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Show MR. H. SCHERREN ON OLD [Nov. 14, Dr. P. L. Sclater, F.R.S., read a letter addressed to him by Mr. William Rodier, dated Tambua Station, Cobar, New South Wales, June 29th, 1905, in which it was stated that Mr. Rodier s plan for combating the Rabbit-pest (‘ Nature,' March 21st, 1889) was still proving a 11 wonderful success." As there had been some good rains in the district the feed at Tambua was " splendid, right up to the boundary netting-fence," but on the other side there was " absolute starvation," owing to the great numbers of rabbits. This summer, in Mr. Rodier's opinion, would see the surrounding district quite " eaten out" by the rabbits, which were there in millions, but were easily kept down at Tambua by his plan. Mr. Rodier's plan, which was very simple, might be shortly described as follows :-Ferrets and nets are employed to catch the rabbits alive in the usual way, but while all the females captured are destroyed, the males are turned out uninjured. The results are that tlie male rabbits, so soon as they begin to predominate in numbers, persecute the females with their attentions and prevent them from breeding. They also kill the young rabbits, and, as Mr. Rodier declares, " worry the remaining does to death." Mr. Henry Scherren, F.Z.S., exhibited two lantern-slides of old pictures of Anthropoid Apes, and made the following remarks on the Satyr us indicus of Tulpius (text-fig. 5 0 ):- There appeared to be in Dapper ( ‘ Beschreibung von Afrika,' Amsterdam, 1670, p. 393) an early reference to a Gorilla. No figure was given, but the description, though of course inexact, seemed to fit the Gorilla, better than the Chimpanzee, especially with regard to erect progression *, the folk-story of carrying off and ravishing women, and the supposed human origin. The passage is as follows :- " Hier [Quoja, north of Fernando Pol wird auch ein Tier gefunden, welches die Einwohner Quojas-Morrou oder Worou und die Portugallier Salvage dass ist ein Waldmann nennen. Es hat einen grossen Kopf, dicken Leib, fleischichte Arme, damit es in Ringen sehr starck ist, aber gantz keinen Scliwantz ; und gehet zuweilen mit ausgerecktem gerade Leibe auf den Hinter-fiissen allein wie die Affen zuweilen auf alien vieren langst der Erde. Die Schwartzen sagen dass es von Mensclien entsprossen; aber durcli das wilde Leben im Busche zum halben unverniinft-igen Tiere sei worden. Diese Tiere leben vom wilde Honige und die Friichten in den Biisclien : auch fecliten sie fort und fort mit einander. Ja, sie diirfen niclit allein die Frauen ergreifen und nohtziichtigen, sondern auch die gewafnete Manner selbsten aufallen." In December 1904 the Hon. Walter Rothschild, M.P., laid before the Society a valuable paper, entitled " Notes on Anthropoid Apes ' f, and exhibited what was undoubtedly the finest * R. I. Pocock, P. Z. S. 190o, vol. ii. p. 178. t P. Z. S. 1904, vol. ii. pp. 413-440. |