174 Capt. W. V. Legge on a new Scops Oul. 
mulina scopula, any more than his Haliphysema echinoides 
represents Wyvillethomsonia Wallichit. So it is evident from 
this that, in attempting to generalize, 
“ A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” 
Squamulina scopula in its simple and branched forms is 
very common on this coast (Budleigh-Salterton, Devon) ; but 
if reexamined, as Mereschkowsky suggests a little further on 
in the same number of the ‘ Annals’ (p. 77), it is impossible 
to do away with the bearing of the polythalamous character 
above mentioned, which no sponge that I know of possesses, 
independent of the other proofs that Sguamulina scopula is 
decidedly a species of Foraminifera. 
The embryo of the Spongida grows up into branches from 
a root; that of the Foraminifera from a cell into cells or 
chambers, successively increasing in size and, for the most part, 
arranged spirally. ‘Thus far the two organisms cannot be 
confounded. 

XXI.—Description of a new Scops Owl from Ceylon. 
By Capt. W. V. Lecce, R.A., M.B.O.U., &c. 
At Trincomalie, in July 1875, I obtained a young bird 
belonging to a small species of Scops Owl unknown to me. 
I kept it some little time; and it then died. In May of the 
following year, while staying with Mr. Bligh, of Catton 
Estate, Haputale, I met with a skin of an adult bird, which 
he had caught in the chimney of his bungalow at Kotmalie, 
and which I recognized as belonging to the same species as 
my young bird. Its small size and dark plumage prevented 
my identifying it with any Scops Owl described in Mr. 
Sharpe’s Catalogue ; and through the kindness of Mr. Bligh I 
was enabled to send it home to the British Museum. It has 
now been presented to the national collection by that gentle- 
man. 
Messrs. Whyte and Co., of Kandy, have just sent home to 
Mr. Sharpe, on loan, a second example, killed in one of the 
coffee-districts near Kandy. On our comparing the series 
thus obtained with the Scops Owls in the national collec- 
tion, this species turns out to be new, being distinguished 
from other Indian members of the genus by its small 
size and dark colour. Messrs. Whyte and Co. state they 
have received once before an example of this owl*. I 
* T have examined a small rufous owl in the Colombo Museum, which 
appears to belong to this species. 
