of the ordinary Hippopotamus amphibius, which died during the year past in this country. He figures the brain, alimentary and reproductive systems, and adds much of importance to our knowledge of this great beast. In conclusion, he thus remarks on the natural affinities of the hippopotamus with the Ungulata and other mammals, especially the manatee. “In observing the manatee that lived for several months in the Philadelphia Zoological Garden, the manner in which it rose to the surface of the water to breathe reminded me often of the hippopotami that I watched in the Zoological Garden of London and the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. The slow way in which the animals rise to the surface, the motionless pose of the almost sunken body, the nostrils often just appearing at the surface, etc., are very much alike in both animals. In speaking of the alimentary canal, I called attention to the stomach of the manatee, which represents that of the hippopotamus in an atrophied condition, while, on the other hand, the stomach of the hippopotamus is intermediate between the peccary and the ruminants. As regards the heart, it will be remembered that in the young hippopotamus, at least, it is bifid, resembling in this respect that of the manatee. The female generative apparatus of the peccary and hippopotamus are almost identical. Again, the sexual vesicles are found in both hippopotamus and manatee. While the placenta does not appear to me to have the importance attached to it by some authors as a guide in determining the affinities of animals, it is proper to mention in this connection that according to Milne Edwards and Garrod the placenta of the hippopotamus is diffuse, and appears to be nondeciduous, and such is the case, according to Harting, in the dugong, and therefore in the manatee, probably, for, as a matter of fact, the placentation of the manatce is unknown.

"While the brain of the hippopotamus appears to be a modification of a type common to the pig, peccary, sheep, ox, giraffe, etc., it has also, it seems to me, affinities with that of the manatee. In a word, then, beginning with the pig, we pass by an easy transition to the peccary, which leads to the hippopotamus, and thence, in diverging lines, to the Ruminantia on the one hand, and the manatee on the other. Palæontologists have not discovered a form which bridges over the gap between the hippopotamus and the manatee, but it will be remembered that certain fossil bones, considered by Cuvier to have belonged to an extinct species of hippopotamus, H. medius, are regarded by Gervais as the remains of the Halitherium fossile, an extinct Sirenian, of which order the manatee is a living representative. According to Professor Owen, the molar teeth also, both in the Halitherium and the Felsinotherium, another Sirenian, are constructed on the same pattern as those of the hippopotamus. It is proper to mention, however, that the same distinguished observer considers the teeth of the manatee and the Prorastomus, another extinct Sirenian, to be rather allied

to those of the tapir and Lophiodon; but this qualification does not really invalidate the supposed affinities between the Sirenia and the hippopotamus. For the Artiodactyla and the Perissodactyla are probably offshoots of a common stock, and hence we may expect to find in these two groups certain characters common to both, inherited from their Lophiodon and Coryphodon-like ancestors. The affinities of the teeth of the manatee with those of the tapir-the first an embryonic Artiodactyle, the second a generalized Perissodactyle-would be examples of the above view. I do not mean to imply that the manatee has necessarily descended directly from the hippopotamus, though extinct intermediate forms may in the future show this to be so, for possibly they may be the descendants of a common ancestor. To many such speculations may appear mere waste of time, we being unable, from the nature of the case, to experimentally prove or disprove the truth of the hypothesis advanced. It seems to me, however, that the only explanation of the structure of the living forms and of the petrified remains of the animals referred to in these observations, is the hypothesis of there being some generic connection between them."

VERRILLIA BLAKEI OR HALIPTERIS BLAKEI.-In the San Francisco Mining and Scientific Press, of August 9th, 1873, I published a "Description of a new species of Alcyonoid Polyp, which I placed in Cuvier's genus Pavonaria, and gave to it the specific name of blakei, in recognition of the courtesy of Dr. James Blake, who kindly furnished the specimens to describe. Subsequently, nine days after the publication of the first description as above, at a meeting of the California Academy of Sciences, held on the 18th day of August, I removed the species to a new sub-genus which I called Verrillia, in honor of Professor Verrill, of Yale College.

The characters of this sub-genus were defined as follows: "Polypidon linear-elongate, round or ovate in cross section. Axis round, slender, bony; polyps arranged in two unilateral longitudinal series."

In Nature for November 6th, 1873, Dr. J. E. Gray, in an article entitled, "On the stick fish (Osteocella septentrionalis), and the habits of the sea pens," endeavored to make it appear that his genus and species, should have precedence, or the names so given by him should stand instead of mine, and gave what he called "the synonyma of these animals," presenting the sequence of dates of publication of the various papers, to show the priority of his

own.

To this communication of Dr. Gray's I replied in a paper read before the California Academy of Sciences on the 16th of March, 1874, in which I reviewed the claims of Dr. Gray and his genus and species Osteocella septentrionalis, and denied the validity thereof, on the ground that "No description sufficiently accurate to be worthy of consideration can be made of the axial rods or bones alone, of this class of animal forms, nor can species be satisfac

torily determined without the fleshy portion; nor in our present state of knowledge can the microscope determine these points."

In the Zoological Record for 1873, Vol. x (pp. 508-9), Dr. Lutkin, editor of the department Coelenterata, uses the following language: "Its generic identity with the Australian species (type of Östeocella), cannot be established so long as the latter is known only from the axial skeleton."

It will be seen by the quotation that Dr. Lutken practically sustains my position.

My description, read before the Academy, August 18th, 1873. was soon after reprinted in the American Journal of Science and Art, to which Professor Verrill added a foot-note as follows: “A recent examination of a specimen, convinces me that this species is most nearly allied to the Halipteris christü Kölliker (Koren and Dar., sp.), and probably ought to be referred to the same genus."

While regretting that the generic title with which I had associated the name of a justly distinguished naturalist, as well as a personal friend, must yield to precedence, I can only accept his suggestion, and place the species in Kölliker's genus Halipterus. The allusions herein to the late Dr. Gray are not intended to revive any differences of opinion as between that eminent authority and myself, but are incidentally introduced, being necessary to the continuity of the record of my own connection with the form which furnishes the title to this paper.

I was not aware until recently that I had not already called the attention of the Academy to Professor Verrill's note, which longcontinued sickness in my family, and the pressure, until very recently, of official duties caused me to overlook.-R. E. C. Stearns, Berkely, California, Nov. 9, 1881.

DISCOVERIES OF THE U. S. FISH COMMISSION ON THE SouthERN COAST OF NEW ENGLAND.-In the American Journal of Science for October, Professor Verrill records the further discoveries made the past summer over a region about 42 miles wide, north and south, and 105 miles long, along the 100-fathom line off the southern coast of New England. It will be remembered that a remarkably rich fauna inhabits this region, which is near the edge of the Gulf stream, and at the edge of the descent to the ocean bottom. This richness in life seems to be due to the following reasons stated by Verrill: This region is subject to the combined effects of the Gulf stream on one side, and the cold northern current on the other, together with the gradual decrease in temperature in proportion to the depth. It is, therefore, probable that, at any given depth below 50 fathoms, the temperature is nearly the same at all seasons of the year. Moreover, there is, in this region, an active circulation of the water at all times, due to the combined currents and tides. The successive zones of depth represent successively cooler climates, more perfectly here

than near the coast. The vast quantities of free-swimming animals continually brought northward by the Gulf stream, and filling the water, both at the surface and bottom, furnish an inexhaustible supply of food for many of the animals inhabiting the bottom, and probably, directly or indirectly to nearly all of them. A very large species of Salpa, often five or six inches long, occurs, both at the surface and close to the bottom, in vast quantities. These are eaten by star-fishes, actiniæ, etc. Pteropods also frequently occur in the stomachs of star-fishes, while Foraminifera furnish a large part of the food of many of the mud dwelling species. The fishes, which are very abundant, and of many species, of which the file-fish is the most notable, find a wonderfully abundant supply of most excellent food in the very numerous species of crabs, shrimps and other Crustacea, which occur in such vast quantities that, not unfrequently, many thousands of specimens of several species are taken in a single haul of the trawl. Cephalopods are also abundant, and are eagerly devoured by the larger fishes, while others prey largely upon the numerous gastropods and bivalves. Many interesting fishes and mollusks were taken, some new to science, and of great interest; among the latter, the most remarkable is a new species of the tropical shell Dolium (D. birdii), taken alive in 202 fathoms. Dolium galea extends northward to North Carolina, This southern. form, with a large Marginella, an Avicula, and various other genera, more commonly found in southern waters, are curiously associated, in this region, with genera and species which have hitherto been regarded as exclusively northern, or even arctic; many of them having been first discovered in the waters of Greenland, Spitzbergen, Northern Norway, Jan Meyen Land, etc. A number of northern, mostly arctic, forms, not previously found south of Cape Cod, were also dredged.

DOES THE CROW BLACKBIRD EAT CRAYFISH ?-Professor Beal, of the Iowa Agricultural College, asks this question in the November NATURALIST, his inquiry having been prompted by finding twenty-six gastroliths, or stomach-stones in a bird's "gizzard." The little incident which I will here record, I think will fairly settle this question with an affirmative answer. Crayfish inhabit many, doubtless most of the sloughs and wet places on our prairies; but I suppose the species to be identical with that in our rivers and streams, though they are sometimes spoken of as "land-crabs." Outside of where the water covers the ground, they dig holes into the soil, and in carrying out the dirt their holes are frequently built up like little chimneys, sometimes five or six inches above the surface. In a dry time they are compelled to descend so far, in order to keep in the water which is necessary to their existence, that they pass through our very deep black soil, and bring up the light-colored sand and fine gravel. In this way, they do a vast amount of work-generally, I believe, in

the night as they are seldom, if ever, seen so engaged. Passing a slough on the road, where these curious animals live, one day, three or four years ago, I saw a crow blackbird (Quiscalus purpureus), very hard at work in an apparent effort to grasp some object on the ground. In a moment it flew up and alighted on a fence-post, having in its bill a quite large crayfish. The bird held it by the back, as a boy grasps one in his fingers, to keep clear of the creature's pinchings claws. The captor had evidently done that sort of thing before, for it manifested none of the awkwardness of a "new hand" at the business. During the moment which elapsed before the bird flew off with its prey, I could distinctly see the crayfish's legs and feet in rapid motion, as it was feeling about for some object to grasp, or struggling to escape. The bird seemed to have quite a job in mastering the bundle of claws and legs, but it appeared determined not to abandon its lucky "find." I believe this incident may be taken as a very positive answer to Professor Beal's inquiry, though in regard to the food of any of our birds we need just such crucial tests as those which have been made by Professor Forbes, of Normal, Illinois. As to the presence of such an unusual number of these gastroliths, in the bird's stomach, it would require close observation to determine whether they were picked up and swallowed as aids to digestion, in grinding up the food; or were left for the same purpose after the other portions of the crayfish had passed along into the intestines. But these sagacious and active birds are so often seen walking in the shallow water, that their mission is no doubt the capture of all sorts of "small deer" which abide in there, as minnows, crayfish, worms, small frogs, &c. They are wise birds, and they walk about within a few feet of an observer, with a degree of coolness and nonchalance which is as amusing as it is unusual in our feathered visitants. In spring and fall they industriously follow a plow all day long, devouring all sorts of insects, and at such times become exceedingly tame. In fact, their behavior is exactly of that kind to indicate that they take it for granted that no one desires to hurt them. At all events, that is the case on my farm.-Charles Aldrich, Webster City, Iowa, Nov. 10, 1881.

WILD BIRDS RACING WITH THE CARS.-Several times I have noticed wild birds of different species flying along parallel with, and near a railroad train, in such a way as to suggest the idea that they were really trying to distance the iron horse! One day last spring I was coming east from Sioux City, Iowa, on the Illinois Central R. R., when my attention was attracted to a couple of birds which seemed to be making us a trial of their speed with the train. They were, as I supposed at the time, our smallest species of hawks-sharp, alert, powerful birds, possessed of a high degree of strength and endurance on the wing. They kept steadily on their course a dozen rods from