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Show 1878.] MR. p. L. S C L A T E R O N FELIS LANEA. 655 plumes more produced; those of the Falklands and Kerguelen have them rather shorter. As regards the Australian and New-Zealand bird (E. pachyrhyn-chus of Gray), to which Mr. Sharpe proposes to restrict the name chrysocome of Forster, we likewise doubt its distinctness. The only differential characters given by Mr. Sharpe consist in the relative lengths of the black and yellow feathers of the superciliary tufts. At the same time we should like to examine a series of this form before pronouncing a decided opinion on the point. June 18th, 1878. Arthur Grote, Esq., F.Z.S., V.P., in the Chair. Extracts were read from a letter addressed to the Secretary by Mr. E. L. Lavard, F.Z.S., dated British Consulate, Noumea, March 30th, 1878. Mr. Layard pointed out that Mr. Gould's Glycyphila fasciata (Handb. B. Austr. i. p. 499 ; B. Austr. iv. tab. 30) was quite a different bird from G. fasciata (Forster) of New Caledonia, the latter being nearly half as large again. Mr. Layard proposed to change the name of the Australian species to G. gouldi. Mr. Layard also sent the subjoined note on Petrceca Aieinschmidti of Finsch :- " Dr. Finsch has described as new, under the name of Petroica kleinschmidti, the little Petroica of Fiji (P. Z. S. 1875, p. 643). I wish to point out that this species will not stand, and that the Fijian species is not separable from the Samoan P. pusilla, Peale. Dr. Finsch says, 'it differs from P.pusilla, Peale, from the Navigators, in lacking the white front and the large white mark on the wing-coverts.' Dr. Finsch's description is evidently taken from a female; and she lacks the white marks, which, however, are very visible in the male. " I have before m e two pairs of Fijian birds ( 3 and $ ), and three males from Samoa. Unfortunately one of these, from Mr. Whitmee, is unsexed; the other two are of m y own killing : one is a young male, and I have no doubt Mr. Whitmee's bird is also a male ; none are in very good plumage, whereas my Fijian birds are in splendid order. " Now, I can affirm that the males are not to be distinguished one from the other, except that the Fijiansare in brighter plumage ; so that P. kleinschmidti must sink into a synonym of P. pusilla, with Peale's description of which (U.S. Expl. Exped. p. 165) it entirely agrees." Mr. Sclater called the attention of the members present to the unique specimen of his Felis lanea (P. Z. S. 1877, p. 532), still living in the Society's menagerie, and read the subjoined extract from a letter of Mr. E. L. Layard, F.Z.S., relating to this animal:- " It will interest you to know that there is a second specimen of |