1905. | DR. WALTER KIDD ON PAPILLARY RIDGES IN MAMMALS. 297 
of Rhinoceros (/thinoceros bicornis), and made the following 
remarks :— 
“The White Waterbuck was shot in July 1904 on the right 
bank of the Guaso Nyiro river, about 20 miles west of the en ian 
Swamp, British Hast Africa, lat. 1° N., alt. above sea 1000 feet. 
A white doe was alone with the buck. The ordinary Waterbuck 
seen there were all examples of Kobus ellipsiprymnus. The eyes 
of this buck were of the normal colour, not pink. 
“Of the two Rhinoceroses, one was a female and earried two 
normal and two rudimentary horns. She was shot in August 
1904, in dense covert, west of the Jambeni Mountains north-east 
of Mount Kenia, at an elevation of 4150 feet above the sea. It 
was not seen till after death what an imteresting animal she was. 
One of the rudimentary horns was between the ears and the other 
about 4 inches further back. 
“The other individual was a male, and was shot in September 
1904 north of Aberdare range, British East Africa; height above 
sea 9600 feet. The anterior horn showed abnormal growth due 
either to an old injury or excessive wearing away of the outer 
surface from the tip downwards.” 
The Hon. Walter Rothschild, F.Z.S., exhibited specimens of a 
very rare and interesting Marsupial, hitherto unique, in the Paris 
Museum, viz. Dactylopsila palpator Miulne-Edw., which differed 
from D. trivirgata in possessing an extremely thin, prolonged, 
second finger. 
Mr. Rothschild also exhibited two tusks which had been 
obtained by Baron Maurice de Rothschild during his recent 
expedition to Abyssinia. ‘They were so unlike the normal tusks 
of any known animal, that Mi. Rothschild was of opinion that 
they might belong to some new form. 
Mr. A. S, Hirst, F.Z.8., exhibited microscopic preparations of 
anew Hemosporidian from the blood of an African Stork (Lepto- 
ptilus crumeniferus). He poimted out that this parasite belonged 
to the genus Halteridium, but differed from H. danilewskyi in its 
ereater size (Stade moyen 7—10,;), and also in its method of 
sporulation, in which the merozoites were more numerous, 
smaller, and arranged in a ball-like rounded mass. The name 
Halteridium crumenium was proposed for the new species. 
Dr. Walter Kidd, F.Z.8., read a paper, illustrated by lantern- 
slides, ‘On the Papillary Ridges in Mammals, chiefly Primates.” 
The arrangements of the ridges on the hand and foot of 24 
species were shown and described, and their functions discussed. 
Arguments were brought forward to show that their primary 
function was to increase the delicacy of the sense of touch. 
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