Tlie Devil-fish of Jamaica. 



167 



tionary excepting* that their necks were narrower. No. 3 

 contained minute paramecia. No. 4< possessed creatures resem- 

 bling urostyla, but less than one-fourth the proper size. They 

 had also in front a conspicuous bunch of cilia. The pellicle 

 contained multitudes of dead vibrions, minute and short, with 

 a few of a longer shape. 



At a later examination No. 2 contained a quantity of round 

 and pear-shaped creatures about 1 — 500" long, frequently 

 changing their form, and being covered with fine cilia. No. 3 

 had small kolpods. No. 4 kolpods and paramecia. Nos. 5 

 and 6 kolpods exhibiting numerous minute cells all full of 

 granules. The remaining tubes, were similar to the preceding, 

 except one that contained many small rotifers (vulgaris) which 

 preserved their small dimensions for some weeks. 



In these cases the quantity of hay was much less than in 

 M.Pou chefs experiments, but in every instance ciliated infusoria 

 appeared, and thus no confirmation of his views was obtained 

 concerning the dependance of organization on mass. It should 

 however, be remarked that all the creatures were minute. Some 

 larger specimens were found after three or four weeks, but not 

 one of full size. 



I have thought it might interest the readers of the Intel- 

 lectual Observer to call their attention to these simple 

 observations, as analogous experiments are easily performed, 

 and although few persons would be disposed to adopt M. 

 Pouchef s theory in its entirety, the real influence exercised by 

 the mass of fermentible or putrescible matter present in an in- 

 fusion is well worthy of research. In every instance I obtained 

 animals of hisrh organization under the conditions described. 



THE DEVIL-FISH OF JAMAICA. 



BY THE HON. RICHARD HILL. 



The Gephaloplera taken in Kingston harbour, on the 10th of 

 April, which I am about to describe, though small, being only 

 four feet in breadth from the extremity of one pectoral to the 

 other, and but two feet one inch and a half from the centre of 

 the head to the dorsal fin, situated at the extremity of the 

 trunk, with a length of whip-like tail, two feet six inches more, 

 — exhibits all the character of the GephalojAera Massena of 

 Bisso. As this specimen of a Devil-fish, the smallest with 

 which our fishermen are acquainted, was a gravid female, having 

 within it a foetus just mature for extrusion, sixteen inches 

 broad, I take it to be a species distinct from any hitherto no- 



