Australian Naturalists. 469 



male capsule is seen fully developed ; the fine lines represent- 

 ing the spermatozoa. In fig. 4 several of them are seen elon- 

 gated, and ready to multiply by division (b, b, b) ; the o's again 

 represent fertile ovules in their duct, the a's and m's the ova- 

 rian tube, the latter letters indicating empty spaces. 



Mr. Balbianr's experiments and observations will no doubt 

 be repeated by other observers, and while recognizing their 

 importance, we must await their confirmation or confutation. 



AUSTRALIAN NATURALISTS. 



Feom the Melbourne Argus, February 28, we extract the 

 following particulars concerning the Australian " Sea Horses." 

 The specimen alluded to was obtained by Mr. Joseph Harri- 

 son, who received it with a statement that it was found 

 on the beach at Lacepede Bay. This same naturalist has formed 

 an extensive collection of Australian entomology, which is said 

 to be particularly rich in beetles, and to contain about seven 

 hundred moths, varying in size from five inches across the 

 wings to the minute dimensions of a mosquito. The colours 

 are described as being very fine. The Argus says : — 



" A very fine and perfect specimen of the sea-horse — Hippocam- 

 pus (?) — (the Australian species not being' yet defined) has been sent 

 to our office by Mr. Joseph Harrison. The most interesting pecu- 

 liarity in the order to which the sea-horse belongs is that of the 

 males of most species carrying the eggs about them till they are 

 hatched. In some, the egg-pouches are on the breast, in others, on 

 the tail, or the eggs are merely glued on in rows, and not covered 

 by a membrane. In this they seem to resemble the marsupials of 

 Australia, upon the coast of which continent they are common, as 

 well as in the seas which divide it from JSTew Guinea. Notwith- 

 standing the odd and stiff appearance of the sea-horse, and other 

 small members of the order Lopliobranchii, some have prehensile 

 tails, like those of the American monkey ; and when kept in vases 

 furnished with slender twigs to which they can suspend themselves, 

 they form pleasing objects of study. It is said that they resemble 

 the chameleon, in being able to direct one eye backwards and the 

 other forwards. This, however, is not an established fact, though 

 their eyes are certainly movable either backwards or forwards, even 

 if not separately so. We believe that small specimens of this 

 singular fish are pretty frequently found on the coast at Brighton 

 and Glenelg ; but the southern species are at present only partially 

 known, and have not, as we remark above, been properly classified." 



The naturalization of English and other foreign creatures 

 is making considerable progress, and there is a project on foot 

 vol. i. — NO. VI. I I 



