18064. | Zoology and Physiology. 517 
other savants, but no one appears able to identify it. The impression 
is, that it is echinodermatous in its nature, and it has been provisionally 
named by Dr. Gray Myriosteon Higginsii. This remarkable object has 
been transferred to the National collection in the British Museum. 
Tur ZoonocicaAL Socrery or Lonpon. 
Little of general interest has transpired at the meetings of this 
Society during the past quarter, the most important communications 
being those of the Secretary, Dr. Sclater, either from persons residing 
abroad, or his own observations upon recent arrivals, and upon the 
animals in the Society’s gardens. Perhaps, the most interesting com- 
munications were those relating to the collection of animals made by 
Captain Speke, during his expedition to Eastern Africa. 
Dr. Sclater described the mammals and birds; Dr. Giinther, the 
reptiles and fishes; Dr. Dohrn, the mollusca; and Mr. F. Smith, the 
insects collected by the great African traveller. Thirty-eight species 
of mammals were enumerated, amongst which the most remarkable was 
a new antelope of the genus Tragelaphus, which it is proposed‘to call 
T. Spekit ; and sixty-one birds, including five new species. 
This was at the meeting on the 8th of March. Mr. F. Buckland 
also read an interesting communication upon the habits of the spawning 
trout. He had learned easily to distinguish between the male and 
female at a glance as they swam ; the male is always long in body, and 
generally has a hook-like projection from the lower jaw, the colour of 
the abdomen always chocolate, and a white line running along the 
pectoral fin, and usually on the ventral also. The female is shorter 
and rounder, and more wild and timid. He had succeeded in hybridiz- 
ing the salmon and trout, and hoped in time to naturalize in the 
Thames a fish two parts trout and one part salmon, which should so 
combine the habits and excellencies of the two, that the non-migratory 
instinct should predominate over the migratory, and the fish thus be 
induced to remain up river. 
On the 22nd March the Secretary drew attention to some recent 
additions to the ménagerie, the most remarkable of which were a 
young American monkey (Pithecia Satanas), and four examples of 
the Rufous-tailed pheasant (Kuplocamus erythrophthaimus), the latter 
having been presented to the Society by their corresponding member, 
the Baboo Rajendra Mullick, of Calcutta. 
These birds formed part of a collection brought over by Mr. J. 
Thompson, the Society’s head-keeper at Calcutta, and presented by 
the native gentleman just named. Mr. Thompson had so ably 
managed the transport from Calcutta, as only to have lost a single 
bird on the passage. 
Amongst other arrivals announced by Dr. Sclater (April 12th) was 
a living example of the tooth-billed pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris), 
presented to the Society by Dr. George Bennett, of Sydney, along 
with some other rare Australian birds. At the subsequent meeting, 
April 26th, Dr. Sclater announced that My. Latimer, the Austrian 
