28Q Zoological Proceedings of Societies. 



eluded in the last edition of the " Systema NaturjB." He called 

 the attention of the Club to the uniformity exhibited in the dis- 

 tribution of the colours throughout the genus ; the plumage of all 

 the species, with one or two exceptions, being considerably va- 

 riegated, either above or below, with spots or bands ; while the 

 colours, on the contrary, of the African genus Malaconotus^ which 

 immediately approaches Thamnophilus in affinity, are distributed 

 in large and unbroken masses, and no instance has hitherto oc- 

 curred of an example of that genus having the body or tail spotted 

 or barred. He added that it is further worthy of remark that 

 those American Thamnophili^ whose plumage is most unspotted, 

 approach more closely than the rest of the genus to the African 

 Malaconotiy by their robuster feet, and more rounded tail. 



Mr. Vigors exhibited several species of the genus Palceornisy 

 which he had lately instituted in the family of Psittaddce ; and 

 he stated that the Parrots known to the ancients belonged ex- 

 clusively to that group. He adduced some passages from the 

 classical writers to illustrate the high estimation with which these 

 birds were regarded by antiquity, in consequence of their beauty, 

 their docile manners, and the imitative powers of their voice ; as 

 also to point out the characters by which they were known to the 

 ancients, and their geographical distribution. He next proceeded 

 to explain the situation which these birds maintain in the family, 

 stating that it appeared to him to be nearly typical in the fifth 

 subdivision, or subfamily, which includes the birds familiarly 

 known to us by the title of long-tailed Parrakeets, He exem- 

 plified the various groups that belong to this subfamily by speci- 

 mens of each which he exhibited to the Club ; and he signified 

 his intention of speedily characterizing all the groups of the 

 Psittaddce^ and laying his general arrangement of them before 

 the Club. In the course of his observations he pointed out a 

 singular peculiarity in a New Holland genus of the family, of 

 which the Psit. hcematodus^ Linn, is the type; namely, the 

 tubular or brush-like conformation of the tongue. This con- 

 formation he exemplified in the tongue of one of the species of 

 this genus, which was communicated to him by Mr. Yarrell for 

 tht information of the Club. He also mentioned that the Indian 



