480 OAPT. R. B. MURRAY ON A GIANT CENTIPEDE, 



Mr. G. 0. RoBSON, M.A., F.Z.S., exhibited, ami made remarks 

 upon, the snail Planorhis dvfouri Graells, the intermediate host 

 of Schistosoma (Bilharzia) hcematobium., in Portugal. 



Dr. G. M. \7"EyEr^cj^ P.Z.S., gave an account of his recent visit 

 to Zoological Gardens in Holland and Belgium. 



April 24tli, 1923. 



Prof. E. W. MacBride, P.R.S., "Vice-President, 

 in the Chair. 



Tlie Secretary read the following Report on the Additions to 

 the Society's Menagerie during the month of March, 1923 :— 



The registered additions to the Society's Menagerie during the 

 month of March ivere 234 in number. Of these 154 were 

 acquired by presentation, 21 were deposited, 54 were purchased, 

 1 was received in exchange, and 4 were born in the Menagerie. 



The following may be specially mentioned : — 



2 Black Spider-Monkeys (Ateles ater), from Soutli America, 

 purchased on March 21st. 



1 Indian Wild Dog (C^/on dukhuensis), from the Central Pro- 

 vinces, India,, presented by Major T. S. Paterson on March 2nd. 



3 Axis Deer (Axis axis), from India, presented by James A. 

 de Rothschild, Esq., on March 29th. 



1 female Llama, presented by A. H. Wingfield, Esq., F.Z.S., 

 on March 24th. 



Capt. R. B. Murray, F.G.S., F.R.G.S., exhibited living and 

 mounted specimens of a Giant Centipede from Trinidad, and'made 

 the following remarks : — 



The two specimens of the Giant Centipede recently presented 

 to the Zoological Gardens were captured on the small island of 

 Gasparee on the west coast of Trinidad and in the Gulf of Paria, 

 which latter separates the island of Trinidad from the Spanish 

 Main, or Venezuela. 



The species is confined to the tropical latitudes of South 

 America, and in certain localities is by no means uncommon, as, 

 for instance, amongst the Gulf islands of Trinidad, which enjoy 

 the reputation of breeding " the largest centipedes in the world." 

 Trinidadans are familiar with this little dragon of the islands, 

 yet remarkably enough it is not known to have been found on 

 the mainland of Trinidad, though the whole group of islands are 

 closely associated both geographically and geologically. It is, 

 however, possible that the Gulf islands offer certain peculiar 

 conditions of environment favouring their existence, and that 

 their occurrence on the mainland of Ti-inidad has escaped 

 observation by reason of their comparative scarcity. 



