TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS, 115 



food for itself. It was fed with small fishes ; and on one occasion there happened 

 to be a newly-caught electric fish among them, which it swallowed, but imme- 

 diately uttered a loud cry, and was thrown backwards. It soon recovered, but 

 could never afterwards be induced to dine upon Malapieruriis. This species I 

 believe to be found all along the Guinea coast. Dr. Baikie informs me that he had 

 seen a small species at Fernando Po, which appeared to him to correspond with the 

 description of this species. Among other interesting fish sent by Mr. Waddell, 

 there is a species of Lophius, or mud-fish, which appears undescribed. The curious 

 habits of this semi-amphibious family, of crawling out of the water, using their fore 

 fins like legs, and then sitting staring about with their great goggle eyes, is noticed 

 by Mr, "Waddell as very marked in this species. If placed in a basin, it will crawl 

 up the side, and sit on the edge, looking about. A new pipe-fish has also been 

 received, as well as some other species of fishes which I have not yet had the oppor- 

 tunity of determining. A very considerable number of snakes, lizards, &c. have 

 also been sent. Among the lizards there was a new Monitor, which Dr. Lowe 

 exhibited to the Royal Physical Society, approaching near to the Monitor pulcher of 

 Leach (now recognized as a variety of the M. niloticus, Linn.), besides specimens of 

 the chameleon. 



As to the Mollusca, Dr. Greville not long ago exhibited to the Royal Phj'sical 

 Society a very interesting collection of land and freshwater shells, which had 

 recently been transmitted to him by the Rev. Mr. Goldie. Bulimus Wrightii was 

 the most valuable shell of the series, — a handsome species, then described only a 

 few months before by Mr. Sowerby, jun., from a single specimen picked up by a 

 shipwrecked sailor. Other species of the same genus were B. Numidicus (Reeve) 

 and B. speciralis (Reeve) ; of Achatina there was A. striatella (Rang), and a large 

 one which Dr. Greville had been unable to determine, nearly allied to yi. marginata, 

 but more ovate in form, and distinguished by a red pillar. There were also three 

 small Helices, belonging to sections difficult of determination, one of them probably 

 new. P'ine specimens occurred of MeJcmia Owenii (Gray), which appears to be 

 generally distributed in Western Africa ; and of M. mu'tans (Gould), which Dr. 

 Greville had previously received from Liberia. Neritina Perrottetiana (Recluz), and 

 a fine bivalve, probably a Cyrene, were the remaining forms. 



In Insects, however, more has been done than in any other branch, I shall not 

 go back to the insects of Angola, described by Erichsen about ten years ago, or the 

 species from Congo, described by Mr. White about the same time ; but I think I 

 may be excused for referring to Westwood's ' Arcana Entoraologica,' although a 

 few years have elapsed since its publication, seeing that the most attractive part of 

 that "work is occupied with the West African GoUaths, of which the largest and 

 finest species known is the entomological ornament of this University (the almost 

 unique specimen of the Goliathiis giganteus). 



Very large collections of Coleoptera have been received from our correspondents 

 in Old Calabar ; so much so, that we are now in a position not only to make up a 

 pretty accurate list of the Coleoptera of that country, but also to form an opinion as 

 to their relative numbers. Such a list I am in the course of preparing, intercalating 

 descriptions of the new species as they occur ; and, as a large proportion of them 

 are undescribed, the new information will be considerable. Before I thought of 

 doing so, however, 1 had supplied my friend M. Chevrolat (who is our great 

 authority in Longicorns) with a set of the new species of that group, and he has 

 lessened my task by describing nearly fifty of them in Guerin's ' Revue Zoologique.' 

 As is always the case in warm climates, the Geodephaga are comparatively few, 

 both in number of species and individuals — the whole number of species which I 

 have received not exceeding fifty. One or two very fine species, however, occur 

 among them. No Hydro-canlharidce have been received. This may arise from 

 their not having been sought for. But I am inclined to think that, in point of fact, 

 the water-beetles are not numerous in these latitudes. As might be expected, the 

 burying beetles have not been found there ; the climate would not allow their nidus 

 to remain as food for the larvae long enough for their growth — a consideration, which 

 suggests to me a curious change in habit suited to the climate, which was men- 

 tioned to me by Mr. Thomson regarding the Aphodii. In this country, as entomo- 

 logists are aware, that family lay their eggs in dung, in which the larvae feed until 



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