22 
III. Mittheilungen aus Museen, Instituten etc. 
1. Zoological Society of London. Ne: 
4th December, 1883. — Mr. Philip Crowley, F.Z.S., exhibited and 
made remarks on an egg of a Bower-bird from Southern New Guinea, 
supposed to be that of Chlamydodera cerviniventris. — Sir Joseph Fayrer, 
F.Z.S., exhibited a shed Deer-horn, apparently gnawed by other Deer, and 
made remarks on this subject. — Mr. Sclater exhibited, on the part of 
Dr. George Bennett, F.Z.S., four skins of a species of Paradise-bird of the 
genus Drepanornis, obtained in the vicinity of Port Moresby in Southern 
New Guinea. Mr. Sclater considered this form to be only subspecifically 
different from D. Albertisi of North-eastern New Guinea. — Mr. W. Bur- 
ton, F.Z.S., exhibited a supposed hybrid between a male Blackcock and a 
hen Pheasant. — Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe gave descriptions of some new 
species of Flower-peckers, viz.: — Dicaeum sulaense, from the Sula Islands; 
D. pulchrius, from S.E. New Guinea; and D. Tristrami, from the Solomon 
Islands. The author added some critical notes on other species of Dieaeum 
and Prionochilus. — Mr. J. B. Sutton read a paper on the diseases of 
Monkeys dying in the Society’s Gardens, on which he gave many interesting 
details. Mr. Sutton called special attention to the prevalence of the belief 
that Monkeys in confinement generally die of tuberculosis, and showed that 
such is not really the case. — Mr. H. O. Forbes, F.Z.S., read a paper 
describing the peculiar habits of a Spider (Thomisus decipiens) as observed by 
him in Sumatra. — A second paper by Mr. Forbes gave an account of 
some rare birds from the Moluccas and from Timor Laut. To this the author 
added the description of a new species of Ground-Thrush from Timor Laut, 
which he proposed to call Geocichla Machiki, in acknowledgment of services 
rendered to him by Dr. Julius Machik in Sumatra. — A communication was 
read from Prof. J. von Haast, F.R.S., C.M.Z.S., containing notes on 
Ziphius (Epiodon) novae-zealandiae, in continuation of a former paper read 
before the Society on the same subject. — A second communication from 
Prof. Haast gave a description of a large Southern Rorqual (Physalus | Balae- 
noptera| australis) which had been washed ashore dead on the New Brighton 
beach about 5 miles from Christchurch, New Zealand. Prof. Haast was 
doubtful as to the distinctness of this animal from Balaenoptera musculus of 
the Northern Atlantic. — Mr. G. French Angas, C.M.Z.S., read some 
notes on the terrestrial Mollusca of Dominica collected during a recent visit 
to that island. — P. L. Sclater, Secretary. 
2. Linnean Society of London. 
6th December, 1883. — A large number of Lepidoptera from the di- 
strict of Georgetown, Colorado, and a few from Missouri were exhibited by 
Mr. Ernest Jacob who had collected there while engaged in the U.S.A. 
Geological Survey in the above mentioned districts 1880—81. — Mr. Charles 
Darwin’s Essay »On Instinct« was then read by the Zoological Secretary and 
an important discussion followed in which Mr. Wallace, Professors Hux- 
ley, Allman, Mivart, Foster, Lankester, Mr. Seebohm, Mr. 
McLachlan and others took part. After detailing sundry facts with refe- 
rence to the migratory instincts of different animals, Mr. Darwin proceeds 
to suggest a theory to account for them. This theory is precisely the same 
