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Show 1895.] ON THE HEAET OF THE ALLIGATOE. 343 Coke's and Lichtenstein's Hartebeests representing the transitional stages to the purely Cape form Bubalis caama. There is a very curious breed of cattle which is the common form in Urundi, Karagwe, and Mpororo, and also occurs sporadically in Buddu. The most singular feature is the enormous horns, sometimes three feet long and as far apart at the tips. The udder is very small and the hump inconspicuous. They are brown all over, not like the other breeds. They have a peculiar way of walking; the fore and hind feet seem to reach the same spot, so that their paths constitute a series of transverse ridges separated by furrows. It seems that they are closely related to the Galla or Sanga Ox of Abyssinia, which were first discovered by Bruce. The Wahima race, which are in a purer condition in this part of Africa than anywhere else, probably brought these animals with them from Abyssinia, and they have probably remained ever since in this country, i. e. about 5000-7000 feet in the Urundi hills and also in Mpororo. The following papers were read :- 1. On the Structure of the Heart of the Alligator. By F E A N K E. B E D D A R D , F.R.S., Prosector to the Society, and P. C H A L M E E S M I T C H E L L , M.A.., F.Z.S. [Eeceived May 6, 1894.] We have recently had the opportunity of examining the heart of a large Alligator (Alligator lucius), lately living in the Society's Reptile-house. As none of the existing figures of the heart of this Crocodilian, particularly of the valves, appears to us adequate, it seems to be worth while to enter into the matter again. The best and most numerous illustrations of the heart are contained in a work by Prof. Sabatier 2 None of them, however, shows clearly the relative proportions of muscle and fibrous tissue in the auriculo-ventricular valves, which is a matter of such importance in comparing the hearts of the higher vertebrates. Gegenbaur's well-known paper upon the heart of the Crocodile and the Monotreme2 has no illustrations at all, while Prof. Lankester 3 has, in our opinion, not given au absolutely accurate figure of the right auriculo-ventricular valve, though the illustration is sufficient to bring out the points with which he was concerned in the paper, which did not profess to be a detailed description of the Crocodile's heart. The heart of the Alligator, as has already been noted, lies exceedingly far back in the abdominal cavity enclosed 1 "Le Coeur etla Circulation des Vertebras," Inaug. Diss., Montpellier, 1873. 2 " Zur vergleichenden Anatomie des Herzens," Jen. Zeitschr. 1866. 3 "On the Right Cardiac Valve of Echidna, etc.,'' P. Z. S. 1883, p. 8, pi. iv. figs. 1, 2. |