No. 109. 



ABSTRACT OF THE PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.^ 



May 7th, 1913. 

 Prof. E. A. MiNOHiN, F.R.S., Yice-President, in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Scientific Meeting were confirmed. 



Mr. R. I. PococK, F.R.S., F.L.tS., F.Z.S., Superuitendent of 

 the Gardens, exhibited a skin and a living sjjecimen of a fawn 

 variety of the Brown Rat {Epimys norvegicas), which had been 

 caught on an island in the middle of Loch Oorrib, Co. Galway, 

 and presented to the Society by Lord Headley. Mr. Pocock 

 remarked that althougli similarly coloured varieties of this rat 

 had been caught now and again in difierent parts of England, it 

 was especially interesting to put on record Lord Headley's state- 

 ment that it was quite common on the island, no fewer than 

 eleven having been trapped while others had been seen ; and that 

 it did not occur, so far as was known, on the mainland. Typically 

 coloured brown rats lived on the island as well. 



Mr. D. Seth-Smith, Curator of Birds, exhil)ited two horn-like 

 sheaths which had been shed from the orange-coloured patch at 

 the base of the lower mandible of the King Penguin {Aptenodytes 

 pennanti) living in the Society's Gardens. Mr. W. E. de Winton 

 had obsei-ved the sheddina: of this epidermal sheath in a bird living 

 in the Gardens in 1898 (P. Z. S. 1898, p. 900) ; but although the 

 present specimen had been cai'efull}^ watched during two successive 

 moults in March and October 191 1 (P. Z. S. 1912, p. 60), no sign of 



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

 Eegents Park, N.W., on the Tuesday foUowing 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 thp 

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

 the sum of Six Shii/h/r/s pcj- annum, paynble in advance. 



