Miscellaneous. 485 



as in Z. Couchii ; but the marginal serrations are not nearly so con- 

 spicuous as in that species, and indeed require a careful scrutiny, 

 under dissection, to distinguish them at all. The colour of the ten- 

 tacles, as observed by Mr. Stewart at the time of capture, was a 

 distinct red ; and after some days' immersion in spirit, the tint was 

 still perceptible through the integument surrounding the head, where 

 the sand is less densely impacted than in other parts of the surface. 

 The distinctions between these polypes and those of Z. Couchii, so 

 far as I am now able to judge, consist in the colour of the tentacles, 

 the comparative absence of the serrated margin, and especially in 

 the great length of the body in the new species, — a character, I be- 

 lieve, of considerable importance ; for, although Z. Couchii is ex- 

 tremely liable to variation in the development of the basal membrane, 

 and in the size of the polypes, the proportion of length to breadth 

 is tolerably constant. Large specimens quite equal the present spe- 

 cies in breadth ; but their length is barely half what we here find, 

 even in the contracted state, and in this instance it would be increased 

 under expansion by at least a quarter of an inch. The variation to 

 which many of our marine polypes are subject should at all times 

 make us cautious in admitting new species ; but I think the above 

 characters will justify me in making the addition in the present case. 

 This specimen was dredged in 20 fathoms, on a bottom of sand, 

 pebbles, and broken shells, and did not afterwards sufficiently ex- 

 pand to allow more than the decided colour of the tentacles to be 

 made out. This unusual colour in a British species induces me to 

 propose for it the specific title of rubricornis. — Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 March 12, 1861. 



The Chronology q/" M. Du Chaillu's Travels. 



[As the present Number of the ' Annals ' contains a paper by Dr. 

 J, E. Gray on M. Du Chaillu's zoology, we have thought that the 

 following letter, reprinted from the 'Athenaeum' for May 25, might 

 not be uninteresting to our readers. — W. F,] 



May 22, 1861. 



The point at which I chiefly stumble, in reading M. Du Chaillu's 

 book, is the difficulty in understanding his chronology. According 

 to his own account, he appears to be, " like a bird, in two places at 

 once." He has two versions of 1858 and two of 1859, with different 

 events happening at the same time. I can get over one of the diffi- 

 culties by merely reading, at p. 392, "Oct. 10, 1858," instead of 

 "Oct. 10, 1859." But the other perplexity, the double history of 

 1858, is too much for me. 



One point, I suppose, is beyond a doubt. The history commences 

 with 1856, for so M. Du Chaillu repeatedly tells us, and ends (p. 467) 

 on the 10th of February 1859. Within these three years and one 

 month, which M. Du Chaillu often calls " four years," all the events 

 are included. 



1. Now, beginning with Jan. 1856, we first hear (p. 7) of a stay 

 in the Gaboon country, " to become thoroughly acclimated." Then 

 (at p. 28) he sets out on a journey on the 27th of July. He returns 



