OCR Text |
Show 1892.] MR. F. E. BEDDARD ON THE INDIAN DARTER. 291 paler ground. Underneath the primaries are yellowish, with a large black discal spot containing a white point; a submarginal dark lunular line. Secondaries underneath reddish brown, thickly speckled with black ; a white discal point, and a transverse, lunular brown line. Thorax brown, with posteriorly a number of white hairs. Abdomen reddish. Expanse 54 m m . Hab. Petropolis, Brazil. AUTOMERIS TAMPHILUS, Sp. nOV. Primaries above fawn-colour, tinged with reddish; the outer margin yellowish ; the basal and outer transverse lines a little paler than'the ground-colour; the outer line extending from near the apex on the costal margin to the inner margin at three fourths from its base. Secondaries yellowish red, the outer margin paler; the ocellus not very large, brown, circled with black and then with yellow ; in its centre a minute greyish spot with a white streak ; a submarginal black line inwardly edged with yellow. Head and thorax dark brown. Abdomen reddish. Expanse male 90 m m . Hab. Rio Janeiro, Brazil. 5. Notes on the Anatomy and Osteology of the Indian Darter (Plotus melanogaster). By F R A N K E. B E D D A R D , M.A., F.R.S.E., Prosector to the Society. [Received March 15, 1892.] The structure of the soft parts of both Plotus anhinga and P melanogaster has been fairlv completely described by my two predecessors, Prof. Garrodl and Mr. Forbes2. Prof. Garrod has also given a brief account of some of the peculiarities of the third species, P levaillanti, in a later paper 3. So far as I am aware, the only existing account of the visceral anatomy of P. melanogaster is to be found in Mr. Forbes's notes upon this bird. More recently Prof. Furbringer, of Jena, has contributed 4 to our knowledge of this genus in his great work upon the shoulder-girdle of birds. Having recently had the opportunity-afforded m e by the death, on December 31 st of the present year, of a female P. melanogaster, which arrived at the Gardens on M a y 1883-of dissecting an example of that species, I have been able to make some slight additions to what, is already on record about the bird. As will be easily imagined, I have only to confirm the careful work of Mr. Forbes, so far as that goes ; i « Notes on the Anatomy of Plotus anhinga," P. Z. S. 1876 p. 335. * « On some Points in the Anatomy of the Indian Darter (Pious melanogaster) and on the Mechanism of the Neck in the Darters (Plotus), in connexion ^.^l^Po^-in L Anato^f Levaillanfs Darter (Plotus levaillanti)," P 7 ^ 1A7ft D 67U * 'UntersucWgen zur Morphologic und Systematik der Vogel, &c, 1888. |