1862.] ADDITIONS TO THE MENAGERIE. 139 



gall-bladder than any land animal — from thirty to sixty ounces ; by 

 some physiologists a much larger quantity is given. The daily 

 amount of bile secreted depeu,ds probably upon the quantity and 

 quality of the food. Thus, animals that eat frequently have most 

 likely a larger secretion ; whilst those that fast for a long period (as 

 some of the reptiles), although they possess large gall-bladders, have 

 comparatively a small secretion of bile. There appears to be no im- 

 portant difference between the animal and vegetable feeders ; nor does 

 the absence of a gall-bladder, as far as we can ascertain, influence 

 the quantity of the secretion. 



The Colour of the Bile. — The specimens before the Society, from 

 all divisions of the Vertebrata, show the great variety of colours 

 exhibited by this fluid : all shades of brown, green, and yellow are 

 present, and many of them very vivid and intense. It must be ob- 

 served that animals in confinement often have the bile in an abnormal 

 condition ; and probably the colour is influenced to a great extent by 

 the diseased or healthy condition of the liver — a matter to be spoken 

 of hereafter. 



In fishes the colour is generally of a light yellow, in some incli- 

 ning to brown. In reptiles some of the most vivid browns, yellows, 

 and greens are seen : the last-named colour is not imfrequent in the 

 web-footed birds and in some of the Rapaces ; but the prevailing 

 colours in the birds are browns and yellows. In mammals the intense 

 greens are rarely seen ; but the colours vary from light green to 

 shades of yellow or brown of every hue. The applicabihty of this 

 fluid as a pigment cannot be properly touched upon here. 



In this paper I have spoken entirely from my own observations, and 

 I have handled the matter in a different manner to that of any pre- 

 vious inquirer ; so that zoologists who may hereafter investigate this 

 interesting subject may, by combining my labours with those of others 

 in the same field of research, profit, I hope, by this investigation. 



Mr. A. Murray pointed out the characters of a new Crocodile from 

 the Old Calabar River, West Africa, for which he proposed the name 

 Crocodilus frontatus, as indicative of the large size of the forehead 

 in this species. 



The following lists of the additions to the Menagerie during the 

 months of January, February, and March were laid before the meet- 

 ing :— 



January. 



1 Common Tench 



I Red and Yellow Maccaw 



Presented by 

 Tinea vulgaris C.D.Tanqueray Willaume, 



Esq. 



Ara ararauna | Mr. Atcheler. 



1 Bonnet Monkey ^Macacus radiaius R. Ridgley, Esq. 



1 Chamelion Ckamceleo vulgaris |Dr. Babington. 



1 Pig-tailed Monkey Macacus nemeslrinus ...%. Walden, Esq. 



1 Maltese Pig ^Sus scrofa, var jJ. Cunningham, Esq. 



1 Crested Curassow Crax alector iDr. Kelaart of Trinidad. 



2 Common Ravens \Corvus CQrax Rev. W. Williraott. 



