loaded with ova of all sizes, from the most minute up to those of three-quarters of an inch in diameter, the latter being of course few in number, the former abundant. Of the greater, or those equalling and exceed- ing half an inch, there were at least eight, and it is probable more, as the fish had been opened and the ovaries slightly rup- tured before I got it, so that some may have escaped, as they very readily did on my examination. These eggs were spherical, and of a greenish yellow colour : when put into turpentine (as I placed one), or left with the fish in a preservative mixture of cor- rosive sublimate, they became flattened without further injury, nearly to the thickness corresponding to the depth of the horny case, which explains how bodies of such a form and size should subsequently become invested with that covering. Risso draws a distinction in this respect between the Scyllium Catulus (his >S'. stellaris) and the /S. Caniculus, stating the former to bear sphe- rical eggs of various magnitudes of a pale yellow colour, and the latter the horny quadrangular eggs, as also >S^. Artedi (Risso), the black-mouthed dog-fish, and it is therefore probable he only saw the fish immediately after the protrusion of the horny cases from the oviducts. In my specimen they were still in situ, and without removing them I could measure their length and breadth and even depth. The length was in this instance almost exactly that of Mr. Thompson's specimens, viz. nearly 4i~ inches, mea- sured to the extreme points, the breadth and depth the same as those I have before stated ; the specimens appearing to vary in length, but to preserve nearly the same breadth and depth. There can now therefore be no doubt that Mr. Thompson has figured the ova of the great spotted dog-fish, although none of my spe- cimens exhibit so rough a plaiting as his figure exhibits, and the colour when fresh is uniformly a horny yellow, though soon dark- ening when kept exposed. The last specimens I have obtained were fresh from the fish on the 27th of February. P.S. Corfu, March 22. — A specimen of a female was brought Ann.^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol.xv. 2B 346 Dr. Richardson on Gasterochisma melampus. to me this morning 21 inches long, in which the matured ova can be felt by pressure on the abdomen : I retain it therefore un- injured. This almost brings the time up to the period when I obtained the ova last year, so that it would appear that from January to May, rather than at two distinct periods, these fishes deposit their ova. LIL — Generic Characters of Gasterochisma melampus, a Fish which inhabits Port Nicholson, New Zealand. By John Rich- ardson, M.D., F.R.S. &c.. Medical Inspector of Naval Hospi- tals at Haslar. Piscis famihse Scomberidarum. Corpus valde compressum, clupeiforme. Cauda gracilis sine cari- nis. Venter acutus, alte diffissus et in vagina ejus pinnas ventrales thoracicas magnas recondens. Linea laterahs inermis. Pinnae pectoris parvse. Pinnae dorsi contiguae : prima spinis gra- cilibus membrana connexis instructa ; secunda pinnaque ani pinnulis spuriis comitatae. Pinna caudae bifurca. Anus parvus sub finem vaginae ventralis latens. Squamae tenerae satis magnae. Pectorale squameum nullum. Dentes parvi setacei. Radii membranae branchiostegae arctae quinque. Apertura branchialis ampla. Obs. Species unica adhuc detecta Gasterochisma melampus in Mu- seo Britannico hospitatur et a Domino Gray celeberrimo mihi benigne communicata. Nomen genericum fissuram ventris denotat. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. Recherckes sur V Embryogenie des Tubulaires, et VHistoire naturelle des differens Genres de cette Famille qui habitent la c6te d'Ostende. Par P.- J. Van Beneden, Professeur a I'Universite cathohque de Louvain. (From the Memoires de I'Academie Royale de Bruxelles. 4to. Pp. 72. Six Plates.) This interesting essay supports the well-earned reputation of its distinguished author. It begins with a lucid and candid review of what had been previously done by other naturalists towards a history of the family ; a doubt of the correctness of some alleged fact being sometimes interposed, but more frequently the comment is made to reconcile observations which at first view are apparently contradictory and subversive of each other. We can do little more than indicate the contents. The first chapter treats of the anatomy of the Tubularice. The tentacula are solid and composed of 'cells arranged somewhat after the pattern of tlie cellular tissue of vegetables. They are not organs of prehension as in the Hydree, but are probably subservient to respiration. In the Eudendrium they are the only parts of the polyp which come into Biblioffraphical Notices. 347 direct contact with the circumfluent water ; and when this is at rest, all Tubularice spread wide their tentacular circle. But they are not the sole organs of this function, for we may safely suppose that the water, in penetrating into the common cavity of the polypidom, car- ries with it the necessary oxygen. In these animals in fact the func- tions of respiration and nutrition are so simple, and so intimately blended with the circulation, that we can scarcely use separate terms in defining them. The stomach of every individual polyp communicates with the cavity common to all the polyps of the same polypidom, the line of separation being marked only by a sort of stricture ; but in Coryne this is not the case, for the stomach of every individual is isolated and distinct. The circulation of the granulous fluid in the common tube of the polyps, first described by Mr. Lister, Van Beneden is inclined to ascribe to the action of vibratile cilia, which, he admits, he could not detect. I'he irregularity or inconstancy of this circulation seems to us to be opposed to this explanation ; nor do we perceive any fitting basis on which the cilia can be placed. A portion of the tube of a Eudendrium, some lines in length, being cut away, and consequently open at both ends, preserved its circulating power, the liquid moving in its normal course. Lister says that the current does not penetrate into the body or stomach of the polyp, but Van Beneden has plainly seen it do so. In Coryne and Hydractinia there is no circulation, because of the isolation of the stomach in these genera. The second chapter, and principal part of the paper, describes the " embryogeny." The origin and development of the reproductive buds and eggs are traced with great minuteness, and illustrated with a series of admirably explanatory figures. There is no distinction of sex in the Tubularice; and nothing analogous to spermatozoa, not- withstanding what has been said to the contrary. The reproductive buds, which originate from the bases of the tentacula, are hollow in the centre in all the genera, and always communicate with the di- gestive cavity. What have been mistaken for females are young in- dividuals, which often contain eggs at an early stage even of their development. The Tubularice are reproduced (1.) by a bud continuous with the animal whence it pullulates ; (2.) by a free or locomotive bud ; (3.) by a simple egg ; (4.) by a compound egg or vitellus ; and (5.) by a free bud and eggs simultaneously. Every species may be reproduced by more than one or two of these modes, but it does not appear that any has been observed to reproduce itself by all of them. The first or gemmiparous reproduction is the simplest. By it the embryo, after having become fixed in a proper site, evolves new in- dividuals, and founds a colony where all are associated together. 2. The free bud originates near the tentacula. It appears at first as a simple tubercle which soon divides successively into several tubu- lar branchlets, in which a circulation goes on as in the main stems. Within the swollen apex of each branchlet a distinct cell soon appears, indicating the commencement of the formation of a new being. This 2B 2 348 Bibliographical Notices. cell may be considered as the analogue of the yolk or rather of the ve- sicle of Purkinje or of Wagner. It enlarges rapidly ; and soon there is distinguishable underneath it a membrane which has its inferior surface in contact with the circulating fluid. This membrane is the source of the new polyp, the progress of which onwards from a little cone to the time when it has assumed the form of a Bero'e, and is detached from its matrix and floats at freedom in the sea, is most in- terestingly told. Van Beneden has not seen this nomade Bero'e refix itself, but he has seen it very soon afterwards ; and its transition from the condition and shape of a medusa to that of its parent polyp ap- pears as an uninterrupted sequence of development. He has never discovered cilia on the young embryo, nor any organs of sense. 3. The development from a simple eg^ is the most regular, and the process which approaches nearest to that of the superior animals. 4. The development from a compound or divided yolk is the most remarkable ; but when it is remembered that, in these polyps, every portion of the body can give origin to a new individual, we need be the less surprised to find that the vitellus should have the same qua- lity. At first the process in the primary cell agrees with the other developments, but a time comes when the surface of the vitelline mass assumes an embossed or granular appearance, and instead of a single vitellus there are as many as there are granules. In each of these there is the vesicle of Purkinje, or at least a transparent central vesicle. It seems that the embryos thus formed diflfer from the others not only in bulk but also in shape, for in Campanularia M. Loven has seen them, covered with cilia, leave their cell, and move about like infusorial animalcules. 5. This is the union of two of the preceding modes ; the forma- tion at one and the same time of a free bud and of a compound vi- tellus organizing itself in the interior of this bud. It is the fact of these buds containing these vitelli that has made them be taken for pregnant females. The eggs here, according to Loven, are covered with cilia ; and when the embryo is bom (for we should remember that the polyps are viviparous) it has the aspect of a Planaria, — the planule of Sir J. G. Dalzell. Van Beneden next proceeds to prove, by a comparison of their common resemblances, that the Campanularia and TuhularicB are so nearly related that they may almost be considered as members of the same family. Lastly, he reviews the family zoologically, giving its character in detail, and the characters of the genera and species which he has ob- served. This view has been already given in the ' Annals.' We need only remark that his Tuhularia calamaris is really not the T. ca- lamaris of Pallas or T. indivisa of Linnaeus ; and his T. Dumortierii is a common British species. M. de Blainville is not the first of modern authors who recognised that the Syncoryne ought to be placed near the Tuhularice (p. 51), as any one may see by referring to Lou- don's ' Magazine of Nat. History,' vol. v. p. 632. We question the validity of the distinction between Syncoryne pusilla and Listerii ; they are both British species, but the latter is the commonest. Van Bibliographical Notices. 349 Beneden's Eudendrium ramosum appears to us to be different from the species usually so designated, and a new species. The polyp on which Mr. Hassall founds his genus Echinocorium must, we think, be referred to Van Beneden's genus Hydractinia, and is perhaps the same as his H. lactea. Such is our hurried notice of this valuable essay, which, it is to be regretted, cannot be procured in a separate form. But we look forward to the time — its object being better understood — when, by means of the Ray Society, essays of this high degree of excellence shall be diffused amongst us widely. Mycologia Britannica, or Specimens of British Fungi. By Ph. B. Ayres, M.D. W. Pamplin, 1844. This is a welcome addition, especially to the admirers of Epiphyl- lous Fungi, to the various collections of Fungi which have been pub- lished in this. and other countries. It is not at all probable that Mr. Berkeley's ' British Fungi ' will be continued beyond the Fourth Fas- ciculus ; we shall be rejoiced therefore if the present work should be encouraged sufficiently to ensure its continuance, so that it may take its place. The specimens are neatly prepared and correctly named, and we doubt not that in future numbers they will not be so much con- fined to a single division. JEcidium Galiatum, DeC, and ^. ScrO' phularice, DeC, are new to our flora, and J5. pallidum, a pretty spe- cies on Galium Aparine, has been hitherto unnoticed. The specimens, fifty in number, are so arranged that they can at pleasure be trans- ferred to the herbarium. PilEPARING FOR PUBLICATION, A work to be entitled. Fauna Antiqua Sivalensis, being the Fossil Zoo- logy of the Sewalik Hills, in the North of India. By Hugh Falconer, M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S., F.G.S., and Proby T. Cautley, F.G.S. The object of this publication is to make known, in a connected and complete series, the numerous fossil animals which have been discovered in the North of India, by the authors and other inquirers, during the last twelve years ; and to develope the bearings of these discoveries on the physical and geological history of India during a great part of the tertiary period. In order to secure to science the full advantage of the Sewalik fossil researches, in a suitable form of publication. Her Majesty's Government and the Honourable Court of Directors of the East India Company have been pleased to accord such an amount of aid in limine as will ensure the successful progress of the work. The work will appear in about Twelve Parts, to be published at intervals of about four months, each containing from twelve to fifteen folio plates, or an equivalent number of a larger size where the nature of the subject may require it. The plates to be accompanied by royal octavo letter-press. 850 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. Feb. 13, 1845. — Dr. Douglas Maclagan, President, in the Chair. Dr. Herman Hoffmann, Giessen, was elected a Foreign Member of the Society. Various donations to the Library and Museum were announced, and the following communications were read ; — 1. Dr. Seller read a paper entitled "Examination of the Views adopted by Liebig on the Nutrition of Plants." He contrasted Liebig's view of the mineral nature of the food of plants with that which represents their food as organic. He traced out the consequences deducible from this last hypothesis as affecting not merely the vegetable but the animal kingdom also, the latter being ultimately sustained solely by vegetable substances. He showed that, whereas the view adopted by Liebig nowise restricts the dura- tion of the organized kingdoms, as long as they remain exempt from the influence of destructive agencies from without, the opposite view involves the conclusion, that the whole of organic nature is hastening rapidly to dissolution from inherent causes ; and he affirmed, that were certain data somewhat more carefully considered, the period of the final extinction of plants and animals, in accordance with this hypothesis, might be pretty nearly determined. He regarded this question as one not merely of high interest in itself, but as bearing expressly on the solution of the problem, whether the food of plants be organic or mineral. Dr. Seller calculates the annual conversion of the carbon of organic matter into inorganic carbonic acid at not less than 600 millions of tons ; and infers, on the most favourable aspect of the amount of soil over the earth's surface, that such an annual loss could not be with- stood beyond 6000 years ; and, on a less exaggerated assumption of its amount, probably very near the truth, that the waste would ab- sorb the whole of the existing organic matter of the soil in about 740 years. Dr. Seller contends that the truth of these conclusions remains unaltered, even if it be conceded that much of the carbon of plants is drawn, not from the organic matter of the soil but from the inor- ganic carbonic acid of the atmosphere, unless some inorganic source of their hydrogen and oxygen be at the same time admitted. He therefore regards Liebig's view of the inorganic nature of the food of plants as supported not merely by many special facts — for ex- ample, by the increase of the organic matter of the soil, often ob- served during the growth of plants, — but also by the general view of the earth's surface just taken, because there is nothing in its aspect to warrant the idea that its means of maintaining the organic king- doms are declining with the rapidity indicated in the statements just made. Dr. Seller next examined Liebig's views of ammonia ; 1st. as the sole source of the nitrogen of plants, and thereby of animals ; 2nd, Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 351 as having its exclusive origin from the interior of the earth, and never from the nitrogen of the atmosphere. In regard to these state- ments he made it appear, as there is no evidence of ammonia being thrown forth from the bowels of the earth at all times in quantity- proportioned to the waste of it necessarily sustained at the surface by decomposition, as into uncombined hydrogen and nitrogen, that Liebig's view of ammonia infers the same limitation of the existence of the organic kingdoms to a few thousand years, as is deduced from the hypothesis of organic matter being the food of plants. Here therefore he dissented from Liebig, contending that ammonia must be produced from the nitrogen of the atmosphere *, and showing the probabiUty of what is taught by Professor Johnson, namely, that the nitrogen of nitrates, formed from the atmosphere, is fixed by plants, as w^ell as the nitrogen of ammonia. In conclusion, he reviewed the evidence of potassa, the phosphates and the other saline matters of both organic kingdoms being derived originally from the crumbling of rocks, and dwelt on the retardation of vegetable physiology by the long scepticism of botanists on this head, owing, as he believed, to their distrust in the conclusions of chemistry, and went on to show that chemistry must be the ground- work of vegetable physiology in its present stage, and that the fre- quent changes in the aspect and nomenclature of chemistry did not materially affect the facts which it daily affords for the elucidation of the vegetable oeconomy. 2. A paper by Mr. Kalfs, of Penzance, on the genus Closterium was read. This paper will shortly appear in the ' Annals and Magazine of Natural History.' 3. Mr, M'Nab read a continuation of his Journal of a Tour through part of the United States and the Canadas. The last portion read before the Society gave an account of the journey from Montreal to Kingston, and concluded with an account of a botanical excursion to the eastward of the latter place : — The woods to the westward of Kingston appeared very dense, chiefly consisting of stately beeches, growing in rich vegetable soil. Several very remarkable plants were observed, and among others the Monotropa uniflora and M. Hypopitys : the former, which is abun- dant in shady beech woods throughout the country, and always grow- ing from amongst leaves, is known to the inhabitants by the name of Indian pipe or bird's-nest ; the latter is not so plentiful, but found in similar situations. Here also Corallorhiza multiflora and Orohanche virginica were found, and at one place in a dense thicket the rare and curious Pterospora Andromeda. Near the confines of the woods in drier situations the white and pink varieties of Phryma leptostachya occurred ; and on the dry lime- stone ridges, which prevail in this neighbourhood, large quantities of Triosteum perfoliatum, Gnaphalium margaritaceum, and Botrychium obliquum were found ; along the margin of Lake Ontario Serpicola verticillata was noticed, its delicate flowers floating on the surface. * This has been clearly proved by the experiments of Prof. Mulder : see ' Chemical Gazette ' for Jan. 1, 1845. — W. F. 352 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. The beech, sugar, maple and white pine, from their quantity and local situation, seem to have been the original inhabitants of this di- strict ; and mixed with them, but not so much in groups, were noble specimens of the oak, elm and walnut. The sugar-maples bore evi- dent marks of having been often pierced for their juices. Fringing the edges of some meadow-land in this district, the stag's-horn su- mach, Rhus elegans, presented a most magnificent appearance from the quantity of scarlet fruit. He was agreeably surprised to see such a variety of native haw- thorns, being convinced of their fitness for forming hedges, so very much wanted in that country, and for which many of the inhabitants expressed a great desire, instead of the unsightly snake fences which at present separate the fields. Apparently they never thought that the indigenous thorns would answer for this purpose, as they talked of importing haws and white-thorns from Britain. Mr. M'Nab gave instructions to those individuals with whom he had an opportunity of conversing upon the subject, so that they may raise thorns for themselves, as an abundant supply of seeds may be annually procured at no great distance from each settlement. As these instructions may be interesting to others, we here repeat them : — " The fruit should be gathered about the end of October, care being taken to keep the seeds of the luxuriant growing sorts separate from those of the dwarfer kinds. A })it should be prepared about a foot and a half deep, into which the fruit is to be put with a mixture of earth or sand. It should be turned several times during the season, and if dry, a little water may be added ; one or two inches of soil being a sufficient covering to ensure the decomposition of the pulp. During the following October a piece of good ground should be pre- pared, and the seed sown as it is taken from the pit, pretty thickly, in drills about a foot distant from each other, or in beds 3 feet wide. In the succeeding spring the plants will begin to appear ; at which time, and throughout the season, they must be kept clear of weeds. If properly attended to, the seedlings will attain a height of from 6 to 12 inches the first year. The following spring the strongest plants may be either transplanted into drills, or placed where they are intended to remain as a permanent fence. The smaller ones should be left in the seed drills or beds for another year, when they may be treated in the same maimer. In forming a live fence, the ground ought to be prepared as soon as the snow disappears, by making a trench about 2 feet broad and a spade in depth. Along the centre of this trench the young plants should be put about 6 or 8 inches apart, and afterwards well- watered and firmly trodden in. Care should be taken to protect the young plants from cattle and clear of weeds. " The second year after planting, the thorns should be headed down to within six or ten inches of the ground, and each year after- wards switched up on both sides to a centre ridge, so as to produce the shape generally termed sow-backed ; hedges trained in this form being less liable to be destroyed by snow resting upon them than when cut flat at the top." Botanical Society of Edinburgh. ^58 If the method here recommended be properly attended to, Mr. M'Nab has not the least hesitation in saying that an excellent hedge of native thorns may be acquired in five or six years after planting. At several places he saw the indigenous thorns employed as a fence ; at least they had been- planted with that intention, and had attained a considerable height, but from want of proper attention to pruning and weeding, they were so slender that easy access might be obtained between each stem. From such instances of mismanagement, an er- roneous opinion seems generally to prevail that hedges will not suc- ceed in America. " But," he very properly remarked, "if newly- planted hedges in Britain were equally neglected, there can be no doubt that they would soon degenerate, and become no better than those which I observed in the United States and the Canadas." March 13.— Dr. Seller, V.P., in the Chair. Robert Balloch, Esq., Glasgow, was elected a Non-resident Fel- low of the Society. Numerous donations to the Library and Museum were announced, particularly from R. J. Shuttleworth, Esq., Berne, a collection of North American plants, and the 14th Fasciculus of Meisner's Plan- tarum Vascularum Genera ; from the Imperial Academy, Naturae Cu- riosorum of Breslau, the Supplement to vol. xix., and parts 1st and 2nd of vol. XX. of the ' Nova Acta '; from Professor Graham, plants collected in Jamaica by Dr. G. M'Nab ; from H. C. Watson, Esq., his Botany of the Azores ; from Mr. William Gardiner, jun., Dundee, Botanical Rambles in Braemar, &c. Dr. Parnell presented a copy of his beautiful work on the Grasses of Britain. The thanks of the Society were voted to the respective donors. The following communications were read : — 1. "On the genus Closterium (continued)," by Mr. J. Ralfs, of Penzance. 2. " On Encyonema prostratum of Kiitzing," by the same. These papers will appear in the ' Annals of Natural History.' 3. Mr. M'Nab read a continuation of his Journal of a Tour through part of the United States and Canada. The last portion of this journal read before the Society chiefly related to the botanical aspect of the country immediately to the westward of Kingston ; the indi- genous thorns and their fitness for forming hedges being particularly described. From Kingston the party crossed I^ake Ontario to Ro- chester, situated on the American side, a few miles above the mouth of the Genessee river. Considerable tracts of shallow water extend for some distance on either side of this river, in which the wild rice grew more luxuriantly than had been hitherto observed. Proceed- ing upwards the river becomes narrower but deep, having beautiful banks rising about 150 feet on either side, wooded chiefly with oak, elm, hiccory, beech and birch, interspersed with hemlock spruce, white pine and arbor vitse of large size. On the north bank the black snake-root, Actcea ramosa, was abundant, its long spikes of white flowers having a singular effect beneath the shade of the trees. It S54 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. was not seen on the south bank, but in its place considerable quan- tities of Gerardia flava and G. quercifolia were noticed, all richly clothed with flowers : here also several extensive groups of buckthorn, Hippophae canadensis, were observed ; each plant formed a large sil- very-looking bush, and when backed by the dark evergreen trees gave a picturesque effect to the landscape. Crossing Lake Ontario again to Toronto, on the Canada side, a great difference in the vegetation was remarked ; here, for the first time in Canada, healthy specimens of weeping willows, locust-trees, and Canadian and Lombardy poplars were met with ; and for the first time in the country, a native forest of Pinus resinosa. The trees composing this forest were very tall, but none of the stems which were measured exceeded 2 feet in diameter. Many detached specimens of the black birch or mountain mahogany, Betula lenta, were also seen. It is described by Mr. M'Nab as a finely-shaped tree with a wide-spreading top, much resembling the beech- trees of Britain ; the stems averaged about 2 feet in diameter. Here also Monarda fistu- losa and Spiranthes tort His were found ; the latter very sparingly and for the first time. They next directed their attention to the Peninsula of Toronto, lying about 2 J miles from the city, across an arm of the lake. The soil is poor and sandy, interspersed with marshes. Several species of trees of dwarfish growth were scattered about, the most remark- able being the rose or conegall willow, Salix conifera, of which many fine specimens were observed, the branches generally terminating in silvery, cone-like excrescences, supposed to be occasioned by insects ; these, combined vdth the silvery whiteness of the foliage, gave the plants a remarkable appearance. Several other species of willows were noticed on the sandy plains, but none of them appeared to be infested with insects, although the appearance here described is not peculiar to the above species. The Arbutus uva-ursi covered consi- derable tracts : the Canadian plant is larger than the British, and even diflters slightly from that found in the United States ; it is called by the Indians Sacacomis ; they smoke the leaves, and believe them to possess excellent medicinal properties. Few herbaceous plants were in bloom, with the exception of Rudheckia hirta, which was in great abundance, although described by American authors as an inhabitant of the Southern States ; and Dracocephalum virginianum, which is by no means an abundant plant in Canada, Niagara Falls being the sta- tion given in botanical books ; but Mr. M'Nab failed to find it there ; it principally inhabits the mountain meadows of Virginia and Caro- lina; Linum virginianum, Cyperus fiavescens and C. castaneus; Silene Antirrhina, Scutellaria parvula and Latkyrus palustris ; on dry loose sand, by the edge of the lake. Euphorbia polygonif alia was abundant, while in marshy places Lobelia Kalmii formed the greatest part of the vegetation, and was profusely covered with its rich blue flowers. Specimens of the most remarkable plants were exhibited to the meeting. Zoological Society, 355 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. August 13, 1844. — Professor Owen, V.P., in the Chair. " Descriptions of new species of Area, chiefly collected by H. Cu- ming, Esq. in the Philippine Islands," by Lovell Reeve, Esq. Arca obtusa. Area testd ohlongd, Modiolceformi, lateribus obtuso' rotundatis, margine ventrali bysso paululum hiante ; albd, epider- mide nigricante subsquamosd partim indutd ; radiatim striatd, striis elevatis ; umbonibus depressiusculis, approximatis ; ligamenti area parvd, angustd, profunde declivi. Conch. Icon. Area, pi. 12. f. 77. Hab. Coast of Japan (found under stones) ; Dr. Siebald. Very like a Modiola in shape, but not the recent analogue of the fossil A. Modiolceformis of Deshayes. Arca cunealis. Arca testd elongate -oblong a, lateribus supernt angulatis, antieo brevi, rotundato, postieo elongato, angulato, carind ab umbone ad marginem deeurrente, margine ventrali bysso hiante ; pallide fused, epidermide molli lamellatd indutd; radiatim striatd, striis elevatis, fortiter granulosis, aredposticd subindistincte nigri- costatd; umbonibus sub approximatis, ligamenti ared latiusculd, concavd, sulcis ligamentariis anticis posticisque, subdistantibus . Conch. Icon. Arca, pi. 13. f. 87. Hab. Zanzibar (found under stones at low water) ; Tliom. The sculpture of this species corresponds precisely to that of the Arca mutabilis ; the form of the shell is more depressly elongated, the anterior side is shorter, and there are ligamentary grooves on the posterior part of the cardinal area as well as on the anterior. Arca tenella. Arca testd subcylindraceo-oblongd, Modiolceformi, tenui, subpellucidd, lateribus obtuso-rotundatis, margine ventrali vix hiante ; pallide fuscescente, epidermide molli leviter indutd ; radiatim subtilissime striatd, striis granulosis ; umbonibus obtusis, antice incurvis ; ligamenti ared antice latiusculd, postice lanceolato- acuminatd. Conch. Icon. Arca, pi. 14. f. 91. Hab. Island of Burias, Philippines (found under stones at low water) ; Cuming. A delicate light brown shell, beautifully striated, with a soft scat- tered epidermis. Arca setigera. Arca testd subquadrato-oblongd, lateribus rotun- datis, postieo latiore, margine ventrali bysso vix hiante ; rubido- fuscd, epidermide fused setigerd indutd ; radiatim subtilissime striata^ striis elevatis, granulosis; umbonibus subapproximatis, antice adjectis ; ligamenti ared angustd, declivi. Conch. Icon. Arca, pi. 14. f. 94. Hah. Zanzibar (found under stones at low water) ; Thorn. This species approaches very closely to Arca lacerata ; it appears, however, to be of an uniform smaller size, the posterior side is less expanded, and the bristles are set in single rows. 356 Zoological Society. Arca virescens. Area testa elongatd, lateribus rotundatis, postico leviter angulato, antieo subattenuato ; viridescente, epidermide tenui, ad aream posticam setosd, indutd ; striis elevatis radiatd ; ligamenti ared angustissi?nd, umbonibus approwimatis . Conch. Icon. Arca, pi. 15. f. 97. Hab. Catbalonga, island of Samar, Philippines (found under stones at low water) ; Cuming. A delicate greenish species, in which the epidermis lies on the posterior area in rows of fine bristles. Arca fasciata. Area testa oblongd, tenui, compressd, lateribus rotundatis, superne attenuatis ; albidd, fasciis cinereo-purpurascen- tibus indistinctis concentrice tinctd ; epidermide tenui, postice se- tosd, indutd ; radiatim striatd, striis elevatis, irregularibus, striis transversis subtilissimis jimbriato-decussatis ; ligamenti ared an- gustd, profunde declivi ; intus purpurascente. Conch. Icon. Arca, pi. 15. f. 99. Hab. } This is a remarkably flattened shell, banded and stained with red- dish and ashy purple both inside and outside. Arca lima. Arca testd elongato-ovatd, lateribus superne angulatis, antieo infra rotundato, postico angulato -rotundato, subextenso ; fuscescente, fusco tinctd, postice fusco maculatd, epidermide tenui subtilissime setosd indutd, radiatim liratd, liris angustis, numero- sis, confertis, granosis, perpaucis medianis duplicatis ; lateraliter costatd, costis rudibus, subdistantibus, crenato-nodosis ; ligamenti ared angustd. Conch. Icon. Arca, pi. 15.