Societies and Academies

Abstract

LONDON. Zoological Society, January 5.—Prof. A. Newton, F.R.S., Vice-President, in the chair.—The Secretary read a report on the additions that had been made to the Society's Menagerie during the months of November and December 1891. Amongst these attention was called to four Spotted-billed Pelicans (Pelecanus manillensis), received from Calcutta, and to a second specimen of the Formosan Fruit-Bat—a species originally described from an example received alive by the Society in 1873.—Dr. E. C. Stirling exhibited some specimens of the new Australian Marsupial (Notaryctes typhlops), and gave a short account of the habits of this remarkable animal, as observed in a specimen recently kept in captivity by one of his correspondents.—An extract was read from a letter received from Dr. F. A, Jentink, calling attention to the recent acquisition by one of his correspondents in Java of additional specimens of the rare Bush-Rat (Pithechir melanuyus).—Mr. Ernst Hartert exhibited a series of eggs of the Common and other Cuckoos, mostly collected by himself and trustworthy friends, and made remarks on the question of the similarity of the eggs of the Cuckoos to those of the owners of the nest in which they are deposited.—A communication was read from Dr. J. Anderson, F.R.S., containing notes on a small collection of Mammals, Reptiles, and Batrachians made during a recent visit to Algeria and Tunisia.—Mr. F. E. Beddard read a paper upon the Earthworms collected by Dr. Anderson during the same expedition. Amongst them were examples of a new species of the genus Microscolex. A second new species of the same genus, based on examples collected by Mr. E. B. Poulton, F.R.S., in Madeira, and proposed to be called M. poultoni, was also described.— A communication was read from Mr. R. I. Pocock on some Myriopoda and Arachnida collected by Dr. Anderson during the same expedition.—Mr. M. F. Woodward read a paper on the milk dentition of Procavia (Hyrax) capensis. The author showed that Lataste's canine has a counterpart in the lower or mandibular series, and he described for the first time two small vestigial upper incisors. He concluded that the teeth named belong collectively to the first or milk set, and that the formulation of the incisors of this genus as 2/1 is probably due to the occasional persistence of the second upper milk-incisor. —Mr. Oldfield Thomas gave an account of the species of the Hyracoidea, of which order he had lately examined a large series of specimens. The author recognized fourteen species of this group of Mammals, all of which he proposed to refer to one genus (Procavia). Besides these, four geographical sub-species were recognized. A new species was described as P. latastei, from Senegal.