310 



III. Mittheilungen aus Museen, Gesellschaften etc. 



1. Zoological Society of London. 



6th May, 1879. — The Secretary read a report on the additions that 

 had been made to the Society's Menagerie during the month of April, 1879, 

 and called special attention to two Lanceolated Jays (Gûrrukts lanceolatus) , 

 from the Himalayas, and two Siberian Roe Deer, received in exchange. The 

 Secretary also announced the arrival of a Japanese Goat-Antelope [Capri- 

 cornus crispus) , presented by Mr. H. Pryer, CM. Z.S., of Yokohama, and 

 of an Alpine Accentor [Accento?- alplnus), received in exchange, being, it was 

 believed, the first example of this little bird seen in captivity. — A letter 

 was read from Mr. E. L. Layard, F. Z. S., relating to the localities of 

 certain species of Fruit-Pigeons (Ptilopus) of the South Pacific Islands. — 

 Professor Flower, F.R. S., exhibited and made remarks on a drawing of 

 a British Cetacean [Delphinus tursio), taken from a specimen captured near 

 Holyhead in 1878. — A communication was read from Mr. Gerard K refft, 

 giving the description of a supposed new form of insectivorous Bat, of which 

 a specimen had been obtained on the Wilson River, Central Queensland. — 

 The Rev. Canon Tristram, C. M. Z. S., read a description of a new spe- 

 cies of Wood-pecker, from the Island of Tyzu Sima, near Japan, which he 

 proposed to name after its discoverer, Dryocopus Richardsi. — A communi- 

 cation was read from Mr. F. Moore, F.Z. S., containing the descriptions 

 of new genera and species of Asiatic Lepidoptera Heterocera. Eleven new 

 genera were characterized and ninety new species described. — Mr. G. 

 French Angas, C. M.Z.S., read the descriptions of ten new species of 

 Shells of the genera Axinaea and Pectunculus. — A communication was read 

 from Mr. W. A. Forbes, F. Z. S., on the anatomy of the African Elephant, 

 based on the facts observed during a dissection of a young female of that 

 species during the last winter. The structures of the thoracic, alimentary, 

 and urino-genital viscera of this species were described, and compared with 

 the previously published accounts of those of both the Indian and African 

 species of Elephant. The most important differences observed were those 

 displayed in the liver and female organs, but on the whole were not of such 

 a nature as to make it advisable , in the author's opinion, to separate Loxo- 

 don as a genus from Elephas proper. — A paper was read by Mr. F. Jeffrey 

 Bell , F. Z. S., on the question of the number of anal plates in the Echino- 

 derms of the genus Echinocidaris. — P. L. Sclater, Secretary. 



2. Linnean Society of London. 



March 20, 1879. — A paper by Mr. Fred. Smith »On new Aculeate 

 Hymenoptera from the Sandwich Islands, collected by the Rev. T. Black- 

 burn«, was read by the Secretary. The author considered the general aspect 

 of the series to be North American, with admixture of a few South-Ameri- 

 can-like forms. The Ants are most diverse in character, some being cosmo- 

 politan in range. The house Ant of Madeira is common, and the little Euro- 

 pean Ant [Ponera contracta) unexpectedly turns up here. 



