14 



Mr. G. A. BouLENGER also, in the absence of the author, gave 

 an account of a communication by Miss J. Proctor, F.Z.S., 

 entitled " On the Variation of the Pit-Viper, Lachesis atrox." 

 The paper dealt with the variation of the principal characters of 

 the Central and South American Pit-Viper, Lachesis atrooc L., 

 of which she regarded L. lanceolatus Lacep. as a synonym, and 

 L. affinis Gray, jararaca Wied, and jararacussu Lacerda, as 

 varieties. She laid special stress on the different patterns of 

 markings, discussing their evolution and regarding that shown 

 by the more northern f'orm, L. affinis, as the most primitive, 

 from which all others could be derived. 



The next Meeting of the Society for Scientific Business will 

 be held on Tuesday, April 23rd, 1918, at 6.30 p.m., when the 

 following communications will be made : — 



Dr. J. A. Murray, F.Z.S., Acting Honorary Pathologist. 



Report on the Deaths in the Gardens during the Year 1917. 



Prof. Wood- Jones, F.Z.S., Acting Honorary Prosector. 



Exhibition of specimens illustrating the effects of Rickets. 



The following Papers have been received : — ■ 

 Dr. Branislav Petronievics. 



Comparison between the Lower Jaws of the Cynodont 

 Reptiles Qomphognathus and Cynognathus. 



Miss Dorothea M. A. Bate. 



On a new Genus of extinct Muscardine Rodent from the 

 Balearic Islands. (Communicated by Dr. A. Smith Woodward, 

 F.R.S., V.P.Z.S.) 



