No. 168 . 



ABSTRACT OF THE PROCEEDIXGS 



OF THK 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.* 



April 17th, 1917. 



Dr, A, Smith Woodward, F.R.S., Vice-President, 

 ill 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 montli of March, 1917. 



Mr. C. Davies Shereorn exhibited the piece of hairy skin of a 

 Gorilla, which specimen was torn off" the freshly killed beast, and 

 posted to Richard Owen, by P. B. Du Ghaillu, from the interior 

 of the Gaboon. The envelope is postmarked " Etablissements du 

 Gabon, 1 Sept, 1864," and was the precursor of Du Chaillu's long 

 letter of August, 1864, from the Fernand Yaz river on the coast, 

 announcing that six skins were being shipped to London among 

 other specimens. These were registered at the British Museum 

 1 Dec. 1864, 



Mr. D. Seth-Smith, Curator of Birds, exhibited a female 

 Japanese Pheasant {Phasianus versicolor) which had assumed 

 the very nearly complete plumage of the male. The ovaries 

 were found on dissection to be very atrophied. 



A male specimen of the Carolina Duck {JEx sponsa) was also 

 shown in which the colour of the soft parts were similar to 

 those of the female. When living, this bird was thought to be a 

 female in male plumage, but on dissection proved to be a male 

 with atrophied testes. 



Mr. Seth-Smith also showed some specimens of the trachea of 

 various species of Ducks. 



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

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

 it i-efers. It will be issued, along with tlie 'Proceedings,' free of extra charge, 

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

 day of publication at the price of SLrpeii.rc, oi-, if desired, sent post-free for 

 tlie suui of Six Shilling!' per annum, payable in adTauce. 



