Abstract
LONDON.
Zoological Society, November 4.—Prof. W. H. Flower, F.R.S., President, in the chair.—The Secretary read a report on the additions that had been made to the Society's Menagerie during the months of June, July, August, September, and October, 1890, and called special attention to several of them. Among these were a young male example of the Wild Cattle of Chartley Park, Staffordshire, presented by Earl Ferrers; a Water-Buck Antelope (Cobus ellipsiprymnus) from the Somali Coast, presented by Mr. George S. Mackenzie; an example of the Horned Screamer (Palamedea cornuta), obtained by purchase; and a young female of Speke's Antelope (Tragelaphus spekii), presented by Mr. James A. Nicolls.—The Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Dr. A. B. Meyer, a coloured photograph of a singular variety of the Rose coloured Pastor (Pastor roseus), with a red head, obtained near Sophia; and read a note from Dr. Meyer on this subject.—Mr. G. A. Boulenger made some remarks on an early reference to the Syrian Newt (Molge vittata) in Shaw's “Travels,” published in 1738.—Mr. J. J. Lister gave an account of his recent visit to the Phœnix Islands, Central Pacific, and exhibited specimens of the birds and eggs obtained there.—Mr. Smith Woodward exhibited and made remarks upon the calvarium of an adult male Saiga tatarica from the Pleistocene deposits of the Thames Valley. The specimen had been obtained by Dr. J. R. Leeson from recent excavations in Orleans Road, Twickenham, and was the first trace of this Antelope discovered in Britain.—Mr. W. T. Blanford read a paper on the Gaur (Bos gaurus) and its allies, with especial reference to the exhibition of the first living Gaur ever brought to Europe in the Society's Gardens. He described the characters and geographical range of the three allied species of flat-horned taurine Bovines—the Gaur or Sladang (Bison of Indian sportsmen), the Gayal or Mithan (Bos frontalis), and the Banteng (Bos. sondaicas); and he discussed the question whether B. frontalis is ever found in the wild state. —A communication was read from Dr. A. B. Meyer, containing the description of a new species of Squirrel from the Philippine Islands, which he proposed to call Sciurus cagsi.—Mr. R. Lydekker read a paper on a Cervine jaw from Pleistocene deposits in Algeria, which appeared to indicate the former existence in that country of a large Deer allied to Cervus cashmirianus. For this form Mr. Lydekker proposed the name Cervus algericus.—A communication was read from Dr. A. Günther, F.R. S., on the skull of the East African Reed-Buck. In this paper Dr. Giinther described the skull of an Antelope obtained by Mr. H. C. V. Hunter in Masai Land, which he identified with Cervicapra bohor (Rüppell) from Abyssinia. He pointed out the differences from the skull of the South African species, for which the name Cervicapra redunca (Pallas) is generally employed.—Mr. P. Chalmers Mitchell described a graphic formula, designed for the purpose of representing geographical distribution. The regions were indicated by lines, the sub-regions by symmetrically placed numbers. This formula could be drawn rapidly, and printed without engraving.—Mr. W. L. Sclater read the description of a Jerboa from Central Asia, which he proposed to refer to a new genus and species of Dipodinas under the name Eucoreutes naso.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Societies and Academies. Nature 43, 71–72 (1890). https://doi.org/10.1038/043071a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/043071a0