244- [August, 



crassate rounded just posterior to the head ; lateral margins, thin, undulating; 

 posterior extremity thin, sub-acute. Head compressed, conical or hastate, ante- 

 riorly obtuse, breadth at base 1 line; lateral cleft li lines long. Generative 

 aperture longitudinally oval. 



Greatest length 6 inches: ordinarily 5 inches, by 3 lines in breadth, and 1 line 

 in thickness: may contract to 1 inch in length, by 2 lines in breadth, and 11 lines 

 in thickness. 



Habitation. In mud and sand under stones, dead shells, etc., in positions un- 

 covered at low tide, upon the coast of Great Egg Harbor, New Jersey. 



Remarks. The more it is extended the broader and thinner it becomes, espe- 

 cially posteriorly. When free in water, it swims like the eels, and in such cases, 

 the broad surfaces of the body are more or less vertical. 



9. Meckelia rosea, n. s. 



Body bright flesh-colored with fainter lateral margins, and a central' darker 

 line inferiorly ; in transverse section oblong, convex superiorly, flattened inferior- 

 ly ; when elongated, becomes cylindroid; posteriorly, obtuse. Head compressed, 

 conical or hastate, whitish. Generative aperture distinct, round. 



Length from 2 to 6 inches ; ordinarily about 5 inches. 



Hahitation. With the preceding species. 



'Remarks. As it elongates it approaches more the cylindrical form, becoming 

 thicker and narrower. 



The Committee on Mr. Cassin's descriptions of new species of Lania- 

 dae, reported in favor of its publication in the Proceedings. 



Descriptions of new species of birds of the family Laniadce, specimens of which 

 are in the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 



By John Cassin. 



1. Lanius paliidirostris, nobis. 



Form. Bill rather long and compressed, wings rather short with the third 

 quill distinctly longest, general form robust, and that of typical Lanius. About 

 the size of L. septentrioiialis, Gm. 



Dimensions. Total length of skin from tip of bill to end of tail, about 8i 

 inches, wing 4|, tail 4J inches. 



Colors. Adult. Bill pale horn color. Upper surface of the head, with the 

 back and runnp pale cinereous, scapulars white and conspicuous, wings with a large 

 patch of white on the primaries, and with the secondaries broadly tipped with 

 white. 



A stripe of black through the eye, very narrow on the nares, but wider behind 

 the eye. Entire under-surface white, with a delicate, pale rosy tinge, most ob- 

 servable on the breast. Tail, with the two external feathers on each side, white, 

 each with a narrow longitudinal line of black on the shaft, slightly widening 

 into both webs, other tail feathers black, tipped with white, except the two in the 

 centre, which are pure black. Tarsi and claws pale brown. 



Hah. Eastern Africa. 



Obs. This fine species, of which there is one specimen only in the Rivoli col. 

 lection, may be distinguished readily from all others known to me by its very 



