1867.] LETTER FROM DR. G. BENNETT. 473 



May 9, 1867. 



George Busk, Esq., F.R.S., V.P., in the Chair. 



The Secretary called the attention of the Meeting to the following 

 interesting additions to the Society's Menagerie : — 



1. An example of the Parrot (Coracopsis barldyi) described by 

 Mr. Edward Newton at the last Meeting of the Society, from Fras- 

 lin Island, Seychelles ; presented to the Society by Swinburne Ward, 

 Esq., H.M. Commissioner to the Seychelles, on the 8th ult. 



2. A Tortoise from Digue Island, Seychelles {Sternothcerus sub- 

 niger, Gray, P. Z. S. 1863, p. 195) ; presented by the same gentle- 

 man on the 23rd of March last. 



3. A pair of Ka Ka Parrots {Nestor hypopolius), from New Zea- 

 land ; presented to the Society by the Acchmatation Society of Can- 

 terbury, New Zealand, on the 25th of April. 



4. A Boatbill {Cancroma cochlearid), obtained in exchange from 

 the Zoological Gardens, Antwerp, on the 25th of April. 



5. A male Ground-Hornbill, from West Africa {Bucorax abyssi- 

 nicus) ; presented May 6th by C. B. Mosse, Esq., Staff-Surgeon ; 

 and very acceptable, as the Society's collection had previously con- 

 tained three females of this rare and interesting species. 



Mr. Sclater exhibited a skull of Tapirus bairdi, which had been 

 forwarded to him by Capt. J. M. Dow, C.M.Z.S. This skull had 

 been obtained on the side of the Volcan Viejo in Nicaragua, and 

 was of great interest in proving that this species of Tapir extended 

 its range northwards so far. Mr. Sclater also remarked that it would 

 be of still greater interest now to ascertain to what species the Mexi- 

 can Tapir was referable, it being well ascertained that a species of 

 this genus occurs in the southern parts of Mexico*. 



A letter was read from Dr. G. Bennett, F.Z.S., dated Sydney, 

 February 2 1st, and addressed to the Secretary, in which details were 

 given respecting the rediscovery of Casuarius australis in Queens- 

 land, and photographs were enclosed of a specimen of this bird re- 

 cently received by the Sydney Museum. 



• Dr. Bennett's communication enclosed a copy of the following 

 letter, addressed to the Editor of the ' Sydney Herald ' by Mr. W. 

 Carron, the only survivor of Kennedy's Expedition, during which 

 the original example of Casuarius australis had been procured : — 



" Botanic Gardens, Sydney, 



8th February, 1867. 



"Sir, — In the ' Herald' of to-day is a letter from Mr. G. Krefft 



* " Our Museum " {i. e. that of Copenhagen) " possesses a very bad and much 

 mutilated skin (without any bones) of a Tapir from Mexico (Oaxaca), brought back 

 in 1843 by the late botanist Prof. Liebmann. It is indeed too bad to found any 

 decisive opinion upon it ; but I cannot find any difference between it and the 

 common American Tapir {Tapirus americanus)." — Prof. Reinhardt, in litt. 



