Zoological Society. 



509 



cies found in the Philippine Islands ; one was variegated with black 

 and white, and the other is of a light chestnut colour, and varied 

 with white. Only one of each of these varieties was seen by Mr. 

 Cuming, and the variety was, in both cases, in company with ordi- 

 nary coloured individuals. 



A letter from the President of the Society, the Earl of Derby, 

 was also read; it is dated Prescot, May 13, 1840, and relates to 

 some crosses which have taken place among the animals in his Lord- 

 ship's menagerie. " A female common Zebra (Equus Zebra) ," says 

 his Lordship, " has lately taken to my young Dshiggetai (Equus 

 hemionus), and is the only animal he has yet appeared to notice in 

 this way. The produce, if any, would, I should tnink, be curious. 



" I think I have often heard that Foxes will not breed in confine- 

 ment, but I have a female which, about two days since, produced 

 three young ; they only lived about two days. The sire is from 

 America." 



His Lordship has reason to believe that a female Fox also pro- 

 duced a similar litter about four years back, but destroyed them. 



On the ' Great Water ' of his Lordship's park, a Bernicle paired 

 with, and constantly accompanied, a Canada Goose, but there was 

 no produce ; this happened last season. In the present one the 

 same Bernicle has paired with a white-fronted Goose, and the pair 

 have a nest with nine or ten eggs. It is not known, in either case, 

 which was the goose and which the gander. 



The Polish Swan has bred with the common species, and his Lord- 

 ship further states, that this year a pair of their cross-breed have 

 laid again, but the eggs are not yet hatched. 



In a letter from Madame Power, dated Messina, March 25, 1840, 

 which was read, that lady states that she had forwarded for the So- 

 ciety's museum some packages containing some bird-skins, and also 

 some molluscous animals and zoophytes, preserved in spirits, from 

 Sicily. 



A paper by John Wyllie, Esq., describing the peculiar structure 

 of the branchial appendages of one of the Indian Siluridde, was 

 read. 



" The fish to whose singular branchial appendages I wish to draw 

 the attention of the Society," says Mr. Wyllie, " is named ' Singee' 

 in the Mahratta, and * Bichoo-Mutchie' (Scorpion Fish) in the 

 Hindostanni language. It is the Silurus Singio of Dr. Hamilton's 

 • Fishes of the Ganges.' " 



" The following description is drawn from memoranda taken at 

 Nagpoor, December 6, 1825 : — 



" B. 7 ; D. G ; P. £ ; V. 6 ; A. 65 ; C. 14 ; Cirrhi, 8. 



" Length of body 1\ inches, breadth at anus one inch. Head 

 much depressed, very hard, without scales, terminating posteriorly 

 in three equal spinous processes, resembling a trident. 



"Body elongated, much compressed; above rounded, below 

 carinated, naked. Colour, when alive, of a very dark olive green; 

 when dead, of a bluish black. Ventral and dorsal fins opposite ; 

 pectoral quadrangular with one very strong sharp bony ray, and 



