81 



July 9, 1833. 

 Thomas Bell, Esq., in the Chair. 



A letter was read, addressed to the Secretary by Charles Telfair, 

 Esq., Corr. Memb. Z. S., and dated Port Louis, February 25, 1833. 

 It gavę an account of the history of a gigantic living specinien of 

 the Indian Tortoise, Testudo Indica, Linn., vvhich has recently been 

 presented to the Society by Lieut. General Sir Charles Colville, 

 iate Governor of the Mauritius. The specimen is one of those 

 which were brought from the Seychelles Islands to the Isle of 

 France in 1766, by the Chevalier Marion du Fresne; and is believed 

 to have since remained unchanged in size and appearance. Its 

 length, measured along the ourve of the back, is 4 feet 4į^ inches; 

 its breadth, taken in the šame manner, 4 feet 9 inches ; the length 

 of its stemum, 2 feet 8 inches; the breadth of its sfernum, 2 feet 

 14- inch. Its weight is 285 pounds. 



An extract was read from a second letter from Mr. Telfair, ofthe 

 date of Feb. 26, referring to an animal known in the intėrior of Mada- 

 gascar by the name of Sokinah. Mr. Telfair regards it as an un- 

 described species of Teurec, Centenes, 111. A specimen of a very 

 young individual, which was transmitted in spirii by Mr. Telfair, 

 was exhibited, and compared with young specimens of the Euro- 

 pean Hedge-fiog, Erinacens EuropcEus, Linn., and of the half-spiny 

 Tenrec, Centenes semi-spinosus, J II. Its extreme youth, however, 

 preciuded the possibility of satisfactorily characterizing it. Tt was 

 born in confinement, and lived for seventeen days ; its parents hav- 

 ing escaped from their cage on the night of its birth. 



A letter was read, addressed to the Secretary by R. J. Bourchier, 

 Esq., Corr. Memb. Z. S., dated iMalta, June 8, 1833. It contained 

 an account of two Vultures, Vultur KMii, Daud., (the Chasse- 

 fiente of Le Vaillant,) which have recently been presented to the 

 Society 's Menagerie by Sir Thomas Reade, Corr. Memb. Z. S., His 

 Majesty's Consul at Tunis. Mr. Bourchier also adverted to his 

 altempts to procure for the Society living Bustards from Northern 

 Africa. Altliough the birds are secured without much difficulty, 

 his attempts have been hitherto unsuccessful, ovving to the impos- 

 sibility of keeping- them alive in confinement for any considerable 

 length of time, so inveterately sulky is their nature. He proposes 

 to endeavour to obtain them at a very early age; or, if possible, to 

 ffrocure their eggs and have them hatched under a domestic Turkey. 



A specimen wa8 exhibited of the Indian variety of the Nilo'ic 

 Crocodile, Crocodilus vulgaris, Cuv., obtained in Vellore, and pre- 

 No. VII. Proceedincs of the Zoological Society. 



