398 Scientific Intelligence. — Zoology. 



cover them over most carefully. Their care does not end 

 here. They remain by the side of the nest till the spawn is 

 hatched, with as much solicitude as a hen guards her eggs ; 

 both the male and female hassar (a species of Doras), for they 

 are monogamous, steadily watching the spawn, and courageous- 

 ly attacking the assailant. Hence the negroes frequently take 

 them by putting their hands into the water close to the nest ; on 

 agitating which the male hassar springs furiously at them, and 

 is thus captured. The round-head forms its nest of grass, tlie 

 Jlat-head of leaves. Both at certain seasons burrow in the bank. 

 They lay their eggs only in wet weather. I have been sur- 

 prised to observe the sudden appearance of numerous nests in a 

 morning after rain occurs, the spot being indicated by a bunch 

 of froth, which appears on the surface of the water, over the 

 nest. Below this are the eggs, placed on a bunch of fallen leaves 

 or grass, if it be the littoral species, which they cut and collect 

 together. By what means this is effected seems rather myste- 

 rious, as the species are destitute of cutting teeth. It may pos- 

 sibly be by the use of their serrated arms, which form the first 

 ray of the pectoral fins *. — Vr Hancock^ Zool Jour. No. xiv. 



10. Notice of the discovery of a recent Encrinus. — From the 

 mutilated state of the recent Pentaci'inites discovered in the 

 Caribaean seas, it has been impossible to ascertain whether they 

 were attached by the base to rocks, or were capable of locomo- 

 tion, which the length of the pillar in some of these animals 

 might seem to render unnecessary. The accidental capture of 

 a small but perfect Encrinus, has enabled me to settle this 

 point, and has confirmed the suspicion which has been entertain- 

 ed of late, that the species of the tribe Crinoidea are allied to 

 that division of the Linnean AsteriadcB which have dichotomous 

 and multi-articulate arms. The sessile genera of the Crinoidea 

 differ from these, in possessing clasping organs of motion (am- 

 bulacra), independent of the arms for entangling the prey: and 

 those genera which are furnished with a multiarticulate column 

 beneath the body further differ (in the genus Pentacrinus at 

 least), in having supplementary verticillate tendril-like organs 



• Through the attention of Sir David Milne, we have received specimens 

 of fishes nests, constructed amongst fuci on the coast of Berwickshire, of 

 which we may afterwards give a particular description.— Edit. 



