SHcttoiTani of &mmat?tt Mature. 449 



NEREIDEYE. A family of Dorsibran- 

 cMate Anellidce, of which the genus Nereis 

 is the type. They have an even number of 

 tentacula attached to the sides of the base of 

 the head, two other biarticulatcd ones a 

 little more forward, and between these two 

 simple ones. Their branchite consist of little 

 laminae, traversed, by a network of vessels ; 

 each foot is furnished with two tubercles, 

 two bundles of bristles, and a cirrhus above 

 and beneath. A great number of species 

 inhabit our coasts. 



One species, the Nereis prolif era, exhibits, 

 a singular peculiarity in its mode of propa- 

 gation, merely by spontaneous division, the 

 hind part of the body being gradually trans- 

 formed into an additional animal, the head 

 and tentacular cirrlii being already deve- 

 loped. [See DOKSIBRASCHIATA.] 



NERINE A. A genus of Mollusca, family 

 Canalifera, only found in a fossil state, and 

 not resembled by any other. It is oblong, 

 turreted, and consists of numerous whorls ; 

 aperture with a strong fold on the columella, 

 one on the outer lip, and one on the inner 

 lip at the edge of the body whorl. 



NEBITACE A, or NERITID.E. A family 



of the first order of Trachelipoda, containing 

 the genera Navicella, Natica, Nerita, and 

 Neritina. The shells constituting this family 

 are chiefly distinguished by the smallness 

 and flatness of the spire, which appears placed 

 on one side ; the mouth is generally semi- 

 circular, being half closed by a flat partition, 

 which forms the left lip. 



NERITA. A genus of marine Mollusca, 

 inhabiting the Eastern and American seas, 

 the West Indies, Moluccas, &c. The shell 

 is thick, smooth or ribbed, semiglobose ; 

 spire short, consisting of few volutions ; aper- 

 ture large, semicircular ; inner lip flattened, 

 and frequently toothed, as well as the outer, 

 the operculum horny, covered with shelly 

 lamina?. One species (Nerita pdodonta) is 

 called the Bleeding Tooth, from the red ap- 

 pearance of the teeth on the inner lip. The 

 head of the animal is furnished with two 

 pointed tentacula having eyes at the base ; 

 foot large. There are about thirty species 

 recent, and ten fossil. 



NERITINA. A genus of fresh- water Mol- 

 lusca, found in the East and West Indies, 

 the Isle of France, &c. The shells are pret- 

 tily marked, and are considered sufficiently 

 handsome to be often worn as ornaments by 

 the Indians. The shell is thin, semi-globose, 

 obliquely oval, smooth, and rather flat in 

 front ; spire somewhat depressed, and con- 

 sisting of few rapidly increasing whorls ; 

 aperture semicircular ; columellar lip broad, 

 flat, its inner edge straight, denticulated ; 

 right lip destitute of teeth ; animal, head 

 large, having two tentacula, with eyes at the 

 base ; foot short. Many of the species are 

 covered with an epidermis ; and some of the 

 genus are found in the rivers of England 

 adhering to stones. 



NESTOR, A genus of the Parrot family, 

 containing the NESTOR PRODUCTUS, or 

 PHILIP ISLAND PARROT. It appears that 



this species of the genus Nestor has a very 

 limited habitat, the entire race, as Mr. Gould 

 was credibly informed, being confined to 

 Philip Island, whose whole circumference ia 

 not more than five miles in extent. In con- 

 sequence, therefore, of the war of extermina- 

 tion that has been carried on against it since 

 the settlement of Norfolk Island, it would 

 seem that the time is not far distant, when, 

 like the Dodo, its skin and bones will be- 

 come the only mementos of its existence. It 

 is found among the rocks and upon the 

 loftiest trees of the island ; is easily taken ; 

 and, like the rest of the Piittodoce, bears 

 captivity remarkably well. In its wild state 

 it feeds upon the blossoms of the white- wood 

 tree, or white Jlibiscus, sucking the honey of 

 the flowers. A knowledge of this circum- 

 stance induced Mr. Gould " to examine the 

 tongue of the bird, which presented a very 

 peculiar structure, not, like that of the true 

 honey-feeding Parrakeets (the Trichoglossi), 

 furnished with a brush-like termination, but 

 with a narrow horny scoop on the under 

 side, which, together with the extremity of 

 the tongue, resembled the end of a finger with 

 the nail beneath instead of above ; this pe- 

 culiarity in the structure of the organ is 

 doubtless indicative of a corresponding pe- 

 culiarity in the nature of the food upon 

 which the bird subsists." The general colour 

 of the plumage is brown above, the head and 

 back of the neck tinged with gray ; cheeks 

 yellow, tinged with red ; throat and chest 

 yellow ; tail feathers banded at the base with 

 orange-yellow and brown ; rump, belly, and 

 under tail-coverts deep red : bill and feet 

 dark olive-brown. 



Notwithstanding what we have stated 

 above, on the authority of Mr. Gould, as to 

 the habitat of this bird being confined to 

 Philip Island, we believe that the Kaka of 

 New Zealand, described by the Rev. W. Yate, 

 is the identical species. He says, " This bird 

 feeds upon all kinds of fruit, berries, and 

 farinaceous roots. It bites holes in trees, in 

 which it makes its nest ; laying four, and 

 sometimes five, eggs, perfectly white. Gene- 

 rally, three of these birds are found together 

 in the same hole, one male and two females; 

 and during the season of incubation, the 

 nests, though separated, are so close together, 

 that either of the mother-birds can sit upon 

 the eggs, feed their neighbour's young, and 

 cover them with one of her wings, without 

 leaving her own nest, or neglecting her own 

 offspring." It is much larger than any other 

 New Zealand Parrot ; but possessing all their 

 mischievous qualities, and capable of learn- 

 ing to imitate the human voice to an asto- 

 nishing degree ; but when ranging at large 

 in the woods, its cry is harsh and disagreeable 

 in the extreme. 



NETTAPUS. A genus of web- footed birds, 

 allied to the Bernacle Geese, but of small 

 size ; it contains the COROMANDEL TEAL 

 (N. Coromandeliam<s\ a well-known native 

 of India, and the MADAGASCAR TEAL (N. 

 aitritus}, a native of Africa : we may par- 

 ticularly refer to the NETTAPUS PULCHELLUS, 

 or BEAUTIFUL PIGMY GOOSE. The male of 

 this small and elegant soecies of the genus 



