Zoological Society. 85 1 



There are differences also in their modes of copulation. If my 

 memory does not deceive me, the Struthio Camelus does not, like 

 other birds, mount on the back of the female, but merely places one 

 foot on her back, the necks of the pair twisting about all the while 

 like two snakes, but without holding. 



The Rhea, on the other hand, seizes hold of the back of the neck ; 

 and the Emu, I think, is the one which straddles over the female 

 during the operation with his legs on each side of her. 



The Rhea lays from fourteen to twenty-five eggs ; the Emu from 

 twelve to seventeen. 



2. Description of a new Rat from South Australia. By J. E. 



Gray, Esq., F.R.S. &c. 



Mus VELLEROsus. M. hvunneus, albido-varius, ad caput ohscurior ; 



vellereprcelongo, denso ; pilis mollibvs ad basin fusco-brunneis, inde 



pallidioribus , ad apicem albis ; codario mollissimo, brunni-plumbeo ; 



caudd annulatim squamatd, raris brevibus et rigidioribus setis 



obsitd ; auribus mediocribus, rotundatis. 



Hab. in campis Australiasianis inter fluvios Murray et Glenelg. 



The skull resembles the typical Rats. The cutting teeth are yellow, 



moderate, slightly rounded in front, without any regular groove. 



The grinders are -f, worn ; the anterior upper oblong, formed of three 



transverse folds, the hinder being smallest ; the second tooth is nearly 



circular, formed of two folds, the front fold largest, and having a 



notch on its inner side ; the third tooth small, half ovate, with two 



notches on the inner side. The anterior lower grinder is formed of 



three, and the others of two folds ; the anterior fold of the last tooth 



having a slight notch on the inside, and the posterior fold being 



smaller than the rest. 



in. lin. 



Length of skull 1 9 



tooth-line 4 



Total length 7 6 



Tail 4 6 



This rat has the dentition and somewhat the general appearance 

 of Musfuscipes, Waterh., but the skull and animal are considerably 

 larger, and the fur i^ very much longer and paler. 



The specimens from which this description is taken were sent to 

 the British Museum by His Excellency Capt. Grey, Governor of New 

 Zealand. 



3. On two new Genera of Certhin^. By G. R. Gray, Esq., 



F.L.S. &c. 



I beg to lay before the Meeting the following description of what 

 I believe to be a new genus belonging to the subfamily Certhina, 

 under the name of Caulodromus. 



Rostrum capite longius, latum, basi subdepressum, gracile, per totam 

 longitudinem curvatum, lateribus a naribus usque ad apicem ob- 

 tusum subemarginatum fortiter compressis. Gonys longus cur- 



