482 MR, p. L. SCLATER ON AMERICAN FOXES. [June 7, 



June 7, 1887. 

 E. W. H. Hcldsworth, Esq., in the Chair 



The Secretary read the following report on the additions to the 

 Society's Menagerie during the month of May 1887 : — 



The total number of registered additions to the Society's Mena- 

 gerie during the month of May was 90. Of these 10 were by 

 birth, 53 by presentation, 18 by purchase, 4 by exchange, and .5 

 were received on deposit. The total number of departures during 

 the same period, by death and removals, was 11 . 



The most noticeable additions during the month were : — 



1 . A Tooth-billed Pigeon {Didunculus strigirostris), brought home 

 from the Samoau Islands and presented to the Society by Mr. 

 Wilfred Powell. C.M.Z.S., H.B.M.'s Consul for those Islands. 

 But three specimens of this rare and now nearly extinct Pigeon have 

 previously reached the Society's collection. 



2. Two Red-spotted Lizards {Eremias rubro-punctatd), obtained 

 at Moses's Well, in the Peninsula of Sinai, and presented to the 

 Society by Mr. G. Wigan, 1 7th May, being the first examples of 

 this Lizard that we have as yet received. 



3. An example of a small scarlet Tree-Frog (Dendrobafes typo- 

 graphus), from Costa Rica, presented by Mr. C. H. Blomefield. Mr. 

 Boulenger, who kindly undertakes the determination of the Reptiles 

 received by the Society, tells us that this beautiful little Frog, which 

 is of a nearly pure scarlet colour, is a rare species, of which there are 

 no examples in the National Collection. (See Cat. of Batrachia Sali- 

 entia, 2nd ed. p. 143.) 



Mr. Sclater called attention to two North-American Foxes now 

 living in the Society's Gardens, in adjacent cages, which had given 

 him some trouble in determination. 



One of these, received in exchange January 18th, 1885, and stated 

 to come from Dakota, had been entered in the Rejiister as the Vir- 

 ginian Fox, Ganis virginianus (see P. Z. S. 1885, p. 934), but was 

 certainly, as it now appeared, a Kit Fox (Canis velox) . The second, 

 received in exchange October 23rd, 1886, was the true Virginian 

 Fox {Canis virginianus). 



Mr. Sclater exhibited furriers' skins of these two Foxes, which 

 had been kindly sent to him by Mr. Henry Poland, F.Z.S., and 

 pointed out their differences. 



The following papers were read :- 



