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Show 324 THE SECRETARY ON DARWIN'S RHEA. [Apr. 21, scarce form Mr. Seebohm has lately obtained a fine adult male specimen killed at Hadschi-Nefes, on the Attrek. In some respects the Murghab bird comes nearer to Ph. persicus than to Ph. shawi, as it presents on the lower surface the purplish black terminal edgings to the side feathers, although these are not nearly so broad as in the Murghab bird. But Ph. persicus differs from the Murghab species in having the lower back and outer edges of the rectrices of a fine shining coppery purple, quite different from the brownish red of the Murghab bird. Under these circumstances I do not think the latter can be referred exactly to any known species, and I therefore propose to characterize it shortly as "PHASIANUS PRINCIPALIS, sp. nov. (Plate XXII.) "Capite et collo metallice viridibus: torque nullo : alis extus pro maxima parte pure albis : ventris medii plumis in centro flavescentibus, cuprescente rubro late circumdatis: ventris lateralis plumis aurescenti-rubris purpurescenti-nigro late margi-natis: plaga ventris medii nigra nulla: long, tota circa 36, ala 10, caudce 23, poll. angl. " Hab. In ripis fl. Murghab, Asiae centralis. " Obs. Species crassitie majore, albedine alarum, pectore purpures-centi- rubro et plaga nigra fere omnino carente insignissima." Mr. G. E. Dobson, F.R.S., exhibited ou behalf of M . Femand Lataste, C.M.Z.S., two skulls of the Insectivorous Mammal Crocidura aranea obtained by M . Lataste from the castings of birds of prey. One of these skulls presented the interesting peculiarity of possessing a supernumerary premolar on both sides of the upper jaw, as in the species of the closely allied subgenus Pachyura, while the other had a single supernumerary tooth on the left side. M. Lataste wished to draw particular attention to the presence of these teeth as demonstrating the artificial character of the subgenera Pachyura and Crocidura. The Secretary exhibited an egg of Darwin's Rhea, and two small examples of eggs of a Rhea, supposed by the sender to be those of Rh. macrorhyncha, and read the following letter addressed to him by M. Georges Claraz on this subject: - Avry-devant-Pont (Canton de Fribourg), Suisse, le 16 mars, 1885. Tres honorc Monsieur, Sous les auspices de Monsieur John Ball, qui a eu l'obligeance de me communiquer votre adresse, je consigne a la poste a votre nom une petite boite contenant : - 1. (Euf de Rhea darwinii ; 2. (Eufs que je supposais etre du Rhea macrorhyncha. Pour ce qui concerne le Rhea darwinii, ses ceufs ont toujours, quand ils sont frais, une teinte legerement bleuatre ou verdatre; tandis que ceux du Rhea americana a l'etat frais (ou extraits du |
