1862.] ADDITIONS TO THE MENAGERIE, 139° 
gall-bladder than any land animal—from thirty to sixty ounces ; by 
some physiologists a much larger quantity is given. The daily 
amount of bile secreted depends probably upon the quantity and 
quality of the food. Thus, animals that eat frequently have most 
likely a larger secretion ; whilst those that fast for a long period (as 
some of the reptiles), although they possess large gall-bladders, have 
comparatively a small secretion of bile. There appears to be no im- 
portant difference between the animal and vegetable feeders ; nor does 
the absence of a gall-bladder, as far as we can ascertain, influence 
the quantity of the secretion. 
The Colour of the Bile.—The specimens before the Society, from 
all divisions of the Vertebrata, show the great variety of colours 
exhibited by this fluid: all shades of brown, green, and yellow are 
present, and many of them very vivid and intense. It must be ob- 
served that animals in confinement often have the bile in an abnormal 
condition ; and probably the colour is influenced to a great extent by 
the diseased or healthy condition of the liver—a matter to be spoken 
of hereafter. 
In fishes the colour is generally of a light yellow, in some ineli- 
ning to brown. Inu reptiles some of the most vivid browns, yellows, 
and greens are seen: the last-named colour is not unfrequent in the 
web-footed birds and in some of the Rapaces; but the prevailing 
colours in the birds are browns and yellows. In mammals the intense 
greens are rarely seen; but the colours vary from light green to 
shades of yellow or brown of every hue. The applicability of this 
fluid as a pigment cannot be properly touched upon here. 
In this paper I have spoken entirely from my own observations, and 
I have handled the matter in a different manner to that of any pre- 
vious inquirer ; so that zoologists who may hereafter investigate this 
interesting subject may, by combining my labours with those of others 
in the same field of research, profit, I hope, by this investigation. 
Mr. A. Murray pointed out the characters of a new Crocodile from 
the Old Calabar River, West Africa, for which he proposed the name 
Crocodilus frontatus, as indicative of the large size of the forehead 
in this species. 
The following lists of the additions to the Menagerie during the 
months of January, February, and March were laid before the meet- 
ing :— 
JANUARY. 
Presented by 
1 Common Tench............ Tinca vulgaris ......++ ae oa ane cates Willaume, 
sq. 
1 Red and Yellow Maccaw.| Ara araraund ......s0006 ‘Mr. Atcheler. 
1 Bonnet Monkey............ |\Macacus radiatus .....+... R. Ridgley, Esq. 
1 Chamelion .............+00.. Chameleo vulgaris ...... Dr. Babington. 
1 Pig-tailed Monkey.........| Macacus nemestrinus ...\E. Walden, Esq. 
1 Maltese Pig .......... voeee| SUS. SCTOLD, VAN. ..+4.0000e+ J. Cunningham, Esq. 
1 Crested Curassow .........,Crax alector ....0+..0 .+..»|Dr. Kelaart of Trinidad. 
2 Common Rayens sesssesel COPUUS COPA sseseteeveeeee EV. W. Willimott. 
