Zoological Society. 459 



This genus of marine Shells appears to be most nearly related to 

 Pyramidella and Rissoa. A species which has been long known 

 has had the appellation of Turbo politus among British Linnean 

 writers; and a fossil species has been placed by Lamarck among 

 the Bulini, under the specific name of Bui. terebellatus. There 

 are two distinctly marked divisions of the genus, which are cha- 

 racterized by the two species above mentioned ; one has a sulid 

 columella, and the other is deeply umbilicaled. All the species are 

 remarkable for a brilliant polish externally, and the shells are fre- 

 quently slightly and somewhat irregularly twisted, apparently in 

 consequence of the very obsolete varices following each other in an 

 irregular line, principally on one side, from the apex toward the 

 aperture. Several recent species are British, and the fossil species 

 are found in the calcaire grossier near Paris. 



* Perforata^ : Eul. splendidula, marmorata, interrupta, imbricata, 

 brunnea : * * Imperforatae : Eul. brevis, hastata, major, labiosa, 

 Anglica (Turbo politus, Mont., Test. Brit. Conch. Illustr., f. 5.), sub- 

 angulata, pusilla, articulata, varians, lineata, (several specimens of 

 this were in G. Humphrey's collection, marked " Spira lineata, 

 Weymouth, M.P.": these two last letters stand for Muscei Port- 

 landici. I make no further remark, save that it appears to have 

 been published by Da Costa under the name of Turbo glaber. — 

 G. B. S.,) and acuta. 



February 1 1. — Extracts were read from a letter addressed to the 

 Secretary by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., Corr. Memb. Z.S., and dated 

 Nepal, July 13, 1833. It conveyed the thanks of the writer for the 

 present to him on the part of the Society of an illustrative series of 

 skins of Birds; and, referring to the mortality among the living 

 Birds and Quadrupeds forwarded by him for the Society's Mena- 

 gerie, it expressed a hope that a subsequent attempt would be more 

 successful. 



Portions were exhibited of the viscera of a Capybara, Hydrochce- 

 rus Capybara, Erxl., taken from an individual which recently died 

 in the Society's Menagerie. They consisted of the stomach, the 

 enormous cecum, and the fauces. In calling the attention of the 

 Meeting to the latter parts, Mr. Owen availed himself of the oppor- 

 tunity to demonstrate the structure first observed in them by Mr. 

 Morgan, by whom it has been described and figured in the lately 

 published Part of the 'Linnean Transactions". The constriction of 

 the hinder part of the soft palate, which prevents any but minutely 

 divided substances from passing into the pharynx, and which was 

 first observed in the Capybara, is found in many other Rodents, but 

 does not obtain in the whole of the animals of that order. 



Various preparations were exhibited of the Rhea, Rhea Ameri- 

 cana, Vieill , and of the Cassoxvary, CasuaHus Emeu, Lath. They 

 were brought under the notice of the Society by Mr. Martin, who, 

 at the request ol tin; Chairman, read his notes of the dissections of 

 these birds. They agreed generally with the descriptions published 

 by Sir Everard Home in the 'Philosophical Transactions.' 



Mr. Martin also exhibited a preparation of aneurism of the aorta, 

 ■/, N 'J 



