46 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 47H Ser. 
rami of the sulcus and extend to .013M. from apex; they are 
very uniform in size. There is a basal papilla on the smooth 
portion of the base of the organ opposite the sulcus; this is 
-OO3M. from the spinous area and .0155M. from the apex. 
This papilla is triangular, about .0012M. long, and its apex 
points toward the base of the organ and is free for about 
-0004M. We have found such a basal papilla also in Lapemis 
hardwicku, Disteira ornata and Disteira cyanocincta. Its pres- 
ence in Disteira stokesii is indicated in the figure given by Cope. 
According to Cope’s figure it does not exist in Hydrus platurus 
and we have found it wanting in Laticauda colubrina. 
Habits.—This species is rarely seen in the daytime, and has 
not been observed floating on the surface during the day, as 
has been the case with Disteira cyanocincta. When it comes 
to the suface for air it swims directly upward at great speed, 
with the neck and anterior third of the body straight and the 
tail and posterior portion of body undulating, the head rises 
about a centimeter above the surface of the water, and then, 
instantly, the animal turns and dives vertically down out of 
sight. At night, in the area illuminated by the gangway lights, 
they are seen swimming slowly and horizontally at the sur- 
face, the neck nearly straight or curving slightly while the 
posterior third of the snake is in motion. All the specimens 
were taken with a dip-net from the gangway of the ship after 
dark. A light was hung over the side near the water, attract- 
ing crustacea and fish. There is no reason to believe the 
serpents were drawn by the light, for they would swim in 
and out of the illuminated area quite as though it were not 
there. They are fairly easy to capture and are extremely 
helpless when out of the water. The only food found in the 
stomachs of the series of nineteen snakes was four specimens 
of a small eel belonging in the genus Murenichthys. These 
eels were submitted to Professor Charles H. Gilbert of Stan- 
ford University and pronounced by him to belong to an un- 
described species which has since been named Murenichthys 
thompsom Jordan and Richardson.’ The ship was anchored 
1pr. Gilbert writes us, “I regret we have no knowledge of its [Murenichthys 
thompsoni] habits, and can only say that the probabilities are much in favor of its 
being a bottom form living in moderate depths (within fifty fathoms).” 
