OCR Text |
Show 1876.] MR. P. L. SCLATER ON EMYS HAMILTONII. 751 The palatal notch extends forwards to the level of the middle of the third molar. millim. Total length of skull 44 Length of nasal bones 13 „ frontal suture 14^ Least width of frontals. ,. 11 Distance between incisor and first molar 8^ Length of upper molar series 8 „ lower molar series 8 The skin of a fully adult male was obtained by Mr. E. Bartlett at Chamicuros, Huallaga River. November 21, 1876. Prof. W. H. Flower, V.P., F.R.S., in the Chair. The Secretary read the following report on the additions to the Society's Menagerie during the month of October 1876. The total number of registered additions to the Society's Menagerie during the month of October was 91, of which 52 were acquired by presentation, 18 by purchase, 2 by exchange, 2 were bred in the Gardens, and 17 were received on deposit. The total number of departures during the same period, by death and removals was 155. Mr. Sclater exhibited the skin of a young Rhinoceros belonging to Mr. W . Jamrach. The animal had been captured in the Sunderbunds, near the Ray Mangal river, in May last, and brought immediately to Calcutta, where it only lived 24 hours. Mr. Sclater called attention to the folds in the skin, which were exactly those of Bh. sondaicus, though it remained to be proved whether the Rhinoceros of the Sunderbunds was really identical with the Malaccan and Javan forms. According to Mr. Jamrach's information, the females of the species obtained in the Sunderbunds were entirely destitute of any horn*, which would appear not to be the case in the Javan animal. Mr. Sclater believed that this was the first specimen of the Rhinoceros of the Sunderbunds that had been brought to this country. The Secretary exhibited, on the part of Mr. A. Anderson, F.Z.S., coloured drawing of Emys hamiltonii, taken from life, from a specimen that was captured at Futtehgurh (Ganges) in April last, The occurrence of this, our handsomest emydine in India, a species chiefly confined to Lower Bengal, so far west as Futtehgurh (some 700 miles) was stated by Mr. Anderson to be of great interest. It proved, on dissection, to be a female, and measured across the carapace 10X9*6 inches. * The Bhinoceros inermis of Lesson (Compl. aux ceuvres cle Buff. ed. 2, vol. p. 514) appears to have been based on such a female.-P. L. S. |