11. From the Trustees of the Museum of Comparative Zoolog}', 

 Havard College, Cambridge, U. S. America : — " Illustrated Cata- 

 logue, No. 71, parts 1 and 2, with 49 plates. Revision of the 

 Echini, by Alexander Agassiz." Reports of Trustees for 1871 and 

 1872. Note by Alexander Agassiz, on the application of photo- 

 graphy to illustrations of Natural History, with two figures. 

 [Special attention was directed to this profusely illustrated catalogue, 

 many of the photographs being exquisite as works of art, irrespective of 

 their scientific value]. 



A letter was read from Dr. Haast, of Canterbury Museum, N.Z., 

 returniug thanks for his election as a corresponding Member of the 

 Society. A second letter from Dr. Haast was also read in which 

 the writer remarks " 1 shall not fail to get new specimens for you. 

 Don't forget the Male Native Tiger — also a pair of Native Devils." 

 A paper was read by John Swan, Esq., M.H. A , on the culture of the 

 Angora staple in Tasmania by breeding from the pure Angora, and 

 common goat. Mr. Swan illustrated his paper by exhibiting a number 

 of goat skins which shewed the result of "in and in" breeding for 

 three generations between the pure Angora and its produce with the 

 common goat. By the first cross the long coarse hair of the common 

 goat and the fine Angora staple were produced in about equal pro- 

 portions. In the last cross the common goat-hair had disappeared, and 

 nothing was left but the long, soft, glossy and almost silken staple of 

 the Angora. One skin, however, exhibited a very marked contrast to 

 all the others. It ought to have been almost pure Angora, but on the 

 contrary no trace of this blood was visible. It presented nothing but 

 long, very coarse, and tawny coloured hair, differing in nothing from that 

 of a common badly bred goat. Here it was evident that the efforts of 

 the breeder had been set at naught by Nature, and the type of some re- 

 mote ancestor had been reverted to. Instances of this kind are not 

 unknown to breeders but the occurrence of such a very striking example 

 must be rare. 



The Secretary remarked that the folio ving communications, which he 

 proposed to read, had only been placed in his hands the day before. 

 It would be noticed that they referred, by a singular coincidence, to 

 the same subject which had just been brought under the notice of the 

 meeting in so able and practical a manner by Mr. Swan : — 



" 22 Melville-street, 

 "11th April, 1874. 

 "My Dear Dr. Agnew : — I forward herewith a letter from the British 

 Consul at Angora, which I wish you to lay before the Society— its 

 publication may do some good. It was forwarded to me by Mr. Edwin 

 Pears, L.L.B., late Secretary of the Social Science Association of England, 

 but now a practicing barrister at Constantinople, formerly, as you know, 

 master of the public school at New Town. I send you Mr. Pears' letter, 

 all of which relating to Mr. Gatheral's communication you can make 

 use of. 



" Very truly yours, 



" E. SWARBRECK HALL. " 



"2, Rue de la Banque, Constantinople, 

 " December 31st, 1873. 



" My Dear Dr. Hall, — I know that some attempts have been made to 

 introduce into Australia the Angora goat, which gives, as you are aware, 

 the finest mohair ; and I believe that these attempts have met with 



