96 MR. 0. A. L. MORCH ON THE VERMETIDS.  [Jan. 24, 
64. NEcCTARINIA NATALENSIS, Jard. 
Benguela. The only specimen observed. 
65. NECTARINIA JARDINII, Verr. 
Very abundant about Benguela, even in comparatively barren 
places, where, I have observed, they eat little insects, particularly 
small spiders. 
66. Picus FruaviscaPus, Ill. 
From Mossamedes, or Little Fish-Bay. 
67. MrEROPS ERYTHROPTERUS. 
Benguela. 
68. Mrroprs HIRUNDINACEUS. 
Benguela. 
69. Mrerors Gyptivs, F. 
_‘enguela. These birds have all a very graceful flight, circling 
leisurely in the air. This last is most abundant. 
70. ALCEDO CRISTATA. 
Abundant at the Bimbas (lagoons near Benguela). 
4, SuppLEMENTARY NoTES TO THE REVIEW OF VERMETIDZ. 
By O. A. L. Morcu, or CopENHAGEN. 
As I see, from Mr. Carpenter’s ‘‘ Supplementary Report’’*, that 
several points in my papers on Vermetida, in these ‘ Proceedings’ for 
the years 1861 and 1862, may be misunderstood, I feel myself called 
upon to make some further explanations. 
The constancy of conchological characters is very different in dif- 
ferent families. In some families, for instance, very small differ- 
ences in the sculpture, the convexity of the whorls, and the height of 
the spire are very constant and of great importance. Thus among 
the Helices such differences are frequently supported by very no- 
table and constant differences in the lingual dentition. In some 
genera the colours are exceedingly variable in one and the same 
species—for instance, in Meretrix, Oliva, Pecten, &c.,—in others, 
again, very constant as a specific mark—for instance, in Conus, Cy- 
prea, Natica, &e. Prot. Troschel has thus lately proved that 
Natica hebrea (Martyn) and N. stercus muscarum (Chemn.t), 
chiefly distinguished by a somewhat different pattern of colour, and 
united into one species by several modern authors, have a notably 
* Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science for 1863, 
p- 536. 
+ =Natica adspersa (Mke.) and N. millepunctata (Linn.), both of which are 
from the Mediterranean. 
