1878. } Zoology. | aes 
W. Marnock, near San Antonio. It is allied to Phyllobates, being, 
like that genus, without vomerine teeth, but the nasal bones form 
a close continuous roof as in Hylodes. The species is of medium 
size, and is called by Cope Syrrhophus marnockit. With it were 
found specimens of the Eastern species of Hylid, Chorophilus ocu- 
latus. i i 
BASSARIS ASTUTA IN Orecon.—Mr. A. H. Wood, of Painted 
Post, New York, has lately sent to the Smithsonian, at my re- 
quest, a specimen of Bassaris astuta taken in a trap, on Rogue 
river, thirty-five miles north-west of Jacksonville, Oregon, in De- 
cember, 1877. The person who took it had hunted and trapped 
in the region for many years, but had never before seen such an 
animal. This occurrence is interesting as still further extending 
the known range of the species: see Baird, Mamm. N. A. : 
147 (Arkansas and California and south through Mexico); Sul- 
livant, Am. Nat. vi. 1872, 362 (Ohio); Coues zid. 364 (Ohio and 
Kansas)—Filiott Coues, Washington, D. C. 
LEPTODISCUS MEDUSOIDES, A NEW FORM OF NocrtiLuUcCA.—In the 
Fenaische Zeitschrift, Neue folge, 4th Band, 3d Heft, 1877, 
Richard Hertwig, under the above name, describes an exceed- 
ingly interesting Noctiluca-like organism which he had the good 
fortune to discover in the Harbor of Messina, during the winter 
of 1876-77. This new form is perfectly discoid in shape, with the 
flagellum characteristic of Noctilucæ. Its size varies, measured 
across the disc from 0.6 mm. to 1.5 mm. The disc is thickest in 
the centre, somewhat raised or convex on the dorsal side, while 
the ventral is concave; near the ventral surface and in the centre, 
there is a bipartite, ovoid nucleus, the smaller half of which is 
homogeneous, the larger, granular. Numerous oil globules are im- 
bedded just beneath the dorsal integument, but with the excep- 
tion of the whitish spot (granular area), in the centre the disc is 
clear and transparent, exhibiting slight iridescence of the convex 
side. ! 
As the names indicates, this organism is medusa-like, but this 
likeness becomes still more strikingly manifest when the organism 
moves. As in Meduse, change of place is effected by the power- 
ful contraction and dilatation of the umbrella-shaped body, like 
the former forcing the water suddenly from the cup-like cavity. In 
the energy and rapidity of the contractions Dr. Hertwig says it 
is not behind any Medusa, provided the little creature is touched 
with a glass rod. Under these circumstances it darts like a Aho- 
/alonema through the water as swiftly as an arrow, by the quickly 
succeeding pulsations or contractions of its umbrella-shaped 
body. The strongest contractions were produced by osmic acid, 
the creature under the action of this reagent becomes bell-shaped, _ 
about half as wide across the free border of the bell as it is high. 
s in Meduse@, the animal has the power of bending portions of 
__ the free border of the umbrella inwards, or sometimes the opposite : 
