399 



of a Gruiform type, characterized by the presence of a pair of septo- 

 maxillary spurs. The schizognatlious palates showed a modification of the 

 original form of schizognathy in the suppression of the septomaxillary spur?. 

 The desmognathism of the Falconiformes was of two kinds, indirect and 

 direct, the latter being characteristic of the Falcons. This was a group 

 furthermore peculiar in that they had suppressed the hemipterygoid — an 

 element which was still quite distinct in all the other members of the Order. 

 — Mr. F. E. Beddard, F.R.S., read a paper dealing with the sexual diffe- 

 rences observed in the windpipe of the Condor. It also treated of a rudi- 

 mentary equivalent of the septal flap of the right auriculo-ventricular valve 

 met with in the hearts of that bird and of a form of Cuckoo [Scythrops). — 

 A paper by Mr. Hesketh Prichard, F.Z.S., on the larger Mammals of 

 Patagonia, contained field-notes on the Huemul [Xcnelaphus bisulcus), the 

 Puma [Felts concaio)-)^ Pearson's Puma {Felis concolor Pearsoni), the Patagonian 

 Cavy [Cavia patagomca), and the Guanaco. The extraordinary tameness of 

 the Huemul was dwelt upon. The habits of the Grey Puma [Fdts concolor) 

 were described, a contrast being pointet out between their method of killing 

 their prey and that of the Jaguar [Felis onca). Pearson's Puma, a new sub- 

 species of Puma, was alluded to as being much rarer than the Grey Puma, 

 smaller, fiercer, and in colour reddish at the extremities. The fact of the 

 distribution of the Cavy [Cavia patagonica) being arbitrarily limited in the 

 neighbourhood of the 45th parallel of latitude was commented upon as being 

 strange, inasmuch as there was no change either in the vegetation or in 

 the nature of the ground to account for it. The habits of the Guanaco were 

 also referred to at length. — Mr. F. Pickard Cambridge, F.Z.S., read a 

 paper on the Spiders of the genus Latroclectus ^ which had a universally bad 

 reputation of being extremely venomous in various parts of the world , 

 although more exact evidence was required on this question. A list of the 

 recognized species and subspecies was given. — A paper by Mr. Frank Finn , 

 F.Z.S., contained some notes on the Painted Snipe [Rostratula capensis) and 

 the Pheasant-tailed Jacana [Hyclrophasianus chirurgus] , of which birds he 

 had recently presented some specimens to the Society's Gardens. — A paper 

 by Mr. G. A. Boulenger, F.R.S. , contained descriptions of eight new 

 species of Fishes from the Congo, forming part of a collection entrusted to 

 him for study by the Director of the Royal Museum of Natural History in 

 Brussels. The paper also contained a list of 41 species of Fishes from the 

 Lindi River, Upper Congo, collected by M. Maurice Storms for the Brussels 

 Museum. — P. L. S dater. Secretary. 



2. Linnean Society of New South Wales. 



March 26th, 1902. — 1) A- Note on two species of Aslralium from 

 Port Jackson. By H. LeightonKesteven. The author finds that Aslralium 

 ßmhriatum^ Lamarck, and A. tentoriforme ^ Jonas, have, in Port Jackson, 

 been united under the latter name. He finds that in the nepionic stage the 

 former is very depressed, almost discoidal, and perspectively umbilicate; 

 whilst the latter is trochiform and not umbilicate, at the same stage. They 

 present the anomaly of two species easily separable in the nepionic stage, 

 becoming so alike in the adult condition, that only by their opercula can 

 some specimens be identified. — 2) Studies on Australian Mollusca. Pt. vi. 



