The Zoologist/3rd series, vol 1 (1877)/Issue 12/Proceedings of Scientific Societies
PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES.
Linnean Society of London.
Messrs. S.M. Samuel and P. Wyatt Squire were duly elected Fellows of the Society.
Two zoological papers were read. The first by Capt. William E. Armit, of Dunrobin, Queensland, was a "Note on Australian Finches of the Genus Poëphila." Mr. Gould having treated P. Gouldiæ and P. mirabilis as distinct species, and Mr. Diggles having asserted his opinion that the former was the female of the latter, Capt. Armit procured specimens and investigated the habits and change of plumage of both, the result being that he agrees with Mr. Gould that the birds in question are distinct and well-marked species.
The second paper was on Crustaceans, by Mr. E.J. Miers, of the British Museum—"A Revision of the Hippidea." The determination of the species of this small and peculiar group of Anomoiirous Crustacea, and their identification with the brief descriptions of the earlier authors, is both difficult and uncertain. Mr. Miers gave a resumé of the literature on the subject, and, in opposition to the views of the American naturalist, Mr. Dana, supported the older view of the affinities of the group. He remarked that, "Although in their elongated carapace and antennæ the Hippidea have a considerable resemblance to certain of the Corystoidea, as will be seen, e.g. by comparing the Chilian Blepharopoda spinimana and Pseudocorystes sicarius, their true affinities are with the Oxystomatous Brachyura, through the Raninidæ. As regards their geographical distribution, they inhabit all the warmer temperature and tropical seas of the globe. Until recently little has been known of their life-history and habits, but Mr. S.I. Smith, of Connecticut, has lately furnished a detailed account of the development of the common species of the eastern shores of the United States. H. talpoidea lives gregariously, burrowing in the loose shifting sands near low-water mark. Albunea Guérinii and Blepharopoda spinimana have been obtained from deep water, the former in the Gulf of Algiers and the latter in the Bay of Valparaiso."
Mr. Miers concluded by giving a descriptive list of the species of Hippidea, showing the geographical range of each.
A series of interesting botanical specimens were exhibited by different Fellows, and remarks made thereon:—Among others the late Mr. Hanbury's collection of Cardamoms, and a fungus in a sugar cane, by Mr. Holmes, of the Pharmaceutical Society; grape within grape, i.e., adventitious fruit in place of seed, by Dr. Masters; Australian gum trees grown in this country, exhibited by Mr. Alfred O. Walker; and examples of the curious South American genus Colletia, by the Rev. T.H. Sotheby.
Two botanical papers were read:—One "On the Source of the Winged Cardamon of Nepal," by Dr. G. King; the other "On the Self-fertilization of Plants," by the Rev. G. Henslow, wherein the author arrives at conclusions opposed to those expressed by Mr. Charles Darwin in his well-known work on the subject.—J. Murie.
Zoological Society of London.
November 6, 1877.—A. Grote, Esq., Vice-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 and September, 1877.
A letter was read from Mr. R. Trimen, containing remarks on the African species of Sarcidiornis.
A letter was read from Mr. A.O. Hume, containing some remarks on Mr. Howard Saunders' recent paper on the Sterninæ.
The Secretary exhibited, on the part of Mr. G. Dawson Rowley, an egg of Pauxis galeata, laid by a black female bird of this species.
Prof. W. H. Flower read a paper entitled "A further Contribution to the knowledge of the existing Ziphioid Whales of the Genus Mesoplodon," containing a description of a skeleton and several skulls of Cetaceans of that genus from the seas of New Zealand.
A communication was read from Lieut.-Col. R. H. Beddome, containing the descriptions of three new species of reptiles from the Madras Presidency. It was proposed to call these Oligodon travancoriciun, Gymnodactylus Jeyporensis and Bufo travancoricus.
A communication was read from the Marquis of Tweeddale, containing an account of a collection of birds made by Mr. A. H. Everett in the Island of Luzon, Philii)pines. Three new species were named Megalurus ruficeps, Dicæ xanthopygium and Oxycerca Everetti. Mr. D. G. Elliot read some remarks on Felis tigrina (Erx) and its synonymy, showing that F. mitis (F. Cuv.), and F. macrura (Pr. Max.), are identical with that species.
Prof. Garrod read a paper on some points in the visceral anatomy of the Rhinoceros of the Sunderbunds (Rhinoceros sondaicus).
A second communication from Prof. Garrod contained a note on an anatomical peculiarity in certain Storks.
Mr. Edgar A. Smith read a paper in which he described some shells from Lake Nyassa and a few marine species from the mouth of the Macusi River, near Quilimane, on the East Coast of Africa.
A communication from Dr. O. Finsch contained the description of a new species of Petrel from the Fiji Islands, which it was proposed to name Procellaria albigularis.
A second communication from Dr. Finsch contained a report on the collections of birds made during the voyage of H.M.S. 'Challenger' at Tongatabu, the Fiji Islands, Api, New Hebrides, and Tahiti.
Mr. E.R. Alston read a supplementary note on Rodents and Marsupials from Duke-of-York Island and New Ireland. Macropus lugens (Alst.) was shown to be a synonym of Halmaturus Brownii (Ramsay), while Mr. Ramsay's Mus echimyoides and M. musavora were respectively identical with Mus Browni and Uromys rufescens of Alston.
A communication from Mr. L. Taczanowski contained a supplementary list of birds collected in Nortli-Western Peru by Messrs. Jelski and Stolzmann. Two species were new, and it was proposed to call them Rallus cypereti and Penelope albipennis.—P.L. Sclater, Secretary.
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