90 



ing which he adopts in the preservation of the specimens to be as 

 follows. " The moment the fish is caught it is thrown into a tub of 

 rum ; and the numbers are gradually augmented until there is no 

 further room and the spirit begins to acquire a slight smell of the 

 fish. They are then taken out; washed in fresh rum; and again 

 put into clean spirit. They are then ticketed and numbered with 

 lead and wire, and are ready to be put up in the preparation bottles 

 as opportunities for their embarkation offer: this is done with fresh 

 spirit also." The success of this method was shown to be in many 

 instances almost complete, the fishes exhibiting great beauty and 

 brilliancy of colour. In some cases, however, it is less successful, 

 and even the same species varies considerably in its state of preser- 

 vation. Thus of the Julis decussatus,( Sparus decu&satus, J. W, Benn.) 

 two specimens almost equal the brilliancy depicted in the * Fishes 

 of Ceylon' [Plate xiv.], while a third has parted with nearly the 

 whole of its colouring, and retains merely the markings. The iron 

 wire employed in affixing the leaden numbers has generally rusted 

 so as to stain the fishes where it has been in contact with them, and 

 has in some instances been so weakened by corrosion as no longer 

 to retain the lead. 



Mr. Telfair concludes by referring to the neighbouring island of 

 Madagascar, and to the interest attaching to its natural productions 

 so far as they have been already investigated. He remarks how 

 imperfect this investigation yet is, and gives a historical sketch of 

 the various attempts made by European naturalists during the last 

 twenty years, but ^ew of which have been attended with even mode- 

 rate success. In several instances they have been fatal to the zealous 

 individuals who have devoted themselves to the pursuit, the climate, 

 especially that of the coast, being generally ill suited to Euro- 

 peans. A new attempt is about to be made under the auspices of 

 Mr. Telfair and the Mauritius Natural History Society, from which 

 he anticipates considerable additions to science, the individual se- 

 lected being well adapted for the purpose by long practice in col- 

 lecting and preserving specimens, and by being thoroughly accli- 

 mated to Madagascar, in which he has on several occasio.ns resided 

 for a considerable time. 



Mr. Owen, having had occasion to examine recently with Mr. 

 Yarrell the body of a Gannet, {Sula Bassa^ui,) which died at the So- 

 ciety's Garden, read his notes of the examination. They referred 

 chiefly to the situation and connections of the air-cells, and differed 

 in some particulars from the observations recorded by Montagu, 

 who states in the ' Supplement to the Ornithological Dictionary' 

 [article Gannet']^ that "by reason of some valvular contrivance the 

 skin could not be artificially inflated through the lungs;" and adds, 

 " it is also clear that there is no direct communication between 

 the sides." 



" In the examination our attention was chiefly directed to the 

 air-cells, which in this bird, as in the Pelican, have a most extensive 

 distribution. We commenced by gentle but continued inflation 



