Zoological Society. 



509 



In size and colouring the Schizodon greatly resembles the Com- 

 mon Rat (Mus decumanus) ; its fur is rather softer than in that ani- 

 mal. Both on the upper and under parts of the body the hairs are 

 of a deep slate-grey colour next the skin ; those on the belly are of 

 a dirty yellow colour. On the back, the hairs are most of them 

 brownish, or yellowish brown near the point, and black at the 

 point. The ears are covered both externally and internally with 

 fine short hairs. The hind-feet have five toes ; the fore-feet also 

 have five toes, but the inner one is veiy small and has a very short 

 nail; the other toes have long, compressed and powerful nails. 

 The hairs of the moustaches are of a dusky colour. 



The discovery of the Rodent above described is due to Mr. T. 

 Bridges, whose notes relating to it are as follows : — " This species 

 of Rodent is very common on the eastern side of the Andes, where 

 it completely undermines the face of the country, especially in dry 

 places, making it very disagreeable for the rider, as the horses are 

 continually plunging into the burrows. It must lay up a winter 

 store, or otherwise migrate, or remain buried in the snow at least 

 three months during the winter season. The specimen is a female." 



November 23. — John Willimott, Esq., in the Chair. 

 Mr. Lovell Reeve exhibited a beautiful new species of Mitra, a 

 genus of pectinibranchiate mollusks, of the family Columellata, which 

 he characterized as follows : — 



Mitra Stainforthii. Mitr. testd cylindraceo-fusiformi, exalbidd; 

 apice basique cinereo-cosrulescentibus ; spird acuminatd ; anfrac- 

 tibus transversim leviter striatis, longitudinaliter costatis ; costis 

 latiusculis, subdistantibus, maculis rufis quadratis vivide pictis ; 

 aperturd angustd ; columelld triplicatd ; umbilico parvulo ; labro 

 externa simplici,fauce ad marginem rubide maculatd. 

 Long. 2^ ; lat. poll. Mus. Stainforth. 

 Hob. ad insulam Burias, Philippinarum. Cuming. 

 Found in coarse coral sand, 7 fathoms. 



" It is with peculiar gratification that I am allowed to introduce 

 into the nomenclature of the Mollusca, the name of my esteemed 

 friend, the Rev. Mr. Stainforth ; a zealous conchologist, and one 

 who, perhaps, stands unrivalled in his beautiful collection of Mitres. 

 The Mitra Stainforthii is somewhat allied to the Mitra sanguisuga 

 of Lamarck : the whorls are longitudinally ribbed as in that species ; 

 but in this, they are wider and more distant from each other ; they 

 are also eminently distinguished by a series of square red spots run- 

 ning from the top to the bottom. The magnificent specimen which 

 has furnished the above description is two inches and a quarter in 

 length ; a few small specimens have been recently found by Mr. 

 Cuming at the island of Burias, one of the Philippines." 



A collection of bird-skins and mammals from Chile was exhibited. 

 The specimens were collected by Thomas Bridges, Esq., in the Andes 

 of Chile, lat. 34°-35°. With this collection Mr. Bridges sent the 

 following notes, which were communicated to the Meeting by 

 H. Cuming, Esq. : — 



Canis Azarce, Pr. Max. Found in valleys on the eastern side of the 



