63 



in the ' Natural History of Ireland,' vol. ii. Birds, by W. Thompson, 

 it is stated, as a reason for the Golden Pheasant not doing well in a 

 wild state in this country if introduced where the common pheasant 

 is now abmidant, that they are such a shy, timid bird, and would be 

 easily driven off by the other species. This fear is evidently ground- 

 less, as not only the half-bred birds, but the golden hen drove all 

 the other pheasants, as was seen frequently by the keeper ; and they 

 were so cunning, and so well able to take care of themselves, that 

 after it was knovm they were there, and the mischief they did, the 

 covert was beat in the usual way for pheasants, in the hopes of being 

 able to destroy these birds, but without meeting vpith them, and the 

 keeper was obliged to watch for them and shoot them at feed. 

 " I remain, your obedient servant, 



"John W. G. Spicer." 



The following papers were also read : — 



1. On the Anatomy of the Wart-Hog (Phjcochoirus Pallasii, 



Van der Hoeven). 



By Prof. Owen, F.R.S., F.Z.S. etc. 



The female Phacochoerus died, without previous symptoms of ail- 

 ment, on Wednesday, February 5th, having lived in the Menagerie 

 of the Society ten months, during which it throve, like the male, and 

 grew rapidly ; its weight at the time of its death was 105 lbs. 



The length of the body from the extremity of the jaws to the root 

 of the tail was 3 feet 6 inches ; the length of the head 1 foot ; that 

 of the tail 1 foot : this part is naked, very slender, tapering towards 

 the end, which is subcompressed, a little dilated, and ornamented 

 with a tuft of long and slender black bristles, growing chiefly from 

 the opposite margins, as in the Elephant. A layer of lard or fat ad- 

 hered to the under surface of the corium, as in the Common Hog, 

 preventing the movement of the skin by a panniculus carnosus. 



The hair is of one kind, coarse, scanty, and moderately long ; the 

 bulb of each is imbedded in a flattened whitish body, about 3 lines 

 broad. The cuticle is impressed by curved lines, giving it the ap- 

 pearance of being composed of imbricated scales from 3 to 4 lines in 

 breadth. There is a strong callosity in front of each carpus, formed 

 by, or connected vdth, the frequent habit of this animal of walking 

 on its fore-knees. The suborbital wart-like appendage, situated 

 I5 inch below the eye, is composed of a mass of fibrous and adi- 

 pose tissue. A double row of strong cilia project from the upper 

 eyelid ; but there are none on the lower lid. There is a broad 

 ' membrana nictitans.' An arch of long black hairs forms an eye- 

 brow. The upper lip is bent upwards, or folded over the base of the 

 upper tusk, and many short hairs grow from the thickened margin 

 of this fold. There is a slightly curved callous ridge of the integu- 

 ment, 5 inches in length, parallel vrith the middle of the lower bor- 

 der of the lower jaw. There are but four nipples, one pair abdomi- 

 nal, about an inch behind the umbilicus ; the other pair inguinal. 



