OYM ton. 



GYMNU1U. 



liaritira of this claa : fig. 1 is male catkin ; f<j. 2, a scale from it 

 baviug anthen on iu under aide ; Jig. 8, a female clutter of flower* 

 aatod at the end of a scaly peduncle; Jig. 4, a longitudinal section of 

 the same, showing the naked ovule* seated within the scales ; Jig. 5 is 

 a ripe fruit, composed of three scales, become fleshy and consolidated, 

 and burying the seeds within their centre ; jig. 6 is the same fruit 

 divided transversely, to show how the seeds are placed within the ripe 

 fruit; Jig. 1 is a seed; Jig. -6, a longitudinal, and Jig. 9, a trans- 

 verse section of the same. [CrcAJUOE*; TAIACE.K; GSETACEJS; 



Juuipfrtu Oxyetdrtu. 



GYMNOP3, a gnus of Birds established by Cuvier and described 

 by him ns having a bill strong og that of the Orioles ; the nostrils 

 round, without scales or any membranous entourage, and a great part 

 of the head denuded of feathers. He refers to (jraculu calva, QmeL, 

 .tfino Dumonlii, Less., and GractUa cyanotit, Lath. (Meropt cyanutit, 

 ah.), as examples. 



. .YMN'isl'ERMS. [GTJMOOEXS.] 



(iYMXO'TUH, a genus of Fishes belonging to the section Apodti. 

 It has the following generic characters : Gills partially closed by a 

 membrane, and opening before the pectorals ; the vent placed very far 

 forwards ; body without any perceptible scales, and without dorsal 

 fin ; anal fin extending the greater part of the length of the body. 



(/'. etectricut (Linn.), from the resemblance it bears to an eel, and 

 the electric power which it possesses, has been called the Electric-Eel 

 It Is about 5 or 6 feet in length ; the head is rather broad aud 

 depressed ; the muzzle is obtuse : the body, compared with that of 

 the common eel, is stouter and shorter in proportion ; the anterior 

 part is nearly cylindrical, but towards and at the tail it is compressed ; 

 the pectoral fins are small and rounded ; the anal fin commences at 

 a short distance behind the line of the pectoral fins, and extends 

 uninterruptedly to the tail ; there is no caudal fin. IU colour is 

 brownish-black. 



The Electric-Eel is said to communicate shocks so violent that men 

 mod even horses are overpowered by them. This power is dependent 

 on the will of the animal, but decreases in strength if frequently 

 repeated, unless at considerable intervals. The organs by which this 



shock is produced are minutely described by Hunter in the 65th 

 volume of the ' Philosophical Transactions.' All the species of 

 Gymnotut inhabit the riven of South America. [KLtxTHiciTY or 

 ORGANIC BEINGS.] 



The genus Ctrajnu of Cuvier contains such species of (rymnolia of 

 the older authors an have the tail lengthened and tapering, and the 

 body compressed and furnished with scales. They also inhabit 

 South America. 



GYMNU'RA, a genus of Animals belonging to the family Talpida 

 and the order t'era- of Dr. Gray. The only species of this genus was 

 first described by Sir Stamford Raffles. It was afterwards more 

 accurately examined by Dr. Hun-field and Mr. Vigors, who figured it 

 in the ' Zoological Journal.' 



Sir Stamford Kaffles referred the species to the Linnican genus 

 Virerra, and recorded it as Viteira Qymnura. But although he did 

 not nominally raise the animal to the importance of a genus, he gave 

 so clear and accurate a description of its generic characters that Dr. 

 Horsfield and Mr. Vigors do not hesitate to attribute the first indi- 

 cation of the group to him ; and they proceed to give the generic 

 character of (iymnura : 



Q I) O Q g 



Incisors, - ; canines (Laniarii), ; molars, =44. 



6 1 1 i 7 



Incisors, 2 above, remote, very large, subcylindrical, rounded at 

 the apex ; 6 below, the four intermediate approximate, rather short, 

 inclined (proclives) compressed, the anterior surface (pagiun) convex, 

 the interior flat, edge rounded (scalpro rotundato), the two lateral 

 abbreviated, acute. Canines (Laniarii), 2 on each side above, remote 

 from the incisors and shorter than then), the anterior ones the longest ; 

 1 on each side below, very large, conical, subarcuate, looking inwards. 

 Molars, 8 on each side above, remote from the canines, the three 

 anterior unicuspid, the first elongated and sectorial ; the second and 

 third abbreviated ; the fourth with an elongated conical point and a 

 posterior and exterior abbreviated lobe or step (gradu) at the base ; 

 the fifth with the exterior cusp very long, aud the Ulterior one abbre- 

 viated ; the sixth and seventh very large, multicuspid, the cusps 

 .-lib-abbreviated and rounded ; the eighth smaller aud more fashioned 

 for triturating (subtritorius), the cusps rather obtuse ; 7 below, the 

 three anterior unicuspid, compressed ; the first and second shorter ; 

 the third sub-elongated ; the fourth with an elongated cusp, an 

 anterior lobe, and another posterior lobe (gradu) abbreviated; the 

 fifth, sixth, and seventh very large, multicuspid, the cusps rather 

 elevated and acute. 



Head elongated, acuminated, narrowed, compressed on the sides, 

 Saltish above. Muzzle (rostrum) obtuse, elongated, stretched forward 

 (protensum), much surpassing the lower jaw in length. Nostrils 

 lateral, prominent, with the margins convoluted. Tongue rather 

 smooth, large. Auricles rounded, somewhat prominent, naked. Eyes 

 small. Whiskers (vibrissa 1 ) elongated. 



Body rather robust, ground of the fur (cordaris) soft, but with 

 distant erect sub-elongated harsh hairs. Tail rather long, smooth, 

 attenuated, naked, scaly, with a few scattered hairs in youth. 



Feet moderate, plantigrade, pentadactyle, the fore feet with a 

 rather short thumb, the three intermediate fingers rather long and 

 sub-equal ; the hind feet with a very short great toe, the three inter- 

 mediate toes very much elongated, and the external toe moderate. 

 Claws moderate, narrow, curved, compressed, very acute, retractile. 



Such is the character given by Dr. Horsfield and Mr. Vigors to 

 Gymnura, and they state their opinion that the nearest affinity to this 

 genus appears to be met with in Tupaia (Raffles). From that group 

 however they say that Qymnura is sufficiently distinguished, besides 

 the difference in the system of dentition, by the elongation of the 

 rostrum, the comparative robustness of the body, the setose character 

 of the hairs, which are sparingly mingled with the soft fur, the small 

 retractile claws, and the nakedness of the tail In general appear- 

 ance they hold that the group bears a strong resemblance to some 

 species of the Marsupial genus Didtlphii. 



O. Raff nii, the Bulau or Tikus, bos the body, feet, stripe above the 

 eyes, scattered occipital hairs, and the basal half of the tail, block ; 

 the head, the neck, the scattered hairs of the back, and the other half 

 of the tail, white. (Horsfield and Vigors.) 



An adult specimen examined by Horsfield and Vigors measured 



1't. In. Lints. 



Length of the body and head from the extremity 

 of the proboscis to the root of the tail . 123 



Length of the tail 10 



Length of the head 043 



Length of the proboscis .... 008 

 Breadth of the head across the earn . . 016 



Distance between the eyes .... 010 

 Height at the shoulder .... 050 



Height at the rump " 



Length of the anterior taru.i and toes . 019 



Length of the posterior ditto ... 020 



M. Lesson ('Manual,' 1827), places thu li-lth genus, Oymnura, 



between the dogs with hyicua'i feet (Canit jiictut, Desm. ; 



Jfyana picta, Tetnm.), and Vitcrra, Liiin., the first sub-genus of 



which he makes to consist of the true Civets. He says of Gymnura, 



