FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 263 



young ones varied in length from 16| centimetres to 27| centi- 

 metres. The Vice President said he had recently been making 

 experiments with chloroform and snakes and was surprised how 

 easily they succumbed to its influence. — Mr. Caracciolo exhibited 

 a bat, Noctilio leporinus, which differed in colour from the 

 ordinary individuals and he made some interesting remarks upon 

 albinism and melanism in animals and birds. The bat was 

 caught by Supt. -Sergeant Healey in the Police Barracks. — Mr. 

 Caracciolo also drew attention to a Venezuelan jacare (alligator) 

 presented by the American Consul and some young crocodiles 

 (Crocodilia intermedia) presented by Mr. Siegert and he pointed 

 out the main differences between the three great groups of these 

 gigantic uaurians viz : the Gavials, the Crocodiles and the 

 Alligators. He also described their methods of taking their 

 prey and the structure of their throats which enabled them to 

 hold their victims under water without they themselves being 

 drowned. Mr. Rousseau graphically related how a huge 

 reptile of this class was caught at Cedros by Mr. Kernahan, who 

 harpooned it. It was supposed to have been washed out of the 

 Orinoco in a flood. It was spoilt as a specimen, however, for the 

 sharks had torn away a great portion of its tail. Mr. Caracciolo 

 exhibited a specimen of the elephant sphinx moth which he had 

 bred from a larva presented to him by Dr. Lawrence who had 

 found it in his house in St. Vincent street. The caterpillar was 

 such a peculiar one and assumed such strange positions, which 

 together with its markings made it look like a dangerous 

 reptile, that he had made a series of drawings of it. Its 

 scientific name was Philamprhis lunei. — Mr. Mole drew atten- 

 tion to a so-called "Two-headed snake" Amphisbcena alba which 

 he had been trying to feed on parasol ants but without success. 

 He found, however, it readily ate worms and other soft bodied 

 animals. The " two-headed one " however refused to eat before 

 the meeting. — Mr. Urich exhibited a long thin black worm, 

 Gordius species, found by Mr. Ferdinand Maingot. A very 

 nearly allied species deposited its eggs in water and they were 

 swallowed by some soft bodied water larvae. These were 

 frequently destroyed by water beetles and in the body of the 

 beetle the Gordius passed through its transformations before, it 

 reached its final stage. — Mr. Devenish exhibited some turned 

 specimens of banyan wood consisting of soda water bottle 

 openers and other articles.— Mr. Guppy had forwarded to the 

 meeting some exquisite drawings of two Trinidad Butterflies 

 Tithorea Jlavescens and Sais eury media and their food plant. — Mr. 

 Caracciolo showed a collection of insects which he had taken 

 under the electric light, they included a rare nepa. — Mr. 

 Caracciolo on behalf of Mr. Borberg exhibited a swallow's 

 (swift's) nest constructed of .sticks and a glutinous substance 



