Major H. H. Godwin- Austen on a new Actinura. 339 



Surely the dredge never rendered more sorry service to 

 science than when it was made to yield up this " remarkable con- 

 firmation." 



It is with a sense of amazement, therefore, that I have in 

 vain searched the numerous writings of Drs. Carpenter and 

 Thomson for any thing in the shape of satisfactory, or even 

 generally consistent, evidence to justify so many hasty assump- 

 tions and so many mere assertions put forth as facts under 

 cover of expressions alleging that they are "well known," 

 or "there cannot be the least doubt," &c. &c. It is obvious 

 that the entire significance of Bathybius rested on the truth or 

 fallacy of the supposition that it lives , and is " an indepen- 

 dent " and "indefinite " organism. Were further proof needed 

 to show that Drs. Carpenter and Thomson recognized this 

 fact, it is to be found in their observation that " the indefinite 

 protoplasmic expansion named Bathybius is amongst the most 

 important results obtained by the sounding-apparatus"*. They 

 might with truth have added by the " Dredge." 



In one expression of Prof. Wyville Thomson's, when re- 

 ferring to the advanced school of German naturalists, I heartily 

 concur — namely, " in the infinite capacity of the ' Urschleim ' 

 for improvement in every conceivable direction. 1 



Regarding the true origin and functions of the proto- 

 plasmic, non-living substance which is found associated with 

 certain deep-sea deposits, I shall do my best to give an account 

 in a future communication. 



XLIV. — Description of a supposed new Actinura from the 

 Dafla Hills. By Major II. H. Godwin-Austen, F.R.G.S., 

 F.Z.S.,&c, Deputy Superintendent, Topographical Survey 

 of India. 



Among the birds collected by me on the Expedition into the 

 Dafla hills, Assam, last winter, one of the most interesting 

 forms is the Actinura I now describe. As might be expected, 

 its nearest ally is A. nipalensis, Hodgs., the coloration above 

 being very similar on the back and tail, but with less rufous 

 barring. The crest, however, is quite different ; and in this re- 

 spect the species approaches A. Waldeni from the Naga hills, 

 on the south of the Brahmaputra valley, only that the crest 

 is far fuller. The general blotchy streakiness of the throat 



* In a communication to the Royal Society dated June 17, 1869. See 



Proceedings. 



24* 



