Scientific Intelligence. Zoology. 397 



.starting from my previous labours relative to the characters of 

 animals, to demonstrate that they are not alga? but true animals, 

 which ought to be arranged near the polygastric infusoria?, 

 where M. O. F. Muller had already placed them, an opinion 

 which appeared to me to be founded upon the laws of nature, 

 to be conformable to those of physiology." 



15. Concerning an African Species of the Genus Canis, an 

 inhabitant of the Sahara Desert, and some of the Valleys of the 

 Atlas. M. Bodichon supplies some details concerning the form 

 and habits of one of the genus Canis, which he regards as be- 

 longing to the subgenus of foxes (Vulpcs), although it ex- 

 hibits marked differences from the different species which have 

 hitherto been described by zoologists. It presents the following 

 characters. The cranium is flattened superiorly ; the head is 

 elongated ; and the anterio-posterior diameter is much longer 

 than the transverse diameter ; the ears are placed high as in the 

 jackal, and are much longer ; the neck is slender and long ; and 

 the hind quarters somewhat more elevated than the fore. The 

 legs are longer, and the body more slender than in the common 

 fox ; the coat is fallow coloured in the upper and external por- 

 tions, grey on the under and internal parts, whilst the throat, 

 lips, and point of the tail are pure white. The animal does not 

 exhale any bad smell. He lives in numerous troops, amount- 

 ing sometimes to more than fifty individuals, which hunt in 

 common, and attack the gazelles, sheep, and calves. This is 

 the testimony of the Arabs, though M. Bodichon has never 

 himself seen more than six or seven together at a time. They 

 are not found in the mountainous districts, nor in that portion 

 of the French possessions which is designated by the name of 

 Alger. They are sometimes met with in the plain of Metidja, 

 and more frequently behind the first chain of the Atlas range ; 

 but it is especially in the desert of Sahara that they abound, 

 and here they are found in prodigious numbers. In the plains 

 they are stronger than the jackals, who cannot approach their 

 pack with impunity, whilst in the mountains, on the contrary, 

 they yield them the preference, and scrupulously avoid them. 



16. Geographic Distribution of the Crustacea. Mr Milne- 

 Edwards has lately communicated to the Philomathic Society 

 of Paris, the result of his researches concerning the geographic 



