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Proceedings of the British Association. «835 
does not appear to be the case with the genus under consideration, 
or with the Anthomys, which was so called because F. Cuvier 
found their cheek pouches filled with flowers. If it were not for 
these cheek pouches, the animal before us might be taken for a 
Gerboa, with which it perfectly agrees in the softness and color 
of the fur, and in the length of the hind-legs and tail, which has 
a brush at the end, so that it may be at once distinguished from 
the other American genera, above enumerated, which either have 
an elongated scaly tail, like a rat, or a very short one, like a lem- 
ming. Mr. Gray is inclined to consider this animal as the repre- 
sentative of the genus (Dipus) Gerboa, which is confined to the 
more temperate part of Africa, as the genus Harpalotis is repre- 
sentative of the same genus in Australia. ‘The combination of 
the forms and color of the Gerboa with the external cheek pouches 
of the pouched rat, at once marks this animal as a new genus, 
which I propose to call Dipodomys or Gerboa rat, designating the 
species after its discoverer, D. Phillipsit. 
Col. Hamilton Smith read a paper on the Colossal Sepiade.— 
He detailed all that was known of the existence of animals of 
enormous size, inhabiting the ocean, belonging to the class of 
Cephalopods. However incredulous some naturalists might be 
regarding the existence of these animals, he had collected sufti- 
cient evidence to convince him that animals of a very large size 
belonging to this class now inhabited the waters of the ocean. 
he paper was illustrated by numerous drawings, and one was 
a sketch of the beak and other parts of an enormous Sepia, still 
preserved at the Museum of Haarlem, where they were seen by 
the author. 
The following papers were also read : 
Some none on the Natural History of the Wheat Midge, Cecidomyia Tritiel, 
by Prof. Henslow. 
On the aooloay of the county of Cornwall, by J. Couch. 
Report on the drawing up, printing and circulating of, queries concerning the 
human race, for the use of travellers and others 
Report of the Committee on the growth and vilality of seeds 
On the habits of the eel, and on the freshwater fishes of Austria, by Capt. Wid- 
dington, R. N. 
On sinks! exhalations as affecting plants, by Mr. Bal 
On natural history as a branch of general education, “ Mr. R. Patterson. 
“Selieme for io ly observations on the Me Oe! of bisds, by * de ee 
. 
