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Show 404 MR. j. G O U L D O N A N E W SPECIES OF CEYX. [June 25, and announced that that gentleman had procured at Gibraltar a young living specimen of this animal, which it was his intention to present to the Society's Menagerie. Mr. Sclater read the following notices of the more important additions to the Society's Menagerie during the month of May :- 1. A pair of the Wild Ass of the Syrian deserts (Equus hemippus of the late Isidore Geoffroy St.-Hilaire), of much interest as rendering the Society's series of the living species of this group complete. This pair of animals had been obtained by exchange from the Jardin d'A-Vcclimatation, Paris, on the 2nd of May. 2. A young male of the Regent Bird (Sericulus chrysocephalus), purchased on May 14th, being the first specimen of this remarkable bird that had reached the Society's Gardens alive. The Society's correspondent, Dr. F. Mueller of Melbourne, had previously forwarded a living example of this bird, which had, unfortunately, died in the vessel after it had reached the docks. 3. .Am African Fruit-Bat (Cynonycteris collaris) which had been captured at sea off the St. John's river, Natal, Mareh 1st, 1868, and purchased the 27th of May. This animal had been placed in the Monkey-house along with the Indian Fruit-Bat (Pteropus medius), which had been living in the Society's Menagerie ever since October 1863. A communication was read from Prof. R. Owen, F.R.S., containing a description of the sternum in Dinornis elephantopus and D. rheides, with notes on that bone in D. crassus and D. casuarinus, and forming the thirteenth part of his series of memoirs on the extinct birds of the genus Dinornis. This paper will be published in the Society's 'Transactions.' The following papers were read :- 1. Description of a New Species of the Genus Ceyx. By J O H N G O U L D , F.R.S. &c. CEYX PHILIPPINENSIS, sp. nov. This little Kingfisher might at first sight be considered the same as Ceyx cyanopectus, Eyton, but on comparing it with that species it will be found to differ in having a shorter bill, in the richer tone of the whole of its colouring, in having the patch of feathers on the sides of the neck larger and of a purer white, and in the absence of the dark indigo band; the flanks, too, are rufous, and not blue as in G. cyanopectus. Its form and colouring are those of a true Ceyx; but it has the patches of feathers on the upper part of each side of the breast very much developed, as in Alcyone, and more so than in any other species of the genus Ceyx. Upper mandible brownish black ; lower mandible fleshy-brown ; feet orange. Total length 5\ inches, bill If, wing 2|, tail f, tarsi yL. Hab. Vicinity of Manila, Philippine Islands. |