2782 Zoological Society. 



of song, they are raised as birds but degraded as animals, since in all these characters 

 they recede from those animals which suckle their young. The division comprises 

 the following groups, in each of which exceptions to one or other of the general cha- 

 racters occur: — 



1. Totipalmes (Cuvier), or the Pelicans. 



2. Longipennes (Cuvier), or the Gulls. 



3. Accipitres, or the Birds of Prey. 



4. Cultrirostres (Cuvier), or the Herons. 



5. Passeres, or the Sparrow order. 



6. Grimpeurs (Cuvier), or the Climbing Birds. 



7. Columbsc, or the Pigeons. 



Of the fourteen groups thus indicated, three appear to the author to require careful 

 revision : these are the Longirostres, the Passeres, and the Grimpeurs or climbing birds, 

 each of which seems to contain genera associated with the rest by admensural rather than 

 physiological characters. It will be seen that two of the divisions, hitherto universally 

 accepted, — the Grallae and Anseres, — are now broken up ; but a moment's considera- 

 tion will show that the length of leg in the one and the webbed feet in the other are 

 merely admensural or structural characters, and occur also in the secretary falcon 

 and the puzzling flamingo.* 



Mr. L. Reeve read an account of Lymnaea Hookeri, a new fresh-water mollusk, 

 which he had just received from Dr. Hooker. It was collected by that gentleman 

 during his recent excursion into Thibet, on the north side of the Sikkim Himalaya, 

 at an elevation of 18,000 feet. This new species of fresh-water mollusk belongs to 

 the same type as our well-known Lymnjea peregra, and affords an interesting addition 

 to the evidence which has been in part collected touching the wide geographical dis- 

 tribution of corresponding forms of plants and animals over those parts of Europe 

 and Asia where there are no extensive mountain barriers. The European Lymnaa 

 stagnalis has been collected as far east as Afghanistan, and the typical form of L. 

 peregra is very characteristic in this species from Thibet. South of the Himalaya 

 range, where Dr. Hooker reckons the snow-line to be 5000 feet lower than it is on 

 the north side, and 3000 feet lower than the locality of this species, the Lynmaeas are 

 of quite a different type ; more especially in the plains of Bengal, where the shell, 

 owing to its being formed in so much warmer a temperature, is of stouter growth, and 

 characterized by some design of colouring. The European types of Lymneea, ranging 

 over Russia and Siberia, appear abundantly in the stagnant waters of North America, 

 and some are identical in species. Lymnaea elodes of Say, inhabiting Pennsylvania, 

 is doubtless the same species as the European Lymnaea palustris ; L. truncatula of 

 the same author appears to be identical with L. desidiosa ; and L. peregra represented 

 by L. Hookeri, in Thibet, is represented in Pennsylvania by Say's L. catascopium. 



The last paper read was by Mr. A. Adams, " On the Animal of Liotia, and on 

 some new Species of that Genus, and of Delphinula." — D. W. M. 



* I shall feel extremely obliged to any reader of the ' Zoologist' who will supply 

 information respecting the young of any bird not universally known. The Cariama 

 (Microdactylus), the trumpeter (Psophia), and the genera Palamedea and Chauna, 

 appear strangely placed at present, although I do not doubt that their admensural 

 and adaptive characters justify their present position in systems dependent on such 

 characters. Can any correspondent supply physiological facts respecting them ?— E. N. 



