318 



species obtained by Capt. W. Giffard near Gambaga, in the back country of 

 tbe Gold Coast. — The Hon. Walter Rothschild, F.Z.S., read a memoir 

 on the Cassowaries, which contained notes on and an enumeration of the 

 species and geographical races of these birds. He also exhibited the origi- 

 nals of the plates which are to illustrate the paper when published in the 

 Society's 'Transactions'. — Mr. C. W. Andrews, F.Z.S., gave a description 

 of a new type of bird, the skull and pelvis of which had lately been discovered 

 by Mr. W. H. Shrubsole, enclosed in a nodule in the London Clay of Sheppey. 

 The specimen indicated the existence in the Lower Eocene of a bird nearly 

 related to the Tropic-birds [Phaethon]^ but which, in some respects, approached 

 the other Steganopods (e. g. Sula) more closely than Phaethon did. This was 

 particularly noticeable in the pelvis and hind limb, which, in Phaethon and 

 Fregata^ had undergone great reduction through partial disuse ; while in the 

 fossil they resembled the pelves and hind limbs of the more normal Stegano- 

 pods in their relative size. The author regarded the specimen as belonging 

 to a new form, for which the name Prophaethon Shruhsolei (gen. et sp. nov.) 

 was suggested. — A communication from Mr. J. Y. Johnson, C.M.Z.S., 

 treated of the Antipatharian Corals of Madeira, and of a specimen from the 

 West Indies in the British Museum. The eight species of these Corals found 

 in Madeira, one of which [Leiopathes expansa) was described as new, were 

 dealt with in the paper. A new variety of Aphanipathes Wollastoni, viz. A. 

 Wollastoni pilosa^ was defined, and the name of Antlpathella Brooki was given 

 to a West-Indian specimen in the collection of the British Museum. — A 

 communication was read from Mr. Stanley S. Flower, F.Z.S., containing 

 notes on the Proboscis Monkey [Nasalis larvatus) made on a young male 

 example of this animal which had lived for a short time in the Egyptian 

 Zoological Gardens at Ghizeh, Cairo. — A communication from Mr. Alexander 

 Sutherland on the temperature of the E-atite Birds was based on obser- 

 vations made on specimens of birds of this family in the Society's Gardens. 

 — Mr. G. A. Boulenger, F.R.S., read a paper on the American Spade- 

 foot [Scaphiopus solitarius Holbrook) , in which he pointed out that this frog 

 had affinities with both Pelohates and Pelodytes, and that these three genera 

 together formed one natural family, viz. the Pelohatidae. — Mr. W. L. H. 

 Duckworth read a paper containing an account of the female Chimpanzee, 

 known as "Johanna", living in the Menagerie of Messrs. Barnum and Bailey. 

 The history and habits, diet in captivity, intellectual attainments, physical 

 proportions, and appearance of this Ape were dealt with in the paper, as 

 also was the question of species, the author regarding the specimen as allied 

 to the Chimpanzees rather than to the Gorilla. — A communication from Mr. 

 R. Lydekker gave an account of a new species of Kob Antelope (specimens 

 of which had recently been received in a collection from Sierra Leone), under 

 the name of Cohus nigricans. Mr. Lydekker also drew attention to skins of 

 a Kob from Barotseland, recently received at the British Museum, which he 

 had identified with C. senganus. The specimens of the latter form he stated 

 difi'ered so slightly from the type of C. Varcloni that he was inclined to regard 

 them as not worthy of specific rank, and to refer them to a subspecies which 

 he proposed to call Q. Vardoni senganus. — Mr. Lydekker also sent a de- 

 scription of a specimen of a Leopard from the Caucasus, belonging to the 

 collection of Prince Demidofi", which diflfered in several respects from the 

 Common Leopard, and which he proposed to regard as a subspecies under 



