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Show 578 MR. R. B. S H A R P E O N T H E DICEID.E. [Dec. 4, December 4, 1883. Professor Flower, LL.D., F.R.S., President, in the Chair. Sir Joseph Fayrer, F.Z.S., exhibited a portion of a Deer's horn apparently gnawed by other Deer, and made remarks upon this subject. Mr. Sclater exhibited, on the part of Dr. G. Bennett, F.Z.S., four skins of a species of Drepanornis, obtained by Mr. Goldie in the vicinity of Port Moresby in Southern New Guinea, and pointed out that the southern form of this bird differed from the northern form, originally discovered by D'Albertis (and described P. Z. S. 1873, p. 560, pl. xlvii.), in the much paler colour of the rump and tail-feathers and in the more olivaceous tinge of the back. Besides this the elongated tufts on each side of the breast were not only tipped with dark purplish blue as in the northern form, but also suffused with this colour upon their outer surfaces. Mr. E. P. Ramsay (Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W . vol. iv. p, 469) had already alluded to these differences, but had only been able to examine specimens. Mr. Sclater thought that these differences were only of subspecific value, and proposed to indicate their existence by naming the Southern form Drepanornis albertisi cervinicauda. Mr. Sclater remarked that the second species of Drepanornis, described by M . Oustalet (Ann. des Sc. Nat. ser. 6. Zool. vol. ix. Art. 5) under the name Drepanornis bruijnii, seemed not in any way to resemble the southern form, and was from the northern coast of N e w Guinea, still more to the east than D. albertisii. Mr. Burton, F.Z.S., exhibited a supposed hybrid between a common hen Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and a male Blackcock (Tetrao tetrix), which had been recently purchased at Leadenhall Market. The following papers were read :- 1. Notes on some species of Birds of the family Dicceidce. B y R. B O W D L E R S H A R P E , F.L.S., F.Z.S., & c , Department of Zoology, British Museum. [Received October 9, 1883.] In the course of a revision of the family Dicaida or Flower-peckers, I have made the following notes on some of the species, which I believe may be of some interest. The representative of D. celebicum in the Sula Islands turns out |
