Prof. E. Forbes on Spadix purpurea. 81 



Order PSEUDOPHIDIA. 



Fam. C.^ciLiiD^. 



Genus Ichthyophis, 



Ichthyophis glutinosus, Gray. 



Since the publication of ' Prod. Faunse Zeylanicse/ we have 

 collected several large and small specimens near rivulets on the 

 hills of Kaduganava, Kandyan Province. They are generally seen 

 crawling on mud after rain. They feed on small earth-worms. 

 We have not yet succeeded in securing a " tadpole " of this rep- 

 tile. The pale lines seen in specimens preserved in spirits are of 

 a pale yellow colour in fresh specimens, very distinctly marked 

 even in young animals. 



IV. — Note on Spadix purpurea, Gosse. 

 By Professor Edward Forbes, F.R.S. &c. 



I TAKE some blame to myself for not haWng two months ago 

 called attention to the fact that this most curious and interesting 

 creature, or one very near it, had already received a generic and 

 specific denomination from the illustrious Sars. Before Mr. Gosse 

 published his account of it, that excellent naturalist kindly sent 

 me a specimen, which accidentally arrived in a bad state for ex- 

 amination. I recognised, however, its probable identity with a 

 curious zoophyte found by Mr. Cocks and Mr. Alder, and of 

 which I had a good outline drawing in my possession, sent me 

 by Mr. Alder in 1847. Unfortunately its discoverers delayed 

 publishing any account of it. 



In a valuable paper by Sars, entitled " Beretning om en i 

 Sommeren 1849 foretagen zoologisk Reise i Lofoten og Fin- 

 marken,^^ published I believe originally in the ' Christiania 

 Journal ' (though, having only a separate copy, I cannot speak 

 to the exact date), is the following generic description, among his 

 list of Polypes of the group of Anthozoa (p. 14) : — 



" Myriothela arctica, S., nov. genus et sp. (a fj,vpio<;, innume- 

 rabilis, et 6r]\i^, papilla). Character generis : Animal solitarium, 

 nudum, cylindraceum, affixum, superne tentaculis numerosis 

 brevibus sparsis apice globoso, ore terminali; inferne gemmis 

 globosis breviter pedicellatis, racematim coacervatis." 



Then follows a brief remark in Norwegian on its distinctions 

 from Coryne and Syncoryna ; and the statement that it was 

 found at Tromso in a depth of from 20 to 30 fathoms, attached 

 to a stone with Sertularice. 



It is enumerated in his list between Hydractinea carnea and 

 Syncoryna ramosa. 



