91 



Letters had been received from Richard Hill, Esq., W. C. Kelaart, 

 Esq., R. J. Boiirchier, Esq., and Dr. Bland, Corr. Members. 



Mr. Hill's letter was dated Spanish Town, May 8, and commvmi- 

 cftted to the Secretary that his notice of the desire of the Society to 

 possess living specimens of the Reptiles of Jamaica, had secured pro- 

 mises of aid from all parts of the island ; and information had been 

 received of several examples of the Yellow Snake, Iguana, and other 

 forms being already in confinement for the purpose of being trans- 

 mitted to England. 



Mr. Kelaart' s letter was dated San Fernando, Trinidad, May 6. 

 Among other interesting intelligence he states that he has " no doubt 

 of the existence of a large Red Monkey, and according to some, of a 

 white one also, inhabiting the woods of this island ; and although no 

 specimens have yet been procured, the promises of several of the pro- 

 prietors give hope of a speedy solution of the question as to what spe- 

 cies these animals may belong." 



Mr. Gray exhibited, from the collection of J. H. Hora, Esq., a 

 female specimen of Ovis Gmelini, from Tauri in the Persian Gulf. 



It was peculiar for the large size of the tuft of hair over the orbital 

 gland, which was closely matted together by the secretion from it ; 

 the nostrils are surrounded by a distmct narrow callous edge ; the 

 callosity occupies the space between the nostrils and a narrow central 

 band down to the lips ; the body is covered with very close soft 

 hair, and on the haunches and other parts where the hair is longer, 

 it retains its softness, but approaches to the quill-like character of the 

 Roebuck ; the upper part of the body is ochraceous yellow, the lower 

 part paler and whitish ; the head is paler yellowish, and the hairs 

 on the forehead and face are tipped with whitish. 



The following paper was read : — 



1. On the variation in the Teeth of the Crested Seal, 

 Cystophora cristata, and on a new species of the 

 genus from the West Indies. By J. E. Gray, Esq., 



F.R.S. ETC. 



In a paper which I lately communicated to the Society on the 

 genus Bradypus, I drew their attention to some variations in the 

 form of the lower jaw, which were not accompanied by any appre- 

 ciable difference in the external appearance of the specimens ; I now 

 wish to bring before the Society some variations which I have ob- 

 sei-ved in the teeth of the different skulls of the Crested Seal which 

 I have received from Greenland. I consider it of more importance 

 to record these variations, as the formation of the teeth in the family 

 of Seals has been considered as affording one of the best characters 

 for the distinction of the species. 



Several zoologists have considered the Crested Seal of the northern 

 and the Proboscis Seal of the southern hemisphere as belonging to the 

 same genus ; but though there are several characters which are com- 

 mon to both, they are very easily distinguished. 



