12 



The disease from which the Reptiles have suffered at 

 various periods within the last twelve months, is involved 

 in similar obscurity as to its origin ; its active effects are 

 necrosis of the jaw-bones and palate. 



In consequence of the difficulty of obtaining sufficiently 

 fine specimens of the lai'ger Serpents, that part of the 

 Collection is at present less numerous than usual, but the 

 Council rely on the activity of the Correspondents, from 

 whom they have derived so much valuable assistance on 

 other occasions, to aid them again in restoring this depart- 

 ment to its full po\ier. 



One of the most recent additions to the Collection are 

 a pair of the Leipoa ocellata, first described in the Pro- 

 ceedings of the Zoological Society by Mr. Gould. 



The group to which the Mound-raising Birds belong, 

 is so limited as to species, that every step towards com- 

 pleting our knowledge of their habits and osconomy as- 

 sumes a greater interest ; and the Council cannot therefoi-e 

 but regard the acquisition of these Birds as a very grati- 

 fying circumstance. The range of the Leipoa is entirely 

 distinct from that of the Talegallas, which were acquired 

 through Mr. Plomley in 1848, and it extends apparently 

 from the Western Country or Swan River District, through- 

 out South Australia, while the Talegalla is found from 

 South-Eastern Australia to Cape York and the Gulf of 

 Carpentaria. 



The following species have bred in the Menagerie, in 

 the interval which has elapsed since the last Anniversary, 

 and there is no doubt that this list could be very greatly 

 extended, if larger space and greater conveniences were 

 at the Society's command. 



LIST OF MAMMALIA AND BIRDS 



BRED BETWEEN APRIL. 29, 1853, AND APRIL 29, 1854. 



Lion. Felis leo. Africa. 



Leopard. F. pardus. India. 



Eland. Boselaphus oreas. S. Africa. 



Leucoryx. Oryx leucoryx. Nubia. 



Nylghau. Purtcwpictus. India. 



