44 



Mr. E. G. BouLEKGEE, F.Z.S., Curator of Reptiles, exhibited 

 a quite young specimen of the Matamata Terrapin (Chelys fim- 

 hriata)^ the shell of which raeasured but 5 cm. in length. This 

 specimen, the smallest yet recorded, differed from the existing 

 descriptions of the young of this species in the under surfaces 

 being of a bright magenta-red instead of pale yellow. Mr. Bou- 

 lenger suggested that as all the young previously described were 

 more than double the size of the specimen exhibited, red might 

 be the normal coloration of the under surfaces as a juvenile 

 livery. 



Dr. W. T. Oalman, F.Z.S., read a paper on Freshwater Decapod 

 Crustacea (families Potamonidse and Pal8emonida3) collected in 

 Madagascar by the Hon. Paul A. Methuen, in which one new 

 species of Potamon and five varietal forms of P. 'niadagascm^iense 

 were described. It is suggested that the River-Crabs of Mada- 

 gascar may have had an autochthonous origin from some form 

 resembling P. madagascariense. No clear affinities can be traced 

 with the Potamonidte of Africa or of Peninsular India, but it is 

 pointed out that in the present state of knowledge the River- 

 Crabs appear to be a hazardous subject for zoogeographical 

 speculation. 



Among the Paleemonidee the most interesting is the species 

 described by Hilgendorf as " Bithynis ? hildehrandti,'" which is 

 figured for the first time. Evidence is brought forward to show 

 that the species has no close affinity with the Pithynis gaudichaudi 

 of Chili and Peru, and that the single character which led to its 

 being refei-red to Bithynis is a matter of individual variation. 



Mr. G. A. BouLENGER, F.R.S., F.Z.S., gave an account of a 

 collection of Reptiles and Batrachians made by Dr. Spurrell, 

 F.Z.S., in the Colombian Choco and presented by him to the 

 British Museum. The series of specimens was of grea.t interest, 

 and contained several new species. 



Mr. C, Tate Regan, M,A,, F.Z.S., read a paper entitled 

 "A Revision of the Cyprinodont Fishes of the Subfamily 

 Pceciliin^e." A number of new genera were defined and several 

 new species were described ; the structure of the intromittent 

 ojgan was found to be of great systematic importance. 



A paper received from Prof. W. N. Parker, Ph.D., F.Z.S,, 

 gave an account of some investigations made on a growth of 

 ,'ipongilla lacvstris iia the Cardifi" Waterworks sj'-stem, and described 

 the methods adopted to eradicate the sponge fiom the infected 

 ai'eas. 



