Mr. G. E. Dobson on two new Indian Sorick]a3. 427 (ii.) Some of ray arguments depend, as Prof. Blake points out, on the homology of the lamellae in the pad of Sepia with the septa in the Belemnite-phragmocone. This homology is doubted by Prof. Blake, who now suggests that the lamellce of the pad are homologous with the calcified membranes of the nacreous layer in the shell-wall of Nautilus. His argu-ments are three. He claims first that his observations on shell-structure do not countenance my view : my readers will decide whether Prof. Blake's description is valid evidence one way or the other. He states secondly that the lamella of Sepia " have no siphuncle, and they are not even perforated : " now each later-formed lamella is like an elliptical figure with the posterior part cut away by another broader ellipse ; the earlier lamellaB are of more circular outline, but are similarly incised ; if this incision represents the siphuncular space, then from this form to the form of the septa in Belosepia is a mere step ; even in the Belemnite the siphuncle is so external as hardly to be surrounded by the septum. Lastly, he states that there is no trace of a " cap " or of a protoconch in Sepia : the explana-tion of this was given by Prof. Lankester in his " Observa-tions on the Development of Cephalopoda" (Q. J. M. S. xv. p. 37) in 1875, and to the arguments of that authority no opposition has hitherto been offered. The view taken by me as to the homologies of the Sepion was first put forward by Voltz (Mem. Soc. Hist. Nat. de Strassbourg, i. p. 1) in 1830 ; I am not aware that his argu-ments have ever been refuted ; the view is adopted by Prof. Gegenbaur in his well-known text-book ; it has been con-firmed by recent observations, and, though I arrived at it independently from a study of the facts, I had no wish to retell an old tale. I accept with gratitude the support and welcome of Prof. Blake, and only regret that his article should necessitate a reply so full of controversy. For this 1 apologize to the readers of the ' Annals,' but would remind them of the Rabbinical proverb, " By the contention of students science is advanced." LIX. — Descriptions of two new Species of Indian Soricidse. By G. E. Dobson, M.A., F.R.S. As Mr. W. T. Blanford is about to print his work on the mammals of British India, and is anxious to include every known species from that region, he has requested me
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