416 DR. C. I. FORSYTH MAJOR ON DENTAL [Mar. 15, 



March 15, 1904. 



Dr. Henry Woodward, F.R.S., Vice-President, 

 in the Chair. 



The Secretary read tlie following report on the additions that 

 had been made to the Society's Menagerie in February 1904: — 



The registered additions to the Society's Menagerie during the 

 month of February wei-e 68 in number. Of these 31 wei-e acquired 

 by presentation and 12 by purchase, 19 were received on deposit 

 and 6 by exchange. The total number of departures dui'ing the 

 same period, by death and removals, was 89. 



Among the additions special attention may be called to : — 



1, Two Asiatic Wapiti, presented by the President on Feb. 23, 

 probably representing a distinct subspecies. 



2. A stallion Kiang {Equus hemionus), obtained by purchase 

 on Feb. 26. 



Mr. Frank Slade, F.Z.S., exhibited and made remarks upon 

 a living Bantam hen which had on each of her wings a well- 

 developed thumb and claw. 



Dr. C, I. Forsyth Major, F.Z.S., exhibited some dental pecu- 

 liarities in a Rodent {Hystrix leucura Sykes), a Springbok Ante- 

 lope {Antidorcas euchore (Zimm.)), and a Tertiary Shi-ew (" Sorex 

 pusillus H. V. Mey., var. grivensis Dep."), and made the following 

 remarks : — The specimens exhibited have in common the peculiarity 

 of possessing additions to what is or is believed to be the normal 

 number of teeth in theii- respective groups ; otherwise, however, 

 these peculiarities belong to very different categories. The 

 specimens are : — 



I. Cranmm of an Indian Porcupine, Hystrix leucura Sykes, $ 

 (text-fig. 79, p. 417), sJioiving in the maxillary Jive cheek-teeth, 

 four being the tosual number. 



The skull, which is of vmusually large size (basal length =143*5 

 millim.), was placed in my hands by Prof. G. B. Howes, to whom it 

 had been presented by Captain Stewart R. Douglas. The locality 

 given is Datta Khel, Tochi Valley, Bunnu District, Punjab. 



Variations in the numbei- of teeth are exceedingly rare in 

 Rodentia, if we except one family, the Bathyergidee. Almost 

 the only case recorded in literature of a supernumeiury tooth in 

 another family is the one mentioned by Charles Darwin, in 

 the skiiU of the lop-eared vai'iety of the domestic rabbit - in that 

 case " there was an additional molar tooth on each side of the 

 upper jaw, between the molars and pi-emolars ; but these two teeth 

 did not correspond in size." * 



* Charles Darwin, " The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication," 

 2nd ed. vol. i. p. 125 (1875). — Only one similar case amongst Leporidse has since 

 been recorded, curiously enough in the very same variety of the domestic rabbit ; 

 the supernumerary tooth was, bowever, present on one side only (H. v. Nathusius, 



