104> 



Mr. Owen concluded by some remarks on the affinities of the 

 Hornbill as deducible fiom its anatomy. Its nearest approach is 

 to the Toucan. The Toucan, hovvever, in the want of a gall-bladder 

 agrees with the Parrots ; the presence of that organ in the Horn- 

 bill, places the bird in more immediate relation with the Crovis. The 

 disposition of the intestines in long and narrow loops also agrees 

 with the Raven. The tongue, so remarkably varied in form and use 

 among the Scansores, resembles, in the Hornbill, that of the carnivo- 

 rous Birds. 



The individual was observed to be more attached to aninnai than 

 to vegetable food, and would quit any other substance if a dead 

 mouse were oftered to it. This it would swallow entire, after squeez- 

 ing it twice or thrice with the bill : and no castings were noticed. 

 Petiver, however, has borne testimony to its regurgitating habits. 



Tlie communication was accompanied by dravvings of the organs 

 of nutrition ; ofthe cloaca ; and of the bill and its museles. 



A " Description of Alepisaurns , a new genus of Fishes," by the 

 Rev. R. T. Lowe, A. M., Corr. Memb. Z.S., was read. It vvas con- 

 tained in a letter addressed to the Secretary, and was accompanied 

 by a coloured drawing of the Fish, which was exhibited, as was also 

 a specimen, preserved in spirit, vvhich had been presented to the 

 Societj' by Mr. Lowe in the summer of 1832. 



Mr. Lovve refers the genus in question to that family ofthe Acan- 

 thoptert/gii to which Cuvier has given the name of Tcenioides. Its 

 generič characters may be thus expressed. 



Alepisaurus. 



Caput compressum, anticė productum ; rietu magno, pone oculos 

 longe diducto ; dentibus uniseriatis^ validis, retrorsum spectantibus, 

 quibusdam prselongis. 



Corpus elongatum, attenuatum, cum capite omnino nudum. 



Pinnce dorsales duae ; pritna altą, a nucha longė per dorsum pro- 

 ducta ; secunda parva, trigona, adiposa : ventrales mediocres, abdo- 

 minales : analis mediocris, antice elevata : caudalis magna, furcata. 



Membrana branchiostega 6-7 radiata. 



Alepisaurus ferox. 



Hab. in Mari Atlantico Maderam alluente, rarissimus. 



In its habit, shape of body, smoothness of skin, compressed head, 

 wide gape, and long formidable teeth, Alepisaurtts agrees \vith Tri- 

 chiurus and Lepidopus ; but in the former of these genera the ven- 

 tral fins are wanting, and in the latter they are rudimentary only 

 and pectoral : Trichiurus is also destitute of a caudal fin. In both 

 of them, nioreover, the anai fin is anormai and the dorsal is single. 

 The two dorsal fins of Alepisaurus are remarkable among the Fishes 

 with vvhich it is most nearly related ; and the small adipose second 

 dorsal evidently indicates a curious relation of analogy to the Sal" 

 monida among the Malacopterygii. 



