1871.] MR. P. L. SCLATER ON ANIMALS IN THE MENAGERIE. 743 



North- American form, Strix richardsoni, will present a similar asym- 

 metry. In the ' Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of 

 Philadelphia' for 1870 (p. 7o), Mr. Streets states that in the col- 

 lection of the Academy there are two asymmetrical skulls of an Owl, 

 which he supposes to be S. acadica ; and these, from the short de- 

 scription, seem to show exactly the same asymmetry as S. tengmalmi 

 does. It is possible that this remarkable feature is not peculiar to 

 S. tengmalmi and its transatlantic relative, but that it may appear in 

 all the species of the group Nyctala. However, until this is proved, 

 there is reason to suspect that the skulls described by Mr. Streets as 

 belonging to S. acadica are rather those of S. richardsoni *. 



6. Notes on rare or little-known Animals now or lately living 

 in the Society's Gardens. By P. L. Sclater, M.A., 

 Ph.D., F.R.S., Secretary to the Society.— Part IH.f 



Reptiles. 



[Received November 15, 1871.] 



The concluding portion of my notes written during the preparation 

 of the new edition of the ' List of Vertebrates' (which I hope to 

 have ready very shortly) relates to the Testudinata, of which group 

 we have of late years received a considerable number of specimens. 



As regards the other lleptilia and the Batrachians, Dr. Giinther 

 has always had the kindness to name them for us ; so that all doubtful 

 specimens have been referred to his determination. 



In the arrangement and nomenclature of the Testudinata in the 

 new edition of the ' List of Vertebrates ' I have followed very nearly 

 the system adopted by Dr. Strauch in his "Chelonologische Studien," 

 Mem. Ac. St. Pe't. "ser. 7, vol. v. (1862), and "Vertheilung der 

 Schildkroten," ibid. vol. viii. (1865). 



38. Testudo tabulata, Walbaum. 



Dume'ril and Bibron J make Testudo carbonaria of Spix a distinct 

 species from this ; and Dr. Strauch follows them in so doing. Dr. 

 Gray, in his recent catalogue, throws the two species together. The 

 examination of two Tortoises purchased for the Society's collection 

 in February § last, which are since dead, leads me to believe that 

 the former view is correct. As Dumeril and Bibron observe, the two 

 animals are unquestionably very nearly allied. But Testudo carbo- 

 naria is recognizable by its much more compressed shape, blacker 



* [In justice to Herr Collett it should be observed that, with the exception 

 of the concluding paragraph, the foregoing paper was in my hands early in 

 June, at which time, I believe, the Philadelphia 'Proceedings' for 1870 had not 

 reached Europe. — A. N.] 



t iSc<> Part I. Mammals, autca, p. 221, and Part II. Pirds, anted,, p. 489. 



{ Erp. Gen. ii. p. 99. 



§ Purchased Feb. 3, 1871. 



