45 



June 10, 1834. 

 Richard Owen, Esq., in the Chair. 



A collection of objects of Zoology, made by Lieut. Allen, R.N., 

 Corr. Menib. Z. S., during his late expedition up the Quorra into 

 the interior of Africa, and presented by him to the Society, was exhi- 

 bited. It was accompanied by another collection formed by the same 

 gentleman at Fernando Po. They comprehended a previously un- 

 described species of Plover; an undescribed Telrodon and a Myletes; 

 specimens of Polypterus Senegalus, Cuv., and of a Gymnarchus, Ej. j 

 and specimens of the three- horned Chamacleon, Chamceleo Oweni, 

 Gray, and of a Galago, Galago Senegalensis, Geoff.; the two latter 

 being from Fernando Po. They also included numerous Insects and 

 Arachnkla, both from the interior and from the island. 



The bird was characterized by Mr. Gould : 



Vanellus albiceps. Van. capite, gidd, alls in medio, uropygio, 

 ventre, crissoque albis ; faciei lateribus collogue purpurascenti- 

 cinereis; scapularibus, remigibus prioribus tribus, caudecque di- 

 midio apicali nigris. 



Long. tot. arostri ad caudae apicem, 13 unc, a rostri ad digitorum 

 apicem, 15 unc. ; alee, 8; caudce, 4; tarsi, 3 ; femoris, 3j rostri, 

 a rictu ad apicem, l^. 



Rostrum viridi-aurantiacum, ad apicem nigrum. 



Between the eye and the upper mandible is situated a fleshy sub- 

 stance (resembling that of the common Cock) which hangs down at 

 right angles with the beak ; it is of an orange colour, and is narrow 

 in form, being one inch and a half long and half an inch wide at the 

 base, whence it gradually tapers throughout its whole length to the 

 tip. The spur on the shoulders is strong and sharp, and is nearly an 

 inch in length. 



The Fishes were characterized by Mr. Bennett, who remarked on 

 the complete analogy borne by these species of the rivers of Western 

 Africa to some of those of the Nile. The form of Myletes, Cuv., to 

 which Lieut. Allen's fish belongs, has hitherto been obtained only in 

 Egypt; the genus Polypterus, Geoff., originally observed in the 

 Nile, seems to be limited to that river and to Senegal ; the genus 

 Gymnarchus, Cuv., has previously been noticed only in the Nile; and 

 the Telrodon of this collection resembles in its markings that of 

 Egypt. The new species may be thus characterized : 



Myletes Allenii. Myl. oblongus ; pinnd dorsali primd supra 



ventrales positd. 

 D. 10,0. A. 14. C. 19. P. 15. V. 9. 



Specimen minimum, biunciale, a Myl. Hasselquistii, Cuv., (^Sal- 

 mo Dentev, Hass.,) differre videtur situ pinnae dorsalis primae. 

 No. XVIll, — Proceedings of tuk Zoological Society. 



