No. 108. 



ABSTRACT OF THE PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON; 



April 23rd, 1912. 

 Dr. 8, F. Haumer, F.R.S., Vice-Piesideiit, in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Scientific Meeting were confirmed. 



Tlie Secretary exhibited a living specimen of a young female 

 Dorsal Hyrax {Dendrohyrax dorsalis) from Nigeria, recently 

 presented to the Society by Mr, J. L, McKellar. 



The Secretary exhibited a number of photographs of an 

 Elephant Ki-aal in Siam which had been pi'esented to tlie 

 Society by the lit. Hon. Sir Cecil dementi Smith, P.C., 

 G.C.M.G. 



Mr. C. H. O'Donoguue, B.Sc, F.Z.S., read a paper on the 

 Cii'culatory System of the Common Grass-Suake (Tropidonotus 

 natrix). Several interesting features correlated with the loss of 

 limbs and the elongation of the body were stated to occur in the 

 blood-vessels. The vessels, like the viscera they supplied, were 

 asymmeti-ical ; not only were those on the right anterior to those 

 on the left, but they were also noticeably larger. No indication 

 of the descent of snakes from a limb-bearing ancestry was to be 

 found in the circulatory system, save perhaps a small pair of 

 veins which might correspond to the pelvic veins in Lacertilia. 

 There was a marked tendency for the vessels to form longitudinal 

 systems, e. g., the arteries supplying the gut and the fat-bodies ; 

 and each ovarian artery formed a longitudinal trunk along the 

 corresponding supra-renal body. The hepatic portal vein arose 

 by two roots, one from each renal portal vein, and ran the whole 

 length of the gut up to the liver. By the side of each oviduct 



* 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 on the 

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

 the »uni of >S7.r SJiii/ini/s per annum, payable in advance. 



