152 PROCEEDINGS OF METROPOLITAN SOCIETIES. 
mals were severally treated of, which latter differed in some in- 
stances remarkably in species that were nearly allied ; and the rev. 
doctor succeeded in elucidating what had hitherto been involved in 
much perplexity, the specific distinctions of an extensive group of 
animals, which could only have been successfully investigated in 
their native forests.—Professor Owen then concluded his notice of 
the anatomy of the Apteryx, by describing its osteology, the cha- 
racters of which at once decided its relationship to the other stru- 
thious birds. Not any of the bones were permeated by air ; and the 
sternum presented two posterior emarginations, and also two fora- 
mina, the position of which was peculiar, being above and scarcely 
to the interior of the emarginations.—A living specimen of the 
Gymnotus electricus, from the river Amazon, was next exhibited by 
its possessor, Mr. Porter ; and most of the members present had the 
curiosity to endure the shock given by this animal, the intensity of 
which depended on the mode of handling or the excitement of the 
fish : its power had considerably diminished with decline of tempe- 
rature, and was developed to the greatest extent in tepid water. 
Mr. Waterhouse then displayed a number of quadruped skins, pro- 
cured in Van Dieman’s Land, all of which were recognized ; but 
the locality proved to be in some instances interesting, and in others 
was then ascertained for the first time. 
SepremBer 1]1]th.—A beautiful small Antelope, allied to Anti- 
lope pygmea, and obtained from eastern Africa, was first exhibited 
by Mr. Prince, on the part of Mr. Ogilby, who signified the inten- 
tion of that gentleman to describe it on a future occasion, and be- 
stow on it a specific name ; the present course being adopted in con- 
sequence of the specimen having to be sent into the country. Col. 
Sykes then displayed to the meeting the skins of two interesting 
mammalia unknown in the collections of this country ; first, that of — 
the Canis jubata, a large and singularly beautiful animal, with a 
considerable mane, and which he. conceived would prove to be the 
South American analogue of the Hyenas of the Old World ; the 
second, that of the Felis pardina of Temminck, a handsome Euro- 
pean Lynx from the Pyrenees, marked with elongated black spots or 
broken lines on a yellowish-grey ground-colour. He then made 
some remarks on the Thickbilled or Calandra Lark of Southern Eu- 
rope, which he had recently enjoyed opportunities of observing in the 
vicinity of Cadiz, and greatly extolled its merits as a songster; he 
conceived this bird to be worthy of generic separation from the spe- 
cies of this country. Mr. Blyth next called attention to some spe- 
cimens of the Common Crossbill which he had recently procured, 
and which tended to show that neither the red nor saffron-tinted 
garb of the males was indicative of any particular age, as commonly 
asserted. The general opinion was, that on casting its nestling plu- 
mage the male Crossbill always acquired the red colour, and the 
saffron-tinted dress at the second moult, and ever afterwards ; the 
young once moulted exhibiting a brighter garb than older indivi- 
duals. Mr. Blyth stated that this was by no means the case, for he 
