300 Zoological Society. 



New Zealand, and its native name to be Kiwi, frequently doubled, 

 according to the custom of the natives, into Kiwi-Kiwi. With this 

 information it is hoped that some of our enterprising countrymen in 

 that quarter may, ere long, succeed in acquiring additional speci- 

 mens and additional knowledge, as regards both the habits and 

 the structure of this curious race. 



July 9. — A letter was read, addressed to the Secretary by Charles 

 Telfair, Esq., Corr. Memb. Z.S., and dated Port Louis, February 25, 

 1833. It gave an account of the history of a gigantic living specimen 

 of the Indian Tortoise, Testudo Indica y Linn., which has recently 

 been presented to the Society by Lieut. General Sir Charles Colville, 

 late Governor of the Mauritius. The specimen is one of those 

 which were brought from the Seychelles Islands to the Isle of 

 France in 1766, by the Chevalier Marion du Fresne; and is believed 

 to have since remained unchanged in size and appearance. Its 

 length, measured along the curve of the back, is 4 feet H inches; 

 its breadth, taken in the same manner, 4 feet 9 inches j the length 

 of its sternum , 2 feet 8 inches; the breadth of its sternum, 2 feet 

 14- inch, its weight is 285 pounds. 



An extract was read from a second letter from Mr. Telfair, of the 

 date of Feb. 26, referring to an animal known in the interior of Mada- 

 gascar by the name of Sokinah. Mr. Telfair regards it as an un- 

 described species of Tenrec, Centenes, 111. A specimen of a very 

 young individual, which was transmitted in spirit by Mr. Telfair, 

 was exhibited, and compared with young specimens of the Euro- 

 pean Hedge-hog, Erinaceus Europceus, Linn., and of the half- spiny 

 Tenrec, Centenes semi-spinosus, 111. Its extreme youth, however, 

 precluded the possibility of satisfactorily characterizing it. It was 

 born in confinement, and lived for seventeen days ; its parents hav- 

 ing escaped from their cage on the night of its birth. 



A letter was read, addressed to the Secretary by R. J. Bourchier, 

 Esq., Corr. Memb. Z.S., dated Malta, June 8, 1833. It contained 

 an account of two Vultures, Vultur Kolbii, Daud., (the Chasse- 

 Jiente of Le Vaillant,) which have recently been presented to the 

 Society's Menagerie by Sir Thomas Reade, Corr. Memb. Z.S., His 

 Majesty's Consul at Tunis. Mr. Bourchier also adverted to his 

 attempts to procure for the Society living Bustards from Northern 

 Africa. Although the birds are secured without much difficulty, 

 his attempts have been hitherto unsuccessful, owing to the impos- 

 sibility of keeping them alive in confinement for any considerable 

 length of time, so inveterately sulky is their nature. He proposes 

 to endeavour to obtain them at a very early age 3 or, if possible, to 

 procure their eggs and have them hatched under a domestic Turkey. 



A specimen was exhibited of the Indian variety of the Nilotic 

 Crocodile, Crocodilus vulgaris, Cuv., obtained in Vellore, and pre- 

 sented to the Society by Alexander Bain, Esq. At the request of 

 the Chairman, Dr. Harlan explained the structure of the heart and 

 * the course of the circulation in the pike-headed Alligator, Alligator 

 Mississippensis, which he had described in detail in the ' Journal 

 of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.* 



