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Show 1890.] ON BUTTERFLIES FROM CENTRAL AFRICA. 463 what he thought was a stick projecting a few inches above the sandy bottom, and he broke it off and gave it to one of m y native collectors who was with him, and who recognized it as being the broken piece of an animal. The divers then hunted for and secured other specimens, all of which had their terminal bulbs in a perfect condition. The largest specimen, which I have just re-examined, is 16 inches in length, and tapers towards the upper end, but the extreme tip is wanting. The diver described the animals as sticking straight up in the sand, and said that, as soon as ho touched them, they went deeper and deeper down in the sand, and sometimes fixed themselves so firmly that he could only secure them by digging them out with a spade. " Though I was not present at the capture of the specimens I have no reason to discredit the evidence of the diver, who is a keen observer, wholly unacquainted with the English language, and who has certainly never seen or heard of the ' Journal of Researches.' " E D G A R THURSTON." The Secretary called attention to a pamphlet presented to the Society's Library by M . P. A. Pichot, C.M.Z.S.,1 giving an account of the localities in which the Beaver (Castor fiber) is at present found in the Camargue or Delta of the Rhone, and exhibited a map forwarded by M . Pichot in which these localities were exactly shown. Mr. W . T. Blanford, F.R.S., exhibited a photograph, lent by Mr. A. B. Wynne, of a specimen of the Indian Gaur (Bos gaurus) recently killed, and made some remarks on this animal. The following papers were read:- 1. A List of the Butterflies collected by M r . William Bonny on the Journey with M r . Stanley from Yambuya on the Aruwimi River through the Great Forest of Central Africa; with Descriptions of nine new Species. By H. GROSE SMITH, F.Z.S. [Eeceived June 16, 1890.] This collection of Butterflies being the first which has been received in Europe from the Great Forest, a complete list of the species which it contains is given. It will be seen that, with the exception of the species described as new and a few others, the collection consists of species for the most part common on the West Coast, very few species peculiar to the East Coast being comprised in it. 1 See ' Eevue Britannique,' 1888, p. 49. |
