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Show 1884.] ON SYLVIA NISORIA AND HYPOLAIS ICTERINA. 477 The Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Major W. Brydon, B.S.C, C.M.Z.S., an egg of Blyth's Tragopan (Ceriornis blythi)1, which had been laid by a hen in the possession of that gentleman at Debrughar, Assam. The Secretary read an extract from a letter from the same correspondent containing an account of his efforts to procure a specimen of the Takin (Budorcas taxicolor) for the Society. When recently on an advanced frontier-station, Major Brydon had made many endeavours to procure young specimens of this scarce animal, but was informed by the natives that it was impossible to keep it in captivity, as it always "jumped itself to death," as they expressed it. The Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Mr. J. C. Parr, F.Z.S., a specimen of the chick of the Vulturine Guinea-Fowl (Numida vulturina), hatched in Lancashire on September 10th. The hen of this species in Mr. Parr's possession had laid very late in August, and after sitting about a week died. The six eggs were then put under a common hen, and five young chicks were the result: one, which had died on the 15th of October, was now exhibited. The Secretary believed that this was the first instance of the Vulturine Guinea-Fowl having bred in this country. The Rev. H. H. Slater, F.Z.S., exhibited a specimen of the Barred Warbler (Sylvia nisoria) obtained on the Yorkshire coast by himself on the 28th August, 1884. The specimen was a female bird in immature plumage. It was found in an elder-hedge by a potato-garden on the sand-hills, and was very shy and difficult to see. The first British-killed specimen of this species was exhibited at a meeting of this Society on March 4th, 1879 (see P. Z. S. 1879, p. 219). Mr. H. E. Dresser exhibited specimens of Sylvia nisoria and Hypolais icterina killed in Norfolk, and made the following remarks:- ' The Rev. H . H. Slater has just exhibited an immature specimen (the second on record as having been killed in England) of Sylvia nisoria, and I am glad to be able to place before you a third example of this "Warbler, shot by Mr. F. D. Power, of Cold-Harbour Lane, Brixton, on the 4th of September last, in some scrub at the base of Blakeney sandhills, Norfolk. This gentleman informs me that he saw no other bird at all resembling it on that day, though Garden Warblers were very numerous. This specimen is a female in immature plumage, and closely resembles the bird exhibited by Mr. Slater. The first recorded occurrence was of a fully adult bird, which was also exhibited at a meeting of this Society by Professor Newton2. Another rare bird which I now have the pleasure to exhibit is an immature example of Hypolais icterina, also shot by ** See P. Z. S. 1872, p. 496; 1879, p. 457. 2 See P. Z. S. 1879, p. |