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Show 1899.] ON REPTILES AND BATBACHIATSiS FROM FOKIEN. 159 coral conglomerate rocks running out to form the shore-platform, covered with mud and weed, about half a mile iu extent, on it a few stunted Goniastraeas,Mussas, Porites, and Madrepores, in pools. Here, too, were found numbers of black Holothurians, many Tri-dacnas, cones, volutes, large Aplysias, with small black Nemertines, Squillas, &c. This reef Avas much lower at the south side in a little bay where the water poured down in a series of rapids into the deep Avater, Avhich here came close up to the reef; near to these rapids, and at the time exposed to the air and sun, I saw alive (1) great beds of Goniastrseas of two kinds, one in small lobular masses, the other in large domes, the polyps of both being emerald-green ; (2) very large branches of Mussa recta ?, one specimen being 5 feet by 4 across ; (3) Cceloria sp.; (4) Prionastrcea sp., polyps also bright green ; (5) Symphyllia sp., in domes ; (6) Porites spp.; (7) Meandrina sp.; (8) Tubipora very plentiful; and (9) a few Fungias. On the margin and not exposed were great quantities of Madrepora cytherea, M. speciosa, and other pedunculate and dendroidal forms, Millepora alcicornis, M. verrucosa, Heliopora ccerulea, Galaxea spp. large hemispherical masses, Seriutopora in very delicate but big bunches, Merulina sp., showing both delicate fan-like expansions and thick ramose prolongations, Ecliinopora rosularia, Porites spp., and Pocillopora spp. 3. On a Collection of Reptiles and Batrachians made by Mr. J. D. La Touche in N.W. Fokien, China. By G. A. B0ULENGER_, F.R.S. [Eeceived February 1st, 1899.] (Plates XVI.-XIX.) An important collection of Reptiles and Batrachians Avas formed by Mr. J. D. La Touche during his stay, in the spring of 1896 and again in 1898, at Kuatun, a village about 270 miles from Foo-chow, in the mountains at the North-west of the Province of Fokien, at an altitude of 3000 to 4000 feet or more, and I have been entrusted by him with its description. Accounts of the Birds have been published by the collector and Mr. Ogilvie Grant and by the Rev. H . H . Slater in the ' Ibis ''; of the Mammals by Mr. Oldfield Thomas in these ' Proceedings ' \ The interest of this collection resides not only in the number (8) of neAV species it reveals, and in the discovery of a Snake entitled to be made the type of a new genus, but also in the further demonstration of the close affinity which the fauna of the hills of the interior of China bears to that of the Himalayan- Burmese mountains-a fact Avhich I have already had frequent opportunities of emphasizing by uniting forms described from 1 Ibis, 1£96, p. 489, and 1897, p. 169. 2 P. Z. S. 1898, p. 769. |
