14-9 



November 22, 1831. 

 Dr. Horsfield in the Chair. 



A letter from Sir R. Ker Porter, Corr. Memb. Z.S., dated City of 

 Caracas, Sept. 10, 1831, was read. It contained a detailed descrip- 

 tion of the Myrmecophaga jubata, Linn., under the name of Orso Hor- 

 meguero or Ant-Bear, together with an account of the habits of that 

 animal ; and was accompanied by a drawing of the fully grown indi- 

 vidual from which the description was taken. Sir R. Ker Porter was 

 particularly struck with the difference in structure which exists be- 

 tween the fore and the hinder feet, and with the curious disposition 

 of the parts of the former in the act of progression, which has been 

 slightly referred to by D'Azara. In the figure (in which the animal 

 is represented in a standing position) the claws of the fore feet do not 

 project in front, but are doubled backwards under the wrist ; eviden- 

 cing a mode of progression in the Myrmecophagce similar to that 

 recently described by Col. Sykes as existing in the species of Manis. 

 "To receive the additional length and point of the middle toe," ob- 

 serves Sir R. Ker Porter, "a protruding mass of hard flesh stood out 

 from the wrist, wherein was a cavity destined for the reception of the 

 ungulated elongation when the animal was in a standing position." 

 He adds, " From the awkward formation of the fore feet, quickness 

 of motion becomes impossible j hence they may be caught in the 

 smallest open space (when seen) with little difficulty." 



Sir R. Ker Porter adds a list of the Mammalia known to exist in 

 the Province of Caracas, and describes the arrangements which he has 

 made for preserving such of them as he may succeed in procuring for 

 the Society until an opportunity occurs of transmitting them to En- 

 gland. He also refers to several Birds which he hopes to procure, 

 including the common and galeated Curassows. 



The skins were exhibited of two animals forming part of a small 

 collection of Mammalia and Birds brought from the neighbourhood 

 of Swan River by Lieut. Matthew Friend, R. N., Corr. Memb. Z. S., 

 and presented by him to the Society. Mr. Ogilby expressed his 

 belief that both these animals had been hitherto unnoticed by 

 systematic writers, and read the following descriptions of them. 



Hypsiprymnus setosus. Hyps, pilis supra setosis,Jiisco-cine- 

 reis, infrh canescentibus ; auriculis latis, nudis, nigris; cauda me- 

 diocri, gracili, squamata, pilis brevissimis rigidis vestita. 



" Of the different species of Hypsiprymni inhabiting the continent 

 and dependencies of Australia, and of which the characters are 

 but little known, many have been hitherto confounded with the 

 Kangaroos. That to which I have given the name of Hyps, setosus 

 is known in the colony of New South Wales by the native name of 

 Bettong Kangaroo. The specimen now described is believed to 

 [No. XIII,] Zooh. Soc. Proceedings or the Comm. of Science. 



