TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 93 



On the Birth of a young Hippopotamus in the Zoological Society's Gardens at 

 Amsterdam. By P. L. Sclater, M.A., ±h.D., F.B.S. 



The author remarked that throe pairs of tliis huge animal were now living in 

 different Zoological Gardens of Europe, viz. in thoseof London, Paris, and Amster- 

 dam. Though the female in the Gardens in London had often shown signs of 

 breeding, and attempts at copulation had been made by the male, it was not be- 

 lieved that conception had ever occurred. In the case of both other pairs, repro- 

 duction had already taken place on several occasions ; but the new-born babe had 

 always perished, either from the violence of its parent immediately after its birth, 

 or from incapacity to take food when removed from its mother. The first success- 

 ful instance of the reproduction of the Hippopotamus ill Europe was therefore that 

 which took place at Amsterdam on 29th July last, for the details of which Mr. 

 Sclater was indebted to the well-known director of the Zoological Gardens in that 

 city, Mr. G. F. Westerman. Copulation in the present instance had occurred on 

 the Oth and 7th of December, 1864, so that the period of gestation was estimated 

 at 234 days, which had been likewise confirmed in the previous cases of reproduc- 

 tion in the same pair of animals. As soon as the birth took place the little animal 

 was removed from the mother, not without some difficulty, as the mother was 

 alread}' on her legs to defend it, and transferred to a separate* house previously pre- 

 pared for its reception. Here it is now thriving well and growing fast every day, 

 taking every day six or seven meals, about 2^ gallons of milk mixed with one-fifth 

 part of water. 



On the Occurrence of Orcynus alalonga on the Coast of Devon. 

 By Dr. W. It. Scott. 



The Orcynus alalonga has but rarely been seen in British seas; one is recorded as 

 having been taken at Portland, two in Mounts Bay in Cornwall, and this, another 

 specimen, was captured on the coast of Devon, August 20th, 1805. 



The full length of this fish from the nose to the base of the caudal fin was 24 

 inches ; the girth round the pectoral fin 19 inches, and the girth immediately before 

 the second dorsal 15| inches ; the flesh in this part being very firm and solid. The 

 head was pointed, the under jaw slightly the longest, the teeth small and incurved, 

 and the gape about 4 inches ; the nostrils very obscure ; the eye large and slightly 

 elevated and placed over the angle of the mouth. The sections of'the gill-covers 

 were well defined, and from the nose to the gill opening was 7 inches. The pectoral 

 fin, lodged in a deep depression, was 8| inches long- and reached to about the mid- 

 dle of the anal fin. There was a short space between the first and second dorsal 

 fins, and there were eight Unlets above and seven below. The anal and second 

 dorsal fins were falcated ; the tail deeply cleft, and the weight of the fish twelve 

 pounds. The form of this fish was not so slender as that figured by Couch, and the 

 length of the pectoral fin not so great, though fully up to the length given by Cuvier 

 who states it to be one-third the length of the body. This fish exhibited remark- 

 able strength for its size, agreeing in this with the account given by the fishermen 

 who captured the specimens taken in Mounts Bay. 



On the extraordinary partiality shown by Insects of the Genus Laverna/o; 1 

 Plants of the Order Onagracecc. By II. T. Staixtox. 



The genus Laverna is a genus of moderate extent in the family Elaehistidce of 

 the Tineina. The limits of the genus are not at present veiy accurately defined 

 and future investigation may show that its boundaries should be extended, so as to 

 include some of the cognate species placed in allied genera. At present we have 

 eighteen species in the genus, eight of which are distributed amongst plants of very 

 difi'ereut orders, occurring on Tgpha, Tamarix, Pyrus, Cratcegus, Quercm, IMian- 

 themum, and Rhammts ; the remaining ten species are restricted in their food to the 

 Onograceee,-xni all feed on Epilobium, one species also feeding on Circcea lutetiana. 

 Three occur on Epilobium augustifoUum, four or five on E. hirsutum, and two on 

 E. montanum. 



