Zoological Society, 295 



of its tail ; and an Herpestes from the Indian Islands, like the black 

 Herpestes of the Cape, but differing from it in colour and in the 

 shortness of the tail, therefore called H. brachyurus. Mr. Gray then 

 proceeded to point out the character, taken from the form of the 

 soles of the hind feet, by which tlie Skunks could be divided into 

 three sections or subgenera, and showed the character in the four 

 species in the collection of the Society, and referred to some other 

 species belonging to these sections which were in the collection of 

 the British Museum, where also he stated other specimens of several 

 of the species, as the Dog, flying Squirrel, and Herpestes, now de- 

 scribed, were to be found. 



Mr. Gould exhibited several specimens and drawings of Birds al- 

 lied to the well-known Wren of Eifrope ; and, at the request of the 

 Chairman, proceeded to comment upon, and characterize the unde- 

 scribed species as Troglodytes Magellanicus, Troglod. leucogastra, and 

 Thryothorus guttatus, the latter two species froin Mexico. 



Mr. Gould also proposed a new genus in the group of Wrens, 

 under the name of Scytalopus, and which he characterized as fol- 

 lows : 



Genus Scytalopus. 



Rostrum capite brevius, compressum, obtusum leviter recurvum. 



Nares basales, membrana tectae. 



Alec concavse, breves, rotundatae, remige prima abbreviata, tertid, 

 quarta, quinta et sexta sequalibus. 



Cauda brevis, rotundata, (pennis externis brevissimis,) laxd. 



Tarsi elongati, atque robusti, antrorsum scutellis tecti ; posterius 

 fasciis angustis cincti, squamis serpentum abdominalibus, baud dis- 

 similibus ; halluce elongato et robusto ; ungue elongato ; digitum 

 anteriorum, medio elongato et gracili. 



Hoc genus ad illud in quo Troglodytes verae amplectuntur maxi- 

 mam affinitatem demonstrat. 



Scytalopus fuscus. Scy. corpore totofuliginoso-nigro; capitis plu- 

 mis nonnunquam argentato-griseis ; rostro nigro ; pedihus hi^nneis. 



Long, tot., 2 J unc; rostri, J; alee, IJ; caudce, 1^; tarsi, J. 



Hab. in Fretu Magellanico, Chili, &c. 



Scytalopus albogularis. Scy. capite cceruleo-nigro ; corpore su- 

 periore ferrugineo-brunneo, lined transversali nigrd ; caudd paU 

 tide rufo-brunned ; guld, pectore, abdomineque intermedio albis, 

 lateribus et crisso pallido ferrugineis lined transversali nigrd ; 

 mandibuld superiore nigrd brunned ; pedibus brunneis. 



Long, tot., 3 J unc; rostri, |; alee, If; cauda, l^; tarsi, J. 



Hab. in BrasUid. 



Oct. 25, 1836.— Two skulls of the Orang-Utan of Borneo, and a 

 skin, including the cranium, of an immature Orang-Utan of Sumatra, 

 were exhibited. Tliey were transmitted to England by Dr. W. 

 Montgomerie of Singapore, with a statement that the young Su- 

 matran Orang had died in that gentleman's possession soon after 

 having acquired additional grinders. 



Mr. Owen availed himself of the occasion to make the following 

 observations on each of the above specimens. 



