256 Miscellaneous. 
nevertheless be employed as a check upon herpetological systems. 
The élassification of Duméril and Bibron, founded gine upon 
the dentition, establishes groups which by no means coincide with 
the absence, presence, or number of pits on the scales. M. Rein- 
hardt considers this classification as essentially artificial. He admits 
that within certain limits the dentition has an incontestable systematic 
importance, but he does not think that it can be regarded as a cha- 
racter ruling all others.- All the attempts hitherto made at classify- 
ing Serpents in accordance with the dentition alone have led to the 
approximation of very diverse species, and to the separation of allied 
forms. On the other hand, M. Reinhardt considers the groups 
established by Schlegel under the name of genera as very natural. 
He thinks that the system of that author is the best in the present 
state of science, provided the modifications proposed in 1858 by Dr. 
Giinther, in the ‘Catalogue of Ophidia in the British Museum,’ be 
adopted. There are, no doubt, exceptions ; but we find entire fami- 
lies with two pits, others with only one, and others which are desti- 
tute of them. Moreover, the families in which all the species exhi- 
bit a uniformity of character in this respect are generally very natural 
families, 
M. Reinhardt himself does not ascribe an exaggerated importaneé 
to the pits in question. He does not dream of making use of them 
as the basis of a classification. But it is interesting to find, in a 
peculiarity apparently so useless, a confirmation of the establishment 
of certain families; and it may also serve occasionally to determine 
the probable affinity of an Ophidian whose position is doubtful.— 
Bibl. Univ. Jan. 20, 1862, Bull. Sci. p. 78. 
Note on Callithamnion Rothii. By G. 8. Brapy. 
The influence of external circumstances in introducing changes 
' of species, and the range of altered conditions which individual spe- 
cies are qualified to bear without change or death, is a matter which 
seems as yet to be very imperfectly understood, notwithstanding 
that it lies near the root of much that has recently been written 
respecting the succession of life on the earth. Viewed in this light, 
the following remarks on one of our native Algee may not be without 
interest. 
In February of last, and June of the present year, I observed that 
certain stones near the mouth of a cave, a little north of Hawthorne 
Dene, were covered with a red velvety fleece, which on examination 
proved to be Callithamnion Rothii, one of the smallest of the Rhodo- 
sperms, its filaments seldom much exceeding half an inch in length. 
The stones thus coated with the Callithamnion were exposed to a 
heavy dripping of fresh water from the roof of the cave (not merely 
a scanty fall of drops, few and far between, but a copious pelting, 
sufficient to wet one very unpleasantly while gathering specimens), 
and beyond the area of this dripping the plant did not extend. The 
mouth of the cave is not very far below high-water mark; and I 
should judge that in this position the plant must be exposed to 
