388 ON PTILONORHYNCHTIS HOLOSERICT5TJS. [June 19, 



except the lateral outer streak, which remains pure yellowish. Head 

 and body 30| centim. ; tail 58 millim. 



14. Dendrophis punctulattjs (Gray). 



15. Chrysopelea rhodopletjron (Reinw.). 



BATRACHIA. 



16. Rana PAPUA, Less. 



17. Hyla dolichopsis (Cope). 



June 19, 1883. 

 Prof. 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 May 1883 : — 



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

 gerie during the month of May was 123, of which -48 were by 

 presentation, 29 by purchase, 7 by birth, 1 by exchange, and 38 

 were received on deposit. The total number of departures during 

 the same period, by death and removals, was 134. 



The most noticeable additions during the month of May were as 

 follows : — 



1. A hen Cabot's Tragopan (Ceriornis cahoti), from South-west 

 China, purchased May 18th, being the first example of the female 

 of this fine Pheasant which we have received. 



2. Four Pygmy Hogs (Porcula sahania), born in the Gardens, 



May 23. 



These diminutive Pigs, of which I exhibit a drawing of the natural 

 size (Plate XLIII.), did not, unfortunately, survive their birth ; but 

 the fact of the species having bred in captivity is of great interest, 

 and we may hope for better success on a future occasion, as although 

 we have lost one of our specimens, which will be the subject of Dr. 

 Garson's paper to-night, the others are alive and well. 



3. A fine example of the Surucucu or Bush-master Snake of 

 South America (Lachesis mutus), presented by Henry Y. Barkley, 

 Esq., of Pernambuco, on the 22nd of May. 



The following extract was read from a letter addressed to the 

 Secretary by Mr. Albert A. C. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S., dated Melbourne, 

 April 1 8th, in which attention was called to a curious fact in con- 

 nexion with the Satin Bower-bird {Ptilonorhynchus holosericeus) : — 



" I have frequently noticed in the hill-country east of Melbourne 

 large flocks of the Satin Bower-bird, sometimes over a hundred to- 

 gether, but have hardly ever seen more than three or four black 

 individuals, the rest being green ; and it has always seemed singular 

 to me that there should be such a small proportion of adult males. 



" About eight years ago I caged a number of these interesting 

 birds, eight or ten green and two black. The black birds died 



