208 THE SECRETARY ON ADDITIONS TO THE MENAGERIE. [May 28, 



the body, upon opening which I took out five specimens of a small 

 Worm which occupied the cavity of the abscess, and were apparently 

 making their way through the integuments of the fish. The abscess 

 communicated with the peritoneal cavity of the Galaxias, and had 

 evidently caused its death. Upon examining the Worms, they appear 

 to be identical with the species first described by Rudolphi as being 

 found by him lodged under the integuments of the caudal fin of the 

 Cyprinus gibelio, or Crucian Carp, and named by him Filaria san- 

 guinea. This species has since been found by Creplin in the cavity 

 of the abdomen of the Leuciscus rutilus, or common Roach, and by 

 Siebold in the L. eiytkrophthaltnus, the Red-eye or Rudd. The spe- 

 cimens taken from the Galaxias are from 1^ to 3 inches in length, 

 and, as Rudolphi has described them, they are thickish in form, 

 obtuse at both extremities ; and the larger ones were of a blood-red 

 colour, which, however, has disappeared since they were placed in 

 spirits. It was interesting to discover whether this was a new species 

 or not, and whether it had existed in the body of the fish before 

 it left Australia. A comparison with the specimen of Filaria san- 

 guinea in the collection of Entozoa in the British Museum, trans- 

 mitted to us by Mr. Siebold, leaves no doubt on my mind of its 

 identity with that species ; and therefore in all probability these 

 Worms have been developed in the cavity of the abdomen of this 

 little Galaxias since it was placed in the tank at the Zoological 

 Gardens, or during its passage from Australia to this country. 



May 28th, 1861. 



Dr. J. E. Gray, V.P., in the Chair. 



The Secretary called the attention of the meeting to a fine collec- 

 tion of animals presented to the Society by H.E. Sir George Grey, 

 K.C.B., Governor of the Cape Colony, which had arrived in the 

 Gardens on the preAaous Saturday, May 25th, under the care of the 

 Society's agent Mr. James Benstead. The losses during the voyage 

 had been very few, and the state of the animals on their arrival re- 

 flected great credit on the care and skill of Mr. Benstead. 



The species received were the following : — 



Mammals. 



1. A female Koodoo Antelope {Strepsiceros kudu). This animal, 

 which was believed to be the first example of this beautiful Antelope 

 received alive in Europe, unfortunately died suddenly in the Gardens 

 a short time after its arrival. 



2. A female Bless-bok Antelope (Damalis albifrons). A single 

 example of this Antelope had been previously received by Lord 

 Derby, and was sold at the sale of the Knowsley Menagerie. 



