Zoological Society. SOl 



Specimens of various objects of zoology, collected by George 

 Bennett, Esq., Corr. Memb. Z.S., during bis late voyage (o New 

 South Wales and in that colony, were exhibited. They were trans- 

 mitted by Mr. G. Bennett to the Royal College of Surgeons, and the 

 exhibition was made with the permission of the Board of Curators 

 of the College Museum. They included a portion of a Flying jish, to a 

 parasite on which several Barnacles (Cineras, Leach,) were attached: 

 several Mollusca : a river Lobster : portions of the Death Adder > 

 &c. &c. They also included the uterus of a Kangaroo, "showing the 

 feetus with a placenta attached, contained within it." Mr. Owen, by 

 whom the preparations were brought under the notice of the Society, 

 and who remarked on each of them as they were severally presented, 

 observed on this that he had not yet examined it sufficiently to de- 

 termine the structure of the umbilical appendage visible in the pre- 

 paration. It was accompanied by sketches by Mr. G. Bennett of 

 the foetal Kangaroo in utero f which were exhibited. 



The preparations were accompanied by a letter addressed by Mr. 

 G. Bennett to Mr. Owen, and dated Sydney, New South Wales, 

 February 4, 1833, from which several extracts were read. Among 

 them was the following : 



" I have a section of one female Ornithorhynchus which I shot, in 

 which the milk gland is very large ; and I can now inform you from 

 actual observation that milk is secreted from it : it comes out (as 

 your mercury did when you injected the ducts,) in small drops on 

 the surface of the skin, i intend sending you a further account of 

 this j but you can mention it to the Zoological Society as a decided 

 fact ; and which had also been seen by some intelligent gentlemen 

 in this country ; — but I was not satisfied to assert it until I became 

 an eye-witness of the fact. I wish you to show the specimens to 

 the Zoological Society, with some brief comments in my name, 

 stating also that I am about to send home a detailed account of 

 the habits and ceconomy of the Ornithorhynchus and Kangaroo" 



The exhibition was resumed of the new species of Shells contained 

 in 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 Society 

 were accompanied, as on previous occasions, by characters by Mr. 

 Broderip and Mr. G. B. Sowerby. They comprehended the follow- 

 ing species of the genus Cardium: Card. Cumingii, procerum, 

 Orbita, planicostalum, obovale (remarkable for the peculiarity of its 

 general form; its length and breadth being equal, and its height 

 much greater), elatum {long. 4*, lot. 3*5, alt. 4'5 poll, j being the 

 largest species of the genus with which Mr. Sowerby is acquainted, 

 its dimensions sometimes far exceeding these), senticosum, multi- 

 punctatuniy unimaculatum, Consors, laticostatum, maculosum, Pana- 

 me?tse, aspersum, and multistriatum. 



Dr. Grant communicated the following extract from a letter 

 which he had received from Dr. Coldstream, of Edinburgh : — 



" Torquay, (Devon,) Nov. 10, 1832.— Today 1 examined the 

 ova of Sepia officinalis, A group of eighteen was attached (each by 



