66 



May 22, 1838. 

 Richard Owen, Esq., in the Chair. 



A letter was first read, dated Sierra Leone, February 19, 1838, 

 addressed to Mr. Rees, the Assistant Secretary, from F. Strachan, 

 Esq., Corresp. Memb. 



The writer in this letter expresses the warm interest which he 

 takes in the furtherance of the Societj^'s scientific objects, and states, 

 that both himself and his friends are making exertions to procure skins 

 and living animals. Referring to the Chimpanzee, Mr. Strachan ob- 

 serves, that only two had been brought over to Freetown during the 

 late rains, both of which he believes to be on their way to England ; 

 he also remarks, that there would be no great difficulty in procuring 

 a young Hijjjwpotamus, and that it might probably outlive the voy- 

 age to England if brought home in a man of war. 



The Rev. F. W. Hope exhibited a piece of deal, perforated through- 

 out by the Limnoria terebrans, and in which many of these destruct- 

 ive animals might still be detected. Mr. Hope stated that the piles 

 of the pier at Southend, which were of oak, had been cased with 

 deal, and then surrounded with a sheathing of iron, to protect them 

 from the ravages of the Limnoria ; but, instead of producing the de- 

 sired effect, this plan appeared to have accelerated their destruction, 

 as the Liynnoria made its way from beneath between the sheathing 

 and the pier, and very quickly destroyed the deal casing, as showir 

 by the piece he exhibited. Mr. Hope believed that wood could not 

 by any means be effectually protected from this animal if exposed to 

 its attack ; and that iron, protected from the decomposing action of 

 the water by some varnish, although requiring a much greater out- 

 lay at first, would in the end be found the least expensive of the 

 two. 



A specimen of the Anchovy, interesting from the circumstance 

 of its having been captured in the Tliames, was exhibited by Mr. 

 Yarrell, who remarked that although this was the first instance of 

 the kind that had fallen under his observation, yet as the Anchovy 

 is plentiful along parts of the Devonshire and Cornwall coast, it was 

 not improbal)lc that its occurrence in the above river would be occa- 

 sionally detected, if the nets of the white- bait fishermen were ex- 

 amined. 



Mr. Waterhouse then laid before the Meeting a collection of spe- 

 cimens received from Mr. Cuming, consisting of a considerable num- 

 ber of birds, with skins oi Mammalia, &c.: among the latter were 

 several new or rare species, including specimens of the genera Tar- 

 sius, Galeopithecus, Scitirus, and Paradoxurus. 



The scientific value of the above donation was much increased by 

 some manuscript notes made by Mr. Cuming upon several of the ani- 



