LION-CUBS BORN IN THE GARDENS. J095 



Dr. C. W. Andrews, F.R.S., F.Z.S., exhibited, and made 

 some remarks upon, an imperfect phalangeal bone belonging to 

 one of the curious clawed Perissodactyls, the Ancylopoda {Ohali- 

 cotheroidea). Although only a scrap of bone, it is quite charac- 

 teristic, and there is no doubt about the determination. The 

 interest of the specimen lies in the fact that this is the first 

 recorded occurrence of the group in Africa : members of it are 

 known from Europe, Asia, and America in beds of ages ranging 

 from the Eocene up to the late Pliocene or early Pleistocene, 

 the Pleistocene forms being confined to Asia. The beds from 

 which the present specimen comes are of late Pliocene or, more 

 probably. Pleistocene age, and are situated on the Bunyoro side 

 of Lake Albert: remains of Hippopotamtbs phacochcerus, Crocodile, 

 and fish were also found. It is interesting to note that a species 

 of Chalicotherium is found in the Pliocene beds of Samos asso- 

 ciated with Samotherium, a close relative of' the existing Okapij 

 and it may be suggested that possibly a still surviving Chali- 

 cothere may be the basis of the persistent rumours of the 

 existence in Central Africa of a large Bear or Hysena-like 

 animal. The specimens were collected and sent to the British 

 Museum by Dr. Wayland, Director of the Geological Survey of 

 Uganda. 



Mr. D. Seth-Smith, Curator of Mammals and Birds, exhibited 

 a series of lantern-slides of Lion-cubs born in the Society's 

 Gardens. He said that since 1887 no lion-cubs born in the 

 Gardens had lived more than a very short time. At the present 

 time there were two families of cubs, one of two and the other of 

 four, the former being over three months and the latter about 

 nine weeks old. Both families had been born and were being 

 reared in the outside cages of the Lion House, and at present 

 appeared to be thriving. 



Mr. Seth-Smitii also exhibited a living specimen of the 

 Mangabey described in 1899 by Dr. Sclater as C'ercocebus congicus 

 (P. Z. S. 1889, p. 827), and pointed out that it was without 

 doubt a semi-albino variety of Gercocebus aferrimus. 



Dr. Carl Absolon exhibited a large series of drawings and 

 photographs of Cave Animals from the Balkans. 



Mr. E. A. Spaul, B.Sc, F.Z.S., gave an account of his experi- 

 ments on acceleration of metamorphoses of Frog-tadpoles by 

 injection of anterior-lobe pituitavy-gland extract and iodine. 



