448 Miscellaneous. 



Tenacity of Life in Snails. 



Mr. B. M. Wright has lately sent to the British Museum two 

 living examples of the Desert Snail, Ilelijc desertorum, which appear 

 to have been dormant for the last four years. They were collected 

 by Mr. Vernedi, of Treherne House, Hampstead, who states that in 

 May 1854, on his transit through the Desert of Egypt, and while 

 stopping at one of the stations, he found a heap of thorn bushes, 

 such as the camels eat, lying in a corner of the building ; these 

 bushes were rather thickly studded with the snail-shells, so that in 

 a few minutes he picked off fifteen or twenty specimens, which he 

 carried home and locked up in a drawer. They remained undis- 

 turbed till the present month, when two were given to Mr. Wright, 

 who tried with success the experiment of reviving them ; and after- 

 wards Mr. Vernedi himself succeeded with two of the others. 



Sept. 20, 1858. 



April 1859. 

 In June 1855, 1 received from Mr. Wilton two specimens o^ Helix 

 candidissima, and one of H. aperta, which I placed in a glass box, 

 intending to test their tenacity of life. They remained quiescent, 

 without food or change of air, until November 1856, when they were 

 immersed in water and revived for a few hours, but returned to their 

 former dormant condition without taking any food. In July 1857 

 the Helix aperta was required for dissection ; and at the same time 

 another individual of H. candidissima and one of H. vermicularis 

 were placed in the box. These dates were in each case written on 

 the shells with pencil. Last Michaelmas (1858) the experiment 

 terminated, unintentionally ; for, having conveyed the box to the 

 Museum, the snails were all excited to activity by the warmth of my 

 pocket and the shaking they experienced. They are still alive, under 

 a bell-glass, along with the Desert snails before mentioned, and speci- 

 mens of two examples of Helix serpentina, brought from Pisa by 

 Mr. Hamilton, and several of Helix vufffafa, from Madeira, by Mr. 

 J. Y. Johnson. — S. P. Woodward. 



On a new species o/Synallaxis/rom the Reptihlic of Ecuador. 

 By Philip Li:tlky Sclater, M.A. 



Synallaxis antisiensis. 



Supra terricolori-brunnea ; loris, ciliis et striga superciliari 

 alhis ; pilco, alis extus et cauda rufis : subtus dilutior, gutture 

 .et pectore antico albis, hoc sensim ventrem versus ciner ascent e ; 

 rostro cameo, supra nigricante ; pedibus nigricanti-fuscis. 

 Long, tota 61, alse 2-8, caudse 3*0. 



Cuenca, Nov. 1857, 1 specimen. " Irides hazel; legs and feet 

 greenish ; nails flesh-coloured. Climbs up and down and round the 

 branches of trees like a Certhia.'' 



This apparently new Synallaxish most nearly allied to S. pallida. 

 Max., but may be distinguished by its larger size, white throat, and 

 earthy-brown plumage. — Proc. Zool. Soc. Nov. 9, 1858. 



