149 



list of doubtful species, or "Species inquirendse," under the name 

 of Ascaris dugonis — a name which of course cannot stand, as that 

 of Professor Owen has the precedence of nearly twenty years. The 

 species found in i\\e Bhytina by Steller appears to have been six 

 inches long, the same length as those observed by lliippell in the 

 Dugong ; but as this latter animal was found in the Red Sea, whilst 

 the former was taken in Behring's Straits, they can scarcely be iden- 

 tical. Be that as it may, however, the Ascaris halichoris, though 

 named long ago, has never been fully described or figured, and I 

 now propose to fill up this blank. 



Ascaris halichoris, Owen. (PL LVI.) 



Caput nudum, epidermide stride adnata ; os labiis rotundatis, 

 •porrectis ; corpus, in utroque sexu, extremitatibus magis at- 

 tenuatis ; extremitate caudali brevi, subulata, nuda. 



Long, feminse, 3^ unc. ; maris, 2\ unc. 



The body is of a whitish colour, thickest in the centre, gradually 

 tapering to each extremity. The body is strongly striated across ; 

 in the female, apparently all its length ; in the male, till nearly about 

 half an inch from its posterior extremity. This latter portion is 

 smooth or slightly striated lengthways. In the female, the vagina is 

 situated at about two-thirds of its length from the anterior ex- 

 tremity. The spicula of the male appear very short. The intes- 

 tine, as described by Professor Owen, has a caecum developed from 

 it at the distance of about half an inch from the mouth, and is con- 

 tinued upwards, lying by its side, and terminating in a blind extre- 

 mity near the mouth. The specimens, now in the British Museum, 

 are shorter than those noticed by Riippell. 



(The figures will explain this structure.) 



In the Collection of the British Museum. 



May 10, 1859. 



John Gould, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. List of Birds collected at Tavoy, in the Tenasserim 

 Provinces, by Captain Briggs, Deputy Commissioner 

 of Tavoy. By John Gould, V.P., F.R.S., etc. 



To none is the naturalist more largely indebted for a knowledge 

 of the productions of distant countries than to the officers of our 

 military and civil services, since no inconsiderable number of them 

 devote the little leisure at their command to the acquisition of the 

 many interesting objects with which they are surrounded ; and I 



