671 

 2. Zoological Society of London, 



2nd Decbr. 1879. — The Secretary read a report on the additions 

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

 amongst which special attention was called to a specimen of Elliot's Guinea- 

 fowl (Numida ellioti), received from Eastern Africa. — A letter was read 

 from Mr. E. L. Layard, F.Z. S., advocating the desirability of a fixed 

 scale of colour for use among Naturalists , in describing the plumage and 

 pelage of birds and other animals. — A letter was read from Mr. R. B. 

 White, C.M.Z.S., of Medellin , U.S. of Colombia, S.A., on a mode of 

 protecting plantations from the ravages of an ant (Atta cephalotes) . — A 

 communication was read from Dr. G. E. Dob son, CM. Z.S., containing 

 notes on some species of Chiroptera, from Zanzibar, with descriptions of 

 new and rare species. — A communication was read from the Prince Ladislas 

 Lubomirski, containing the description of a collection of Shells made in 

 High Peru, by Messrs. Jelski and Stolzman. — Mr. G. French An gas, 

 CM. Z. S., read a paper in wich he gave the descriptions of two new species 

 of Helix (Eury crater a) from S. E. Betsileo, Madagascar. — Mr. Arthur G. 

 Butler, F.Z.S., read a paper on some Arachnida of Madagascar and the 

 Mascarene Islands in wich an account was given of a collection of Spiders 

 recently received by the British Museum from Reunion and Mauritius, 

 through Mr. H. H. Slater. — Lieut.- Colonel H. H. Go dwin- Au sten, 

 F.Z. S., and Mr. G. Nevill, C M. Z.S., gave descriptions of two collec- 

 tions of Land shells obtained at Perak and in the Nicobar Islands by Surgeon- 

 Major E. Townsend and Dr. F. Stolizka. — A communication was read from 

 Dr. A. Günther, F. R. S., containing a notice of a collection of Mammals 

 and Reptiles recently received from Cyprus by Lord Lilford. — Dr. F. Day, 

 F.Z. S., read a paper upon the Fishes of Weston-super-Mare, a locality he 

 had lately visited in order to enquire into some species described by Yarrell 

 and Couch as found on this coast. Mr. Day also gave some account of the 

 results of Lord Ducie's trawling investigations in Ballinskelley Bay, on the 

 Coast of Ireland, and described a specimen of the Long Flounder received 

 from Mr. M. Dunn of Mevagissy in Cornwall. — P. L. Sclater, Secretary. 



3. Linnean Society of London. 



4th December 1879. — Mr. W. Carruther's exhibited a bottle of 

 Pteropods, Spinalis retroversus, obtained in great abundance on the surface of 

 the water of the Gareloch, Rossshire , Scotland, July 1879 by Dr. John 

 Grieve. A letter from the latter was read giving an account of some of the 

 habits of these interesting animals. They swam rapidly to the surface rising 

 with a perpendicular fluttering motion , and having reached it raised the 

 winglike appendages above their heads and thus upholding them motion- 

 less, would then drop quietly to the bottom. Some would stop half way 

 down and paddle back to the surface, again to descend as above mentioned, 

 but seldom or ever did they swim along the surface of the water. Dr. Grieve 

 mentions that he did not observe them use their wings as feet to walk or 

 crawl along the bottom as Agassiz states. — Prof. P. M. Duncan made a 

 communication »On a Synthetic type of Ophiurid from the N. Atlantic«. The 

 specimen in question was dredged by Dr. Wallich in the Voyage of H. M. S. 

 ,Bull Dog' I860. On casual inspection it might be regarded as an Amphiuran 



