626 THE SECRETARY ON ADDITIONS TO THE MENAGERIE. [May 17, 



csecuni, with a portion of both ileum and colon, and then to distend 

 it with g-per-cent. chromic acid, placing it in a vessel of the same fluid. 

 This was changed after the first day, and replaced by acid of the 

 same strength, in which it was left for a week or so, after which the 

 csecum was washed, and then distended with, and placed in, weak 

 spirit for a short time, and finally in strong methylated spirit. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE LIII. 



Figs. I., II. Lepus timichis. 

 III., IV. Leptis cuniculns. 



c, caecum, co, colon, z, ileum, i.c, ileo-colic aperture. |)', large intracolic 

 Peyer's patch, p-, small intracolic Peyer's patch, s, sacculus rotundus. s.c, 

 aperture of sacculus into colon, v^, large intracolic yalve. v-, second valve, 

 which is sometimes continuous with the spiral valve of the cjecum. t^, spiral 

 valve of the caecum. 



May 17, 1881. 

 Prof. W. H. Flower, LL.D., F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 



The Secretary read the following report on the additions to the 

 Society's Menagerie during the month of April 1881 : — 



The total number of registered additions to the Society's Mena- 

 gerie during the month of April was 117, of which 66 were by 

 presentation, 5 by birth, 24 by purchase, 7 by exchange, and 15 were 

 received on deposit. The total number of departures during the 

 same period, by death and removals, was 109. 



The most remarkable additions during the month of April were 

 as follows : — 



1 . x\n Indian Darter, Plotus melanogaster, received in exchange 

 from the Zoological Gardens, Calcutta, April 8th. 



This is the first living example we have received of the Indian 

 Darter, previous examples of this genus having belonged to Plotus 

 anhinga of South America and Plotus levaillanti of Africa. Of 

 the former we have at present a specimen in the Gardens. The 

 Indian Darter is readily distinguishable from the American species 

 by its longer and more slender neck and longer tail, not to mention 

 differences of coloration. 



2. A young female Beisa Antelope {Oryx beisa), born in the 

 Gardens' April 12th, believed to be the first example of this Antelope 

 that has been bred in captivity. I exhibit a coloured drawing of this 

 animal by Mr. Smit (see Plate LIV.), which may be compared with 

 the figures of the young Leucoryx given in the ' Knowsley Mena- 

 gerie ' (plate xvi.). 



3. A Mountain Ka Ka {Nestor notabilis), transmitted as a present 

 to the Society by Dr. A. de Lautour, of Otago, New Zealand. 

 Dr. de Lautour has favoured me with the subjoined particulars con- 

 cerning this bird: — 



" I have the pleasure of informing you that I am sending home for 



