172 



Gewicht zugeschlagen wurden. So ist es wenigstens der Fall bei dem 

 Netze von Pavesi, während ich über das von Imhof benutzte keine 

 genaueren Angaben in der Litteratur erlangen konnte.« 



(Schluß folgt.) 



in. Mittheilungen aus Museen, Instituten etc. 



1. Zoological Society of London. 



ß^^ Match, 1888. — The Secretary read a report on the additions that 

 had been made to the Society's Menagerie during the month of Februar)' 

 1888 ; and called special attention to some examples of a Finch from New 

 Caledonia [Erythrura psittacca) ; and to five specimens of a Pheasant [Phasia- 

 nus principalis) from Afghan Turkestan. The Pheasants had been brought 

 home and presented by Major Peacock, U.E., of the Afghan Frontier Com- 

 mission, at the request of Sir Peter Lumsden, G.C.B., C.S.I. , F.Z.S. — The 

 Secretary exhibited (on behalf of Lieut. -Col. H. M. Drummond Hay) a spe- 

 cimen of the Desert Wheatear [Saxicola deserti), lately killed in Scotland. — 

 A paper by Prof. G. B. Howes, F.Z.S. , and Mr. "NV. llidewood, on the 

 carpus and tarsus of the Anura, was read. The authors recorded observations 

 made upon thirty-seven genera and sixty species, in all stages of develop- 

 ment, representatives of all but three or four less important families. The 

 authors were at variance with previous writers in points which had necessi- 

 tated a reconsideration of the morphological value of the leading elements 

 of both carpus and tarsus. They had faded to discover, at any stage, a trace 

 of a third proximal element in either fore or hind foot, while they showed 

 that Born was in error in regarding the naviculare as the prehallux tarsal. 

 In the hind foot they recorded the discovery of a fourth tarsal, and in the 

 fore foot that of a fifth carpal, which latter in X.enophrys was bony. Conse- 

 quent upon this they regarded the element hitherto held to be the fifth carpal 

 as a postaxial centrale ; whence it followed that the Anura are, as a group, 

 unique in the possession throughout of a double centrale carpi. The authors 

 discussed the various changes undergone by the pollux and prehallux, and 

 the several views concerning the morphological value of the latter. — A 

 second part was added in which the peculiarities of the several families of the 

 Anura were given in order, and the bearings of the structures in question 

 upon classification briefly discussed. The Discoglossidae were shown to com- 

 bine most completely the least modified conditions of both fore and hind feet. 



— Mr. R. Bowdler S h arpe, F.Z.S., read descriptions of new species of 

 birds of which specimens had been lately received from the island of Gua- 

 dalcanar, Solomon Group, collected by Mr. C. M. Woodford. These were 

 named : — Astur holomelas, Astxir Woodfordi, Astur shebae, Baza guadalcana- 

 rensis, Nitiox Grand, Graucalus hololius, Edoliisoma erythropygium, and Puma- 

 rea erythrosticta. — Mr. "NV. 11. Ogilvie Grant contributed a complete list 

 of the birds obtained by Mr. Woodford on the islands of Guadalcanar and 

 Rubiana. These were altogether sixty-six in number, the new ones being : 



— Nasiterna aolae , Myzomela Sharpii , Phlogaeiias solomonensis , Ardetralla 

 Woodfordi, and Nycticorax mandibular is. — P. L. Sclater, Secretary. 



Druck von Breitkopf & liârtel in Leipzig. 



