50 



May 23d, 1837. 

 W. S. Macleay, Esq. in the Chair. 



A letter was read addressed to the Secretary, by Dr. Weissenboru 

 of Weimar, Saxony, expressing the very high opinion he entertained 

 of the value of the scientific publications of the Zoological Society, 

 and the pleasure which it would give him to promote the interests 

 of the Society, if it lay in his power. The letter was accompanied 

 by a very interesting preparation of the head and cheek-pouches of 

 the black variety of the German Marr^ot {Mus Cricetus, Linn.). 



A second letter was then read from Dr. Weissenbom, addressed 

 to the Assistant Zoological Secretary, containing some new informa- 

 tion upon the economy of the Marmot. Dr. Weissenbom states that 

 when this animal hybernates, the entrance to its burrow is closed by 

 earth, which is moulded into pellets of the size of a pea or bean, so 

 that the external air is not entirely excluded. Upon putting a number 

 of these animals in a place of confinement, although supplied with 

 abundance of food, they fought with and devoured one another, until 

 only a few of the strongest were left. 



This letter was accompanied with a donation of a stuffed specimen 

 of the usual colour. 



The first part of a paper on " Marine Noctilucae," by F. De Bell 

 Bennett, Esq., Corresponding Member of the Society, was then read. 



A communication was then read from Dr. Ruppell, entitled, " A 

 Notice of the Phytotoma tridactyla of Abyssinia." Dr. Ruppell 

 states that during his travels in Abyssinia, he endeavoured, but un- 

 successfully as he then supposed, to discover the bird described by 

 Bruce, and known to naturalists as the Phytotoma tridactyla ; since 

 then, while engaged in the publication of the birds from that part of 

 Africa, he found that the Phytotoma tridactyla was a species be- 

 longing to the genus Pogonias, and which had been referred by 

 Lord Stanley to the genus Bucco, under the name of Bucco Saltii. 

 This Dr. Ruppell proposes to change to Pogonias Brucei, in honour 

 of Bruce, who was the first describer. 



Dr. Ruppell sent along with this communication two copies of a 

 plate from his Abyssinian Fauna, containing figures of the above 

 bird, and stated that he had previously deposited stuffed specimens 

 in the British Museum and the Collection of the Zoological Society. 



