284 Miscellaneous, prove simply this, viz. that the Edentata are allied to the Reptiles, and that more nearly than to Birds. It would have been absurd to expect any other result from this investigation than such as the present : a group is never related to one other group only : " The true affinities of organic structures branch out irregularly in all directions/' I cannot conclude without observing, that it is highly remarkable and interesting that affinities should be found to prevail amongst creatures often remotely situated one from the other in the Animal Kingdom ; that these relations often appear subtle and irrespective of functional similarity ; and that whilst their final cause will pro-bably ever remain unknown to man, we cannot consider them with-out deeply appreciating the order, the unity and dependence which prevail throughout all parts of nature. Edw. Fry. MISCELLANEOUS, A new genus of Sea-Snake from Port Essington. By J. E, Gray, F.R.S. The snake here described formed part of the extensive collection brought home by Mr. Jukes, the naturalist to H.M.S. Fly. It is re-markable as having the compressed shape, the short blunt head, the peculiar lunate valvular nostrils on the upper surface of the nose, the small superior eyes, the head-shields and the compressed tail of Hydrus, but differs from it in having large polished smooth keelless scales, and the broad band-like ventral shields of the vermiform ter-restrial snakes {Elaphina). In this ipjjpecj^t agrees with the genus Aipisurus, but it is at once distinguished from that genus by the ventral shields being broader in proportion and acutely keeled along the middle line, and by having the head-shields of Hydrus ; in fact it is exactly intermediate between the genus Hydrus of HydridcE and Aipisurus of Elaphina in Colubrida. It may be called Hypotropis. Scales large, smooth, six-sided ; head short, truncated in front ; nasal large, with the lunate nostrils in the middle of their hinder part ; crown shields small, superciliary numerous, labial shield high,, loreal none ,-throat scaly ; ventral shields broad, band-like, folded together and keeled in the middle, notched behind at the keel ; tail compressed, covered with large broad six-sided smooth scales. Hypotropis Jukesii. Olive, yellowish below. Hab. Sea, near Darnley Islands. " Merad sand-bank, while at anchor, May 1845." On the Fulmo grade Medusa of the British Seas. By Prof. E. Forbrs*. At the Birmingham Meeting in 1839, the author, in conjunction with Prof. Goodsir, brought forward a first essay towards an inves-tigation of the British Acalephse, selecting the ciliograde species for illustration. Since that time he has yearly availed himself of every opportunity of pursuing the inquiry, but has abstained from publish-* Read at the Southampton Meeting of the British Association.
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