228 Miscellaneous. 



We may refer to figs. 1 and 2 for more ample details as to 

 the scaling of the head. 



Coloration. — The upper parts exhibit a fine golden-yellow tint ; 

 an elongated black spot covers the occiput ; a black streak is con- 

 tinued upon the dorsal line from the region of the fore limbs as far 

 as the anterior third of the tail ; on both sides the back is covered, 

 down to the flanks, with a large-meshed black network, having 

 a very pretty eflfect ; the upper surface of the limbs presents a 

 similar pattern. The head and the temples are variegated with 

 black ; beneath each eye a great number of small black spots form 

 an elongated spot, which is prolonged from the fourth to the last 

 of the labials. A black line follows the lateral margin of the 

 tail from the base. The lower parts are of a uniform white or 

 whitish tint. 



Dimensions. — Total length 112 milhrns.; head 17, trunk 13, 

 tail 57. 



Habitat. — Mossamedes. A single individual. 



We have received from the same locality, through M. d^Au- 

 chieta, several rare and interesting reptiles, such as — 



Sauria : Chamcdeo namaquensis (Smith), HomodactylusBihroni, 

 Euprepes Olivieri, E. Merremii, Mochlus afet\ Anelytrops elegans. 



Ophidia : Cerastes caudalis, Psammophis, sp. ? 



Batrachia : Dactylethra Millleri, Bufo spinosus. 

 Lisbon, July 9, 1867. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



On the Development of the Ctenophora. 



By A. KOWALEWSKY, 



The author has carefully traced the development of the egg in 

 variovis Ctenophora, and has arrived at some very curious results, 

 especially with regard to the first phases of evolution. 



Ill the EschscholtzicB (and the other Ctenophora seem to be in 

 the same case) two layers may be distinguished in the vitellus, — the 

 external one very thin, formed of true protoplasm, the other central, 

 consisting of an emulsion of large fatty drops. Acetic acid produces 

 a granular precipitate in the former, but has no action on the 

 second. The distinction of these two layers is important, as the 

 former alone plays the part of a formative vitellus, the second behaving 

 as a vitellus of nutrition. 



The segmentation into two and then into four and eight parts is 

 effected in such a manner that each of the spheres of segmentation 

 presents the two layers, like the original vitellus. These spheres are 

 completely destitute of nuclei. At tliis period a remarkable pheno- 

 menon takes place. In each of the eight sjiheres of segmentation 



