111. 



October'J2, 1833. 

 William Clift, Esq., in the Chair. 



A letter was read, addressed to the Secretary by Sir R. Ker 

 Porter, Corr. Memb. Z. S., and dated City of Caracas, August 14, 

 1833. It described a Bear now living at that place and brougbt 

 frotn the Andes, which difFers in the marking of its face both from 

 the individual of Ursus ornatns, figured by M. F. Cuvier, and from 

 that which forms at present a part of the Society's Menagerie. 

 The yellovvish \vhite of its face begins on the bridge of the nose 

 betvveen the eyes, and describes under each eye a semicircie, whence 

 it extends over the whole of the muzzle, taking rather a greyish hue, 

 until it ends in pure white, covering the vvhole throat and chest, and 

 forming a point betvveen the fore legs. The rcst of the aninial is 

 jet black, the hair being siiky and shining. It is smaller by far in 

 size than the Bears of the Northern countries of Europe, and is more 

 compact in form. 



Sir R. Ker Porter also enters into various details respecting the 

 Curassotvs or Poįvics of Caracas. Of a pair kept by him in con- 

 finement, the female laid an egg without making any provision for 

 its reception or paying it any subsequent attention. 



He adds that he has obtained a specimen of a bearded Capuchin 

 Monkey from the Rio Negro, which he intends forwarding to the 

 Society in the spring. 



Mr. Cox stated that he had at present in his possession a living 

 Mockiiig-hird, \vhich he had recently obtained from North America, 

 and to which he invited the attention of the Members. 



A specimen was exhibited of the female Antilope Bennettii, Sykes, 

 which had been presented to the Society by the President, Lord 

 Stanley. It had lived in his collection for about a month, and was 

 believed to be pregnant, which was ascertained onexamination after 

 death to be the fact. 



Drawings were exhibited of t\vo Fishes taken in Mount's Bay, 

 Cornwall. They were communicated by Dr. Henry Boase, and one 

 of them was accompanied by a short description. It appears to be 

 the Capros Aper, La Cep., Zeus Aper, Linn.,a Mediterranean species 

 which has not before been noticed as occurring on our shores, un- 

 less it be the fish included by Mr. Couch in his list of the Fishes 

 found in Cornwali, (Linn. Trans., vol. xiv. p. 81.) under the name 

 of Stone Basse; the reference to Ray, however, made by the latter 

 auihor is to a species oi Gerres, Cuv. Dr. Boase's dravving agrees 

 well with the figure published by Rondelet. His description is as 

 follows : 



" Body thin and compressed, of a reddish colour, brightest at 

 the origin of the fins ; firm and rough \vith smali shining scales ; no 



