SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 239 



Messrs. F. E. Beddard and P. Chalmers Mitchell made a communication 

 on the structure of the heart in the Alligator, as observed in specimens that 

 had died in the Society's Menagerie. 



Mr. Chalmers Mitchell described the anatomy of the Crested Screamer, 

 Chauna chavaria, pointing out some resemblances between the alimentary 

 canal of that bird and the Ostrich, and giving a detailed comparison of the 

 structures of Chauna chavaria and Palamedea cornuta. 



A communication was read from Dr. Percy Rendall containing field- 

 notes on the Antelopes of the Transvaal. 



Dr. St. George Mivart read a paper on the skeleton of Lorius flavo- 

 palliatus as compared with that of Psittacus erithacus. 



May 21st. — Lt.-Coi. Godwin-Austen, F.R.S., V.-P., in the chair. 



Mr. Sclater made some remarks on the Zoological Institutions he had 

 recently visited in Egypt, namely, the new Zoological Garden at Gizeh, the 

 Zoological Museum in the Government Medical School at Cairo, and the 

 Ostrich-farm at Matarieh. 



Mr. Howard Saunders exhibited and made some remarks on a Duck, 

 believed to be a hybrid between the Wigeon and some other species 

 undetermined, which was shot on the Moy Estuary, Co. Mayo, last winter. 



Dr. R. Bowdler Sharpe gave an account of the ornithological collection 

 made by Dr. Donaldson Smith, during his recent expedition into Somali- 

 land and Gallaland, containing about 500 specimens, referable to 182 

 species, of which twelve were new to science. 



Mr. G. A. Boulenger read a synopsis of the genera and species of 

 Apodal Batrachians, and gave a description of a new genus and species 

 proposed to be called Bdellophis vittatus. 



Lt.-Col. H. H. Godwin-Austen read a list of the Land-Molluscs of the 

 Andaman and Nicobar groups of islands in the Bay of Bengal, and gave 

 descriptions of some new species, together with a complete account of the 

 distribution of all the species in the various islands of these two groups. 



A communication was read from Dr. J. Anderson, containing the 

 description of a new species of Hedgehog from Soraaliland, which he 

 proposed to name Erinaceus sclateri. 



A communication from Mr. R. Lydekker contained notes on the structure 

 and habits of the Sea-Otter, Latax lutris. 



A communication was read from Dr. B. C. A. Windle containing remarks 

 on some double malformations observed amongst fishes. 



Mr. F. E. Beddard read a paper on the visceral and muscular anatomy 

 of CryptojJrocta, dealing chiefly with the brain, alimentary canal, and 

 muscles of this Carnivore. — P. L. Solater, Secretary. 



