36 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



MONDAY, 25th OCTOBEE, 1875. 



William Macleay, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



NEW MEMBERS PROPOSED. 



Hugh Kennedy, Esq., University ; A. Dodds, Esq. ; Francis 

 Lark, Esq., Sydney. 



The President read the following paper, entitled Notes on 

 the Zoological Collections made in Torres Straits and 

 New Guinea during the Cruise of the "Chevert." 



It is now five months since I took my departure from Sydney 

 for a few months' cruise among the Islands of New Guinea and 

 Torres Straits. I was accompanied, as you are aware, by Mr. 

 Masters and Mr. Brazier, both members of our society, and I had, 

 besides, with me, two very competent taxidermists and collectors — - 

 Messrs. Spalding and Pettard. The results of the expedition I 

 hope to be able to exhibit to you in a few weeks, upon the arrival 

 of the " Chevert," now on her way from Cape York. In the 

 meantime I have jotted down, from memory, a few notes and 

 observations, which, I trust, will not be altogether uninteresting 

 to you. 



The mammals of New Guinea are, almost without exception, 

 marsupial ; the exceptions are, the New Guinea pig — Sus Papu- 

 ensis, which seems very abundant, and is frequently domesticated ; 

 a small breed of clog, kept in a domestic state by the natives — ■ 

 probably a variety of the dingo of Australia ; a few muridce, and 

 several species of large frugiverous bats. Of course, the deer, 

 monkeys, and tigers of Captain Lawson exist only in imagination, 

 and, I think, the same may be said of the buffaloes of the Rev. 

 Mr. Macfarlane, the Congregational Missionary at Cape York. We 

 were not fortunate in procuring many of the mammals ; but, 

 kangaroos of various sizes and genera appeared to be abundant ; 

 and we saw specimens of Cuscus, Belideus, and other Phalangers. 

 We saw, also, a species of Parameles, but no Dasyurus, or other 

 carnivorous marsupial. 



