THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETYS GARDENS. 115 



the somewhat Saurian aspect of its mouth-armature and its resemblance 

 to Chelydra serpentina, the Terrapin Saurian of North America, which 

 has a rudimentary carapace and horny jaws of a Chelonian, and short 

 clawed limbs and long balky serrated tail like that of an Alligator, it 

 was named Chelosauria. The only part of the Queensland ' Sea- 

 Serpent ' that does not appear to be in order is the fish-like forked taiL 

 Beside Miss Lovell, six other whites attested to the description given, 

 whilst a black observed its legs or paws. It belongs to the Tortoise 

 and Terrapins, and not the Turtle section of the Chelonians, and is 

 not the monster Turtle {Carettochelys insculpta) of New Guinea. The 

 description in to-day's issue of ' The Age ' is in accord with that given 

 by Miss Lovell, and, as Tortoises sleep upon the water, the steamer 

 must have run one of these creatures down." — Yours, &c, Arthur 

 H. E. Mattingley (North Melbourne).— The Age, Jan. 27th, 1905. 



THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S GARDENS. 



During the month of February some valuable additions were made 

 to the Mammalia in the Zoological Gardens. First and foremost 

 must be placed a female Kiang, brought back by the troops from Tibet, 

 and presented to His Majesty the King, by whom she has been de- 

 posited in the Gardens. The Society now has three representatives of 

 the Asiatic Wild Asses — a Persian Onager (Eguus hemionus onager), an 

 Indian Ghorkhar (E. hemionus indicus), and a Tibetan Kiang (E. hemi- 

 onus kiang). The value that should be assigned to the different types 

 of Asiatic Wild Asses is still a disputed point. The characters of the 

 Kiang are fairly well known, but it is safe to state that there is more 

 to be learnt about the races of Asses ranging over Central, Western 

 and South-western Asia than about any large mammal in existence. 



Very few Mammalia either dead or alive come to hand from the 

 area of the Palasarctic Region just mentioned. The Society therefore 

 may be congratulated upon acquiring a specimen of the Persian race 

 of Leopard {Felis pardus tullianus), never previously exhibited in the 

 Gardens, and a magnificent male Lynx from the Caucasus. This is a 

 representative of the northern Lynx (F. lynx), which ranges all over 

 the north temperate portion of the Europseo-Asiatic continent, and 

 appears as the Canada Lynx in North America. 



Albino Foxes are said to be very rare. A specimen, therefore, 

 received by the Society on deposit must be considered a great acquisition. 



