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Show 1879.] MR. R. B. WHITE ON ATTA CEPHALOTES. 713 December 2, 1879. Prof. A. Newton, F.R.S., Vice-President, in the Chair. The Secretary made the following report on the additions to the Society's Menagerie during October 1879 :- The total number of registered additions to the Society's Menagerie during the month of October was 133, of which 2 were by birth, 93 by presentation, 30 by purchase, 4 were received in exchange, and 4 on deposit. The total number of departures during the same period, by death and removals, was 119. The most noticeable addition during the month was An example of Elliot's Guinea-fowl (Numida ellioti), purchased October 2nd. This is the first living example we have yet acquired of this peculiar Guinea-fowl, which was first described in the Society's Proceedings for 1877, p. C52, by Mr. Bartlett. It was transmitted from Zanzibar, along with other examples of the same species and examples of the Vulturine Guinea-fowl (Numida vulturina) and of the Mitred Guinea-fowl (Numida mitrata), and is from some part of the East-African coast. A letter was read addressed to the Secretary by M r . E. L. Layard, F.Z.S., urging the desirability of the adoption by naturalists of a fixed scale of colour in describing animals. Mr. Tegetmeier exhibited the head of a Deer (Cervus dama) from which the antlers had been sawn off close to the burr. The animal had escaped shortly after this operation, and had been shot subsequently. It was then found that a new pair of antlers had grown, each one taking its origin in a ring surrounding the base of the previous cut antler, which remained attached to the skull. The new antlers were imperfectly developed, very irregular, and unsymmetrical. The following letter was read, addressed to the Secretary by Mr. Robert B. White, C.M.Z.S., H.B.M. Acting Consul at Medellin, U. S. of Colombia. Medellin, U. S. of Colombia, S. A. August 24th, 1879. SIR,-I beg to communicate to you the following observations upon the habits of a species of Ant (Atta cephalotes), and upon a method of defence against the ravages of this insect. There are two varieties of this ant recognized by the people here:- a large insect which attacks and carries off indiscriminately all classes of foliage ; and an insect one third smaller, which in a similar manner attacks grasses and minor vegetation. The habits of both ants are identical; but the large kind is that which causes most injury to plantations. Having observed that no vegetation comes amiss to this ant, that, 46* |