231 
captivity. — Mr. J. E. Ady exhibited some microscopical preparations of 
bone, in one case showing the growth of blood-vessels into cartilage previ- 
ous to ossification, and in another case presenting a hard section in which 
the lacunae and canaliculi were extremely well shown. — Dr. Hans Ga- 
dow read a paper on the laryngeal muscles of birds, and pointed out first 
that the muscles of the syrinx are developed from the sterno-hyoid muscles, 
and, secondly, that the cutaneous muscles are derived from superficial layers 
of the common muscular stratum. Thirdly, the author considered the con- 
nexion between muscle and nerve-supply, illustrating his remarks by dia- 
grams. — A communication was read from the Rev. H. S. Gorham, 
F.Z.S., containing the descriptions of some new species of Coleoptera be- 
longing to the family Erotylidae. Twenty-nine new species of this family 
were described. of which ten were from the Philippine Islands, three were 
from the Andaman Islands, two from Assam, two from the Malay district, 
six from Africa, and six from Peru. The species treated of belonged chiefly 
to the subfamilies Encaustini and Dacnini, the author reserving the remaining 
subfamilies for a future communication. — Dr. Gwyn Jeffreys read the 
sixth part of his communications on the Mollusca procured during the 
‚Lightning‘ and ,Porcupine‘ Expeditions. This included an account of the 
specimens of the groups of Scissurella, Trochus, Turbo, and part of Littorina, 
referable altogether to seventy species. Four genera and twenty species were 
for the first time described as new. — A communication was read from Mr. 
H.O. Forbes, F.Z.S., describing a species of scarlet Myzomela obtained 
in the Island of Boeroe, one of the Ceram group. — Mr. G. A. Boulenger 
read a paper on the Geckos of New Caledonia. The object of the author in 
preparing this paper was that it might serve as a guide to the identification 
of the Geckotidae of New Caledonia, and at the same time to bring the 
synonymy into order. To this end the author had compared the typical spe- 
cimens in the Museums of Brest, Lisbon, Paris, and Brussels with those in 
the British Museum, and had given short descriptions of every species taken 
from typical or well-authenticated specimens. The number of species ot 
Geckotidae actually known from New Caledonia was fourteen: of these two 
were recorded for the first time, one being new to science. 
20th March, 1883. — Mr. Sclater called attention to the fact that a 
living specimen of Macropus erubescens (a species originally described from 
a single specimen living in the Society’s Gardens) was in the Gardens of the 
Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Melbourne. — Mr. Sclater laid 
before the meeting a set of the sheets of a new List of British Birds, which 
had been prepared by a Committee of the ,British Ornithologists’ Union‘, 
and would shortly be published, and explained the principles upon which it 
had been constructed. — Prof. Huxley read a paper on the oviduct of the 
Common Smelt (Osmörus eperlanus), and took occasion to remark on the re- 
lations of the Teleostean with the Ganoid Fishes. Prof. Huxley came to the 
conclusion that the proposal to separate the Elasmobranchs, Ganoids, and 
Dipnoans into a group, apart from and equivalent to the Teleosteans, was 
inconsistent with the plainest anatomical relations of these fishes. — Mr. 
G.A.Boulenger reada paper containing the description of a new species 
of Batrachian of the genus Bufo obtained at Yokohama, Japan, during the 
Expedition of H.M.S. ,Challenger‘. The author proposed to describe it as 
Bufo formosus. — A communication was read from Mr. W. N. Parker 
