Miscellaneous. 309 



that genus. This animal is interesting as being the third genus 

 of true Glirine mammals found on the Australian continent,, viz. 

 Hydromys, Hapalotis, and Pseudomys. Indeed the number of non- 

 marsupial mammalia appears to be rapidly increasing as we become 

 better acquainted with the animals of Australia. Thus I now know 

 of three species of insectivorous bats inhabiting that continent, one 

 belonging to a peculiar genus Nyctophilus, and two to Molossus. 



NEW ANOMALOUS REPTILE. 



Dr. John Natterer, the industrious collector, who has lately re- 

 turned to Vienna from South America with his large collections, has 

 published in the 'Annals of the Vienna Museum' (ii.p. 167.) under 

 the name of Lepidosiren paradoxa, a new anomalous reptile, which 

 has much the appearance of an eel, but is covered with large netted 

 scales, and the body is furnished with four simple elongated taper- 

 ing legs ; the front pair being placed on the back edge of the upper 

 part of the spiracles, and the hinder pair on the under side of the 

 hinder part of the body. The jaws are furnished with strong trun- 

 cated teeth, and the vent, which is circular and plaited, is placed on 

 the left of the centre of the under side of the body, just behind 

 the base of the left hind leg. It was discovered in the Brazils near 

 the river Amazon, and grows to three feet. They had two speci- 

 mens in the Vienna Museum ; one of them has been put into the 

 hands of Professor Th. Bischofffor the purpose of being dissected.— 

 J. E. Gray. 



ON THE FUR SEAL OF COMMERCE. 



In one of your last numbers there is an interesting paper, by Mr. 

 Hamilton, on the fur seal of commerce, illustrated by a figure, which 

 the author supposes will " enable any one at once to recognise the 

 animal." Unfortunately, this is not the case, as from the want 

 of details of the teeth, of a more minute description of the whiskers, 

 ears, and various other parts which form the specific characters of 

 these very intricate animals, we gain nothing from the paper but 

 that the fur-seal is an Otaria or Eared Seal, for the colour can scarcely 

 be considered of any importance when we know the great changes it 

 undergoes during growth in the other species of the genus. I am 

 induced to make these remarks in the hope of inducing Mr. Hamilton 

 to extend his description, as I am very desirous of ascertaining if 

 his seal is the same as that which I described some time ago in the 

 * Magazine of Natural History' (1837), under the name Leptonyx 

 Wedellii, from two specimens which were collected by the Hon. 

 Capt. Fitzroy, and by him presented to the British Museum. — J. E. 

 Gray, 



