No. 146. 



ABSTRACT OF THE PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON* 



May 25th, 1915. 



Prof. E. W. MacBrxde, D.Sc, F.R.S., Vice-President, 

 in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Scientific Meeting were confirmed. 



Mr. R, I. Pocock, F.R.S., F.Z.S., Curator of Mammals, ex- 

 hibited two pieces of skin cut from the shoulder of a wild boar 

 and a wild sow (Sios scrofa) to show the difference in thickness 

 between the two, the skin of that area in the boar being about 

 four times as thick as in the sow. 



Mr. Pocock also exhibited some skins of Asiatic and African 

 Porcupines, and pointed out the gradation that could be traced 

 from the Bornean Trichus through Atherura to Hystrix in the 

 shortening of the tail, the evolution of the rattle, the growth of 

 the crest on the head, and the elaboration of the spine-armature. 

 He also showed a piece of the skin of a Javan Porcupine with 

 some of the quills cut short to illustrate their definite arrange- 

 ment in short, regular transverse rows, 



Mr. Stanley Hirst, F..Z.S., presented a note on a minute 

 blood-sucking mite belonging to the family Camasida3, found on 

 Couper's Snake in the Society's Gardens, which he described as a 

 new species of the genus Ichoronyssus . The adult female 

 presents a remarkably close resemblance to the protonymph stage 

 of other species of that genus, and therefore this species must be 

 regarded as a primitive form. 



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

 Regent'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 en the 

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

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



