1892.] MR. G. A. BOULENGER ON TESTUDO GRANDIDIERI. 581 



them are examples of the Puisa Ichneumon {Bdeogale puisd), the 

 Black Gallmule {Limnocorax niger), the Madagascar Pratincole 

 (Glareola ocularis), Grant's Francolin {Francolinus granti), and 

 of other species new to the Society's collection. 



4. Two Ypecaha Rails (Aramides ypecalia) from Brazil, pur- 

 chased Oct. 24, new to the Society's collection. 



The Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Mr. Thomas Ground, a 

 specimen of the Siberian Pectoral Sandpiper (Tringa acuminata), -\- 

 shot by that gentleman on Breydon mudflats, in Norfolk, in 

 August last\ and read the following letter addressed to him on this 

 subject : — 



" School Lane, Moseley, 



Birmingham, 



Nov. 14th, 1892. 

 " Dear Sir, 



"I have sent you to-day by L. & N. W. passenger train the 

 specimen of Tringa acuminata for exhibition at the meeting of your 

 Society tomorrow evening. 



" I shot the bird on the 29th August last on Breydon mudflats ; 

 it was in company with a Ringed Plover and three or four Dunlins. 

 The boatman picked it up and threw it into the punt, saying it was 

 a Dunlin. On reaching home I examined the bird, and having 

 never seen a Dunlin with so fine and short a bill, I took it to the 

 stuifers and was agreeably surprised to find a few days afterwards 

 that it had been pronounced to be an example of T. acuminata. 



"Yours faithfully, 



" Thos. Ground." 



For the purpose of comparison with this specimen Mr. Thomas 

 Southwell had, with the permission of the Trustees of the Norfolk 

 and Norwich Museum, kindly sent up the specimen of Tringa 

 acuminata purchased by the late J. H. Gurney in 1848, and at first 

 referred to Ti-inga pectoralis'^ . 



Mr. Southwell wrote that since the specimen was recognized 

 as Tringa acuminata it had been restuffed for the Museum by 

 Mr. Roberts, who was decidedly of opinion that the specimen had 

 been originally (that is when stuff'ed by Knights) set up from the 

 flesh. It had been badly shot in the neck and legs. 



Mr. G. A. Boulenger, F.Z.S., read a paper describing the remains 

 of an extinct gigantic Tortoise from Madagascar {Testudo gran- 

 didieri, Vaill.), based on specimens obtained in caves in South-west 

 Madagascar by Mr. Last, and transmitted to the British Museum. 

 The species was stated to be most nearly allied to Testudo gigantea 

 of the Aldabra Islands. 



This memoir will be published entire in the Society's 'Transac- 

 tions.' 



The following papers were read : — 



1 See 'Zoologist,' 1892, p. 356 et p. 405. 



2 Cf. 'Zoologist,' 1892, p. 405. 



