xlviii ANNUAL SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



eros in London, has excited much attention in view of the 

 great rarity of such an occurrence in menageries. 



Several new species of cetacea of the west coast have been 

 described by Captain Scammon and Mr. Dall ; and the work 

 of Captain Scammon upon this group, now in a state of prep- 

 aration, it is expected, will throw a great deal of light upon 

 the species themselves, and the modes of capture of the more 

 important kinds, such as the whale, the porpoise, grampus, etc. 



The discoveries among the extinct cetaceans have been 

 numerous and of unusual interest. Cope, Flower, and Ger- 

 vais have described certain extinct forms, but it is especially 

 to Van Beneden and Du Bus, of Belgium, and to Brandt, of 

 St. Petersburg, that we are indebted for more or less insight 

 into new types. 



By far the most interesting discoveries among the mam- 

 malia are the fossil forms brought to light during the past 

 summer by Professors Cope, Marsh, and Leidy. Among these 

 may be mentioned a proboscidian of gigantic size, and pro- 

 vided with four horns, each possibly incased in a horny 

 sheath, as in the hollow-horned ruminants. It is understood 

 that these gentlemen are busily engaged in preparing elabo- 

 rate memoirs upon these and other interesting forms, and 

 that they will soon be published to the knowledge of the 

 world at large. 



Among the animal's of uncertain position, or even of exist- 

 ence, is the gigantic marine animal popularly termed a " sea- 

 serpent ;" and of this we have had the usual number of an- 

 nouncements during the year. One of these accounts refers 

 to its occurrence in a Highland loch during the past summer. 

 Most of the statements concur, as usual, in describing the 

 animal as serpent-like in shape, with a so-called mane along 

 the back of the neck, and capable of erecting its head above 

 the surface of the water, and with the body thrown into 

 vertical coils that appeared at intervals like humps, or like 

 balls along a string. What the true character of this animal 

 may be, it is impossible to say ; or how far the appearance of 

 a serpent may have been simulated by a string of floating 

 sea-weed, a school of porpoises, or other manifestation, all of 

 which have been proposed as solutions of the problem. 



The Birds have not received any specially noteworthy ad- 

 ditions. American species have been further considered by 



