656 MR, C. TATE REGAN ON A SPOTTED BASKING CiHARK. 



A collection of animals from Gambia, presented by H.E. Oapt. 

 0. H. Armitage, O.M.G., D.S.O., F.Z.S., consisting of a Wart- 

 Ilog, 6 Guinea Baboons, Marabou Storks, ifeo. 



A small collection of birds from Colombia, presented by 

 Mr. W. K. Pomeroy, F.Z.S., containing 2 Prince Albert's 

 Ourassows and several Tanagers. 



A Tail-lined Tree-Snake, Dendrelaphis caudolineatus, and an 

 Iridescent Snake, Xenopeltis imicolor, from Singapore, both new 

 to the Collection, presented by the Singapore Natural History 

 Society. 



Dr. G. M. Veveus, F.Z.S., exhibited, under microscopes, a 

 series of preparations of the parasitic Protozoon Balantid'mm 

 coli, and described a case of Balantidiosis in a Brazilian Tapir 

 now in the Society's Gardens. 



Prof. J. P. Hill, F.R.S., Vice-President, exhibited a series of 

 photographs of the Australian Lung-Fish (Oeratodas) and of the 

 rivers which it inhabits, and drew attention to the urgent need 

 for effective protection of this rare Vertebrate. 



Dr. N. S, Lucas, F.Z.S., exhibited, and made remarks upon, 

 a mucous cyst from the frontal sinus of a Cercopitheque. 



Mr. C. Tate Regan, M.A., F.R.S., exhibited lantern-slides of 

 photographs of the Spotted Basking Shark (Rhinodon typicus), 

 and made the following remarks :- — 



The first of these photographs represents a specimen 38 feet 

 long captured by Captain Charles Thompson off Miami, Florida, 

 in 1912. It was set up by a taxidermist, mounted on a truck, 

 and taken round for exhibition. At the time certain American 

 newspapers published stories about it that were not strictly 

 accurate, and to the effect that it was a monster unknown to 

 science that had been blown up from the depths by a volcano, 

 etc., etc. The second photograph represents a Rhinodon about 

 30 feet long, which was run into by a large steamship off the 

 coast of Brazil and was carried along for several hours, with the 

 anterior \ of the body on one side of the bows and the rest on 

 the other ; when the vessel stoi:)ped it floated free and sank 

 {cf. Gudger, Natural Histoi-y, xxiii. p. 62, New York, 1923). 

 Mr. Regan also exhibited some deep-sea fishes taken by the 

 'Dana' expedition, under the leadership of Dr. Johannes 

 Schmidt. This expedition cleared u}) the life-history of the 

 Common Eel [Amjuilla vulgaris), but it also accomplished much 

 other work of great importance. The fishes exhibited belong to 

 the very rare and little-known genera G'ujanhira and iSlylophorvs^ 

 which agree in having telescopic eyes placed close together and 

 directed forwards. One Gigantura had swallowed a Chauliodiis 

 considerably lai^ger than itself. 



