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Show 462 PROF. J. B E L L O N T H E G E N U S VIRGULARIA. [June 1", as before stated, forwarded the skin to me for identification. weather at the time was very warm, and Mr. Lowne seeing that it was a valuable bird would not risk sending it to me in the flesh; hence it was that I saw only the skin, but I may mention that it had all the appearance of having been very recently removed and that there were still many living parasites remaining on the feathers. The sternum Mr. Lowne sent to Professor Newton. The total length of the bird in the flesh was 8 inches and its weight 2\ oz. Mr. Knights was good enough to give me the first offer of the bird, and through the liberality of some friends of the Norwich Museum I was enabled to purchase this latest addition to the many local rarities for that Institution," Profesor Jeffrey Bell, F.Z.S., read a note which he had received from Mr. Edgar Thurston, C.M.Z.S., of the Madras Museum. He explained that his attention had been called, last autumn, by the Hon. A. E. Gathorne-Hardy, M.P., F.Z.S., to certain difficulties which he felt as to accepting the generally received statements as to the mode of life of British Pennatulids ; of which difficulties Mr. Gathorne- Hardy gave an account in his interesting paper in the ' National Review' of February last. Shortly after its publication Prof. Bell received Mr. Thurston's report on the Marine Fauna of the Gulf of Manaar. As the habits of Virgularia are there described he called Mr. Thurston's attention to Mr. Gathorne-Hardy's paper, with the result that he received the following interesting letter from Mr. Thurston :•- " Madras Museum. May 19,1890. " My attention has been directed to an article in the ' National Review' for February 1890, entitled 'Out of the Depths,' by the Hon. A. E. Gathorne-Hardy, M.P., who enters into a discussion of the habits of the genus Virgularia. The points at issue are twofold : - " 1. Do the animals stand up vertically with their bulb planted in the mud ? " 2. Can the animals pull themselves in with force so as to nearly or quite disappear ? " I see that in my ' Notes on the Pearl and Shank Fisheries, and Marine Fauna of the Gulf of Manaar,'* I say (p. 74) with reference to specimens of Virgularia :-' The Sea-pen, Virgularia juncea, was collected at low water, and accords in its habits with another species, V. patagonica,which is described by Darwin(' Journal of Researches') as being seen projecting like stubble, with the truncate end upwards, a few inches above the surface of the muddy sand. AYhen touched or pulled they suddenly drew themselves in with force so as to nearly or quit9 disappear.' " The specimens were obtained by one of my native Sabbi divers in shallow water opposite the Kothanda Raman Sovil (temple) on Ramesvaram Island in July 1888. His attention was attracted by 1 Madras Government Press, 1890. |