158 



December 13, 1831. 



The Honourable Twiselton Fiennes in the Chair. 



The Chairman exhibited a specimen of a hybrid Duck bred be- 

 tween a male Pintail and a common Duck. It was one of a brood 

 of six, several of which were subsequently confined with the male 

 Pintail from which they sprung, and produced young. A specimen 

 of a female of this second brood was also exhibited. 



A specimen was exhibited of ayoung Puma, Felis concolor, Linn., 

 which had recently been brought forth at the Society's Gardens, 

 but had immediately died. Like the young of the other species 

 of Felis it was variously spotted and striped, the depth of its mark- 

 ings approaching nearly to black, and being more intense than that 

 observed in the Lion, 'i'he muzzle was nearly black, as was also the 

 greater part of the tail. The young specimen was strongly con- 

 trasted with a specimen of the adult, which was placed on the table 

 for comparison. 



Preparations were exhibited of the swimming-bladder and of a 

 portion of the roe of a female Conger Eel of considerable size (Con- 

 ger vulgaris), presented to the Society by William Gladdish, Esq.j 

 and Mr. Yarrell read the following notes of his examination of the 

 individual from which the preparations were obtained. 



" The specimen, weighing 36lbs., was of the usual uniform hair 

 brown colour above, passing into dirty white beneath ; the dorsal 

 and anal fins white at the base and black on the edge throughout 

 their whole length ; the body distended by its contents; from the 

 anal aperture the tail tapered off rapidly, ending almost in a point. 

 It proved to be a female. 



"The abdomen, when opened, was found to contain two very large 

 lobes of roe, extending the whole length of the body, and passing 

 several inches beyond the vent to the extreme end of the internal 

 cavity; these lobes were composed of ova of a size to be distinctly 

 apparent to the unassisted eye, particularly when directed towards 

 the margins of the numerous lamina;. The liver was formed of one 

 single elongated lobe, which was broadest at the upper part, and, 

 gradually diminishing both in width and thickness, ended acutely ; 

 the gall-bladder was rounded in form, and filled with bile of a 

 fine olive-green colour, 



" Behind its peritoneal covering the bright silver-coloured mem- 

 brane which forms the elongated swimming-bladder was beautifully 

 contrasted by the dark purplish-red colour of its gland, which in 

 two expanded portions occupied a lateral but central situation be- 

 tween the two extremities; and from the swimming-bladder a canal 



