Mollusks. 5099 



I beg to assert that the hoopoe can not only walk, but walk well ; and as seen on the 

 ground, when feeding-, is one of the most elegant-looking birds that can be conceived, 

 erecting its crest when disturbed or alarmed. During three years that I passed at 

 Trichinopoly and in the neighbourhood (where they were very abundant), I never re- 

 marked one either climbing or creeping up a tree, and do not think it possible it could 

 have escaped my notice had they done so; but when disturbed they would fly into 

 the trees, but were by no means wild. On one of my voyages from India, when about 

 500 miles from the western coast of Africa, several birds flew on board, — amongst the 

 rest a hoopoe. The wind was off the land, and came surcharged with fine yellow 

 sand. Hoopoes have been frequently seen in the Undercliff, and might possibly breed 

 here if allowed to do so, but they no sooner make their appearance than they are shot 

 or scared away. The first I ever heard of was shot by my father, in an orchard at 

 Bonchurch, about the year 1814, and presented by him to Mr. Bullock : it was subse- 

 quently transferred to the British Museum. — H. W. Hadjield ; High Cliff, Ventnor, 

 Isle of Wight, April 10, 1850. 



Observations on the Genus Testacellus, and Description of a Neiv 

 Species, Testacellus Medii Templi. By Thomas Tapping, Esq. 



Class Pulmonifera. — Order Terrestrial. — Genus Testacella. 



It is my good fortune to add a British species to that interesting 

 family of testaceous pulmoniferous mollusks known as Testacellidae. 



Before describing the species, the subject of this communication, it 

 may be convenient to shortly state the history and generic and spe- 

 cial characters of these remarkable animals. 



History. 



This genus appears to have been first noticed by M. Dugue, in a 

 garden at Dieppe, in 1740; after which it does not seem to have 

 attracted much attention until M. Mauge, some years since, brought 

 home specimens from Teneriffe. The genus has been founded on the 

 species Testacella Haliotoidea of Faure Biguet, described by Cuvier 

 in the ' Annales du Museum,' Vol. v. Cuvier (' Memoires pour servir 

 a l'Histoire des Mollusques,' ed. 1817, tit. Mem. sur la Dolabelle, sur 

 la Testacelle, &c, &c.) gives the following as the history of the last- 

 mentioned genus : — " La testacelle avoit ete indiquee depuis long- 

 temp^. D'Argenville et Favanne en avoient don^la figure sous le nom 

 de limace a Coquille — Linnaeus et meme Gmelin l'avoient neanmoins 

 negligee dans leurs enumerations. J'en fis, le premier, un genre a part 

 dans les tableaux, qui sont a la fin du premier vol. de mon Anatomie 



