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Show 1880.] COL. HEYSHAM ON THE BREEDING OF ELEPHANTS. 23 These animals are in good health and in fine condition, and perfectly tame. The female is hornless. The male has apparently lately shed his horns, as the pair which he bears were quite soft when he arrived. 2. Examples of two rare species of Parrots of the genus Chrysotis, namely Bodinus's Amazon (C. bodini) and the Red-tailed Amazon C. erythrura), purchased December 18, 1879. Both these species are new to the collection. Chrysotis bodini was first described in the Society's Proceedings for 1873 (p. 569, pl. xlix.) by Dr. Finsch, from an example formerly living in the Zoological Gardens of Berlin. In May last year I met with the first example I had ever seen of this species in the Zoological Gardens of Amsterdam (see P.Z.S. 1879, p. 438). Since then I have been fortunate enough to secure a specimen of this Parrot for m y collection, which I now exhibit. From the make of this skin, it is probable that its patria is the Orinoco district of Venezuela, which is rather singular, as the closely allied Cf estiva likewise occurs in the same country. Chrysotis erythrura (Plate II.), of which I likewise exhibit an example, was described by Kuhl in 1821, from a specimen in the French national collection, but is so rare that Dr. Finsch was unable to examine an example when preparing his celebrated Monograph. The first examples of it I ever saw were also at Amsterdam last year (see P. Z. S. 1879, p. 438). One of the pair there noticed happening to die, Mr. Westerman kindly sent its skin to me for m y own collection. The exact habitat of this Chrysotis is still unknown. Dr. Gunther exhibited the drawing of a fish, Holacanthus tricolor, obtained on the coast of the island of Lewes, and communicated to him by the Rev. George Gordon, who examined the specimen whilst in a fresh state. Dr. Gunther stated that this was the first instance of this fish (which is common in the West Indies) having reached the British coast. An extract was read from a letter addressed to the President by Col. Heysham of the Madras Commissariat Staff, giving particulars of two cases of Elephants breeding in captivity in which the period of gestation was observed. The first case was described by Col. Heysham as follows :- Towards the middle of December 1863, when at Thyetmyo, in Burmah, it was reported to m e that three wild Elephants (a male and two females) were doing a great deal of damage near Muadung; and on the 18th of the month, having made all necessary arrangements, I sent some of our Mahouts and Elephants across the river, to try and effect a capture. The following day (the 19th December) I received a report from the Jemadar, that the wild Elephants had joined ours immediately they got near them, and that the male Elephant had covered the four females named in Serjeant Heron's letter. W e several times succeeded in fastening ropes |