usually taken iji large ąuantities: the presenceof these may proceed 

 from their being attracted by the phosphoric light. Sometimes 

 during heavy rains -vvithm the tropics the sea would become suddenly 

 luminous, as rapidly passing oif again, and the efFect of the sudden 

 transitions "wa3 exceedingly splendid to the beholders. During its 

 continuance luminous species of Šalpa, Bero'ė, Pyrosoma, and other 

 moUuscs vvere captured in the towing net if the weather admitted of 

 its being placed overboard." 



On placing some of these luminous Medusa in a bucket of vater, 

 Mr. Bennett observed that the phosphoric light is not emitted from 

 any one particular part of the animal, but commences at diiFerent 

 points, gradually extending over the whole body, sometimes suddenly 

 disappearing, and at others slowly dying away. Upon squeezing the 

 animal the hands became covered \vith a profusion of the luminous 

 secretion, which could be communicated from one object to another. 

 In conclusion several additional instances are related, occurring in 

 difFerent latitudes, of the beautiful and varied appearances presented 

 by the phiienomena of marine phosphorescence. 



Mr. Martin directed the attention of the Meeting to three speci- 

 mens of the genus Felis, recently presented to the Society by Charles 

 Dar\vin, Esq. One of these appeared to be a cat of the domestic race, 

 shot in a \vild statė at Maldonado, difFering only from our common 

 cat in the elongation and greater size of the head. Tlie second \vas 

 the " Chat Pampa" of Azara, Felis Pajeros of Desmarest, shot at 

 Bahia Blanca in latitude 33. The third and most interesting speci- 

 men, which had been shot at Buenos Ayres, Mr. Martin \vas dis- 

 posed to consider as the Yagourondi or a closely allied species, since 

 it agrees ■with that animal in its elongate form, stout limbs and small 

 head, but difFers from it in the greater proportionate length of tail, 

 and also in its entire dimensions, as recorded by Desmarest, who 

 gives the following : 



ft in. lin. 



Length from nose to the root of the tail . 111 O 



Length of tail 1 1 9 



Length from nose to the ear O 3 2 



In the present specimen, -n^hich is evidently adult, the measure- 

 ments were found to be as follows : 



ft. in. lin. 



Length from nose to root of tail 2 2 O 



of tail 1 8 O 



from nose to ear O 3 9 



Height at shoulders 11 6 



at haunchea 1 O 6 



Length of ear O 1 2 



Breadth of ear O 1 6 



From nose to eye O 1 2 



The hair is black, annulated with ochre, and sometimes with whi- 

 tish yellow; each hair is pale brown at the base and then alternately 

 black and ycllow, the colours being repeated two or three times. 



