Zoological Society. 145 



to the Society by Lieut. Breton, Corr. Memb. Z. S., whose principal 

 object in calling the attention of the Society to it was to mention 

 that, being unprovided at the time at which the bird was killed with 

 any of the ordinary preserving powder or soap, he had used for its 

 preservation a mixture of Cayenne and black peppers with snuff and 

 salt. The skin, well rubbed with this mixture, was brought through 

 the intertropical regions in an ordinary trunk, affording free access to 

 insects, and arrived in England uninjured. Lieut. Breton conceives 

 thut it may be advantageous to collectors to be made aware that 

 the preservation of skins can be secured by articles so constantly at 

 hand as those which he employed in this instance. 



The exhibition was resumed of the new species of Shells forming 

 part of the collection made by Mr. Cuming on the western coast of 

 South America, and among the islands of the South Pacific Ocean. 

 Those brought on the present evening under the notice of the So- 

 ciety were accompanied by characters by Mr. G. B. Sowerby, and 

 consisted of five species of the genus GastrochjEna : viz. Gastroch. 

 ovata, truncata, brevis, rugulosa y and hyalina. 



A Note was read from Mr. Gray, giving an account of the arrival 

 in England of two living specimens of Cerithium armatum, which had 

 been obtained at the Mauritius, and had been brought from thence in 

 a dry state. That the inhabitants of land Shells will remain alive 

 without moisture for many months is well known : he had had occa- 

 sion to observe that various marine Mollusca will also retain life in a 

 state of torpidity for a considerable time, some facts in illustration of 

 which he had communicated at a recent Meeting of the Society (Lond. 

 and Edinb. Phil. Mag., vol. iii. p. 66.) : the present instance included, 

 however, a torpidity of so long a continuance as to induce him to 

 mention it particularly. The animal, though deeply contracted within 

 the shell, was apparently heal thy> and beautifully coloured. It emitted 

 a considerable quantity of bright green fluid, which stained paper of a 

 grass green colour : it also coloured two or three ounces of pure water. 

 This green solution, after standing for twelve hours in a stoppered 

 bottle, became purplish at the upper part ; but the paper retained its 

 green colour though exposed to the atmosphere. 



The Secretary mentioned an instance of the arrival in this country 

 of a living Cerithium Telescopium, Brug., brought from Calcutta, in 

 company with some small Paludina, which also reached England 

 alive : these Mollusca were, however, kept in sea water frequently 

 changed. The Cerithium was placed by Mr. G. B. Sowerby, for dissec- 

 tion, in the hands of the Rev. M. J. Berkeley and G. H. Hoffman, 

 Esq., who have prepared a paper on its anatomy for the forthcoming 

 No. of the ! Zoological Journal' : it will be illustrated by a series of 

 figures, which were exhibited to the Meeting. It is worthy of re- 

 mark, that the spirit in which this animal was immersed for the pur- 

 pose of killing it, and in which it was kept for some weeks, became of 

 a dark verdigris colour. 



Dr. Weatherhead exhibited two young Ornithorhynchi preserved 

 in spirit, which he had recently received from New Holland, and 

 stated his intention of presenting one of them to the Society's Mu- 



Third Series. Vol. 5. No. 26. August 1834. U 



