624 ON THE BKPROJmOI'ION OF THE DUCKBILL. [DeC. 17, 



latter very small, with 6 rays. Caudal rounded, | or i length o£ 

 head; one of the upper rays may be produced in the males. 

 Caudal peduncle a little longer than deep. 30 or 31 scales in a 

 longitudinal series, 12 or 13 in a transverse series ; a series of pits 

 represents the lateral line. Pale olive-brovs^n above, white below ; 

 females uniform, or with a few reddish-brown dots on the dorsal 

 and on the base of the anal. Males with a purple band on each 

 side of the head, passing round to the other side over the lower 

 jaw, and a median band of the same colour behind the chin, on 

 the branchiostegal membrane ; small carmine-red spots or vermi- 

 culations on the side of the head behind the eye, and often small 

 spots of the same colovu' on the body; a streak or a series, of: 

 spots of crimson along the dorsal and anal and usually two, 

 converging behind, on the caudal, the latter fin l^eing grey 

 between the streaks and pure white outside them ; lower border 

 of pectoral sometimes crimson. 



Total length 63 millim. No difference in size between the 

 sexes. 



Numerous specimens were obtained in September 1901 at 

 Agberi in shallow creeks and flooded yam-plantations. 



This species is most nearly related to F. sjoestcdti Lonnberg,. 

 from Camaroon, which has 17 or 18 rays to the dorsal fin, 35 scales, 

 in the lateral line, and the posterior dorsal and anal rays much 

 produced and filamentous iu the males. The rudimentary pseudo- 

 iDranchisB, which exist in the East-African F. orthonotus Peters 

 and F. guentheri Pfejff., and on which Peters's genus NotJiohrancMus 

 is founded, are not to be found in F. gvlaris. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XXXVIT. 



Fig. L Phractura ansorgii, with enlarged upper view of liead, p. 623. 



2. Funclulus giilarls, luale, with enlarged lower view of head, p. 623. 



3. Ditto, female. 



December 17, 1901. 



Prof. G. B. Howes, LL.D., P.E.8., Vice-President, 

 in the Chair. 



A communication was read from Mr. G. Metcalfe, M.A., 

 drawing attention to the folloAving entry in the ' Proceedings ' for 

 1893 (p. 505) :— " The Hon. Walter Eothschild, F.Z.S., exhibited 

 and made remarks upon .... a specimen of the egg of the Duck- 

 bill {Ornitliorhynclms anatinus) stated to have been taken out of 

 the pouch of the mother in Queensland." A statement that the 

 Duckbill laid its eggs in its burrow had also been placed on the 

 label of the specimens. in the Natural History Museum. 



