1872.] MR. J. "W. CLARK ON THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 185 



We are greatly indebted to Dr. Grey for the pains which he has 

 taken in getting together this series of African Tortoises, in which 

 he informs me he has received great assistance from Mr. T. C. 

 Scanlen, M.P. for Cradock, Cape Colony, South Africa. The two 

 last-named species are new to the Society's collection. 



In my report for January last year (see P. Z. S. 1871, p. 102) I 

 called attention to the presence in the Society's collection of a New- 

 Zealand Ground-Parrot (Stringops habroptilus), which had been de- 

 posited on the 24th of that month by Capt. R. Peek of the ship 

 ' Mary Shepherd.' I have now the pleasure of announcing that the 

 bird in question has been most liberally presented to us bv Mr. 

 D. L. Murdoch of Auckland, New Zealand. Of this (one of the 

 most wonderful, perhaps, of all living birds) a specimen has been 

 once before in the Society's Gardens (see P. Z. S. 1870, p. 798); 

 but the present is the first that has actually belonged to us. The 

 Stringops is most strictly nocturnal in its habits, and never emerges 

 from the bos in which it is kept, voluntarily, during daylight. Our 

 specimen has no power of flight, but uses its wings to aid it in run- 

 ning. It is fed upon oats, apples, lettuce, carrots, and other 

 vegetables, and appears to thrive well upon this diet. 



The Secretary announced the addition to the Society's collection 

 of a fine female specimen of the Sumatran Rhinoceros {Rhinoceros 

 sumatrensis, Cuv.) from Chittagong, which had been purchased of 

 Mr. Wm. Jamrach on the 15th inst. for the sum of 361250. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. Notes on the Visceral Anatomy of the Hippopotamus. 

 By John W. Clark, F.Z.S. 



[Received February 20, 1872.] 



The Hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius) on whose visceral 

 anatomy I am going to make a few remarks was born in the Society's 

 Gardens on January 7th. It died on the following Wednesday, and 

 was sent to Cambridge, where it was examined by Prof. Humphry, 

 Mr. B. Anningson of Caius College, and myself, with the view, in 

 the first instance, of ascertaining the cause of death. The animal 

 was a female, weighed 87 lbs., and measured, from tip of snout to 

 tip of tail, 3' 10". We found the thoracic viscera perfectly healthy, 

 and normally disposed. The abdominal viscera were equally healthy, 

 as far as each separate viscus was concerned ; but there were nume- 

 rous adhesions. The stomach was firmly attached to the posterior 

 wall of the abdominal cavity ; and the spleen was so closely adherent, 

 under a fold of peritonaeum, to the inferior surface of the stomach, 

 that it was some time before we could find it. The omentum also, 

 in a few places, adhered to the intestines*. In the stomach we found 



* I make these statements with considerable diffidence, as our knowledge of 

 the normal anatomy of Hippopotamus is so scanty. I have thought it best, how- 

 ever, to retain them as originally written, because they record the impressions 

 made upon us at the time of dissection. 



