cally sulcated; longitudinally very finely radiately striated; anteriorly rounded and wider, posteriorly narrower, angulated and abruptly truncated; ventral margin arched, entire; pallial impression with a small sinus; hinge with the tooth of the left valve deeply fissured anteriorly.

Hab. Catanuan, province of Tayabas, island of Luzon, in sand at low water; H. C. (Mus. Cuming.)

SPHENIA PHILIPPINARUM, Adams.

S. testá ovali, transversa, subinæquivalvá, albá, tenui, ventricosá, inæquilaterali; latere antico longiore, rotundato, lavi; postico breviore, radiatim striato, vix truncato; epidermide fusco tenui tectá; margine ventrali interdum subsinuato; impressione palliali sinu parvo ; dente cardinis valvulæ sinistræ trilobato.

Hab. in insulis Philippinis.

Shell oval, transverse, slightly inequivalve, thin, white, ventricose, inequilateral; anterior side longest, rounded, smooth; posterior side shortest, radiately striated, slightly truncated and covered with a very thin brown epidermis; ventral margin sometimes slightly sinuated; pallial impression with a small sinus; hinge with the cardinal tooth of the left valve trilobate. (Mollusca, Pl. X. fig. 7-9.)

Hab. Sibunga, island of Zebu, fine sand, 30 fathoms; H. C. Bay of Manila, clayey sand, 6 fathoms; H. C. (Mus. Cuming.)

SPHENIA RUPPELLII, Adams. S. testá transverso-elongata, transverse striata, epidermide fusco tectá; latere antico breviore, rotundato, gibboso, obsoletè radiatim striato; postico longiore, angustiore, subrostrato, truncato; dente cardinis valvula sinistra subsinuato.

Hab. in Mari Rubro.

Shell transversely elongated, covered with a reddish-brown epidermis, transversely striated; anterior side the shortest, rounded, gibbose, obsoletely radiately striated; posterior side narrower, rather beaked, widely gaping and truncate; tooth of left valve slightly sinuated.

Hab. Red Sea; Dr. Rüppell.

SPHÆNIA MINDORENSIS, Adams and Reeve.
Voy. Zool. Samarang, t. . f.

May 14, 1850.

William Yarrell, Esq., V.P., in the Chair.

The Secretary stated that, through the liberality of Ronald Gunn, Esq., and Dr. Grant, of Launceston, the Menagerie had been enriched by the safe arrival of two living specimens of Thylacinus cynocephalus (Mammalia, Pl. XVIII.): and he read the following letter in reference to this most valuable and interesting gift, which has

added one of the rarest and most difficult forms to the series of Marsupials which have hitherto been exhibited in the Gardens :

:

"Launceston, Van Diemen's Land, 29th December, 1849.

"SIR, I have shipped on board the barque Stirlingshire, Chris'. Gwatkin, master, two living Thylacines (male and female) for the Zoological Society of London, and which I trust will reach you alive and well. Captain Gwatkin, whom I have known for some years, has promised his utmost personal care and attention to them during the passage home. I have put on board twelve fat sheep (together with hay for their sustenance) as sea-stores for the Thylacines, and have made every arrangement I could think of to ensure their safe arrival in London.

"I have had the female in confinement for upwards of six months, and it has become sufficiently tame to permit its head to be scratched, or to be otherwise touched through the bars of its prison, without showing any anger or irritation. The male, for which the Society is indebted to my friend Dr. James Grant of Launceston, was only caught a month ago. We placed it at once with the female, with which it seems upon the best of terms, but it is not yet so familiar with the presence of man. I have purposely kept their cage close to the side of a path where many of my servants pass daily, and where my children are in the habit of playing, and I find that beyond a hissing noise made by the male, they do not seem at all disturbed by any one going close to them.

"I have fed them exclusively upon mutton. They prefer the parts containing bones, and do not seem to relish the liver, heart, lights, &c.

"Both these animals have been caught in snares upon the upper part of the St. Patrick's River, about thirty miles N.E. of Laun

ceston.

"The female, which was first caught, was placed for some time in a small unfinished house at the St. Patrick's until I could devise means of getting her down here; and when I sent a trustworthy person up for her, he assured me that she was excessively agile-springing from the floor to the top of the walls, 6 to 8 feet, and from joist to joist near the roof with the activity of a cat. He also informed me that the Thylacine will not eat the Wombat, an animal exceedingly abundant on the St. Patrick's River, and with which they attempted to feed it during the month it was there, previous to my having it brought down to my residence. Otherwise I have not had any great opportunity of observing any peculiar habits.

"Both Dr. Grant and I continue to offer high rewards for living specimens, and you shall have all the benefit of our success, whatever it may be. The great increase of sheep in all directions obliges the shepherds to destroy them by every possible means, and they are rarely caught alive, or if so caught, are killed whilst in the snares. I am therefore more than usually anxious that these should reach you safely, and I have offered the Captain a proportionate reward for their delivery alive.