412 Zoological Society : — 



summer eggs are agamic, while the winter eggs require to be fertlhzed. 

 This is also in accordance with tlie case ot Daphnia. In this genus, 

 as in Rotatoria, the "summer eggs" are agamic ; but it has not yet 

 been conclusively proved that the "winter eggs" of either require 

 impregnation. However this may be, the development of the eggs 

 of insects sufficiently proves that eggs composed of several ovarian 

 cells, like those which are unicellular, are generally incapable of 

 development without impregnation. But no one can deny the name 

 of true eggs to the ova of Butterflies, &c. ; and we therefore cannot 

 class as "false eggs" those which arise from more than one cell. 

 Perhaps it would be better to distinguish the two classes as " com- 

 pound," and " simple " or unicellular. The names we may adopt are, 

 however, of less importance than the establishment of the fact that 

 throughout the Annulosa there are two sorts of eggs, which are of an 

 essentially different structure, and therefore cannot, strictly speaking, 

 be regarded as homologous with one another. 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



January 8, 1861.— Dr. J. E. Gray, V.P., in the Chair. 



Account of the Reptiles sent by Dr. Wucherer from 

 Bahia. By Dr. A. GOnther. 



Of the living specimens of Reptiles sent by Dr. Otto Wucherer 

 from Bahia, only a few have survived the transport. Most of them 

 perished during the voyage ; and several arrived in so exhausted a 

 condition that they died very shortly afterwards. It became evident, 

 from the emaciated state of the latter, that those animals had been 

 killed, not by the change of the temperature, but by want of food and 

 water. Those tropical animals naturally require a greater supply of 

 the latter than our European species do ; and perhaps it would be 

 better to place them during the transport in a cool place on board 

 the steamer, in order to subdue the natural functions and to lessen 

 the desire for food. Once every week, on a bright day, they ought 

 to be brought on deck and exposed to the sun ; then some water 

 might be poured into the cage or box in which they are kept. I 

 have no doubt that the failures hitherto experienced in bringing over 

 the beautiful Hylce of the Tropics, and other reptiles living in damp 

 places, might be avoided by the adoption of the measures recom- 

 mended. 



As it is, however, only three of Dr. Wucherer' s specimens sur- 

 vive — a beautiful specimen of the South American Rat-Snake, Spi- 

 lotes variabilis, about 6 feet long, one Polychrus mannoratus, and 

 one Philodryas viridissimus. The two former are exhibited for the 

 first time, and apparently are doing very well. The Rat-Snake feeds 

 regularly on birds and small mammals ; Dr. Wucherer has observed 

 that this species has the power of setting its tail in a trembling motion, 

 like the Rattle-Snake, if made angry. I have once seen the same in 

 the specimen living in the Gardens, and several times in the North 



