342 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



countries, such migration is more nearly east and west than 

 north and south. 



NEW SPECIES OF A NEW GENUS OF SERPENT. 



A new species of a new genus of serpents, collected by- 

 Lieutenant Wheeler's expedition in Arizona during the field 

 season of 1874, has just been identified and named by Pro- 

 fessor E. D. Cope. It is called Monopoma rufipunctatum. 

 The rostral shield of this new genus resembles that of JP/ii- 

 mothyra, and the lateral head shields those of Cyclophis cesti- 

 vus. It is, however, more like Eutamia in general character. 

 This is a very interesting discovery. 



NEW SERPENT FROM FLORIDA. 



Mr. S. W. Garman describes, in the Proceedings of the Bos- 

 ton Society of Natural History, a new American species of 

 serpent from Florida under the name of Helieops alleni. 

 Pr. Bost. Nat. Hist. Soc 9 XVII., 1, 92. 



RESEMBLANCE OF EXTINCT TORTOISES TO LIVING ONES. 



A remarkable announcement is made by Dr. Gunther to 

 the effect that the remains of extinct species of gigantic tor- 

 toises in the Mauritius and the island of Rodriguez have a 

 very close affinity to the living species of the Gallapagos 

 Archipelago, and differing from other tortoises of the same 

 region in having a flat cranium and a truncated beak. Ac- 

 cording to Dr. Gunther, the presence of these allied tortoises 

 at points so remote from one another can be accounted for 

 only by the belief that they are in each case indigenous. 

 4 1), November, 1874,403. 



THE HYBRIDIZATION OF SALAMANDERS. 



Professor Gervais, of the Jardin des Plantes, instituted a 

 number of experiments in the hybridization of various species 

 of aquatic salamanders. He mingled males and females of the 

 European Tritons of several species ; but the eggs were not 

 fecundated, and soon died. The eggs of a siredon, or unde- 

 veloped A?nblystoma, from North America, were successfully 

 impregnated by the males of the European Triton cristatus, 

 and were deposited in large numbers. Some thirty young 

 hatched from these, and became objects of much curiosity. 



