Miscellaneous. 309 that genus. This animal is interesting as being the third genus of true Glirine mammals found on the Australian continent,, viz. Hydromys, Hapalotis, and Pseudomys. Indeed the number of non-marsupial mammalia appears to be rapidly increasing as we become better acquainted with the animals of Australia. Thus I now know of three species of insectivorous bats inhabiting that continent, one belonging to a peculiar genus Nyctophilus, and two to Molossus. NEW ANOMALOUS REPTILE. Dr. John Natterer, the industrious collector, who has lately re-turned to Vienna from South America with his large collections, has published in the 'Annals of the Vienna Museum' (ii.p. 167.) under the name of Lepidosiren paradoxa, a new anomalous reptile, which has much the appearance of an eel, but is covered with large netted scales, and the body is furnished with four simple elongated taper-ing legs ; the front pair being placed on the back edge of the upper part of the spiracles, and the hinder pair on the under side of the hinder part of the body. The jaws are furnished with strong trun-cated teeth, and the vent, which is circular and plaited, is placed on the left of the centre of the under side of the body, just behind the base of the left hind leg. It was discovered in the Brazils near the river Amazon, and grows to three feet. They had two speci-mens in the Vienna Museum ; one of them has been put into the hands of Professor Th. Bischofffor the purpose of being dissected.— J. E. Gray. ON THE FUR SEAL OF COMMERCE. In one of your last numbers there is an interesting paper, by Mr. Hamilton, on the fur seal of commerce, illustrated by a figure, which the author supposes will " enable any one at once to recognise the animal." Unfortunately, this is not the case, as from the want of details of the teeth, of a more minute description of the whiskers, ears, and various other parts which form the specific characters of these very intricate animals, we gain nothing from the paper but that the fur-seal is an Otaria or Eared Seal, for the colour can scarcely be considered of any importance when we know the great changes it undergoes during growth in the other species of the genus. I am induced to make these remarks in the hope of inducing Mr. Hamilton to extend his description, as I am very desirous of ascertaining if his seal is the same as that which I described some time ago in the * Magazine of Natural History' (1837), under the name Leptonyx Wedellii, from two specimens which were collected by the Hon. Capt. Fitzroy, and by him presented to the British Museum. — J. E. Gray,
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