574 MR. R. E. HOLDING OX THE WILD IRISH GOAT, ETC. [May 29, 



May 29, 1906. 



Frederick Gillett, Esq., Yice-President, in the Chair. 



Mr. R. H. Burne, F.Z.S., exhibited, on behalf of Prof. Stewart, 

 some dissections prepared for the Museum of the Royal College of 

 Sui'geons from material derived from the Society's Gardens. The 

 specimens included the head of a Ki-wi [Apteryx manielli) in sagittal 

 section, showing the relatively large size of the olfactory parts of 

 the brain and the complexity of the olfactory chamber ; the head 

 of a Crowned Crane {Bcdearica regidorum), showing the dilatable 

 pharynx, which by its inflation when the bird crows causes a 

 sudden distension of the gular wattle, and apparently acts as a 

 resonating-chamber ; preparations of the cheek-pouches of a 

 Spotted Cavy {Godogenys paca) and the stomach of a fcetal 

 Giraffe {Giraff'a camelopardalis antiqttoi'umi (S X G. c. ivardi $ ). 



Dr. L. W. Sambon exhibited a series of diagrams illusti'ating 

 the transmission of diseases by Insects and Ticks. 



Prof. Robert T. Jackson exhibited a photograph of the 

 Champley collection of eggs of the Great Auk taken before the 

 collection Avas dispersed, and made remarks on specimens of the 

 bird that had lately come under his notice. He also exhibited a 

 lonff-focLis lens for museum woi'k and dissections. 



The Secretary exhibited the skviU of a Wild Boar that had 

 lately been dug up during building operations in James Street, 

 Oxford Street, W. ^ 



Mr. R. E. Holding exhibited and made remarks upon the skull 

 and horns of a fine male so-called Wild Irish Goat. He stated 

 that these animals existed in considerable numbers in the moun- 

 tainous district of the West of Ireland, and wei-e undoubtedly 

 domesticated Goats which had taken to a wild life and had .'o 

 become to all intents and purposes feral ; that they were of wary 

 disposition and sure-footed, and diflicult to get a shot at. At 

 times, however, during the breeding-season the males came into 

 the lowlands to the she-goats and so were occasionally shot. The 

 age of the specimen exhibited was probably 7 or 8 years. 



Mr. Holding also exhibited the skull of a male domestic Cat, in 

 which the posterior border of the orbit was complete. In the 

 majority of the existing Felidce this portion of the orbit remained 

 open throughout life. There were, however, about four or five exist- 

 ing species, viz. Felis viverrina, F. suhrugosa, F.planiceps, in whicli 

 the orbit was complete ; there was also a figure in de Blainville's 

 ' Osteographie ' called F. longicaudata in which this condition was also 



