94 Mr. G. Newport on new species of Myriapoda. 



ways found them to contain these reptiles in various stages of 

 digestion. 



Rails are exceedingly numerous in Ireland, though less so of 

 late years than formerly. All the eggs of this bird which I have 

 met with in that country, amounting to some hundreds, are of a 

 dark colour, irregularly sprinkled over with large olive-coloured 

 spots. But the eggs of the same bird obtained in England are, 

 according to Mr. Hewitson, of a light ground, speckled with 

 small olive- coloured spots. How can this circumstance be ac- 

 counted for ? Are they really varieties of the same bird, or can 

 difference of food cause the difference in the colour of their eggs ? 

 Specimens of each may be seen in the museum of the Bristol 

 Institution. 



Stormy Petrel, Frocellaria Pelagica. 



The Stormy Petrel is frequently driven on to the Irish coast by 

 severe weather, and may then be seen hovering over the foam 

 along the margin of the sea, as if in search of food. The petrel, 

 though possessed of great power of wing, is frequently over- 

 whelmed and perishes by the fury of the tempest. After a stormy 

 night in 1832, I obtained on the Wexford coast seven or eight 

 dead specimens which had been washed on shore; and I saw 

 several other birds which were more or less crippled, and which 

 could have been readily captured had they been pursued. 



Almost every winter the petrel may be obtained along the 

 shores of the Irish coast, either by shooting the straggling and 

 tempest-driven birds, or by searching along high-water mark for 

 the stranded ones. It need scarcely be remarked that a lee 

 shore is the proper place to look for them. 



Kingsdown, Bristol, Nov. 29th, 1843. 



XIII. — A Last of the species of Myriapoda, Order Chilopoda, 

 contained in the Cabinets of the British Museum, with synoptic 

 descriptions of forty -seven new Species. By George Newport, 

 Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Pres. Ent. Soc. &c. 



The Myriapoda have been more neglected by naturalists than al- 

 most any other division of the Articulata. This neglect has arisen 

 in part from the uninviting appearance of the objects, and in part 

 also from the very great similarity of the species. Most of the 

 families and genera are recognised by well-marked characters, 

 but the species so nearly resemble each other that it is exceed- 

 ingly difficult to distinguish them. Very few of them were known 

 to Linnaeus, and many of those few were confounded by him under 

 a single name. Dr. Leach, to whom we are indebted for laying 

 the foundation of a truly scientific examination of this class, de- 

 scribed but few species, most of which were British, but even 



