47 



stellte sich heraus, daß der Name Apus noch älter sei als Micropus, 

 und ich mußte Micropodidae in Apodidae ändern. Da zeigte 

 sich, daß Apos (für den Kiefenfuß) älter sei als Apus (für den Segler), 

 und daß man von Apos ebenfalls Apodidae zu bilden habe. Da 

 sollte ich die Familie (sehr schön) Macropterygidae nennen. Nun 

 aber trennen einige Ornithologen meine Unterfamilie Macroptery- 

 ginae als Familie ab, die also dann Macropterygidae heißen 

 muß, während die unseligen eigentlichen Segler schon wieder keinen 

 Namen haben ! Gut, nehmen wir den Namen A'éronautes und nennen 

 sie Aëronautidae. Amerikanische Ornithologen jedoch erkennen 

 meine Gattung A'éronautes nicht an, müssen also zum Namen Claudia 

 greifen und Claudiidae bilden, wer aber die Gattung Claudia nicht 

 anerkennt (und es giebt solche), muß wieder noch einen Namen bil- 

 den! Und so fort! Wie viel vernünftiger ist es da doch, beim ältesten 

 Namen Cypselidae zu bleiben. Warum sollen die Namen der 

 Familien und Unterfamilien nicht gleiches Recht mit denen der höhe- 

 ren Gruppen und denen der Gattungen, Arten, Unterarten und Aber- 

 rationen haben ? Welch logischer Grund liegt dafür vor ? — Gar 

 keiner! 



Tring (England) Januar 1897. 



II. Mittheilungen aus Museen, Instituten etc. 



1. Zoological Society of London. 



1 9 th January, 1897. — The Scsretary read a report on the additions 

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

 1896. — The Secretary exhibited a set of seven slightly enlarged photographs, 

 illustrating the manner in which the Rough-keeled Snake [Dasypeltis scabra) 

 swallows an e^g. These had been taken from a living specimen in the 

 Society's Gardens by Mr. R. F. Nesbit, by whom they had been presented 

 to the Society. The specimen from which the photographs liad been taken, 

 measuring about 28 inches in length, was also exhibited. — The Secretary 

 also exhibited a specimen of the Ceras'es Viper [Cerastes canuius), which 

 had been received in exchange from the Zoological Gardens, Ghizeh, Egypt, 

 and had lately died in the Gardens. This was the specimen, with false horns 

 made of hedgehog spines, which had been alluded to in the newspapers of 

 the last few weeks. On examination it was found that one of the spines had 

 been driven through the skull into the mouth of the Snake, and this had 

 probably caused its death. — Mr. S dater exhibited a photograph of a 

 young Anteater [Myrmecophaga jubata) two days old, born in the Zoological 

 Garden of Herr Adolf Nili at Stuttgart. Mr. Sclater remarked that this was 

 the first instance, so far as he knew, of this animal having bred in captivity. 

 — Lord Walsingham, F. R. S., read a paper entitled "A Revision of the 

 West-Indian Microlepidoptera, with Descriptions of new Species". This 

 memoir gave a complete catalogue of all the species of Microlepidoptera 



