Miscellaneous. 299 



The Boko is the same as that which is called Panju by the Malays. 

 It is the common sea-tortoise, which is of no other use than to be 

 eaten. To these sorts the Panjubui ought to be added, being the 

 common tortoise with a thick shell, like that of the proper tortoise, 

 but of poor quality and therefore of trifling value ; so also the Akung 

 Boko, which is distinguished from the common Boko by its much 

 larger head. 



The Ratu, lastly, furnishes a sort which is distinguished by its 

 peculiarly great size, the Orang Bajos asserting that it is usually 

 twice as big as the largest tortoise-shell tortoise, and therefore 5 to 

 G feet long, and even more. 



The usual modes by which the Orang Bajos catch the tortoise 

 are principally by the hadung, the harpoon and the net ; to these we 

 add the simplest of all, namely falling upon the females when they 

 resort to the strand to lay their eggs. This is also the most usual, 

 I may almost say the only way, by which the inhabitants of the 

 coast catch this animal. They need nothing more, than, as soon as 

 they have got the creature, to turn it on its back, when, unable to 

 turn itself again, it remains lying helpless in their power. It some- 

 times also falls into the hands of the dwellers on the coast through 

 means of their fishing- stakes, into which it enters like the fish, and 

 from which it can find no outlet, but remains imprisoned in the 

 inner-most chamber. 



Whenever the Orang Bajos have caught a tortoise, they kill it 

 immediately, by bestowing some blows upon the head. They then 

 take its upper shield, or the back itself quite off, being the only thing 

 about the animal which is of value. The tortoise-shell adhering so 

 fast to the shield, that, if they at once pulled it off, there would be 

 danger of tearing the shells, they usually wait three days, during 

 which time the soft parts become decomposed and the shells are 

 loosened with little trouble. When they wish to remove the shell 

 immediately after the capture, they separate it by means of boiling 

 water. They also often accomplish this object by the heat of a fire, 

 in the application of which, however, a danger is run of injuring the 

 shell by burning it, for which reason this mode is only adopted by 

 those who do not know its value. — Journal of the Indian Archipelago 

 and Eastern Asia, April 1849. 



Notice of some Mollusca recently taken by George Barlee, Esq., off 

 Lerwick, and exhibited at the Meeting of the British Association for 

 the Advancement of Science, 17 th Sept. 1849. By J. G. Jeffreys, 

 Esq., F.R.S. 



Diphyllidia lineata, Otto. New to the British seas, but (according 

 to M. Milne-Edwards) only one-fourth the usual size. 



Rissoa eximia, nov. sp. Shell oblong, rather solid, white. Whorls 5, 

 the last equal in length to all the rest, rather swollen and ribbed 

 longitudinally. The ribs are sharp, deep, and curved in the direction 

 of the spire. There are about twelve of thern on the last or body 

 whorl. The two first whorls are destitute of ribs or anv markings. 



20* 



