4e> 



Saurian Reptiles, which, although common, remained undesciibed 

 until M. L. Desjardins gave to tiiem the names of Scinciis Ttlfairii 

 and Seine. Bojeiil : he has also described a third, smaller and much 

 more uncommon than the others, the Seine. Boutunii. 



Three new species of Fishes have been described and figured by 

 M. T, Delisse, They are a Henioehus, Cuv. ; a Holacanthus, Cuv. ; 

 and an Ophidium, L. 



In invertebrated animals, especially those which inhabit the sea, 

 Mauritius is rich. Among the Jnnelida, M. Lienard, sen. has de- 

 scribed an Amphitrite, which he believes to be new : he has also 

 described the Amph. vohdicornis and Amph. splendida, Lam., together 

 with three new species, the Amph.fuseata, albicans, and tricolor. A 

 lacustrine Erpobdella has been described by M. L. Desjardins, who 

 has preserved to it the trivial name of sex- lineata, doubtingly given 

 by MM. Quoy and Gaimard. Three new species of Crustacea, of the 

 genera Lupa, Plagusia, and Cancer, have been described by M. Lie- 

 nard, jun.: and M. De Lisse, sen., has proposed to regard as the type 

 of a new genus the Homard sans comes of the fishermen ; to this 

 group he gives the name of Scyllibacus, and places it between Scylla- 

 rus, Fab. and Ibaeus, P^r. The species is named Scyllibacus orientalis. 

 Many Insects have been exhibited at the meetings of the Society, and 

 M. J. Desjardins has read a description and history of the metamor- 

 phoses of the Coccinella sulphurea, Oliv. Among the Cirrhipeda a 

 new species of Pentalasmis, allied to Pent, striata. Leach, has been de- 

 scribed by M. Desjardins under the name of ^^//rt/i/cf Mauritiana. 



The Radiata which have been described, are a species of Fistularia, 

 Lam., and anew species of Cephea, the Ceph. lamellosa, so named by 

 M. Lienard, jun. on account of the foliaceous lamellce which cover 

 the under surface of its arms. 



Among the Mollusca, six species of Doris have been described by 

 M. Liiiuard, sen., to one of which, regarded by him as new, he has 

 given the name of Dor. marginata. The same gentleman has also de- 

 scribed a Pleurobranchus. M. Lienard, jun. has described another 

 species of Doris, and has given a description of a Dolabella, with 

 an account of its anatomy. 



Such is a brief outline of the zoological labours of the fvlauritius 

 Natural History Society, which within the short period of its exist- 

 ence has received no less than fifty memoirs, descriptions, and notices 

 on different branches of natural science. 



At the request of the Chairman, Mr. Martin read his notes of the 

 dissection of a specimen of the Testudo hidica, L., which recently 

 died at the Society's Gardens. 



The animal was of large size, although considerably less than one 

 formerly in the possession of the Society, the dissection of which, 

 by Mr. Yarrell, has been published in the Zoological Journal. The 

 carapace or dorsal shell measured 2 feet 1 1 inches in length, and the 

 plastron or ventral shell 2 feet 4 inches. The breadth was 1 foot 

 9 inches. 



The length of the stomach was 2 feet ; the circumference in the 



