31 



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February 8, 1831. 



N. A. Vigors, Esq. in the Chair. 



It was announced that ihe Council had Resolved, " That the 

 Meetings of the Cotnmittee are open to every Member of the So- 

 ciety." In this resolution the Coramittee cordially concurred ; and 

 also in the propriety of distributing cards of the Meetings to the 

 Members of the Society residing in or near I^ondon. 



The skeleton and parts of the viscera of one of the Society's spe- 

 ciraens of the Chinchilla, {Chinchilla lanigera,) were exhibited, and 

 the folIowing notes by Mr. Yarrell were read. 



" On the death of one of the specimens of this interesting little 

 aniraal in the collection of the Zoological Society, the Museum, 

 previously containing a preserved skin, was enriched with a skeleton 

 and preparations of parts of the viscera. Of these additions I have 

 been permitted to furnish a description, vvhich I was the more de- 

 sirous to do, as no notice of the internal parts of įhis animal has 

 appeared, that I am avvare of, except as far as regards its dentition ; 

 and on this part of the subject I was anxious to correct an error I 

 had committed in a short notice published in the fourth volume of 

 the ' Zoological Journal,' page 317, from the prescribed use of li- 

 mited materials. 



" It may be necessary to statė that at the tirae of examination all 

 the viscera had been preserved some months in a weak solution of 

 spirit. 



"The lungs are composed of three small lobes on each side. 

 The heart is flattened in form from behind forwards, measuring -tVths 

 of an inch across its base, and but -iVths in depth ; the want of apex 

 gives it a rounded and muscular appearance. The liver exhibits 

 two large and equally-sized lobes, and tvvo smaller lobes. The sto- 

 mach, a single cavity, measures from the entrance of the oesophagus 

 round the great curve to the pyloric contraction 5 inches -iSyths, 

 the greatest breadth 2 inches TVths, the depth 1 inch -i^ths; the 

 spleen is small and elongated. The length of the small intestines 

 from the pĮ/lorus to the end of the ilium 3 feet 10 inches ; the ca- 

 cum and first portion of the colon are of large size, made up of three 

 half-circular convolutions, one centrai, with one of smaller dimen- 

 sions on each outer side, containing numerous cells and divisions, 

 strengthened by muscular bands and septa ; the whole length of 

 aecum, colon and redum, measures 4 feet 10 inches. With the 

 exception of the ccecum and commencement of the coloiit vvhich as 

 I have stated are voluminous, all the intestines are of very small 



