



























278 NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 
seven feet in length. It is quite distinct from all known species, but is 
nearest S. laticeps. Its characters are found in the nasal and phenygoid 
nes, and in the cervical vertebra, etc. I call it S. tectirostris. Two 
cervicals only have complete lateral canals; the nasals are short, wide, 
concave in front, except a e keel in ‘the middle line above, and in 
front.—Epwarp D. Corr, Philadeip 
THE CORAL SNAKE.—In the March number of the NATURALIST, pages 
36 and 39, Mr. Dall has given an amusing (?) account us mp bravado in 
handling a snake, reputed to be very poisonous by the natives of Nicara- 
gua, and called the ‘coral snake,” which Mr. Dall calls Pei euryxzan- 
repel Ken.,” and says it is ‘‘ perfectly PERRAS It is well known that the 
genus Elaps, which includes a large number of species in tropical coun- 
F all of them banded with bright colors, is ag tin allied to the noto- 
rious asp and viper of the old world, and that, like those deadly species, 
it is provided with grooved poison fangs, which are, however, quite 
Ela We ha 
Elaps, both from the East Indies and tropical America, under the name 
f “coral snake,” and with memoranda stating the deadly character of 
its bite. 
Now since Mr. Dall does not appear to know whether his “coral snake" 
is an Elaps or not, his foolhardiness in handling a snake having such à 
bling Elaps as to be indistinguishable by external appearances, but Mr. 
Dall has not partis that his snake was of this sort, and by placing it in 
** Elaps?," would indicate the contrary. 
It may, therefore, safely be said that the only sensible course for stran- 
gers to follow, be they naturalists or others, is to avoid unnecessarily 
exposing themselves to the bites of serpents reputed venomous by the — 
natives of d countries.— A. E. VERRILL, Yale College. 
NORTH ATL DnEbGING ExPEDITION.— The Royal Society bas 
Tirip to kiep pienes for the use of a steamer in order to continue 
the investigations so ably commenced by Dr. Carpenter and Prof. Wyvi 
Thompson; and the “Porcupine” has been placed at their disposal. The 
expedition will take place about the middle of May, and the deep water, 
from 1100 to 1300 fathoms, near the Rockall Bank, will be the first €x- 
plored, and afterwards the sea bottom lying off the outer Hebrides € 
the Shetland Isles. — Annals e ina History. 
ARING OF CraBs.— We do not yet thoroughly understand how they 
; [Crustacea] see, smell, or hear; nor are e entomologists "o agreed aS 
to the m or the -antenne. This interesting SU 



as offers most promising field for study, and I ed particulary call 
the attention of entomologis sts to hs dires e memoir, by Hensen, 0B 
the stacea. Hensen has shown that the — 
Hp] otolithes in fhe open auditory Bact of shrimps are foreign. : 
He proved 
es 


animal itself. 

