46 



NEW SPECIES OF SIPHONIA. 



den field of philosophical investigation has lately been engaging the at- 

 tention of Professor Owen, the microscopic structure of the teeth through- 

 out the Vertebrata generally, but more particularly as developed in 

 some of the extinct genera among the fishes and Reptilia. Mr. Bail- 

 liere announces for publication in the month of February, some portion 

 of Mr. Owen's observations. 



British Natural History, in the hands of Mr. Van Voorst, seems to 

 flourish amazingly. Mr. Newman on the British Ferns, and Mr. Bell 

 on the British Crustacea, are both about to issue from No. 1, Paternoster 

 Row, and likewise another work which we announce with no small share 

 of gratification ; — a History of our indigenous species in the families As- 

 teriadce and Bchinidce, by Mr. Forbes. Mr. Lowe commits a work, in 

 active preparation, on the Fishes of Madeira, to the same able superin- 

 tendance ; and a volume, styled '* The Canadian Naturalist" makes its 

 appearance from the same quarter. Our own publishers, Messrs. Long- 

 man and Co., promise an illustrated history of the various breeds of our 

 domesticated animals, by the celebrated agricultural professor, Mr. Low, 

 and a revised edition of Turton's Land and Fresh-water Shells, by Mr. 

 Gray, of the British Museum. 



SHORT COMMUNICATIONS. 



New Species of Siphonia from the Yorkshire 

 Chalk.— IniheMsig. Nat. Hist, for 1839 (page 10), 

 it was observed that the numerous specimens of 

 SpongicB and Siphonice from the chalk in the 

 neighbourhood of Bridlington, exhibit such vari- 

 eties of form, that it is difficult, and in some cases 

 almost impossible, to distinguish the species. — 

 The Siphonia of which the annexed figure (fig. 2) 

 is a reduced sketch, is, however, marked by such 

 distinctive characters, that I have ventured to 

 consider it as a new species, under the name oi Si- 

 phonia fusiformis. At the time the account above 

 referred to was written, I w^as not aware of the ex- 

 istence of this species ; the specimen from which 

 the drawing was taken had been received some 

 time since from Mr. Wilson, the lapidary, of Brid- 

 lington Quay, and had inadvertently been laid 

 aside amongst a number of duplicates. 



