27 
of tail pale blue, medially white. On each shoulder two black spots. 
The sides of the body and tail, and the front of the hind-legs and 
feet, are studded with round spots of brilliant azure-blue. 
The female differs from the male only in inferior size. The young 
has no green point on the back, but two rows of bright dots on each 
side: the tail brilliant azure, metallic-green at the base. 
February 22, 1848. 
William Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 
The following papers were read :— 
1. On a New Species or CoimpanzEr. By Prorsesson Owen, 
F.R.S. Ere. ETc. 
This communication contained a description of the skulls of adult 
and aged male and female Chimpanzees from the Gaboon river, west 
coast of Africa, much exceeding in size and specifically distinct from 
the previously known Troglodytes niger. ‘The author proposed to 
call the new species Troglodytes Savagei, after Dr. Thos. S. Savage, 
by whom it had been discovered and its existence made known to 
Professor Owen, in a letter dated April 24th, 1847, and of which the 
following extract was read :— 
“Protestant Mission-House, 
Gaboon River, West Africa, 
“« My dear Sir, April 24, 1847. 
“« Your known interest in the Zoology of Africa will find a ready 
excuse I trust for the following communication, and lead you, in the 
midst of various engagements, to give me a few moments in reply. 
I am on my way to the United States in a vessel which, to complete 
its voyage, had to touch at this point. I find it a region rich and 
untried in all the departments of Natural History, besides being full 
of interest in a far more important point of view, that of a missionary 
field. I have found the existence of an animal of an extraordinary 
character in this locality, and which I have reason to believe is un- 
known to the naturalist. As yet I have been unable to obtain more 
than a part of a skeleton. It belongs to the Simiade, and is closely 
allied to the Orangs proper. It reaches nearly if not quite the 
height of five feet in the adult state and is of a large size. I am con- 
siderably in doubt in regard to its identity with an animal said to 
have been known to Buffon as a large species of orang-outan, under 
the name of Pongo. It is referred to in a note on the 58th page 
of the first volume of the American edition of Cuvier’s ‘ Régne 
Animal,’ where he asserts that Pongo is a corruption of Boggo, 
which is given in Africa to the chimpanzee or to the mandrill, and 
