72 Zoological Society, 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



February 25. — A letter was read, addressed to the Secretary 

 by M. W. Bojer, Corr. Memb. Z.S., and dated Mauritius, Nov. 15, 

 1833. It referred principally to the animal from Madagascar, 

 which was transmitted in the spring of last year to the Society 

 by the late Mr. Telfair, and which was brought by Mr. Bennett 

 on April 9, 1833, under the notice of the Society as the type of 

 a new genus, for which he proposed the name of Cryptoprocta, 

 on account of its possessing an anal pouch, and being thereby 

 distinguishable from Paradoxurus, F. Cuv. One of the habits of 

 the Cryptoproctaferox indicated, during the life of the animal, the 

 existence of this pouch : when violently enraged, and it was apt to 

 become exceedingly ferocious on the sight of a morsel of flesh, "it 

 frequently gratified the persons present with, not an odoriferous, 

 but a most disagreeable smell, very like that of Mephitis." Other 

 particulars were contained in the letter, which are given in the 

 ' Proceedings.' 



The reading was commenced of a Paper, entitled " Descriptions 

 of New Species of Calyptrceidce : by W. J. Broderip, Esq."; and 

 the Shells described in it, chiefly obtained from the collection of 

 Mr. Cuming, were exhibited. 



Mr. Owen read a Paper "On the Anatomy of the Calyptrceidce:'' 

 After referring to the account given by Cuvier of the anatomy of 

 Crepidula, to that by M. Deshayes of Calyptrcea, and to M. Lesson's 

 of Crepipatella, as elucidating the general plan of organization in 

 this family, he proceeds to describe the structure of Calypeopsis. 

 An abstract of the paper is given in the ' Proceedings.' 



Numerous specimens were exhibited of Birds collected in North 

 America, principally in the United States, by George Folliott, Esq., 

 and presented by him to the Society. At the request of the Chair- 

 man, Mr. Gould brought them severally under the notice of the 

 Meeting. His principal object being to illustrate, so far as these 

 birds were concerned, the geographical distribution of allied or 

 identical species, he directed his observations chiefly to the deter- 

 mination of those North American Birds which seemed to him to be 

 referrible to European species, and of those which, having been 

 generally considered as identical with European, appeared, on di- 

 rect comparison, to present differences in form and colouring. 



The common Turnstone of Europe, Strepsilas collaris, Temm., 

 appears to be not only identical with the Turnstone of North Ame- 

 rica, but to be spread, without any tangible variation, over almost 

 every portion of the globe. The Sanderling, Calidris arenaria,Temm , 

 and the Knot, Tringa Canutus, Linn., are also identical in both 

 continents ; as is the great volute Heron or Egret, Ardea Egretta, 

 Temm. The common Tern or Sea-Swallow of England, Sterna 

 Hirundo, Linn., occurs equally in North America. The common 

 Crow, Corvus Corone, Linn., is also identical in both continents. 



With respect to the Whimbrel, Numenius phceopus, Temm., and 

 the little Sandpiper, Tringa Temminckii, Mr. Gould stated himself 

 to be unable to determine as to their identity without the compari- 



