OCR Text |
Show 1867.] DR. G. HARTLAUB ON THE BIRDS OF ZANZIBAR. 823 Ardea elegans, Verr., is identical with A. garzetta, he is certainly greatly mistaken. A. elegans, of which two fine adult specimens are in the Bremen collection, has nothing whatever to do with A. garzetta. It belongs to another group of the Ardece-to that of A. comata. The structure of the long dorsal plumes is very different; and so is the colour of the two birds, A. elegans having the head, neck, and the long dorsal plumes of a fine fulvous-isabelline hue, which colour may possibly disappear in specimens which have been for a length of time exposed to the light. Ardea elegans is also a much smaller bird than A. garzetta. The dimensions of our specimens are:-Rostr. 2" 4'", al. 8" 3'", tars. 2" 3"', dig. med. cum ung. 2" 5"'. " Again, when Prof. Schlegel says that Ploceus sakalava certainly does not come from ' Madagascar,' I should like to know from what source he gets his knowledge. Certainly not from M. Pollen's travels, this traveller having explored only a comparatively small portion of that large island. I can only say this, the specimen, of which I possess a full and good description in an old MS. of my friend Jules Verreaux, was given to that ornithologist by M. Victor Sganzin on bis return from Madagascar to the Cape. He collected it during his prolonged stay on that island. Mr. G. R. Gray, when he directed my attention to the specimen in the British Museum, told me that he believed it came from Madagascar. It is of a very different form from Nelicurvius pensilis." Mr. W. H. Flower read a Memoir on the Osteology of the Cachalot, or Sperm-Whale, completing his account of the osseous structure of this animal. Mr. Flower came to the conclusion that there was no sufficient evidence of the existence of more than one species of Sperm-Whale, for which he was of opinion Linnaeus's name, Physeter macrocephalus, ought to be retained. This paper will appear in the Society's 'Transactions.' The following papers were read :- 1. Report on a Collection of Birds formed in the Island of Zanzibar by Dr. John Kirk. By Dr. Gr. H A R T L A U B * 1. ELANUS MELANOPTERUS (Daud.). 2. STRIX FLAMMEA, L. 3. CYPSELUS PARVUS, Licht.; Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 601. Two adult specimens and a younger bird. This latter shows the * This collection was sent home to me by our Corresponding Member Dr. Kirk with a request that I would get the specimens worked out and an account of them put in the ' Proceedings.' Dr. Hartlaub has most kindly undertaken this task. Dr. Kirk states that of two raptorial birds (Haliaetus vocifer and Milvus ceguptius) which are common at Zanzibar he has not thought it worth while to transmit specimens.-P. L. S. |