125 



SeptemberS, 1835. 



Thomas Bell, Esq., in the Cliair. 



A living lacchus Monkey, lacchus penicillatus, Geoffr., was ex- 

 hibited, vvhich had recently been presented to the Society by Mrs. 

 Moore of Rio de Janeiio. It was accompanied by a note, in vvhich 

 it was stated to have been obtained from the province of Bahia. 

 " Likę most monkeys, it vvill eat almost anything; but its chief and 

 favouiite Ibod, in its vvild statė, is the Bananą. It is a very delicate 

 animal, and requires great warmth ; and its very beautiful tail is, in 

 this respect, eminently conducive to the comfort of the little crea- 

 ture, who, on all occasions when he reąuires warmth, rolis himself 

 in the natūrai boa vvith which Providence has, in its wisdom, en- 

 dowed him." 



A note by Mr. William Smith, relative to the animal of the Ar- 

 gonautą Argo, Linn., and forwarded through Mr. Gray, was read. 

 The most important stateraent adduced in it, with reference to the 

 question of the parasitic nature of the Cephalopod so frequently found 

 in the shell, is thus expressed : " It seems pretty evident that the 

 animal found in the Argonautą is a parasite, because, in the Bay of 

 Naples, where it is very abundant, the shell is but rarely found ; 

 whereas the Octopus itself is constantly to be met vvith, and indeed 

 is daily to be seen in the common market as an article of food. To 

 give some idea of its comparative scarcity in union vvith the shell, I 

 shall merely mention that the usual price of the animal alone is about 

 fourpence ; vvhile a specimen inhabiting the shell cannot be obtained 

 under five shillings." 



The follovving Notės, by Mr. Martin, of the dissection of a spe- 

 cimen of the small Nocturnal Lemur, Microcebus murinus, Geoffr., 

 vvhich lately died at the Society 's Gardens, were read. 



" The animal vvas a malė, and doubtless adult, as vvas sufficiently 

 indicated by the development of the sexual organs. Its length 

 from the nose to the insertion of the tail vvas 5 inches ; that of 

 the tail, 6 ; the ears vvere large and naked ; the head vvas rounded ; 

 the muzzle short and pointed ; the eyes vvere not so large, in pro- 

 portion, as in the slender Loris, Loris gracilis, Geoffr., but vvere 

 evidently of a nocturnal character, being extremely resplendent, 

 the glare of the tapetum lucidum shovving very bright through the 

 round dilated pupil. 



" The penis vvas furnished vvith a slender bone extending from 

 iheglans for nearly half an inch. The^/a?z5 vvas compressed, vvith 

 a lunar-shaped elevation, inclosing a small depression on its an- 



No, XXXIII. — Procekdings or thk Zooi.ocical Society. 



