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Show 358 MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE DEATH OF A LEOPARD. [May 4, bare band of considerable extent, on the actinal surface, between the anus and the actinostome. This is more marked than any space on the actinal surface of E. depressa. The final question as to the specific relationship of the form now under description appears to me to be one which lack of material prevents us from answering completely. The considerations which I now adduce, and a comparison of this specimen with the figure given by Prof. A. Agassiz of E. depressa (and of Conoclypeus) will prevent us from associating it with that species ; it can hardly be, I think, a young specimen of E. hellei, if, indeed, that be a distinct species. Unfortunately we have no intermediate specimens, and Dr. Traquair has no information with regard to this one, which might help us to determine whether or no it be a young specimen of the widely distributed E. oviformis. If such be not the case, it will be the young of some undescribed and unknown Echinolampas, with which, when found and described, there will, I hope, be associated the .name of the eminent naturalist to whose kindness we owe the present opportunity of inspecting this very interesting form. Mr. W. A. Forbes exhibited a small fragment of bone which had caused the death of a Leopard (Felis pardus) in the Society's Menagerie on April 20, under the following circumstances :- For about a week previous to its death the animal, a fine adult male, had refused food, and, having been separated from its companions, was noticed by the keeper to be apparently suffering from some intestinal obstruction. The animal was in good condition and very fat. On opening the abdominal cavity after death, about a gallon of an opaque, dirty-red-coloured, chyly-looking fluid was found in it. There was a large clot of indurated faeces in the large intestine. In addition, near the commencement of the jejunum, was found a small bolus of straw that had been swallowed, as is often done by these animals in the absence of grass. In this a triangular splinter of bone, about 1| inch long by 1 inch high, with a very sharp edge, had become impacted firmly, so much so as to perforate the walls of the intestine, and to project outside into the abdominal cavity for about 1 of an inch. The movements of the animal, or tbe peristaltic action of the intestines, had caused this sharply-projecting angle of the bone to cut through the intestinal walls for the distance of some 2 inches. Through this wound the juices of the stomach and intestinal canal, together with the fluid swallowed by the animal had apparently leaked, and had given rise to the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity which had caused death. Prof. Flower called the attention of the meeting to the fact that a young specimen of the Lesser Fin-Whale (Balanoptera rostrata), fifteen feet long, taken off the coast of Cornwall, was now being exhibited in London. The following papers were read :- |