Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 2 (1878).djvu/133

Rh by no means regarded as a primitive type of structure, but rather in Raia, and especially in the ventrals of Polyodon. He objected to Gegenbauer's view tbat the metapterygium formed the limb-axis of the cheiropterygium, advocating instead the propterygium, or, if not that, then the mesopterygium. He cited the varying conditions described as evidences of the presence of an innate intraorganic polar force as the main agent in morphological modifications.

A communication was read from Mr. W.A. Forbes, containing an account of the birds collected by the 'Challenger' Expedition at Cape York and on the neighbouring islands. The collection consisted of sixty-one skins, referable to thirty-eight species, all or nearly all of which belonged to well-known Australian forms, one or two only being uncertain on account of the immature condition of the specimens.

A communication was read from Mr. Francis Nicholson, in which he gave an account of a small collection of birds made in the neighbourhood of Abeokuta, West Africa. Amongst these was a new species of finch, which it was proposed should be called Amadina Sharpei.

The Rev. S.J. Whitmee read a paper on the mode of the manifestations of anger, fear, &c, in fishes, and on the use of their spines, as observed by him during his residence in the Samoan Islands.

Messrs. P.L. Sclater and O. Salvin gave an account of the collection of birds made by Professor Steere during his recent journey across South America, from Para to Callao. The 911 specimens obtained were stated to be referable to 362 species, of which five were described as apparently new to science, and proposed to be called Oryzoborus atrirostris, Myiarchus semirufus, Furnarius pileatus, Capito Steerii, and Crypturus transfasciatus.

Prof. Garrod read a note on the anatomy of the Binturong, Artictis binturong, and the fourth portion of his series of notes on the anatomy of Passerine Birds.

Mr. Howard Saunders read a paper on the subfamily of the Larinæ, or Gulls, being a monographical revision of the group, which he considered to consist of the genera Pagophila, Rissa, Larus, Rhodostethia and Xema, containing altogether forty-nine species. With regard to Pagophila, he drew attention to a structural peculiarity which appeared to have been previously unnoticed—i. e., the junction of hallux to the inner toe by a serrated membrane. Mr. Saunders also remarked upon the occasional presence of a small but well-developed hind toe and claw in individuals of the Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) from Alaska.

A communication was read from Mr. Martin Jacoby, containing descriptions of some new species of Phytophagous Coleoptera.

Two communications were read from Lieut.- Col. E,. H. Beddome. The first gave a description of a new form in the family of Tree-agames from the higher ranges of the Anamallays, proposed to be named Lophosarea