1891.] DISCUSSION ON FAUNA OF BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA, 301 



May 5, 1891. 



Prof. Flower, C.B., 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 : — 



The registered additions to the Society's Menagerie during tbe 

 month of April were 83 in number. Of these 37 were acquired by 

 presentation, 23 by purchase, 1 1 by exchange, 6 were born in the 

 Gardens, and 6 were received on deposit. The total number of 

 departures during the same period, by death and removals, was 73. 



The most noticeable additions during the month were : — 



1. An adult male example of what appears to be the Lesser 

 Orang {Simia viorio) of Owen, P. Z. S. 1836, p. 92 \ presented by 

 Commander Ernest Rason, R.N., and received at the Gardens on 

 April 15th. 



Commander Rason writes to me that he obtained this animal at 

 Kuching, Sarawak, from some natives, who brought it to him sus- 

 pended from a pole after the manner of a Sloth. At first it was 

 extremely savage and tried to bite, but soon became comparatively 

 tame, and after a week would allow itself to be carried about and 

 made a pet of. After three months' time he says " George," as he 

 calls the animal, does not seem to have grown in height at all, and, 

 judging by the look of his teeth, must be about ten years old ; but 

 having had plenty to eat and little exercise has grown much fatter. 



Simia morio is generally stated to differ from the larger S. satyrus 

 not only in its smaller size but also in the entire absence of cheek- 

 callosities, which are certainly not apparent in the jiresent specimen. 

 The skull is also stated to be quite different from that of the larger 

 form. 



2. An example of the Great-billed Tern {Phaethusa magnirostris) 

 from South America, obtained by purchase. 



This Tern is new to the collection. 



Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell read notes on some Slugs of the Ethiopian 

 Region, based on specimens in the collection of the British Museum. 



It having been arranged that a special discussion should b6 held 

 on the Fauna of British Central Africa, Mr. Sclater opened the 

 subject with the following remarks : — 



" British Central Africa " is the official name for that portion of 

 East-African territory under the British sphere of influence which 

 is situated immediately north of the Zambesi. On the south it is 

 bounded mostly by the Zambesi, a corner between the Zambesi and 

 the Lower Shire having been cut off for the benefit of the Portuguese, 

 while to the east of the Shire the Ruo forms the southern border. 

 From the highest affluents of the Ruo the boundary runs north to 

 Lake Shirwa, Jtnd thence in a slanting line to the eastern bank of 

 Lake Nyassa, which it reaches at about 13° 50' S. lat. The whole of 

 1 See also Eajah Brooke's Note on tbis subject, P. Z. S. 1841, p. 55. 



Proc. ZooL. Soc— 1891, No. XXL 21 



