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Show MR. G. A. BOULENGER ON APODAL BATRACHIANS. 401 wishing to breed, a pair was selected and put together in a separate enclosure. Here the eggs were laid, and the birds, as M r . Sclater was assured, took turns in sitting; but many of the eggs were hatched in incubators. In one compartment were contained 11 examples (6 males and 5 females) of the very distinct Somali Ostrich, Struthio molybdophanes. The remainder were all of the typical northern form, S. camelus, with red naked skin; and amongst them were many very fine birds, quite as large as the well-known specimen lately in the Zoological Society's Gardens, from Western Africa, deposited by the Queen. Mr. Howard Saunders, F.Z.S., exhibited, on behalf of M r . R. M . Barrington, a hybrid Duck shot in March last on the M o y Estuary, in the West of Ireland. It was evidently a cross between the Wigeon (Mareca penelope) and some other species ; the other parent being supposed to have been the Gadwall (Chaulelasmus streperus) by some authorities, while others inclined to the Pintail (Dafila acuta), and others again to the Teal (Querquedula crecca). Mr. Tegetmeier exhibited and made remarks on a specimen of a Rook (Corvus frugilegus), one of a number produced in one Rookery, in which every feather of the entire plumage was tipped or spangled with white. The following papers were read :- 1. A Synopsis of the Genera and Species of Apodal Batrachians, with Description of a n e w Genus and Species (Bdellopkis vittatus). B y G. A . B O U L E N G E R , F.R.S. (Plates XXIII. & XXIV.) [Received April 19, 1895.] Whilst describing a new Caecilian it has occurred to me that a revised list of the 42 species of this order now known would prove useful to the student of these interesting but still very imperfectly known Batrachians. Since the publication of the last revision (Cat. Batr. Grad. &c. 1882), in which 11 genera and 32 species were defined, many new species have been described and numerous additions and corrections have been made to the synonymy by Cope, Boettger, Vaillant, Stejneger, and myself. These alterations have all been worked into the list now offered for publication to the Society. In order to facilitate identifications, synopses of the genera and species have been inserted. The prefix of an asterisk indicates that tbe species is represented in the British Museum, PROC, ZOOL, Soc-1895, No. X X V I , 26 |
