131 



November 28, 1837. 



Richard Owen, Esq., in the Chair. 



Mr. Ogilby brought before the notice of the Society a new species 

 of Phalanger, hitherto contbunded \vith Ph. Cookii, but possessing 

 distinctive characters, which made Mr. Ogilby determine to separate 

 it from that species under the name of Ph. Viverrina. It may be 

 readily distinguished from Ph. Cookii by its superior size, dark ashy 

 brown colour, and white ears, and by the absence of the clear red tinge 

 which is so conspicuous on the throat, flanks and extremities of that 

 species. Its characters, however, are in other respects rauch the 

 šame: it has the šame small round ears, the šame long slender tail, 

 similarly tipt with white, and the šame division of the fingers into 

 two groups, which Mr. Ogilby formerly pointed out as characteristic 

 of the Ph. Cookii, and which led him to distinguish that species 

 from the other Phalangers, as a subgenus, under the name of Pseit- 

 docheirus. The two species distinguished on the present occasioii 

 differ in habitat, as well as in the characters pointed out ; the Ph. 

 Cookii being confined to continental Australia, whilst the Ph. Vi- 

 vejrina is only found in the neighbouring island of Van Dicmen's 

 Land. 



Mr. Gray then laid before the Meeting a general arrangement of 

 Reptiles, and observed, that since the publication of his Synopsis 

 Reptilium he had found it necessary to modify the arrangement which 

 he had adopted in that work, and he no\v proposes to divide the 

 class Reptilia into the foIlowing orders : 



Ist. Scuamata, or Scaly Reptiles, being the typical group, and 

 including Ist, Saurians, and 2ud, Ophidians ; 



*2nd. The annectant group Cataphracta, or shielded Reptiles, con- 

 taining 3rd, Amphishcsnians ; 4th, Chelonians ; and, 5th, Emijdo- 

 saurians. 



Mr. Gray observed that in his previous arrangement he had fore- 

 seen the difficulty connected -vvith the Amphisbeenians, and hesitated 

 to make an order of a group then containing so small a number of 

 species ; such extensive additions however have resulted from the 

 recent labours of Zoologists that the genera now exceed in number 

 the amount of species formerly known. 



Mr. Gray then proceeded to remark that the class Reptilia ex- 

 hibits a regular series of affinities returning into each other, so as to 

 present a circular disposition ; and he also observed that many points 

 • of resemblance may be noticed betvveen the Saurians and the Pri- 

 mates, the Ophidians and the Ferce, and the Chelonians and Uncu- 

 lata ; but that the resemblance of the Amphisbeenians and the Emrjdo- 

 saurians to the Glires and the Cetacea is not soevident; though the 

 Emydo-sauriuns among the Reptilia, likę the Cetacea among the Mani- 

 malia, are the most truly aquatic of their class. 



