No. 164. 



ABSTRACT OF THE PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.* 



February 20th, 1917. 



Dr. A. Smith Woodward, F.R.S., Yice-PresiJent, 

 in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Scientific Meeting were confirmed. 



The Secretary read a Report on the Additions made to the 

 Society's Menagerie during the month of January. 



Mr. D. Seth-Smith, F.Z.S., Curator of Birds, exhibited the 

 ti'achea from a male Anseranas semijKdmata. showing its extra- 

 ordinary convolution, which had been described by Latham as 

 long ago as 1797. The exhibitor stated that neither in this 

 species nor in Phonygama keraudreni^ another species with a 

 greatly developed convoluted tiachea, did the birds produce any 

 great volume of sound, such as might be expected from so 

 elaborate an ai^rangement. 



Mr. C. J. C. Pool, Assistant Curator of the Caird Insect 

 House, exhibited a series of specimens and some lantern-slides 

 of insects reared in the Insect House during 1916. Experiments 

 showed that melanic variations of the Magpie Moth {^Abraxas 

 grossulariata) were not connected with melanic variations in the 

 larva. In the case of Dragonflies, although the larvse of several 

 British species had been reared to maturity, it was found im- 

 possible under the conditions to feed the full-grown insects, 



* This Abstract is published by the Society at its ofBces, Zoological Gardens, 

 Eegent's Park, N.W., on the Tuesday following the date of Meeting to which 

 it refers. It will be issued, along with the ' Proceedings,' free of extra charge, 

 to all Fellows who subscribe to the Publications; but it may be obtained on 

 the day of publication at the price of Sixpence, or, if desired, sent post-free 

 for the sum of Six Shillings per annum, payable in advance. 



