391 



Collection. — Mr. Beddard, on behalf of himself and Mr. Treves, read 

 a paper on the anatomy of the Sondaic Rhinoceros [Rhinoceros sondaicus) 

 wliich had died in the Society's Gardens in January last. — A communi- 

 cation was read from Dr. Julius von Haast, F.R.S., C.M.Z.S., on Mega- 

 lapteryx Heciori, an extinct gigantic representative of the Aptéryx, of which 

 the remains had recently been discovered in New Zealand. — Dr. Guille- 

 mard, P\Z.8., read the fourth and fifth parts of his report on the collection 

 of birds formed during the voyage of the yacht , Marchesa'. The present 

 communications treated of the birds collected at Celebes and on the Molucca 

 Islands. — ■ Mr. J. Bland Sutton, F.Z.S., read a paper on the develop- 

 ment and morphology of the human sphenoid bone, in which he attempted 

 to show that the basi-temporals of the Bird are not homologous with the 

 Lingulae sphenoidales^ but with the so-called pterygoid bones of the Croco- 

 dile, and that the human Lingulae are homologous with the sphenotic of the 

 Bird. — Mr. Edgar A. Smith, F.Z.tS., read a report on a collection of 

 shells, chiefly land and freshwater, obtained by Mr. H. B. Guppy, R.N., 

 Surgeon H.M.S. ,Lark', during a recent visit to Solomon Islands. 



16th June, 1885. — The Secretary read a report on the additions 

 that had been made to the Society's Menagerie during the month of May, 

 and called attention to four Pucheran's Guinea-fowls [Numida Pucherani) 

 from Eastern Africa, presented by Commander C. E. Gissing, R.N., H.B.M, 

 Vice-Consul at Zanzibar; and to examples of two species of Wild Cats of 

 the genus Felis, presented by Frank Swettenham, Esq., acting British Resi- 

 dent of Perak, Malay Peninsula. Two of the Cats appeared to be young 

 examples of Felis javanensis ; the third was a fine example of the rare Felis 

 marmorata, remarkable for its long tail. — The Secretary read some ex- 

 tracts from a letter addressed to him by Mr. J. Buttikofer, of the Leyden 

 Museum, calling attention to a paper published in 1857 by the late Dr. 

 Bernstein, concerning the material of which the edible birds' nests of Collo- 

 calia escttlenta are composed. — A letter was read from Major-General Sir 

 Peter Lumsden, K.C.B., giving details of the place and time of capture of 

 two young Snow-Leopards sent down from the Afghan frontier to Quettah, 

 and intended for the Society's collection. — Mr. Oldfield Thomas exhibited 

 and remarked on a specimen of a rare burrowing Rodent [Heterocephalus 

 glaber) procured by Mr. E. Lort Phillips during his recent expedition in So- 

 mali-land, remarkable for having an almost completely naked skin and for 

 its extraordinary habits. - — ^ Dr. Guillemard exhibited a series of eight 

 skulls of the Kamtschatkan Wild Sheep [Ovis nivicola), pointing out the 

 difi'erences existing between it and 0. canadensis. — Mr. W. T. B Ian ford 

 exhibited the skull and an imperfect skin of a supposed new species of Pa- 

 radoxurus from the Pulnai Hills, Southern India. — A communication was 

 read from Dr. G. Hartlaub, F.M.Z.S., giving an account of a new species 

 of Parrot of the genus Psittacula recently received from Barranquilla, U.S. 

 of Colombia, which he proposed to describe as Psittacula Spengeli. — Dr. 

 Guillemard, F.Z.S., read the sixth part of his report on the collection of 

 birds formed during the voyage of the yacht , Marchesa ^ The present com- 

 munication treated of the birds collected in New Guinea and the Papuan Is- 

 lands. — Dr. Guillemard also exhibited a very fine series of Paradiseidae 

 obtained during the yacht's voyage. — Mr. G. A. Bo ul enger read a paper 



