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Show 976 MR. P. L. SCLATER ON SAXICOLA STAPAZINA. [DeC 3, he has excellently described in his ' Chelonologische Studien,' p. 86) compared with the original type. This, through Dr. Giinther's kindness I have now been able to do; and I have no doubt of the identity of the species, in which opinion Dr. Gunther fully concurs. Besides the original type, there are two small examples of this Tortoise in the British Museum, obtained in Persia, during the Survey of the Persian Boundary Commissionl; so that the species would appear to range from Afghanistan through Persia onto the shores of the Caspian and Aral seas and so into Turkestan, whence the present specimens were forwarded to the Imperial Zoological M u seum of St. Petersburg by their conservator, von Russow. Testudo horsfieldi in general appearance much resembles Testudo greeca, but has only four toes on the front limbs. 2. A small blue Macaw, apparently referable to Spix's Macaw (Ara spixi), purchased of the Jardin d'Acclimatation of Paris, November 15, and new to the Society's collection. This bird seems to agree in every respect with the species as described by Finsch2, except that the bare space round the eye and lores are black, and not yellow as described by Finsch and as also described and figured by Spix. I have examined the single specimen of this species in the British Museum (obtained by purchase from a dealer in 1859), and believe it to be the same as our bird. Our specimen, of which I exhibit a figure by Mr. Smit (Plate LXI.) is generally of a bluish grey, the head of a paler light grey, a narrow naked ring round the eye; naked lores and bill black; total length about 18 inches, wing 10, tail 12. The iris is of a pale yellow. This is the first example of this rare species I have ever seen alive. It is immediately distinguishable from Ara hyucinthina and A. glauca (of both of which we have living specimens in the collection) by its small size and small bill. Mr. H. Seebohm exhibited a large series of specimens of the Hooded and Carrion Crows (Corvus comix aud C. corone) and of the intermediate forms between these species, and made remarks ou their geographical range and on the origin of the hybrids. Col. Irby, F.Z.S., exhibited and made remarks on some nests, eggs, and young of Cypselus pallidus taken at Gibraltar. Mr. Howard Saunders exhibited and made remarks on some Indian eggs, especially those of Sterna bergii and Larus hemprichii, on behalf of Capt. Butler, H.M. 83rd Regiment. These specimens had been taken on the island of Astola, on the Mekran coast. Dr. F. Day, F.Z.S., exhibited and made remarks on three jaws of Indian Sharks-one belonging to the genus Galeocerdo, and two belonging to the genus Carcharias,-and pointed out that one of the 1 See Blanford's ' Zoology of Persia,' p. 308. 2 Sittacc spixi, Finsch, Papag. vol. i. p. 393. |
