418 Miscellaneous. 



Tenacity of Life in Snails. 



Mr. B. M. Wright has lately sent to the British Museum two 

 living examples of the Desert Snail, Helix desertorum, which appear 

 to have heen dormant for the last four years. They were collected 

 hy Mr. Vcrnedi, of Treherne House, Hampstead, who states that in 

 May 1854, on his transit through the Desert of Egypt, and while 

 stopping at one of the stations, he found a heap of thorn bushes, 

 such as the camels eat, lying in a corner of the building ; these 

 bushes were rather thickly studded with the snail-shells, so that in 

 a few minutes he picked off fifteen or twenty specimens, which he 

 carried home and locked up in a drawer. They remained undis- 

 turbed till the present month, when two were given to INIr. Wright, 

 who tried with success the ex])eriment of reviving them ; and after- 

 wards Mr. Vcrnedi himself succeeded with two of the others. 

 Sept. 20, 1858. 



April 1859. 

 In June 1855, 1 received from iNIr. Wilton two specimens oi Helix 

 candidissimn, and one of H. aperta, which I placed in a glass box, 

 intending to test their tenacity of life. They remained quiescent, 

 without food or change of air, until November 1856, when tliey were 

 immersed in water and rew'ed for a few hours, but returned to their 

 former dormant condition without taking any food. In July 185/ 

 the Helix aperta was required for dissection ; and at the same time 

 another individual of H. candidissimn and one of H. vermicularis 

 were placed in the box. These dates were in each case written on 

 the shells with pencil. Last Michaelmas (1858) the experiment 

 terminated, unintentionally ; for, having conveyed the box to the 

 Museum, the snails were all excited to activity by the warmth of my 

 pocket and the shaking they experienced. They are still alive, under 

 a bell-glass, along with the Desert snails before mentioned, and speci- 

 mens of two examples of Helix serpentina, brought from Pisa by 

 iVIr. Hamilton, and several of Helix vulgata, from Madeira, by Mr. 

 J. Y. Johnson. — S. P. Woodward. 



On a nev) species o/Synallaxisyrora the Republic of Ecuador. 

 By Philip Lvtlf.y Sclater, M.A. 



Synallaxis antisiensis. 



Supra terricolori-bi-unnea y Inris, ciliis et striya svpe^'ciliari 

 alhis ; pileo, alis extus et cauda riijis : subtus dilutior, gutture 

 et pectore antico albis, hoc sensim venfrem versus cinerascente ; 

 rostro cameo, supra niyricante ; pedibus nigricunti-fuscis. 

 Long, tota 61, alse 2'8, caudae 3'0. 



Cuenca, Nov. 1857, 1 specimen. " Irides hazel; legs and feet 

 greenish ; nails flesh-coloured. Climbs up and down and round the 

 branches of trees like a Cerlhia.'" 



This apparently new Si/n all axis is most nearly allied to S. pallida, 

 IMax., but may be distinguished by its larger size, white throat, and 

 eartliy-brown plumage. — Proc. Zool. Soc. Nov. 9, 1858. 



