394 Miscellaneous. 
All the other forms are known sea organisms, excepting the Litho- 
dontia. 
Novorum Generum Characteres succincti. 
Hemiptychus. Animal e Bacillariis Naviculaceis liberum. Lorica 
simplex aequaliter bivalvis silicea orbicularis (non concatenata }) 
intus sepimentis imperfectis ad dimidiam fere radiorum partem in 
loculos radiantes (nec alternos impresses) divisa, medio disco late 
vacuo, radiate nec septate, centre, denticulorum corona cincto, 
radiorum experte, extremi marginis aperturis non conspicuis. 
Sepimentis abbreviatis, concamerationibus non alterne impressis, 
centre coronate et aperturis marginalibus obsoletis ab Actino- 
ptycho difFert. 
H. ornatus disco subtilissime granulate radiis 29 sequalibus, cellu- 
larum apparatu interposito concentrico. Diameter . 
Entopyla. Animal e Bacillariis Naviculaceis (an Echinelleis ?). 
Lorica prismatica compressa multivalvis (libera, an concatenata?). 
Valvis in serie simplici recta, libri foliorum instar, contiguis, in- 
ternis apertura maxima media perviis, externis insequalibus trans- 
verse striatis, altera integerrima (non perforata), altera ad utrum- 
que apicem poro magno insigni. 
Forma arcuata ad AchnantJiem accedit, tabellari forma Tessellce affi- 
nior est, maxime Bihlario propinquior est. 
E. australis, foliolis linearibus utroque fine rotundato, foliolis mediis 
in adultis numero fere 1 6, costis foliolorum lateralium in adultis 
xdtra 40 iisque {Surirellce more) linea media fiexuosa divisis. 
Longit. 
Vidi juniora specimina longa, foliolis intermediis tribus, costis 
inter aperturas 6. 
Syn. Surirella? australis, 1843, Abhandl, d. Akad. — Proceedings of 
the Berlin Academy. 
EXTENSIBILITY OF MEMBRANE AND MUSCLE IN THE SERPENT TRIBE. 
The following facts, as illustrative of the great extensibility of 
membrane and muscle in the Serpent tribe, may prove interesting 
to some of your readers. 
On the 14th ultimo a Boa constrictor was sent for my inspection, 
which had that morning swallowed a pig belonging to some Chinese 
at Sungi Kranjie. It would appear that the snake had been seen 
1 king about the sty several days previous to his last meal which 
cost him so dear; he artfully however escaped the owner of the 
swine, who had ineffectually attempted his capture or destruction on 
these occasions ; but on the morning in question, the Boa succeeded 
in getting entrance into the sty, and having helped himself to a 
porker, found himself in the dilemma of the weasel in the barn, — 
he could not get out again. The owner came upon him in this state 
of helplessness, and having called corni'ades to his assistance, secured 
the victim, torpid from his voracious exertions, and brought him in 
triumph into town. 
Now you will say there is nothing novel in all this ; nevertheless 
the disparity of size between the carcase of the pig and the jaws 
