562 MR. P. L. SCLATER ON THE GREATER VASA PARROT. [Dec. 2, 



we have lately been making to obtain living examples of this rare 

 Marsupial. Of two pairs forwarded to the Society during the present 

 year, one by Mr. Le Souef of Melbourne, and the other by Mr. B. 

 Crowther, the latter only reached us alive. These animals are 

 apparently nearly adult, in good condition, and seem likely to do well. 

 2. An example of the Red-tailed Amazon (Chrysotis erythrura), 

 being the second we have received of this rare species, of which the 

 locality has not yet been ascertained (see P. Z. S. 1880, p. 23, 

 pi. ii.). 



Mr. Sciater called the attention of the Meeting to the death, on 

 the 5th of July last, of the specimen of the Greater Vasa Parrot 

 (Coracopsis vasa), presented by the late C. Telfair, Esq., on July 25, 

 1830, and which had thus passed nearly 54 years in the Society's 

 Gardens. The sex was determined by the Prosector to be female ; 

 the ovaries had disappeared, but the oviduct (left) was conspicuously 

 present ; the large size of the cloaca was remarkable, and it was 

 possible ^that the phenomenon described in connection with another 

 specimen of this same Parrot (see above, p. 410) might have beeu 

 due to the protrusion of the cloaca by the female bird. 



Mr. Sciater further stated that he had been informed by Mr. 

 Thomas Waters, who had passed many years collecting in Mada- 

 gascar l j that he had upon one occasion shot a Greater Vasa Parrot, 

 which had a dark fleshy mass protruding from the cloaca very much 

 of the same description as that referred to above. 



Mr. G. E. Dobson, F.R.S., exhibited and made remarks on a 

 diagram designed to illustrate the evolution of the Mammalia 

 according to the system put forward by Prof. Huxley. 



A communication was read from the Rev. A. M. Norman and the 

 Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, containing the first portion of a memoir 

 on the Crustacea Isopoda dredged during the expeditions of the 

 ' Porcupine,' ' Lightning,' and ' Valorous.' The memoir contained 

 descriptions of the representatives of the three families Tanaidse, 

 Apseudidse, and Anthuridse obtained during the several expeditions. 

 A great number of new forms, chiefly from deep water, including 

 several new genera (Sphyraphus, Ahotanais, and Tanaella among 

 the TanaidaB, and Anthelura, Hyssura, Cyathura, and Calathura 

 among the Anthuridae), were described. 



This paper will be printed entire in the Society's ' Transactions.' 



The following papers were read: — 



1 Cf. P. Z. S. 1875, p. 62, et 1879, p. 767 



