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Show 1879.] PROF. FLOWER ON THE SKULL OF OTARIA. 551 its tail is imperfect, so that I am at present unable to solve Mr. Elliot's doubts1 as to the validity of the species. 3. A young male Patagonian Sea-lion (Otaria jubata), presented by F. E. Cobb, Esq., Manager of the Falkland-Islands Company, at Stanley, Falkland Islands, M a y 20th. This is a most acceptable present, as we have at present only two female Otariee in the Gardens, and these animals thrive and breed in captivity. The new animal is believed to be about two years old, and was captured in the Falkland Islands in March last. At present he is considerably inferior in size to the two females, being not more than 4 feet in length. 4. A Saki Monkey (Brachyurus), purchased May 24th. This Monkey we purchased as an example of Brachyurus rubi-cundus2, and probably belongs to that species, although it does not quite agree with the published descriptions and figures. An accurate examination of it can only be made after the death of the animal, when a further notice of this rare species shall be given. Mr. Sclater exhibited a skin of Ara glauca (Vieill.) from Corrientes, belonging to M . Boucard's collection, and stated that, after comparing it with the bird in the Society's Gardens, purchased in June 1860, and named in the 'List of Vertebrates' (1877, p. 240) Ara glauca, he had come to the conclusion that the latter bird was certainly not an example of Ara glauca, but belonged to the allied form Ara leari?, readily distinguishable by its larger size and intense blue colouring, almost as fine a blue as in Ara hyacinthina. The two species were well represented and distinguished in Souance's ' Perroquets,' pi. i. There were, therefore, four species of wholly blue Aras, namely :- 1. Ara hyacinthina, ex Amazonia inf. 2. A. leari, Bp., ex patr. ign. 3. A. glauca (Vieill.), ex Paraguaya. 4. A. spixi, ex Brasilia boreali. Of all these, except A. glauca, the Society's collection now contains living examples. Prof. Flower laid before the Meeting the skull of the female Otaria lately living in the Southport Aquarium (exhibited at the last meeting by Mr. Jackson), and stated that it belonged to the species originally described by Dr. McBain in the Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh (vol. i. p. 422; meeting of Feb. 24th, 1858) as Otaria gillespii. The original specimen was obtained from California-as was the present example, and others now living in the Brighton Aquarium and in several menageries on the Continent. A fine skeleton of this species from Japan had long 1 Monograph of the Hombills, part i. 2 See Casteln. Voy. M a m m . pi. iv. fig. 2, and Bates s Amazons (1864), p. 388. 3 Sittace leari, Finsch, Papageien, i. p. 392. |