96 Miscellaneous. 



cj'e8 by passing below the mouth, and a line of the same colour 

 running from the mouth to the thorax ; the dorsals of the same 

 colour as the body, but tinged with brown and red, and adorned 

 with three violet bands ; a black spot between the first two spines of 

 the dorsal ; anal yellowish, violet at the extremity. 



The other species, Labrichthys isleanus, n. sp., belongs to a group 

 the species of which have only two series of scales on the cheek. 

 As in the preceding species, we observe a posterior canine tooth and 

 small successional teeth in the jaws. The body, of a red-lead 

 colour, orange on the belly, is traversed by longitudinal lines of a 

 darker tint. A black spot is observed between the first two spines 

 of the dorsal, another spot of the same colour between the penulti- 

 mate pair of rays of the soft fin, and a third spot at the posterior and 

 superior part of the pedicle of the caudal. 



The genus Mendosoma was only represented by a single Chilian 

 species {Mendosoma lineatum) when Kner met with the genus at St. 

 Paul (J/, eloncjatum). 



As to Boviclitliys psycliroliites, Giinth., the species belongs to a 

 group bearing the seal of the genera characteristic of cold regions. 

 This is also the case with Motella capensis, Kaup, a form essentially 

 characteristic of the colder parts of the southern Atlantic hemisphere. 

 — Comjptes Bendtis, November 22, 1875, p. 987. 



On a gigantic Strididating Spider. By James Wood-Mason. 



Mr. Wood-Mason exhibited specimens of a gigantic spider be- 

 longing to the genus Mygale, which had the power of emitting a 

 loud stridulating sound, and stated that that interesting discovery 

 had been made by Mr. S. E. Peal of Sibsagar, Assam, who, at his 

 request, had drawn up a most graphic account of his observations 

 on the living animal. Mr. Mason had himself undertaken to ascer- 

 tain the position and to describe the structure of the sound-producing 

 apparatus, which he had found to consist of a comh, composed of a 

 number of highly elastic aud indurated chitinous rods, situated on 

 the inner face of the so-called maxillce, and of a scraper., formed by 

 an irregular row of sharp spines on the outer surface of the chelicerce. 

 This apparatus was equally well developed in both sexes, as in most 

 Coleopterous insects, and was not confined to the males as in the 

 Orthoptera, Homoptera, aud the stridulating spiders (Theridion) 

 observed by Westring, in all of which the exclusive purpose 

 of the sounds emitted seemed to be to charm or call the opposite 

 sex. 



In conclusion, Mr. Mason discussed the probable purposes of the 

 sounds emitted, and pointed out how the Mygale stridulans, as he 

 proposed to call the species observed by Mr. Peal, differed from its 

 nearest ally M. javanensis, in which no stridulating organs were 

 developed. A full account will shortly be published in the Society's 

 Journal. — Proc. As. Soc. Bengal, l^^oxemhev 1875. 



