176 Dr. J. E. Gray on the Head of the genus Conus. 



through the intestine. I never saw the nest of this species, nor 

 do the natives seem cognisant of it. 



64. Phyllornis Malabarica, Lath. 



A rare species, and confined to the upland districts. Dr. Ke- 

 laart procured it at Nuwera EHa, and Muttoo brought in a 

 single specimen whilst I lay ill at Gillymally. 



65. Phyllornis Jerdoni, Blyth. 



Extremely common in the south of Ceylon, but rare towards 

 the north. It feeds in small flocks on seeds and insects, and 

 builds an open cup-shaped nest. The eggs, four in number, are 

 white, thickly mottled at the obtuse end with purplish spots. 



66. Phyllornis aurifrons, Temm. ? 

 Included by Dr. Kelaart in his catalogue ; sed non vidi. 



67. Dendrophila frontalis, Horsf. 



This elegant little creeper is abundant about jack-trees, among 

 the branches of which it incessantly creeps in search of minute 

 insects, examining the under as well as the upper sides, and the 

 bold little climber courses upright or headlong with equal 

 facility. 



These birds always hunt in small parties, and the rapidity of 

 their motions is such as to baffle the eye. 



[To be continued.] 



XIX. — On the Head of the Genus Conus, Linn. 

 By J. E. Gray, Ph.D., F.R.S., V.P.Z.S. &c. 



Adanson (Voy. Seneg. t. 6), Lesson (Voy. Freycinet, t. 67. f. 7), 

 Quoy and Gaimard (Voy, Astrolabe, t. 52 & 83), Philippi (Moll. 

 Sicil. t. 12. f. 19), Ehrenberg (Sym. Phys. t. 2), Eydoux and 

 Souleyet (Voy, Bonite, t. 45), and Chiaje (Moll. Sicil. iii. t. 45), 

 have described and figured the animal of the Cones as having an 

 elongated muzzle or rostrum like the phytophagous univalve mol- 

 lusks ; and Loven, probably misled by these descriptions, expressly 

 describes them as having " rostrum productum non recondendum." 

 Never having had an opportunity of examining the mouth of 

 these animals before the publication of the arrangement of the 

 families which I proposed in the 'Annals and Magazine of 

 Natural History' for Feb. 1853 (xi. 130), I placed the family 

 ConidcE in the suborder Rostinfera. 



