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Show 1875.] REV. S. J. WHITMEE ON THE GENUS ANTENNARIUS. 543 head, or even the least forwards. When it took food it flexed the trunk so as to present the orifice forwards. This symptom is one of decay. For the last two years of its life it exhibited marked signs of rheumatism, varying in severity, very considerable at times. This was most manifest on its kneeling down to be saddled. The animal during the last three years of its life looked preter-naturally aged, and worn out. It has never suffered tbe least from cough, and has not become strikingly thin. It carried its saddle and visitors 36 hours before its death, apparently without discomfort, and ate well on the evening of the 6th inst. For about six months the animal did not, as it was formerly wont to do, lie down at night. On the night of the 6th of July it fell on its left side, and did not subsequently make any powerful attempt to rise. The breathing was, when down, unusually rapid (about 25 a minute); and no marked symptoms of pain manifested themselves, general discomfort being evident. It died during the night of the 7th, having at 8*30 P.M. had a large dose (over 100 grs.) of strychnia given it by the mouth. Whether the poison was the cause of death is uncertain. With the exception of one of the lungs, all the organs, the brain included, were perfectly healthy. The lung in question was almost entirely infiltrated with tubercular deposit, not more than one sixth being competent for the respiratory function. The tubercular infiltration was uniform or nearly so, being of a lighter colour and nearly in a condition to break up in the centre of the organ, forming a dark grey solid mass in the more recently affected portions near the margins. It may be mentioned that the teeth just coming into wear had, in both jaws, 23, 24, or 25 plates; they were therefore the sixth molars. The epiphyses of the long bones were firmly united. No entozoa were found. As to the duration of the disease it is not easy to decide. It, no doubt, was of considerable standing; probably it had commenced with the first signs of decrepitude, about three years ago. As to the cause of the tuberculosis, that was probably connected with the animal having been born and bred in captivity in a cold climate. A wild-caught animal 4 or 5 years of age would probably have thriven better. 7. On the Habits of the Fishes of the Genus Antennarius. By the Rev. S. J. W H I T M E E , of Samoa, C.M.Z.S. [Received August 24, 1875.] A few days ago a native brought me a living Antennarius which I at first thought was an undescribed species. Dr. Gunther says of this genus, " there is scarcely another genus of fishes which offers so much difficulty in the discrimination of the species" *. He has * Cat. of Fishes in British Museum, vol. iii. p. 184. PROC. ZOOL. Soc-1875, No. XXXV. 35 |