50 



May 23d, 1837. 

 W. S. Macleay, Esq. in the Chair. 



A letter was read addressed to the Secretary, by Dr. Weissenborn 

 of Weimar, Saxony, expressing the very high opinion he entertained 

 of the value of the scientific publications of the Zoological Society, 

 and the pleasure u'hich it would give him to promote the interests 

 of the Society, if it lay in bis power. The letter wa3 accompanied 

 by a very interesting preparation of the head and cheek-pouches of 

 the black variety of the German Marmot (Mus Cricetus, Linn.) . 



A second letter was then read from Dr. Weissenborn, addressed 

 to the Assistant Zoological Secretary, containing some new Informa- 

 tion upon the econoray of the Marmot. Dr. Weissenborn statės that 

 \vhen this animal hybernates, the entrance to its burrow is closed by 

 earth, which is moulded into pellets of the size of a pea or bean, so 

 that the external air is not entirely excluded. Upon putting a number 

 of these animals in a place of confinement, although supplied with 

 abundance of food, they fought with and devoured one another, until 

 only a few of the strongest were left. 



This letter was accompanied with a donation of a stufFed specimen 

 of the usual colour. 



The first part of a paper on " Marine Noctilucse," by F. De Bell 

 Bennett, Esq., Corresponding Member of the Society, was then read. 



A communication -cvas then read from Dr. Riippell, entitled, " A 

 Notice of the Phytotoma tridactyla of Abyssinia." Dr. Rūppell 

 statės that during hia travels in Abyssinia, he endeavoured, but un- 

 successfully as he then supposed, to discover the bird described by 

 Bi"ucc, and known to naturalists as the Phytotoma tridactyla ; since 

 then, \vhile engaged in the publication of the birds from that part of 

 Africa, he found that the Phytotoma tridactyla \vas a species b«- 

 longing to the genus Pogonias, and which had been referred by 

 Lord Stanley to the genus Bucco, under the name of Bucco Saltii. 

 This Dr. Riippell proposes to change to Pogonias Brucei, in honour 

 of Bruce, w'ho wa3 the first describer. 



Dr. Riippell sent along -vvith this communication two copies of a 

 plate from his Abyssinian Fauna, containing figures of the above 

 bird. and stated that he had previously deposited stuffed specimens 

 in the British Museum and the Collection of the Zoological Society. 



