394 Miscellaneous. 



All the other forms are known sea organisms, excepting the Litho- 

 dontia. 



Novorum Generum Characteres succincti. 



Hemiptychus. Animal e Bacillariis Naviculaceis liberum. Lorica 

 simplex aequaliter bivalvis silicea orbicularis (non concatenata ?) 

 intus sepimentis imperfectis ad dimidiam fere radiorum partem in 

 loculos radiantes (nee alternos impressos) divisa, medio disco late 

 vacuo, radiato nee septato, centro, denticulorum corona cincto, 

 radiorum experte, extremi marginis aperturis non conspicuis. 



Sepimentis abbreviatis, concamerationibus non alterne impressis, 

 centro coronato et aperturis marginalibus obsoletis ab Actino- 

 ptycho differt. 



H. ornatus disco subtilissime granulato radiis 29 aequalibus, cellu- 

 larum apparatu interposito concentrico. Diameter T V". 



Entopyla. Animal e Bacillariis Naviculaceis (an Echinelleis ?). 

 Lorica prismatica compressa multivalvis (libera, an concatenata ?). 

 Valvis in serie simplici recta, libri foliorum instar, contiguis, in- 

 tends apertura maxima media perviis, externis insequalibus trans- 

 verse stria tis, altera integerrima (non perforata), altera ad utrum- 

 que apicem poro magno insigni. 



Forma arcuata ad Achnanthem accedit, tabellari forma Tessellee affi- 

 nior est, maxime Biblario propinquior est. 



E. australis, foliolis linearibus utroque fine rotundato, foliolis mediis 

 in adultis numero fere 16, costis foliolorum lateralium in adultis 

 ultra 40 iisque {Surirellce more) linea media flexuosa divisis. 

 Longit.-^'". 



Vidi juniora specimina -^'" longa, foliolis intermediis tribus, costis 

 inter aperturas 6. 



Syn. Surirella? australis, 1843, Abhandl. d. Akad. — Proceedings of 

 the Berlin Academy. 



EXTENSIBILITY OF MEMBRANE AND MUSCLE IN THE SERPENT TRIBE. 



The following facts, as illustrative of the great extensibility of 

 membrane and muscle in the Serpent tribe, may prove interesting 

 to some of your readers. 



On the 14th ultimo a Boa constrictor was sent for my inspection, 

 which had that morning swallowed a pig belonging to some Chinese 

 at Sungi Kranjie. It would appear that the snake had been seen 

 lki n g about the sty several days previous to his last meal which 

 cost him so dear; he artfully however escaped the owner of the 

 swine, who had ineffectually attempted his capture or destruction on 

 these occasions ; but on the morning in question, the Boa succeeded 

 in getting entrance into the sty, and having helped himself to a 

 porker, found himself in the dilemma of the weasel in the barn, — 

 he could not get out again. The owner came upon him in this state 

 of helplessness, and having called comrades to his assistance, secured 

 the victim, torpid from his voracious exertions, and brought him in 

 triumph into town. 



Now you will say there is nothing novel in all this ; nevertheless 

 the disparity of size between the carcase of the pig and the jaws 



