The naturalists' miscellany, or, Coloured figures of natural objects; drawn and described immediately from nature

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VIOLACEOLIS PAR TRID GE.

Lath. Sun. Vol. 2. p. 622. The numeroUs genus Tetrao, comprehending ali the species of Grous, Partrid ge, Heathcock, &c. belongsto the oriter called Gallinae, or sicli as in their generalcharacters and appearance mahe sonae approach to the common Coch, or Phassianus Gallus of Linnaeus. Bysar the major part of the Tetraones are exotic hirds; and indeed most of them are extra- European birds. The present species, exclusive of iis unusual colour and peculiar elegance, is like vise remarkable sor being one of the rares of the genus: it is also to be observed, F a that

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that stom a Lind os ambiguity in iis appearance, it may

seem to bear almost as naucli assinity to the genus Columba as to that of Tetrao; and indeed in a dried specimen it is not easy to decide with absolute precision towhicli genus it mould With the greatest propriety bereferred. The present figure was taken from the livinghird, and exhibits with great fidelity iis severat characters. The eyelids are singularly formed; being regu-1arly surrounded by a series of rising crenatures of themost vivid scarlet. The crest also, whicli is os a structure peculiarly delicate, adds greatly to the beauty of the bird. It is a native of Malacca, and some of the East Indian istands. It should be observed that in s me specimens, perhaps males,) a certain number of long, blach, rising bristies appear, seated at the base of the front: these in the present specimen were Wanting. Itmay be added, that notWith standing the differen ce of iis genus, this bird bears a striiung assinity with the Cuculus Persa of Linnaeus.

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PHALANGIUAI CANCROIDES.

CHARACTER GENERICUS. Pedes octo. Oculi verticis duo contigui, duo laterales. Frons antennis pedi formibus. Abdomen rotundatUm.

Lin. 8s. Nat. p. 1O28. CHARACTER SPECIFICUS, Uc. PHALANGIUM abdomine obovato depresso, Chelis laevibus : digitis pilosis. Lin. Ses. Nat. p. 1O28. CHELIFER abdomine lineis transversis. Geor. Paris. 2. p. 618.

SCORPIO MINIMUS. Rosel. 3. S l. t. 64.

Animalculum hoc, physicis diu cognitum, diversis temporibus ad diversa genera retulerunt entomologi. Laboriosus celeberrimusque S ammerdamus quasi scorpionis speciem descripsit. Idem fecit Roeselius. Quanquam in editione duodecima Systematis Naturae Linnarus in genere Phalangit posuerit, in Fauna tamen Su-

ecica ab eodem auctore conscripta, inter acaros nume

ratur. Ingeniosus Degeer genus illi distinctum nomine Cheliferi

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Cheliseri instituit. Fabricius denique in Systemate En-tomologico iterum ad genus Scorpii amandavit, cui fortasse conjunistius est quam ulli alii. Magnitudine multum variat hoc insemim : quae enim in Anglia inveniuntur specimina, multo minora sunt quam in Sebae, SKammerdami, et Roeselli operibus depici a. Figura microscopica in hac nostra tabula accuratissime delineatur. Altera quae disjungitur, caput et thoracem amplitudine admodum aucta ostendunt, Ut partes pectinatae appareant; quae quamvis situ diversis, formam tamen fere eandem habent ac in scorpiis. Figura I. magnitudinem naturalem insecti, ut in Anglia conspicitur, monstrat. Accusat hoc insectum Linnaeus, sed ut mihi videtur, injuria, cutim interdum penetrandi, papulamque magnitudine pisi, summo cum dolore excitandi. Circa parietes antiquos, ut plurimum invenitur, et interdum inter papyram, &c. conspicitur. Inter insecta quoque

rariora non immerito numerat .

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CANCRO ID PHALANGIUM.

Abdomen rounded. sic IFIC CHARACTER.

the tipS. This litile insect, whicli has long been knoKn to naturalitis, has been occasionalty referred to very different genera. The celebrated and laborious Swammerdam has described ii as a species of Scorpion. In the Works of Roesel it is also regarded as a Scorpion. In the twelsili edition of the Systema Naturae of Linmeus it is ranked under the genus Phalangium; while in the Fauna Suecica of the fame author it is made an Acarus. The ingenious Degeer institutes for it a separate genus Under the nanae of Chelifer. Lastly Fabricius in his Systema Entomologiae has remanded it to the genUs Scorpio, towhicli perhaps it is more nearly allied than to any other.

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whicli are Dund in our oWn country being much smallerthan the representations giVen by S ammerdam, Roesel, and Seba. The microscopical figure in the annexed plate is executed with the greatest accuracy. The separate figure represenis the head and thorax very muchmagnified, in order to sine the pectinated paris, whichthough differing in siluation, are nearly of the sameform as in scorpions. Fig. I. me Ks the natural sige of

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Var. A. Albae. ARACTER GENERIC US. Annuli trunci caudaeque.

ARACTER SPECIFICUS. AMPHISBAENA annulis trunci circiter 2 23;

caudae 16. Generis Amphisbaenae perpaucae quae noscuntur species a plerisque serpentibus tantum disserunt, ut eas primo visu vermes potius qUam angues putemias: squamis enim penitus carent, quarum in loco corpus cingunt annuli seu spatia circularia aeque distantia, quae striis innumeris in longitudinem ductis decussantur. Caput in areas paucas dividitur, squamis majoribus in pleroque colubrino genere non absimiles; caudaque non sensim attenuata, sed Vix a proportione caeteri corporis recedens, apiceqtae Valde obtuso seu rotundato. Orta est ab hac forma vulgaris opinio, Amphisbaenae duo esse capita, unum scilicet in utraque extremitate :cum enim oculi adeo minuti sint ut primo visu non distinguantur, eo fit ut inter caput et oppositum extremum

ambiguum sit discrimen. Hujus generis 1pecies maX- ima est Amphisbaena alba; ob colorem pallidulum, gil-G vum

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vum scilicet, seu fere album, sic nominata. Colore tamen est interdum pulcherrime roseo, qualis in tabula depingitur. Non raro pedali est longitudine. Americana incolit et plane innocuus est serpens.