Miscellaneous. 303 



(2) There is, I think, no doubt about the slugs I described being 



Blainville's types j nor are these the only British-Museum 

 slugs described by Blainville. The Museum is mentioned in 

 the original paper. 



(3) It is very difficult to say whether inaccuracy of description, 



when there is no doubt what was intended, ought to condemn 

 a name. If so, there will have to be considerable slaughter 

 of the genera described by early authors, or, for that matter, 

 by some recent ones. Philomyeus, which Mr. Pilsbry thinks 

 might be adopted, was also inaccurately defined. So far as 

 is known there is no slug in existence really agreeing with 

 the original descriptions of Limacetta or Philomyeus taken 

 literally. 



(4) Limacetta, Brard, if it is anything, is Limax of modern authors, 



not Agriolimax. But a genus founded for the shells only of 

 species of the Linnean Limax cannot be recognized as valid, 

 and the only authors who have adopted it are Dr. Jousseaume 

 (1876) and Dr. Turton. The former writes Limacella for 

 Limax, auctt., and Limax for Arion; while Dr. Turton (1831) 

 kept the name for the shells of Limax and allied genera, 

 though spelling it Limacellus. We are told, for instance, 

 that Limacellus parma, Brard, is " found in the Limax 

 maximus," as though it were a sort of parasite ! 



(5) I think it nearly certain that my Limacetta nehulosa is Bafin- 



esque's species E. nebulosus ; but if so, of course that author 

 described it incorrectly. Mr. Pilsbry will observe that I 

 have given the reference with a query. 



While on the subject, it may be well to mention that there is a 

 figure and description of Limacetta lactiformis (as Elfortiana) in 

 Knight's ' Pictorial Museum of Animated Nature,' vol. ii. and 

 fig. 2598. The figure is very bad, being a rough copy of that in 

 Man. de Mai. ; but the generic description, so far as it goes, is 

 accurate. T. D. A. Cockerell. 



3 Fairfax Road, Bedford Park, Cliiswick, W., 

 February 3, 1891. 



Preliminary Diagnoses of Four new Mammals from East Africa. 

 By Oldpieed Thomas. 



6 



J& 



Nyctinomus lobatus, sp, n. 



Allied to and of the same size as N. tamiotis, Baf. (iV. Cestoni, 

 Savi), but distinguished by its much larger ears, tragus, and anti- 

 tragus, by the thinness of the ear-membranes and keel, and by its 

 belly being pure white. Forearm <33 millim. 



Hab. Turquel, Siik, inland British East Africa. Coll. F. J. 

 Jackson, Esq. 



