Scientific Intelligence — Zoology, 195 



for it appears to be more probable that the birds were attracted 

 only by the bright spots of colour in the painting. Swainson, in 

 the Second Series of his Zoological Illustrations, gives a figure 

 and description of the Trichoglossus Swainsoni, blue-bellied Lory, 

 Plate 92. It is a very beautiful bird of Australia, which feeds on 

 the honey it obtains from the blossoms of the Eucalyptus tree. In 

 describing it he says, that *' a tame individual on being shewn the 

 coloured drawing of a native plant, tried to suck the flowers, and it 

 even made the same attempt with a piece of cotton furniture." 



I have seen an insect in the same way deceived by bright spots of 

 colour. In a room rudely stencilled with imitations of bright coloured 

 flowers, the genus or species of which it would not be easy for the 

 most skilful botanist to decide, I saw the moth of the Sphinx convoU 

 vuli repeatedly fly along the wall and dart at every bright spot of 

 colour, as if taking it for a real flower. These anecdotes would also 

 tend to shew, that some animals are guided to their food, more by 

 sight than by scent. — Sir W. Tr&vilyan, 



12. New Marine Animals discovered during a cruise among the 

 Hebrides. By Professors Edward Forbes and J. Goodsir* — The 

 animals either wholly new, or new to Britain, described in this com- 

 munication, were taken during a yachting cruise with Mr Macandrew, 

 of Liverpool, among the Hebrides, in the month of August 1850. 

 During this voyage, which lasted three weeks, a series of observa- 

 tions were conducted by means of the dredge and towing-net. Not 

 a single new testaceous mollusc was procured ; but several remark- 

 able Ascidians and Radiata were discovered, some of them so curious 

 in themselves, and so important in their zoological bearings, that 

 the authors of this paper thought it desirable to lay an account of 

 them before the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 



The most remarkable of these is the longest compound Ascidian 

 yet discovered in the Atlantic. Its nearest described ally is the 

 genus Diazona of Savigny, between which animal and ClaveUina it 

 forms a link. The authors of this paper propose to designate this 

 animal Syntethys Hebridia^ having found it necessary to establish a 

 genus for its reception. The authors have also dredged up the 

 Holothuria intestiiialis of Ascanius and Rathke, which is the second 

 species of Holothuria proper discovered in the British seas ; the first 

 having been discovered by Mr Peach under the name of " Nigger,'' 

 given to it by the Cornish fishermen. 



A new species of the curious genus Sarcodictyon, distinguished 

 by the polype cells being grouped in assemblages of from three to 

 five, was described under the designation of S. agglomeratum. 



The Arachnactis albida of Sars was found in the Minch. Por- 

 tions of an animal found by Professor Balfour in the same locality 



* Vide Proceedings of the Royal Society of lildinburgh, February 1851. 



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