31 



February 8, 1831. 



N. A. Vigors, Esq, in the Chair. 



It was announced that the Council had Resolved, " That the 

 Meetings of the Committee are open to every Member of the So- 

 ciety." In this resolution the Committee cordially concurred ; and 

 also in the propriety of distributing cards of the Meetings to the 

 Members of the Society residing in or near London. 



The skeleton and parts of the viscera of one of the Society's spe- 

 cimens of the Chinchilla, {Chinchilla lanigera,) vrere exhibited, and 

 the following notes by Mr. Yarrell were read. 



*< On the death of one of the specimens of this interesting little 

 animal in the collection of the Zoological Society, the Museum, 

 previously containing a preserved skin, was enriched with a skeleton 

 and preparations of parts of the viscera. Of these additions I have 

 been permitted to furnish a description, which I was the more de- 

 sirous to do, as no notice of the internal parts of this animal has 

 appeared, that I am aware of, except as far as regards its dentition ; 

 and on this part of the subject I was anxious to correct an error I 

 had committed in a short notice published in the fourth volume of 

 the 'Zoological Journal,' page 317, from the prescribed use of li- 

 mited materials. 



" It may be necessary to state that at the time of examination all 

 the viscera had been preserved some months in a weak solution of 

 spirit. 



"The lungs are composed of three small lobes on each side. 

 The heart is flattened in form from behind forwards, measuring -r^ths 

 of an inch across its base, and but -rVths in depth ; the want o? apex 

 gives it a rounded and muscular appearance. The liver exhibits 

 two large and equally-sized lobes, and two smaller lobes. The sto- 

 mach, a single cavity, measures from the entrance of the oesophagus 

 round the great curve to the pyloric contraction 5 inches -rVths, 

 the greatest breadth 2 inches TTjths, the depth 1 inch vVths ; the 

 spleen is small and elongated. The length of the small intestines 

 from the pylorus to the end of the ilium 3 feet 10 inches ; the cce- 

 cuin and first portion of the colon are of large size, made up of three 

 half-circular convolutions, one central, with one of smaller dimen- 

 sions on each outer side, containing numerous cells and divisions, 

 strengthened by muscular bands and septa ; the whole length of 

 ccecum, colon and rectum, measures 4< feet 10 inches. With the 

 exception of the cceciim and commencement of the colon, which as 

 I have stated are voluminous, all the intestines are of very small 



