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Show 1906.] ON THE SUPPOSED BREEDING OF A MULE. 123 remained rather restricted in their diet. A few only developed jaws of type 2 R ; crushing rather than grinding machines. It was left to the Mammals to develop jaws of the true type 2, and so to be able to achieve easy horizontal movements of the teeth over one another, by which they could grind seeds and reap the highest benefits of a vegetarian diet. The Birds solved the difficulty of triturating vegetable food by improving their gizzards, not their mouths. The development of the higher Carnivora was a consequence of the development of the Herbivora. The modern jaws of type 1, with their tuberculated posterior molars, their overlapping carnassial teeth, and their long canines, are as perfect machines of their own kind as jaws of type 2. The failure of the Reptiles was perhaps due, among other things, to their inability to produce types with jaws capable of effective grinding movements. They were unable to make the most of vegetable foods, and hence were restricted to the parts of the world where the more luxuriant forms of vegetation were found. February 20, 1906. G. A. BOULENGER, Esq., F.R.S., Vice-President, in the Chair. The Secretary read the following report on the additions that had been made to the Society's Menagerie in January 1906 :- The registered additions to the Society's Menagerie during the month of January were 220 in number. Of these 34 were acquired by presentation and 73 by purchase, 112 were received on deposit, and 1 was born in the Gardens. The total number of departures during the same period, by death and removals, was 208. Amongst the additions special attention may be directed to :- A Snow-Leopard (Felisuncia), from Ladak; presented by Major A. H. Hussey, R.H.A., on January 22nd. A n Aard Wolf (Proteles cristatus), from South Africa; purchased on January 23rd. A Salt-Marsh Cavy (Dolichotis salinicola), from the Argentine, new to the Collection, deposited on January 23rd. The Secretary read the following extract from a letter addressed to him by Maj.-Gen. Sir Reginald Talbot, K.C.B., Governor of Victoria:- " It may interest the Zoological Society of London to be informed of a well-authenticated case of a Mule giving birth to a foal. " I enclose an extract from the ' Australasian' of Dec. 30th, 1905, giving a portrait of this mule and foal photographed by Captain Buxton of m y Staff. I have myself seen the pair, and there is a |