1892.] DR. H. GADOW ON GIGANTIC LAND-TORTOISES. 665 



December 20, 1892. 

 Osbert Salvin, Esq., F.E.S., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



A letter addressed to the Secretary by Dr. A. B. Meyer, C.M.Z.S., 

 dated " Royal Zoological, Antliropological, aud Ethnographical 

 Museum, Dresden, December 8th, 1892," was read. 



Dr. Meyer said : — " Not being aware that Semnopithecus nemceus 

 has been recorded from the island of Hainan, but only from Cochin 

 China, I beg to state that the Dresden Museum has recently re- 

 ceived a male specimen of this Monkey together with other objects 

 from there. I cannot perceive any differences iu this specimen if'rom 

 the descriptions and figures of the continental animal, but may 

 remark that the specimen is in a bad state and that the hair of the 

 head is partly torn out." 



A communication was read from the Rev. T. R. R, Stebbing, 

 entitled " Descriptions of nine new Species of Amphipodous Crus- 

 taceans from the tropical Atlantic." This communication contained 

 descriptions and figures of some Hyperidean Amphipoda collected 

 by Mr. John Rattray when on board the 'Buccaneer' at the begmning 

 of 1886. The specimens had been taken in the tropical Atlantic 

 off the west coast of Africa, by a series of " tow-nettings " carried out 

 at the expense of Dr. John Murray and Mr. J. Y. Buchanan. 



In the genua Scina, Prestandrea, seven new species were instituted, 

 which were named respectively : acanthodes, stenopus, cedicarpus, 

 concors, rattrayi, similis, and uncipes. Of these 8. acanthodes was 

 remarkable among the Hyperidea for the spine-like processes along 

 the back, while S. stenopus was distinguished for a slenderness of 

 the body and appendages unusual in the genus. The earliest example 

 of Scina known to science had been obtained by Banks and Solander 

 on Captain Cook's first voyage round the world and had been figured 

 at the time by their ill-fated ' natural history painter ' Sydney 

 Parkinson. Since then the genus had yielded few specimens but 

 many species, the distinctive characters depending chiefly on certain 

 parts of the organization which appeared to be uncommonly variable. 



In the genus Rhabdosoma, Adams and White, two new species 

 were established, named respectively pirafa and brachyteles. The 

 generic name Rhabdosoma was upheld against Xyphicephale and 

 Xiiihocephalus, and it was argued that the family name Xiphoce- 

 phalidae, referring to the sword-like head, should consequently give 

 place to the equally appropriate name Rhabdosomid^, referring to 

 the rod-like body. 



This paper will be pubHshed entire in :the Society's ' Transac- 

 tions.' 



Dr. Hans Gadow, F.R.S., gave an account of the remains of 

 some gigantic Land-Tortoises recently discovered in Mauritius, 

 along with the bones of the Dodo described in a previous com- 

 munication by Sir Edward Newton and himself. The remains 



