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Show 1892.] DR. H. GADOW ON GIGANTIC LAND-TORTOISES. 665 December 20, 1892. Osbert Salvin, Esq., F.R.S., Vice-President, in the Chair. A letter addressed to the Secretary by Dr. A. B. Meyer, C.M.Z.S., dated " Royal Zoological, Anthropological, and Ethnographical Museum, Dresden, December 8th, 1892," was read. Dr. Meyer said :-" Not being aware that Semnopithecus nemceus has been recorded from the island of Hainan, but only from Cochin China, I beg to state that the Dresden Museum has recently received a male specimen of this Monkey together with other objects from there. I cannot perceive any differences in this specimen from the descriptions and figures of the continental animal, but may remark that the specimen is in a bad state and that the hair of the head is partly torn out." A communication was read from the Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, entitled " Descriptions of nine new Species of Amphipodous Crustaceans from the tropical Atlantic" This communication contained descriptions and figures of some Hyperidean Amphipoda collected by M r . John Rattray when on board the 'Buccaneer' at the beginning of 1886. The specimens had been taken in the tropical Atlantic off the west coast of Africa, by a series of " tow-nettings " carried out at the expense of Dr. John Murray and M r . J. Y. Buchanan. In the genus Scina, Prestandrea, seven new species were instituted, which were named respectively : acanthodes, stenopus, cedicarpus, concors, rattrayi, similis, and uncipes. Of these S. acanthodes was remarkable among the Hyperidea for the spine-like processes along the back, while S. stenopus was distinguished for a slenderness of the body and appendages unusual in the genus. The earliest example of Scina known to science had been obtained by Banks and Solander on Captain Cook's first voyage round the world and had been figured at the time by their ill-fated ' natural history painter' Sydney Parkinson. Since then the genus had yielded few specimens but many species, the distinctive characters depending chiefly on certain parts of the organization which appeared to be uncommonly variable. In the genus Rhabdosoma, Adams and White, two new species were established, named respectively pirata and brachyteles. The generic name Rhabdosoma was upheld against Xyphicephale and Xiphocephalus, and it was argued that the family name Xiphoce-phalidae, referring to the sword-like head, should cousequently give place to the equally appropriate name Rhabdosomidae, referring to the rod-like body. This paper will be published entire in \ihe Society's ' Transactions.' Dr. Hans Gadow, F.R.S., gave an account of the remains of some gigantic Land-Tortoises recently discovered in Mauritius, along with the bones of the Dodo described in a previous communication by Sir Edward Newton and himself. The remains |
