OCR Text |
Show 1873.] THE SECRETARY O N A D D I T I O N S T O T H E M E N A G E R I E . 193 February 18, 1873. John Gould, Esq., F.R.S., in the Chair. The Secretary read the following report on the additions to the Society's Menagerie during the month of January 1873 :- The total number of registered additions to the Society's Menagerie during the month of January 1873 was 168, of which 2 were by birth, 32 by presentation, 62 by purchase, 58 by exchange, and 14 were received on deposit. The total number of departures during the same period by death and removals, was 82. The most noticeable additions during the month of January were as follows:- 1. A pair of Fruit-Bats (Pteropus), presented January 9th by the Rev. Mr. Ritchie, of Takoo, Formosa. The nearest described species appears to be Pteropus dasymallus of Temminck, founded on Japanese specimens. But it does not agree quite with the Formosan animals; and I have therefore named them Pteropus formosus until there is a possibility of examining them more closely. I am not aware that any Pteropus has been previously recorded from Formosa. Mr. Swinhoe does not give any in his lately published list of Formosan Mammals («P. Z. S. 1870, p. 615). ^ Tbe accompanying drawing (Plate XXII.) by Mr. Keulemans will give a good idea of this animal. "We have now in the Gardens no less than thirteen Fruit-Bats, belonging to the following species :- 1. Pteropus medius 3. ,, poliocephalus ... 4. „ formosus 6. Cynonycteris collaris 8. „ „ io. „ „ 11. Cynopterus margin atus... 12. 13. ,, ,, Sex. 9 S ? 3 ? S ? $ ¥ Habitat. India. Australia. L Formosa. Natal. Natal. India. Date of arrival. Presented Oct. 1,1863. Purchased Feb. 15, 1872 Presented July 4, 1868. Presented Jan. 9, 1873. Purchased May 27,1868. Purchased Nov. 1, 1869. Born in the Gardens, Feb. 27,1870. Born in the Gardens, April 7,1871. Received in exchange, Dec. 10,1871. | Purchased May 4,1871. Born in the Gardens, March 6,1872. 2. A female Tapir, purchased Jan. 16th. This animal, which was obtained from one of our correspondents of the Royal Mail S.S. Company, was brought down the La Plata from Paraguay. Although I have entered it on the register as Tapirus terrestris, it presents several obvious points of distinction from the ordinary Brazilian and Guianan specimens of this animal. The thick short fur, instead of being nearly black in colour, is of a decided rusty brown ; the tail is much longer ; and the ears are larger and longer. (See figure, p. 194). The occurrence of the Tapir in P R O C . Z O O L . Soc-1873, No. XIII. 13 |