122 PROF. OWEN ON A NEW SPECIES OF EUPLECTELLA. 
The specimen of the Euplectella Cucumer here described, Dr. Farre writes, ‘was given, 
together with other presents, by the King of the Seychelle Islands to Captain Etheridge, 
R.N., in acknowledgment of some friendly services, and with an intimation that this 
was one of the rarest products of those regions. From Captain Etheridge it passed into 
the hands of Dr. Richard Payne Cotton, of Clarges Street, by whom it was recently 
presented to me.”—(A. F.) _ 
With regard to the first-described species, Zuplectella Aspergillum, Mr. Hugh Cuming 
writes to me :—* The Euplectella brought home by me from the Philippines was taken 
by a fisherman, in ten fathoms, rocky ground, off the island of Bohol, one of the southern 
islands of the Philippine group. The fisherman was employed in catching a species of 
cod which abounds in those islands, and finding, after some time, the fish did not take his 
bait, he drew it up, when to his surprise he found the above specimen attached to his 
hook, near the orifice; and fearing to injure it by disentangling the hook from such a 
fragile substance, he cut out that portion to which the hook was attached. On his arrival 
on shore at St. Nicholas di Zebu, he made a present of it to the governor of the town. 
On my arrival a few days after, I was introduced to the governor, who, upon knowing 
the object of my visit to the island, presented me with it as the greatest curiosity he had 
to offer me, as he had never seen the like before. On my showing it to the bishop of 
that city, and the principal inhabitants, they confirmed the opinion of its rarity expressed 
by the governor."—(H. C.) 
In conclusion, I beg to state, that although this paper is communicated to the Society 
as from one author, it is properly the work of two: many of the observations were 
originally made by Dr. Arthur Farre, which afterwards were confirmed by my own eyes; - 
and every recorded observation of my own has been repeated by, and received the sanction 
of my friend. In returning these acknowledgments for the considerate call which he 
pressed upon the describer of the original species to bring the second before the notice of 
naturalists, and for his generous relegation of this pleasing task to me, I desire, at the _ 
same time, to offer my best thanks to Mr. Cuming, who, with his own hands, transported 
his frail and unique specimen of Euplectella Aspergillum to the residence of Dr. A. Farre, 
in order to afford every facility of comparing the two species: and Ihave again to express, 
as at the close of my former memoir, my obligations to Mr. G. B. Sowerby, for his 
zealous devotion of much time and peculiar artistic skill to a faithful representation of 
this second species of the rare genus Huplectella. 
