Annales des Sciences Naturelles. 589 



espece, par Ch. Morren," — which is extremely interesting and well illustrated 

 " Note sur unenouvelle espece d'Actinie, par M. Duges." The species is close- 

 ly allied to, if it be not identical with, the Actinia maculata, described by Dr 

 Coldstream in the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, ix. p. 236 : Extrait 

 d'un memoir e sur la place que doit occuper dans le systeme ornithologique le genre 

 Chionis, par M. de Blainville. The memoir concludes thus — We believe it 

 then to be demonstrated, that with the Gallinaceee (even embracing in that fa- 

 mily the pigeons, though erroneously as we think,) this genus has the least re- 

 lationship, although the alary system is very nearly the same in both, for in every 

 other respect there is a complete dissimilarity, as well in the organization as in 

 the manners and habits. Between the Waders and the Palmipedes the choice is 

 more difficult, because these two orders glide into one another at almost every 

 point. However, it is with the Cursores among the Waders, that we find the 

 greatest resemblance to Chionis, and among them this is nearest affined to the 

 oyster-catcher or Hsematopus, whose organization and economy is very similar. 

 In these two genera, 1st, the number of vertebrae is the same, 15 — 6 — 14 — 8 ; 

 Id, the number and shape of the ribs are the same ; Sd, the sternum, of the 

 same general figure, has two sub-equal emarginations, the superior a little larger 

 than the inferior ; 4th, the intestinal canal of both has three coeca, of which the 

 two terminal are moderately sized, and the median very small ; 5th, the stomach 

 is in both formed of a very small gizzard without a crop ; 6th, the tail is short, 

 and composed of six pairs of equal feathers ; 1th, the wings, formed of ten quills 

 " a la main," are acute ; 8th, the legs are little raised, and naked only towards 

 the talons ; 9th, the tarsi, not compressed, are equally reticulated before and be- 

 hind ; 10^, the sole of the toes is flattened in a manner that they appear mar- 

 gined ; llth, both birds are walkers and runners ; 12th, they both dwell on the 

 sea shores, where, 13^, they seek their food, consisting of shell-fish and perhaps 

 of dead animals. It is then near Hsematopus that Chionis ought to stand, although 

 the figure of the beak is very different, but now where is the zoologist who is 

 ignorant that the consideration of that part is of little importance in deciding 



the natural affinities of birds? -Extrait des Recherches sur la marche deVossifi- 



cation dans le sternum des oiseaux, pourfaire suite aux travaux de MM. Cuvier 

 et Geoffroy St Hilaire, par M. F. Lherminier. 



In the " Analysis" of the month there is an abstract of the following papers 

 read before the Academy : Lettre de M. Roulin sur I 'existence du Guacharo dans 



la province de Bogota Education des vers a soie Reflections sur I'He- 



teradelpline,par Geoffroy St Hilaire Gras observations relatives a 1' Acarus 



scabiei. Lettre de M. Kaup sur la titefossile du Dinotherium giganteum 



Revision de lafamille des Anolis, par M. Cocteau. M. C. D'Orbignysw des 

 ossemens fossiles des environs de Paris. 



2. Botany. 

 July. Observations sur les Biforines, orgunes nouveaux situes entre les vesi- 

 cules du tissu cellulaire desfeuilles dansun certain nombre d'especes vegetales ap- 

 purtenant a la famille des Aro'idees, par M. Turpin. A most important and 



beautiful essay. C. Montagne sur les Plantes cryptogames recemment decou- 



vertes en France. These notices are very similar to those with which Mr Ber- 

 keley favours British botanists through the medium of this Magazine — Labiatse 

 orientales herbarii Montbretiani, seu Labiatarum species nova? vel minus cogni- 



