262 



from the Congo, remarkable for the retention of the right opercular gill. The 

 left opercular gill was absent, but there was no indication that its absence 

 was due to injury. — Mr. R. Lydekker, F.R.S., exhibited and made re- 

 marks upon a pale-coloured specimen of the Reedbuck [Cervicapra arun- 

 dinum], from the Nyasa-Tanganyika plateau. — A communication was read 

 from Dr. Florentino Ameghino, C.M.Z.S., on the primitive type of the 

 Plexodont Molars of Mammalia. In it the author endeavoured to show that 

 this dentition did not originate in the gradual complication of the simple and 

 conical primitive teeth of the Reptilia, but was the result of the fusion of the 

 dental germs and embryos of several simple teeth. — Mr. W. E. de Win ton, 

 F.Z.S., read a paper on the Mammals collected by Mr. F. W. Styan, princi- 

 pally in the Chinese province of Sechuen. The collection contained speci- 

 mens of 22 species, four of which, viz. Chimarrogale Styani^ Soriculus hypsi- 

 bius, Cricetus sinensis^ and Lepus sechuenensis^ were made the types of new species 

 and described in the paper. — Mr. Edgar A. Smith, F.Z.S., read a paper 

 on a collection of Land-Shells from British Central Africa, which had been 

 presented to the British Museum by Sir Harry Johnston, K.C.B. Of the 

 44 species represented in the collection and enumerated in the paper, 24 were 

 found to be new to science. — Mr. Alfred Pease, M.P., F.Z.S., read a paper 

 on the distribution of the Dorcas and Loder's Gazelles in Algeria, in which 

 he pointed out that the former species was not confined to the country im- 

 mediately south of the Atlas Range, but was to be found where suitable 

 vegetation existed in almost all the districts of the Sahara. Mr. Pease had 

 found it in the Mzab Desert, in the neighbourhood of Ouargla, and along 

 with Loder's Gazelle in the sand-dune country south and south-east of 

 Ouargla, and here and there throughout in the Oued Rhir. Mr. Pease had 

 observed the Rime (Loder's Gazelle) only in the sand-deserts. The Dorcas 

 Gazelle was found in the Hoggar and in the neighbourhood of Ghadamis 

 along with the Rime. — Messrs. C. Davies Sherborn, F.ZS., and B. B. 

 Woodward communicated an additional note on the dates of publication 

 of the 'Encyclopédie Méthodique'. — P. L. Sclater, Secretary. 



2. Linnean Society of New South Wales. 



March 29th, 1899. — The President delivered the Annual Address, in 

 which firstly, thé more important events of the Session of 1898 were reviewed. 

 It was gratifying to be able to report satisfactory progress in the usual field 

 of the Society's operations , and important developments in the direction of 

 an extended sphere of usefulness in the future. The Members' Roll remained 

 in practically a stationary condition ; five Members had been elected during 

 the year, four had resigned, and the death of Lieutenant Beddome, of Hobart, 

 had deprived the Society of an ardent conchologist, who was elected into the 

 Society in 1880. Three Parts of the Proceedings for the year had been 

 published and distributed. The concluding Part was almost ready. The vo- 

 lume comprised 833 pages, and 33 plates; and contained 40 papers read 

 during the year. The first Macleay Bacteriologist, Mr. R. Greig Smith, M.Sc, 

 whose appointment was announced a year ago, arrived from England to take 

 up his work, in September last. In November a scheme of expenditure, in- 

 volving an outlay of about £ 660, for fitting up and equipping the laboratory 

 was approved of by the Council, and the work was commenced. One con- 



