718 DK. BAUER ON PTYCHOZOON HOMALOCEPHALUM. [NoV. 3, 



The total number of i"ea;istered additions to the Society's Mena- 

 gerie during tlie month of August was 121 ; of these 65 were 

 acquired by presentation, 2 by purchase, 27 by birth, 13 were 

 received on deposit, and 3 in exchange. Eleven young Pheasants, 

 received during the month, were bred from eggs laid in the Society's 

 Gardens, and sent into the country to be hatched. The total 

 number of departures during the same period by death and removals 

 was 98. 



The collection of Javan animals, presented by Dr. F. H. Bauer, 

 of Buitenzorg, Java, C.M.Z.S,, is important, as containing examples 

 of an Owl (Bubo orientalis) and of three Reptiles and a Batrachian, 

 all new to the Society's series. 



The total number of registered additions to the Society's Mena- 

 gerie during the month of September was 141 ; of these 77 were 

 acquired by presentation, 15 by purchase, 4 2 were bred in the Gardens, 

 and 7 were received on deposit. The total number of departures 

 during the same period by death and removals was 89. 



Mr. Sclater placed on the table the skull of the Tapir received by 

 the Society, May 25th, 1878, and described and figured by him 

 (P. Z. S. 1878, p. 632, plate xxxix.) as Tapirus roulini. The 

 animal had died on the 2nd June, 1884. It was of the male sex, 

 and had bred with the female Ta/JM-M* ammca^ws received Jan. 16th, 

 1873. Now, however, that the skull could be examined, it was 

 evident that the supposed Tapirus roulini was not of that species, 

 but merely a dark variety of Tapirus americanus. After such 

 evidence of variation, Mr. Sclater had come to the conclusion that 

 the Tapir from Venezuela, presented by Fritz Zurcher, Esq., August 

 13th, 1881 (see P.Z. S. 1882, p. 391, plate xxiii.), which he had 

 referred with some doubt to Tapirus dowii, was also, probably, merely 

 a form of the variable species Tapirus americanus. 



In future editions of the 'List of Vertebrate Animals,' Mr. Sclater 

 proposed to refer all these individuals to Tapirus americanus, and 

 much regretted that the difficulty of determining living animals with 

 correctness had led him into these serious errors. 



The following extract was read from a letter addressed to the 

 Secretary by Dr. F. H. Bauer, C.M.Z.S., dated Buitenzorg, July 

 16th, 1885:— 



" I have tried to get some more specimens of the Ptychozoon homa- 

 locephalum \ but am sorry to say I have not succeeded. Last 

 November I obtained one, but in the cold season it was impossible 

 to despatch it. 



" It appeared to be a female, for only a few days after its capture 

 it laid two eggs in the box in which it was kept. After several 

 months the eggs were still in statu quo, and I believed them to be 

 1 See P. Z. S. 1872, p. 589. 



