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Show 2 MR. E. HARTERT ON EGGS OF CUCULUS CANORUS. [Jan. 5, was presented to the Society by Thomas Perkins, Esq., F.Z.S., Dec. 1st, 1891. Dr. E. C. Stirling, C.M.Z.S., exhibited some specimens of the new Australian Marsupial {Notoryctes typhlops), and gave a short account of the habits of this remarkable animal, as observed in a specimen recently kept in captivity by one of his correspondents. The following extract was read from a letter received by the Secretary from Dr. F. A. Jentink, F.M.Z.S., dated Leyden, 4th December, 1891 :- "In a paper published September 1890 (Notes from the Leyden Museum, p. 222) I called the attention of naturalists to the remarkable Bush-rat, Pithechir melanurus, from Jav/a and Sumatra. The type of this black-tailed red Rat is a drawing in colours, by Duvaucel, reproduced in Cuvier's ' Mammiferes.' No specimen of the Pithechir melanurus is in the Paris Museum, nor has it ever been observed by a naturalist, except by the late Dr. S. Midler, who procured in 1834 two skins from Padang and Batavia for the Leyden Museum, where they are still preserved. I think it will highly interest the members of the Zoological Society to know that I have just received a postcard from Mr. Pasteur, of Batavia, announcing that he has in his possession a whole family ( S, $ and young) of P. melanurus, captured in the neighbourhood of Batavia, which he intends to present to our Museum. Within a few weeks, I hope to get them, preserved in spirit, and to be able to give a more detailed description of the specimens and their skeletons &c." Mr. Ernst Hartert exhibited 31 clutches of eggs of different birds' eggs associated with eggs of Cuculus canorus, mostly collected by himself and reliable friends. He made remarks about the mimicry of the egg in the Cucididce, and observed that some of the Indian species of this family illustrate this fact much better than the European Cuckoo. Although attempts had been made to prove the contrary, one individual female Cuckoo in his opinion always laid similarly coloured eggs. To prove this fact he called attention to several series of eggs that had apparently been laid by one female. In every case the eggs of the same female were entirely similar to each other in form, size, and colour. As a very remarkable fact Mr. Hartert mentioned that as regards the dark closed nests of the Common Wren no adaptation of the egg of the Cuckoo to the eggs of the owner had ever been noticed. The following papers were read :- |
