Linnaan Society. 2S7 



TardigrnJi. The Didelphes and Cheironectes being American ge- 

 nera, and having also been fully described by M. Temminck,— Mr. 

 Ocfilby, after the foregoing remarks on the Scansores in general, 

 proceeds to consider the third genus, constituted by the Phaiangers, 

 which is thus characterized : Five toes on the fore feet, long, sejmrate, 

 and anncd with sharp crooked clans; on the hind feet four similar 

 toes, the two interior united, and a large opposible thumb without a 

 claw; tail long and prehensile. The characters, as well as the habits 

 and oeconomy, of the Phaiangers are next minutely detailed ; Mr. 

 Ogilby acknowledging his obligation to Allan Cunningham, Esq. 

 for much valuable information on the latter and other subjects con- 

 nected with the Mammalogy of Australia. In the course of this de- 

 tail, lie relates experiments demonstrating the carnivorous appetite 

 of the Phaiangers and Petaurists ; and also shows the great impro- 

 bability of the received notion that the former burrow during part 

 of their lives. The Phaiangers have been divided into two subor- 

 dinate groups or subgenera, of which one contains the Australian 

 species, and the other those which inhabit the Moluccas and other 

 islands of the Indian Archipelago. The Australian Phaiangers are 

 next described in detail, and in the following order : P. Vulpina, 

 Desm., P. Lemurina, Ogilb. (formerly described as P. Xanthopus, 

 in Proceed, of Comm. of Zool. Soc, Phil. Mag, and Annals, Feb. 

 p. 133.), P. Melina, Ogilb. (formerly described as P. y«<%mosa ; 

 Ibid.), P. Cookii, Cuv., and P. gliriformis. Bell, (see Phil. Mag. 

 and Annals, N.S. vol. iv. p. i-55.). To these are added P. Nana, 

 Geoff, and P. Bougainvillii, Cuv., which the author considers as of 

 doubtful authenticity. The generic character of the Petaurists is next 

 given in the following terms : Five toes on the fore feet, long, sepa- 

 rate, and armed with sharp crooked claws ; on the hind feet four si- 

 milar toes, the two interior united, and a large opposible thumb, without 

 a claw ; the anterior and posterior members vnited by a lateral ex- 

 pansion of the skin. Some general observations on tiiis genus con- 

 clude the present portion of the paper. 



March 20. — A paper was read, entitled, " Description of the Organ 

 of Voice in a new species of Wild Swan, the Cygnus Buccinator of 

 Dr. Richardson's Fauna Boreali- Americana," by W. Yarrell, Esq., 

 F.L. and Z.S. 



Tills species, which on account of the peculiar tone of its voice 

 is called tiie Trumpeter, is the largest of all the known swans, and 

 inhabits the fur countries of North America. The beak is wliolly 

 black, without any of the yellow colour so conspicuous in the Hooper 

 and Bewick's swan, which is one of the most obvious external specific 

 distinctions. The general plumage white, tail feathers twenty-four 

 in number. The trachea has two convolutions in its course within 

 the sternum, the first of wiiich is horizontal, at tlie depth of six 

 inches, the second occupies a hollow protuberance, elevated an inch 

 and a half above the dorsal surface of the sternum itself. The 

 bronchia- are only two inciies in length, small at their origin and at 

 tlieir junction witii the lungs, but greatly dilated and depressed in 



the 



