1885.] TUE SKCRETARY ON ADDITIONS TO THE MENAGERIE. 2-15 



strayed so far southwards, the African Lion being frequently found 

 with a very dark dorsal region and with the long hairs of a more or 

 less intense black ; also the bright tawuy ground-colour of the 

 shoulder in our specimen is very Lion-like. But it would be 

 extremely hazardous to found an opinion on such slight grounds, the 

 more so as we cannot find any trace of structural leonine characters. 



The hairs consist of a soft underfur of fine wool-haii"s, mixed with 

 stouter hairs ; the latter cannot be distinguished microscopically 

 from those of the ordinary Leopard ; and both are almost identical 

 with, perhaps a little more slender than, those of the Lion. 



It is a well-known fact that the Asiatic Leopard exhibits a 

 decided tendency to melanism ; and it is stated that the black 

 Leo|)ards are found chiefly in forest-districts of considerable elevation. 

 So far the conditions under which melanism appears in the Asiatic 

 Leopard seem to be similar to those under which our specimen was 

 reared. On the other hand, the abnormal coloration affects the 

 ornamental pattern of the Asiatic Leopard in a different fashion from 

 that observable in our specimen. In the former the black colour is 

 equally diffused over the whole body, the rosettes retaining their 

 shape and number, and shining with a more intense black through 

 the ground-colour. This is a very different pattern from that of 

 our specimen. Nevertheless, considering all circumstances, I have 

 no better opinion to offer than this, that the specimen is an instance 

 of incipient melanism — the first appearance of the melanotic tendency 

 which is so strongly developed in Asiatic individuals of this widely 

 spread species. 



March 17, 1885. 

 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 February 1885 : — 



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

 gerie during the month of February was 48, of which 20 were by 

 }>resentation, 14 by purchase, 7 by birth, 2 were received in ex- 

 change, and 5 on deposit. The total number of departures during 

 the same period, by death and removals, was 105. 



The most noticeable additions during the month of February were 

 as follows : — 



1. A Viverrine Phalanger {Phalangista viverrina) from Australia, 

 purchased February 10th, being of a species new to the Society's 

 Menagerie. 



2. An Isabelline Lynx {Felis isahellina), received in exchange 

 from the Zoological Gardens, Calcutta, February 27th. This animal 

 has been placed in company with the example of the same species 

 presented in 1882 by Capt. Baldock (see P. Z. S. iS%2, p. 720), 

 with which it seems to agree in every respect. 



3. Two young examples of the American Brown Pelican (Pelecanus 

 rRoc. ZooL. Soc.~l 885, No. XVII. 17 



