46 



{ittificial patterns. The experiments showed that obliterative, 

 or counter-shading could be produced by blended black-and- 

 white pattern, and that beyond the blending distance, inter- 

 ruptions at the margin of a pattei'n, or similarly placed eye-spots, 

 blur the margins. The laboratory expeiiments were compared 

 with actual patterns of animals. 



Dr. MoTTRAM also read a paper "On the Distribution of 

 Secondary Sexual Characters amongst Birds, with relation to 

 their Liability to the Attack of Enemies." The paper was based 

 upon a statistical enquiry into the possible existence of a 

 correlation between these factors. 



Mr. C. BoDEN Kloss, F.Z.S., F.R.G.S., contributed a paper 

 on a collection of Mammals made by him on the coast and 

 islands of S.E. Siam, over 500 specimens being obtained. One 

 species and twenty-two subspecies were described as new. 



Two papers, dealing with the Fauna of West Australia, were 

 received from Prof. W. J. Dakin, D.Sc, F.Z.S. The first paper 

 contained the description of a new Land ISTemertean, the first to 

 be recorded from West Australia. The second paper described a 

 new prawn-like Crustacean of the genus Fcdcemonetes, which 

 genus had not hitherto been recorded in Australia. 



The next Meeting of the Society for Scientific Business will be 

 held on Tuesday, November 23rd, 1915, at half-past Five o'clock 

 P.M., when the following communications will be made : — 



EXHIBITIOKS AND N0TICE 8. 



G. A. BouLENGER, F.R.S., F.Z.S. 



(1) A List of the Snakes of East Africa, North of the 

 Zambesi and South of the Soudan and Somalilaiid, and of 

 Nyassaland. 



(2) A List of the Snakes of North-East Africa., from the 

 Tropic to the Soudan and Somaliland, including Socotra. 



(3) Descriptions of a new Amphisbfena and a new Snake 

 discovered by Dr. H. G. F. Spurrell in Southern Colombia. 



