135 



December 12, 1837. 

 Thomas Bell, Esq., in the Chair. 



Mr. Gray read a paper, consisting of a revision of the genera and 

 species of venomous, prehensile-tailed and water snakes, with the de- 

 scriptions of some new species contained in the British Museum col- 

 lection, and that of the Zoological Society. Mr. Gray stated that 

 tlie family of CrotalidcB in this catalogiie includes twelve genera 

 and twenty -live species ; of which six genera and ten species are 

 confined to America, three genera and twelve species to Asia and 

 its islands, while one genus and two species are peculiar to Africa. 

 Schlegel in his recently published work, describes seventeen species, 

 and there are nineteen species in the National collection. 



The family of Viperida; contains eight genera and ten species, 

 of which two genera and three species are from Asia, four genera 

 and nine species from Africa ; two genera and four species occur in 

 Europe; and one genus, including but one species, inhabits Australia. 

 All the genera are confined to a single quarter of the globe but 

 Echis, which has one species from Africa and the other from India. 

 Schlegel described ten species, but then he has referred some of the 

 species which have not come under his examination, without sulR- 

 cient consideration, to the more common species. Specimens of all 

 the species bvit one noticed in the last family, are in the collection 

 at the British Museum. 



The family of BoidcB contains seventeen genera and twenty-seven 

 species ; of these seven genera and nine species are confined to tropical 

 America, three genera and four sjjecies are found in Africa, six 

 genera and eight species in Asia, three genera and four species are 

 found in New Holland, and one species in Europe. The species of 

 the genus Python are found in Africa, Asia, and New Plolland : but 

 eacli species has its peculiar country, and one species of Eryx is 

 common to South Europe and North Africa. 



The family o^ Hydrides consists of twenty-three genera and forty- 

 eight species, of which t\venty are found in the Indian Ocean, and 

 sixteen in the salt-water ditches of India and the neighbourijig 

 islands, and six are found in similar situations in tropical America. 

 Schlegel described only twenty-seven species, and thirty of the spe- 

 cies described in the present Catalogue are in the British Museum. 



Mr. Yarrell, on the part of Mr. John Leadbeater, exhibited to the 

 Meeting a male Hybrid, the produce of a Pheasant and a Black 

 Grouse. Mr. Yarrell observed that this was the third specimen 

 which had been sent to the Society for exhibition within a compa- 

 ratively short space of time. The first bird, from Cornwall, was 

 more of a Grouse in appearance than a Pheasant : the second, from 

 Shropshire, was more pheasant-like ; but the present bird was deci- 



No. LX. Proceedings of the Zoologxcal Society. 



