506 Zoological Proceedings of Societies. ^- 



shedjng of t^ cuticle : it became divided longitudinally alorig the back 

 V, ^^ the abdoin|ifj by the action of the hinder leg on one side the skin 

 was detached as ^ as the fore-leg ; the same operation was next effected 

 on the other side ; the loosened exuvicB were then drawn forwards by the 

 conjhined action of the piouth and of the anterioj- legs, and were imme- 

 diately swallowed. In others of the Batrachian Reptiles, the Ranee and 

 SalamalidrcB, no swallowing 'of^ the exuvicB took place. 



A Description of a new species of Phalangista : h^'lthorms Bell, Esq., 

 ' .F. Rr& L. S., was read by the authour. 



it JVovember 25. — Mr. Bell exhibited several Tortoises of the genera 

 Hydraspis, Emys, .and Terrapene, for the purpose of illustrating by 

 the Hving animals, the correctoess of the views advanced by him in . 

 several papers relating to the Testudinata, j)ublished in the ZoologicJf 

 Journal. He dwelt especially on the length of the nfeck in Hydraspis, 

 which, as well as the legs, was incapable of being retracted within the 

 she% and afforded a striking mark of distinction between the animals of 

 this genus, and those of Erm/s, in which the limbs and neck are 

 capable of complete retraction. He also showed that the Testudo 

 EuropcEa of the older authours is a Terrapene^'\\s> shell being furnished 

 with a sternal valve. 



A paper On an undescrihed species of Pheasant: by Mr. B. Lead- 

 beater, F.L.S., was read, and the bird, the Phasianus^Amherstice, was 

 subsequently exhibited. 



Movemher 29. — At the Anniversary Meeting, held this day, the follow- 

 ing Members' were elected as Officers and Committee, for the ensuing 

 year: N. A. Vigors, Esq., F.R.S., &c.. Chairman; J. F. Stephens, 

 Esq., Treasurer; E. T. Bennett, Esq., '^ Secretary ; T. Bell, Esq.; 

 J. E. Bicheno, Esq. ; W. J. Broderip, Esq. ; J. Brookes, Esq.;' J. Morgan, 

 Esq.; W. Yarrell, Esq. 



During^e continuance of the ballot, the Chairman, Joshua Brookes, 

 Esq., dfeli^red an Address on the progress of Zoological Science during 

 the past year, which was ordered to be printed for distribution anioog the 

 Members of the Linnean Society. 



December 9. — The Chairman, N. A. Vigors, Esq., entered mto a 

 series of remarks in illustration of the importance of attending in zoolo- 

 gical researches to characters apparently minute, and therefore frequently 



